Our earlier blog, The six-figure cost of a bad hiring decision, highlighted the financial impact of appointing the wrong person. In this follow up blog we look at some of the causes of these costly decisions. 

(The causes of bad hiring decisions listed below are a combination of the conclusions of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Perfect Match report and our own experiences of working closely with clients and candidates within the Events and Marketing sectors over many years). 

Speed becomes more important than quality

In the Perfect Match report, of the 85% of HR professionals who said they’d seen bad hiring decisions made in their organisations, one third attributed this to the business’s desire to fill the role quickly. 

There may be many reasons for this rush: people are stretched trying to cover the gap left by the previous incumbent; the line manager is keen to see a handover period; or perhaps they are concerned they might lose the staff budget if the role is not filled quickly. Or maybe it is purely pressure from a senior figure in the organisation to see the role filled urgently which puts those further down the recruitment chain under pressure to rush the process.

Whatever the reason, sometimes a candidate who is just good enough might be appointed over someone who could really make a difference, simply on the basis of their immediate availability.  

Setting realistic timescales for the process, considering putting in an interim, HR and line managers working closer together, are all things that can help give the process the time it properly needs.

Poor briefing

Whether you work with your HR department or a recruitment agency to source candidates, it’s important to spend time providing a clear brief of what you’re after.  Often, a line manager might have clear views about the technical competences they want, but don’t go into detail about the behaviours they’re looking for to ensure cultural fit. 

This is perverse, as evidence suggests more people leave their job because of their attitude or behaviour rather than competence. 

So ensuring the brief contains a detailed job description, a good overview of the company (including culture), and a clearly thought through person specification will all help ensure that everyone, including the candidates, have the best understanding of the role and context from the beginning of the process – not something to be discovered after they have joined.

How to write a job description for an Event Manager

Refilling the same role

Refilling the same role to the existing job description when someone leaves, without reviewing it to make sure it is still fully relevant, can be another area for pitfalls.  When the current incumbent leaves a role, you are presented with the ideal opportunity to review the position. Ask yourself, does the job definition need to be updated to reflect new technologies? Is there a better working pattern for the business? Is this position needed at all or could it be replaced with a role that will put your team in a better place for the future? 

Lack of diversity

Line managers should never recruit only people who fit a certain template. We all benefit from working with people with complementary skills and ideas - and this doesn’t come from recruiting in our own image.   As William Wrigley Jr once said, “When two men in a business always agree, one of them is unnecessary.”

If you always recruit from the same pool of people your opportunity to make a step change appointment is limited, and can result in a hire that does not work as well for the business or the new recruit as it needs to do to meet the long term needs of both.

Lack of rigour in interviewing and reference checking

Busy managers don’t always have the time – or perhaps don’t prioritise the time – to prepare interviews that will uncover the most complete picture of a candidate. And for many, references have now become so anodyne, they hardly seem worth following up. 

But of course, interviews, assessment exercises and references are the only real opportunity to test an individual can substantiate the claims on their CV, before you have to commit to recruitment. So they really are worth spending time on. 

One-way interviewees

We have heard tell of some interviewers who spend a whole 60-minute interview talking about the company, the opportunity and themselves leaving little time to hear what the candidate has to say.  If all interviews run like this, it’s unlikely the hiring manager will be able to make any kind of informed decision, other than potentially favour those candidates that proved to be the best listeners!

It’s important that all interviews allow time for two way conversations and candidates are given the space to fully demonstrate their suitability – or otherwise.

How to deal with a nervous interviewee

Too few people involved in the hiring decision

While decisions by committee are certainly open to criticism, it is important that all the critical decision makers are involved in the decision. If, for example, you are looking for an events manager to support a specific team, not including the leader of that team in the process and decision is clearly not ideal – but you’d be surprised how often this happens. 

Getting participation and buy-in from the key stakeholders before and during the process can save a whole heap of repercussions later!

Aptitude and Attitude are not measured

Tests of aptitude and attitude alone will not identify the ideal candidate, but they can be a reliable deciding factor when used in addition to the results of a structured, formal interview. Without them, an interview decision will often be based on gut instinct alone.

Poor onboarding

Imagine hearing nothing from your new employers between the offer confirmation and your first day, and then arriving to find few preparations have been made for your start. 

This is surprisingly common and it should come as no surprise that anyone experiencing this may often keep looking for a new role elsewhere during the interim. Indeed, the period between the offer letter and start date is the time at which your ideal candidate is most likely to get other offers from their present employer or your competition. 

Staying in touch with your new recruit before they join, particularly during their resignation process, and during that critical initial settling in period are all areas where close and sustained communication with the candidate can really pay off.

The temptation to rush recruitment can be great, but the huge potential for making a bad or short-term hiring decision should prompt caution. Yet you can have the best of both worlds by working with a trusted and experienced recruitment company who will help you think through the need for a new appointment at the briefing stage, clarify the specification, manage and carry out the initial interviews, drill down expertly into a candidates experience and aptitudes relevant to your brief, reference check, and run psychometric tests if required. 

A good agency, experienced in your sector, can put you in touch with a wider range of potential candidates so you can select from a wider population and benchmark any existing contacts. And once you have made an offer they will get in touch with the unsuccessful candidates and maintain contact with the appointee to ensure they feel engaged and supported from offer to the end of their probation and beyond.

If you’d like help in making good recruitment decisions and attracting candidates who will make a real and sustained contribution to your business please get in touch. As an agency we pride ourselves in working closely with our clients and candidates to ensure that the recruitment process and the hiring decision are made with longevity of tenure as paramount.  Our enviable record of placing great Events and Marketing candidates in companies and positions which are long term homes for their careers is something we are very proud of.  If you’d like to work with an agency which places making the right hiring decision rather than a hiring decision at the top of the list - then do get in touch.

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), the membership body to which Regan & Dean and most reputable recruitment firms belong, has calculated the cost of making a bad hiring decision. The results are likely to shock you. 

REC’s research report, Perfect Match - Making the right hire and the cost of getting it wrong, describes a credible formula for calculating how much hard cash organisations lose when they appoint the wrong candidate into a key position. 

Using a middle manager role attracting an annual salary of £42,000 as an example, REC estimates the cost of appointing the wrong person is more than three times their annual salary, once the impact on others’ performance and motivation is taken into consideration. 

This breaks down as illustrated below. The calculation assumes the individual leaves or is dismissed within the first eight months:

© Recruitment & Employment Confederation

Clearly, the more senior the role, the more expensive the potential impact becomes. And all the time you have the wrong person in the role, you’re missing the opportunity to get the ideal person on board.

Almost all organisations are affected
If you’re thinking this only affects a handful of organisations you’d be mistaken. REC’s research with HR professionals found that an astonishing 85 per cent of them said they had worked in organisations that had made bad hiring decisions. 

So how do you make sure you’re not one of that 85%? 

5 ways to reduce the likelihood of a bad hire

1.    Hire for attitude and cultural fit as much as competence 
Most technical skills can be learned or developed, but it’s harder to change people’s attitudes and behaviours. Yet it’s often these factors that result in a new appointee leaving prematurely. 

Diversity of thought and background is, of course, essential for an organisation to thrive. But if an individual cannot work within the widely-accepted norms and culture of your business they are unlikely to do well. For both parties’ sake, it’s important to make sure there is a cultural fit.

2.    Ensure all key stakeholders are involved in the decision
It’s important that anyone who will have a significant influence on the success of the appointee is involved in the hiring decision. The last thing you want is for a key internal customer to say that if they’d had the choice they’d never have appointed the individual given the choice.

This is not always easy, especially in geographically dispersed organisations, but try to get every key contact involved in the selection process. It’s also helpful for candidates to meet a number of potential team mates so they can make an informed decision if offered the role. 

3.    Use role specific Assessment activities as part of the recruitment process
Wherever possible relevant assessment activities should be built into the recruitment process. These would, of course, need to be tailored according to the level of the candidate/role.  So, at the more junior end of the scale tasks such as copywriting, prioritisation, responding to a brief, role related activities, or giving a presentation, are all good ways of getting a more in-depth view of a candidate’s abilities and skills.  Competency-based questions, review of candidate supplied case studies, and well thought through interview questions focussed on the challenges of the role, are all activities that will help ensure a good hiring decision is made.

4.    Don’t skimp on references 
References are too often seen as a formality, whereas they should be considered an essential element in any decision. In many cases, they are the only objective evidence that a candidate is able to deliver what they promise.

At Regan & Dean we dig even deeper into references if we, or our clients, have any areas of concern. Although some referees are reluctant to go into detail in a written reference these days, an informal chat can be very enlightening. 

5.    Consider the time between offer and start date – and beyond
Some employers breathe a sigh of relief when their ideal candidate accepts an offer and move on to the next item on the to do list. Big mistake! 

This period is a dangerous and critical time when the candidate is likely to receive tempting counter offers from their current employer. If they’ve been actively job seeking they may even continue to attend interviews to see what their options are. 

It’s important to keep in touch with news, updates and perhaps invitations to key events to build up their connection and loyalty to your team. A good recruitment firm will do a lot of this for you, making sure the individual feels positive, supported and excited about starting the new role. 

At Regan & Dean we continue this support into the probation period, helping our candidates make a success of their first few months as they settle into the role. It’s something we find both candidates and clients appreciate. 

We’re so confident in the support we offer candidates and clients, that we offer a rebate scheme if an appointment does not work out for whatever reason. It’s rarely, if ever, that we use it but it provides clients with that extra confidence. 

If you’d value an approach that maximises the chance of a hire that works, backed by a clear rebate scheme, please get in touch. 

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), the membership body to which Regan & Dean and most reputable recruitment firms belong, has calculated the cost of making a bad hiring decision. The results are likely to shock you. 

REC’s research report, Perfect Match - Making the right hire and the cost of getting it wrong, describes a credible formula for calculating how much hard cash organisations lose when they appoint the wrong candidate into a key position. 

Using a middle manager role attracting an annual salary of £42,000 as an example, REC estimates the cost of appointing the wrong person is more than three times their annual salary, once the impact on others’ performance and motivation is taken into consideration. 

This breaks down as illustrated below. The calculation assumes the individual leaves or is dismissed within the first eight months:

© Recruitment & Employment Confederation

Clearly, the more senior the role, the more expensive the potential impact becomes. And all the time you have the wrong person in the role, you’re missing the opportunity to get the ideal person on board.

Almost all organisations are affected
If you’re thinking this only affects a handful of organisations you’d be mistaken. REC’s research with HR professionals found that an astonishing 85 per cent of them said they had worked in organisations that had made bad hiring decisions. 

So how do you make sure you’re not one of that 85%? 

5 ways to reduce the likelihood of a bad hire

1.    Hire for attitude and cultural fit as much as competence 
Most technical skills can be learned or developed, but it’s harder to change people’s attitudes and behaviours. Yet it’s often these factors that result in a new appointee leaving prematurely. 

Diversity of thought and background is, of course, essential for an organisation to thrive. But if an individual cannot work within the widely-accepted norms and culture of your business they are unlikely to do well. For both parties’ sake, it’s important to make sure there is a cultural fit.

2.    Ensure all key stakeholders are involved in the decision
It’s important that anyone who will have a significant influence on the success of the appointee is involved in the hiring decision. The last thing you want is for a key internal customer to say that if they’d had the choice they’d never have appointed the individual given the choice.

This is not always easy, especially in geographically dispersed organisations, but try to get every key contact involved in the selection process. It’s also helpful for candidates to meet a number of potential team mates so they can make an informed decision if offered the role. 

3.    Use role specific Assessment activities as part of the recruitment process
Wherever possible relevant assessment activities should be built into the recruitment process. These would, of course, need to be tailored according to the level of the candidate/role.  So, at the more junior end of the scale tasks such as copywriting, prioritisation, responding to a brief, role related activities, or giving a presentation, are all good ways of getting a more in-depth view of a candidate’s abilities and skills.  Competency-based questions, review of candidate supplied case studies, and well thought through interview questions focussed on the challenges of the role, are all activities that will help ensure a good hiring decision is made.

4.    Don’t skimp on references 
References are too often seen as a formality, whereas they should be considered an essential element in any decision. In many cases, they are the only objective evidence that a candidate is able to deliver what they promise.

At Regan & Dean we dig even deeper into references if we, or our clients, have any areas of concern. Although some referees are reluctant to go into detail in a written reference these days, an informal chat can be very enlightening. 

5.    Consider the time between offer and start date – and beyond
Some employers breathe a sigh of relief when their ideal candidate accepts an offer and move on to the next item on the to do list. Big mistake! 

This period is a dangerous and critical time when the candidate is likely to receive tempting counter offers from their current employer. If they’ve been actively job seeking they may even continue to attend interviews to see what their options are. 

It’s important to keep in touch with news, updates and perhaps invitations to key events to build up their connection and loyalty to your team. A good recruitment firm will do a lot of this for you, making sure the individual feels positive, supported and excited about starting the new role. 

At Regan & Dean we continue this support into the probation period, helping our candidates make a success of their first few months as they settle into the role. It’s something we find both candidates and clients appreciate. 

We’re so confident in the support we offer candidates and clients, that we offer a rebate scheme if an appointment does not work out for whatever reason. It’s rarely, if ever, that we use it but it provides clients with that extra confidence. 

If you’d value an approach that maximises the chance of a hire that works, backed by a clear rebate scheme, please get in touch. 

In any industry, and particular those as fast moving as events and marketing, assuming the skills you possessed at the start of your career will see you further than the first year or so will soon see you become stale.  Event Managers who began their careers a little over a decade ago would be unfamiliar with Eventbrite, while all marketers are currently having to familiarise themselves with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that comes into force in 2018.
 
In short, if you’re standing still, you’re getting left behind.

But there are additional benefits to continuing to develop your skills.

What is Continuing Professional Development?

The CPD Certification Service defines Continuing Professional Development as:
 
“The holistic commitment of professionals towards the enhancement of personal skills and proficiency throughout their careers.”
 
The Chartered Institute of Marketing summarises it as:
 
“The proactive maintenance and extension of professional knowledge, skills and personal qualities required to drive responsible practice throughout working life."

Continuing Professional Development in Marketing

As we explained in our earlier blog an evidence-backed track record of CPD is essential to achieving and maintaining Chartered Marketer status. As the pinnacle of professional marketing recognition, this status will help you to secure more senior positions and better salaries, so it’s worth striving for.

What is a Chartered Marketer and how do I become one?

The rules and regulations guiding Chartered Marketer status have been fluid in recent years, so it’s always worth checking on the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) website https://www.cim.co.uk/more/cpd-and-chartered-status/ to read the latest guidelines.
 
At the time of writing, you are expected to accumulate 35 CPD credits each year to achieve Chartered Marketer status. The CIM provides a handy online logging system and an app to record your credits.

Continuing Professional Development in Event Management

Although the events profession lacks a universally recognised body like the CIM (the Institute of Events Management announced in 2014 having failed to gain traction), CPD is just as important for career progression because it demonstrates your commitment to your skills development and professionalism.
 
The Chartered Institute of Marketing has shown some interest in providing accreditation standards for this area, a development worth watching. In the meantime, we’d recommend keeping a personal record of your CPD activity, both in and outside of work.

Learning of course doesn’t just rest on formalised accreditations. We’d recommend keeping a regular track of your work achievements and day-to-day ‘learnings’ - simply keeping a track of these, challenges faced, and how you dealt with them, and creating your own ‘learning log’ can be an excellent self development tool, as well as setting you in great stead for any competency based interviews that you may have in the future.

What counts as Continuing Professional Development?

The Chartered Institute of Marketing is an accrediting body, which means it can accredit its own courses and training and those of other providers. Other organisations rely on bodies such as the CPD Certification Service (https://cpduk.co.uk/explained) to accredit their programmes for academic rigour.
 
While most forms of development and study are to be encouraged, it’s always worth checking if a course or programme is CPD accredited.
 
The CIM currently recognises the following activities for CPD purposes:
 
Formal learning
            Qualifications
            CIM courses
            Training courses
            E-learning
            Conferences, seminars and presentations.
 
Professional activity
            Giving or receiving mentoring
            Delivering presentations
            Participating on committees
            Writing relevant articles
            Teaching
            Attending exhibitions
            Reading relevant journals
            Networking
 
Practice-based learning
            On-the-job training
            Work shadowing
            Secondment
            Coaching
            Special projects
 
Self-directed learning
            General reading
            Research
            Informal networking
 
Other
            Eg Voluntary work
 
Why is CPD important for your events or marketing career?

·      Your skills remain relevant, up-to-date and effective
·      You boost your employability and value
·      You gain competence and confidence
·      You can provide evidence of your commitment to your profession
·      You can access higher qualifications and statuses such as Chartered Marketer
·      You will get more recognition from colleagues, peers and bosses
·      You’ll be able to better cope with change
·      You’ll stay on the right side of the law, by keeping up-to-date with the latest legislative changes
·      You’ll expand your network and pick up ideas from other sectors.
Not least it gives you a sense of your own personal development, can keep you motivated and give a sense of direction which can often be lacking in some roles and environments.  And, when you are looking out for new roles, your CV will be more impressive and you’ll have more tangible achievements to discuss in interview.

Who pays for Continuing Professional Development?

There’s no simple answer to this one. Most organisations will willingly pay for training courses and qualifications as part of your overall package.
 
This is not possible for all organisations, however, and some firms hesitate from investing in training in case employees use their new skills to get a better job elsewhere! Which reminds me of this apocryphal exchange:
 
Finance Director: “What happens we pay to train these people and they leave?”
HR Director: “What happens if we don’t train them and they stay?”
 
If you do find yourself in an organisation unwilling or unable to invest in your CPD consider paying for it yourself. See it in the same way as you might see a gym membership; an investment in yourself and your future.
 
And you might want to start looking for a role where your CPD is supported by your employer, or the role itself offers the learning opportunities that may be lacking in your current role. You can start by signing up for our job alerts here.

So you’ve landed a great job that recognises your talents, gives you the salary you deserve and takes your career to the next level. For some people, the temptation might be to go back to your current employer, wave the offer in their faces and tell them that they’ve always underestimated you.
 
No matter how good or bad your current employer is, resist the temptation of settling old scores. Working in events and marketing jobs can be a small world. You never know when you might come across the same people again – if not as an employer then potentially as a client or influencer – and stories can spread in this industry remarkably quickly.
 
So how should you leave your role in a way that enhances your reputation?

10 Ways to leave your job professionally and positively

 
1) Discuss it before it happens

In some mature company cultures, discussing your intention to leave a role or your ‘wider ambitions’ before you start your job search can be a positive move. It could uncover forthcoming opportunities in the company you may otherwise never have heard of. Or your boss may even be willing to look out for opportunities for you in their network.
 
A couple of caveats here. First, don’t delay your job search on the basis of vague promises of promotion or a pay rise. If there is no concrete evidence proceed with Plan A. Secondly, make sure you understand the company culture correctly before trying this approach.

2)    Get the offer in writing

In less mature organisations, or if you are unsure of the culture, say nothing until you get an offer in writing. A verbal offer is exciting, but very occasionally things can go awry when the line manager goes to their boss to get an offer signed off, so hold fire until you have written evidence of all the facts, including the package.

3)    Speak to your line manager first

Follow the correct protocol. Tell your line manager about your new job in private first, ideally face to face, before handing over your written resignation. Agree with him or her who will tell your colleagues and others and when it will happen.
 
Not only is it courteous, it ensures your boss doesn’t discover your news from another source.
 
As an aside, and for the same reason, avoid updating your social media accounts with the news. Your manager would rightly be annoyed to discover you are leaving because you’ve changed your company and job title on LinkedIn, or are receiving “congratulations on your new role” messages from mutual contacts!

Will Potential Employers Check My Social Media Profiles?

4)    Express gratitude

In both your verbal and written resignation, thank your employer for the opportunities and development they have given you – even if you feel you haven’t had the support you would have liked. It costs nothing and can help to avoid bad feelings that could impact your references or reputation.

5)    Beware the counter offer

One of the most frustrating responses to handing in your resignation is to receive an attractive counter offer from your current employer. It can be tempting, but it’s worth asking why they haven’t realised your worth before you forced their hand.
 
It can at the very least muddy the waters at what can be quite an emotional and stressful time for you. There are so many reasons to reject counter offers we’ll make it the subject of a future blog. For the time being it’s simply worth remembering why you started looking for a new role. The large majority of people who accept a counter offer still end up leaving their employer within six to twelve months – and often the timing is not their choice.

6)    Offer to help find your replacement

A really positive move you can make, and one that will be remembered by your boss and colleagues, is to offer to apply your expertise to finding a good replacement.
 
The help you provide can range from sharing the opportunity with your personal network, through to updating the job description to include what the job really entails, meeting with applicants to explain the job, and perhaps even participate in the interviews.

7)    Prepare a comprehensive handover

We all like to think we are indispensable and that our shoes are impossible to fill. But organising your systems, processes and notes for the next person who will perform your role will demonstrate your consummate professionalism.
 
Spend your last week clearing up outstanding projects and compiling an extensive handover notes that includes progress reports, next steps and key contacts.

8)    Build your LinkedIn contacts

Everyone says, ‘keep in touch’ but that’s hard to do if you haven’t captured people’s contact details before you leave. Send out LinkedIn invitations to those friends and colleagues with whom you’d really like to stay in contact. In the world of marketing and events jobs you never know when you’ll be able to help each other out again.

A LinkedIn Health Check - is your profile up to scratch?

9)    Use the exit interview

Many organisations now have an ‘exit interview’ in which departing employees are invited to discuss their reasons for leaving. It’s important to keep your responses factual and professional, and backed up with examples, rather than personal.
 
That said, if you have been forced to leave because of bullying or other inappropriate behaviour and have felt unable to raise it before, this is your opportunity. And your colleagues will thank you for taking it.

10) Try to avoid disgracing yourself at your leaving do!

Of course, you’ll want to enjoy your leaving do and your colleagues will want to give you a great send off, but remember your paths will undoubtedly cross again. Better to be remembered as the organiser of the company’s largest ever public event than the person who threw up in the Finance Director’s handbag at their own leaving do!

A professional recruitment specialist like Regan & Dean will help you through the tricky period between receiving an offer and starting the new job. We won’t be there to look after you at your leaving do however – that’s down to you!

The difference between managers and leaders has been subject to much debate amongst business writers and academics over the years. One of my favourites distinctions comes from the management guru, Warren Bennis, who said, “Managers manage tasks. Leaders lead people”.

Bennis goes on to emphasise the visionary role of the leader as someone who provides direction and inspiration to followers.True leaders are emotionally intelligent, people-centred and empowering. 

You may prefer to be a follower. There’s no shame in being a reliable member of the team that the leader comes to rely on. Or perhaps you’re a born leader to whom all this comes easily.

But if you’re like many marketers, you’ll develop leadership skills throughout your career through personal experience and development and may find yourself in a position where you are expected to be a leader. Whatever position you hold, you can always adopt a leadership mindset to some degree.

Here are a few of the characteristics of leaders you might want to work on. 

Marketing leaders do the right things

Another of Warren Bennis’ distinctions, building on the work of Peter Drucker, says that managers do things right, whilst leaders do the right things. Focus your efforts on completing high priority activities that will produce the greatest return on the effort and resources invested. 

There is little more frustrating than seeing someone perform an unnecessary or unproductive task very well! 

Marketing leaders do things differently

If you simply do the same things every other marketing manager does - attending the same courses, reading the same books, applying the same ideas - you can hardly claim to be a leader. Leaders are able to take a calculated risk in diverting from the standard path, developing skills and approaches that mark them out from the crowd. 

This can be essential in marketing, where the ability to think creatively is particularly important. Just make sure the creativity is applied in a pragmatic way that delivers business results. 

Once you’ve established your approach and demonstrated its success you’ll be able to set a vision that others will be happy to follow. 

Marketing leaders don’t (just) delegate

Good marketing managers tend assign tasks to their team, with clear instructions on how to do the task, expected delivery times and budgets. The ability to delegate well is important, but this is another management skill leaders do differently. 

Good leaders will, of course, offer guidance and consider the relative capabilities of the team, but they don’t try to take control. They will give their team the autonomy to do the job in the way which they think is best. Instead of delegating tasks, a leader will allow their team to come up with new ways to address old challenges. 

Marketing leaders give credit where it’s due

Back in the eighties, US President Ronald Reagan famously had a sign on his desk that said:

“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.”

Good leaders make sure their followers get the credit for the good ideas, knowing that they will in turn be recognised for leading the team to the overall goal. 

Marketing leaders think long term

Some marketing managers are driven by short term goals, often because that’s what bonus cultures and performance management systems are built to encourage. Leaders will be looking at the big picture and how to get more from the business. They will strive to help the organisation achieve greater things in the future, as well as looking at the here and now. A leader has a long term vision combined with an understanding that shareholders can be impatient for results!

Marketing leaders embrace change - and make it happen

It takes confidence (and political clout) to challenge the status quo. While marketing managers will often do their best to manage and minimise risk for the business, leaders will introduce new ideas - challenging preconceptions, their peers and themselves. They recognise the importance of keeping their skills and those of their followers up to date, and they understand the importance of surrounding themselves with good people.

Marketing leaders are unafraid of the next generation

Some marketing managers can sometimes feel threatened by up and coming talent, and may even try to constrain it. Leaders see the next generation of leaders as stimulating, exciting and the people who will help them move to even greater levels of achievement. They will mentor and encourage the potential leaders of the future.

In fact, the best way to become a great leader, is to work with one. 

With this in mind, ask yourself, do you consider yourself a manager or a leader? If you still feel like a manager, what can you do to close the gap? 
 
Here at Regan & Dean, having worked within the marketing recruitment sector for over 20 years now, we pride ourselves on nurturing talent right through their career.  There is nothing that gives us greater satisfaction from supporting a candidate throughout their career journey from Marketing Assistant to Marketing Director.  It’s our job to partner our candidates and help them secure the right positions at the right time to build their marketing experience to enable them to develop and move up the career ladder.

And we’re delighted that many of our candidates return to us time and time again when they feel they’re ready for the next career challenge.

The role of Account Manager is common in many agencies over a certain size. Some Account Managers are pure salespeople, while others get involved in project delivery and most blend an element of the two. Note that the precise expectations of the role will vary from agency to agency, sometimes quite widely, so always check the job description particularly carefully and make sure it matches your skillset and ambitions. 

To find out more about the role of an Account Manager, and the key skills required - check out our companion blog What is an Account Manager. 

Boosting your chances of landing an account management role

Once you’ve decided you’re interested in a career as an account manager, consider the following to give yourself the best possible chance.

Determine why you’re interested

If you can articulate to yourself precisely why you find this role so appealing, it will become easier to do so with a potential employer. You can also check whether your expectations of the role are realistic.

Talk with someone who has done it

Find someone who is willing to talk about his or her experience as an account manager, you’ll be able to get a clear idea of the pros and the cons of the role. They may even be able to act as a mentor to develop your skills and direction, or to introduce you to others who can help.

Look at the different approaches adopted by account managers in your own company. What seems to work well and what rubs people up the wrong way? Which style best fits your personality?

Check for skills gaps

Check out the list of skills in our blog What is an Account Manager and if possible get hold of some real job descriptions. Take a look at the skills required and consider where you have strengths and where you need more experience or examples. Then put together a personal development plan to close any gaps. 

The most crucial skills you need are likely to be communication skills: the ability to build a rapport with clients in person and in writing, and the skill to translate a conversation about a project into a clear brief for the creative team. 

Look for opportunities to develop these skills in your current role. If that’s not possible consider asking for a secondment or think about ways you could get relevant experience in a voluntary role.

Read our article: How voluntary work can help you break into your dream career in events.

Presentation skills are particularly important as you are likely to get involved in pitching and presenting. There are many good training courses for aspiring presenters but nothing beats getting out there and doing presentations yourself. Many business people hone their presentation skills in the supportive atmosphere of a Toastmasters Club or you may find your own company will have a specific training course to support your development in this area.

Develop your client management skills

Seek out opportunities to increase the amount of client contact experience you can get under your belt in your current role. This will inevitably increase your skills in this area, give you some examples to talk about in an interview, and could demonstrate to your current employer your suitability for a move into account management.

Let people know

Unless your contacts know the kind of role you’re looking for they won’t be able to help. If you’re looking to move to an account management role within your current employer talk to your manager or the manager of the relevant department to see what’s possible. The chances are they’d rather keep you in the organisation in a job you enjoy than see you leave to perform it elsewhere.

But that’s not always possible. So, if you do need to look further afield make sure you let your preferred marketing recruitment consultant know so we can keep you in mind for future roles. Keep your personal network up-to-date too, as long as you can do so without causing problems with your current employer.

Craft a specific CV for the role

Make a copy of your CV and adapt it to highlight your skills and experience that are of most relevance to the role.  Consider structuring your current role description with sub-headings to clearly show your ‘client/stakeholder’ management skills, as well as your organisational/project delivery skills as separate strings to your bow.

Don’t be tempted to overegg it, as any CV ‘embellishments’ are easy to uncover in an interview. Just provide real examples of relevant and transferrable skills and experience.

Prepare for the interview

If you secure an interview for an Account Manager role it’s likely you’ve already convinced the interviewer on paper that you can do the job. So the aim of the interview is to demonstrate you are the best of the candidates to perform it.

This means being the best prepared of all the interviewees. Research the company, its sector and the opportunity in detail. Prepare great examples of times you’ve used skills relevant to the role. And think of questions that will not only get you good information but will also make you memorable as a well-informed candidate. 

Find out if the specific Account Management role has a broad remit - managing lots of different clients - or a deep one - developing lots of relationships within far fewer clients, or maybe with just one.  The former requires formidable organisation skills while the latter will place a greater emphasis on your networking ability, and your interest in getting really under the skin of your client’s business.  Knowing which side of your skillset to emphasise in the interview will give you a great advantage.  

A good recruitment consultancy will help you prepare well for interview so you perform to your best. If you have the skills to be a top account manager we’d be interested to hear from you and to help you make that next step in your career. 

You can get in touch at  communicate@regananddean.co.uk and sign up for job alerts here. 

HR Managers can have a tough job when it comes to juggling their responsibilities. Managing staff effectively, meeting targets and ensuring day-to-day activities, such as management reporting, are kept up-to-date, can be challenging. However, with the advances in technology, there are a range of online tools which can help make the role of HR Managers easier enabling you to provide better quality data and to focus time on more value added activity.

This is a selection of online tools for HR Managers, which can help ease the pressure. 

Please note that Regan & Dean has no affiliation with any of the companies listed and you should exercise due diligence before investing in any of the systems. These are paid for systems recommended by people in our network. Please email us with your suggestions too. 

OrgVue - www.orgvue.com

One of the bugbears of many HR Managers is the constant need to provide reports, whether for internal purposes or to meet the ever changing demands of legislation.

As its name suggests, OrgVue provides a way of viewing your organisation structure from a number of different angles and to model new structures. , HR Managers can create organisational charts, pulled together from employee data, including key details, such as job titles, salary and diversity.

OrgVue is also a great tool for compiling HR Analytics from across the business to inform business-critical decision making. It’s also used to compile simpler reports together in a  highly effective way. Many HR Managers will relate to that last minute request for a headcount report for the board meeting!

The application can also be useful for succession planning, workforce planning and business transformation.

OrgVue requires a significant capital investment. If, having explored it, you consider it a worthwhile investment we recommend scoping the market for comparative alternatives and before making a business case for discussion.

Fond - www.fond.co

All HR Managers recognise the importance of employee recognition and the role it plays in employee engagement and retention levels. Fond is an online tool which helps to enhance employee recognition, by rewarding achievements. With this platform, employees can get recognitions not just from managers, but also from their peers and this can help ensure each and every employee feels appreciated for their efforts and valued within the business. Employees choose from a selection of rewards and HR Managers can also use it to track performance, so they can acknowledge the key talent within the business.

As with all the sites listed. there are alternatives to Fond, so scope the market before making a decision.

WorkDay - www.workday.com

HR Managers often need access to information from different systems. WorkDay is an HR Information System (HRIS) and business planning platform that combines all the key systems together, including finance and HR, to allow for greater visibility of the data in a single view.

As this is a Cloud-based system it gives real time views, which allows HR Managers to ensure their analytics are always up-to-date and not based on redundant data. It is also a simple system for employees to access their information in the one place, such as their pay slips, team performance and time off. 

This is a really well-designed, user-friendly system, which saves the hassle of being inundated with employee queries trying to work out how to use over-complicated systems.

WorkDay represents a significant investment and other HRIS systems are available (including BambooHR below). If you like the concept look around for other examples and make an informed decision.

Jobatar - www.jobatar.co.uk

Interviewing candidates and ensuring they have a good experience during the recruitment process is essential for employer branding. With Jobatar, the recruitment process can be streamlined, in a much more manageable way. This is an ideal tool for businesses with high levels of recruitment and through an video interview facility, it can cut the costs of travelling.

Jobatar manages the interview process, from issuing initial interview invitations, to sending alerts to remind candidates about their interview and ensuring quick and easy selection. Good communication is vital in ensuring candidates have a positive experience and Jobatar helps to do this in an efficient way. Ideal for HR Managers who want to build their brand and can’t afford to get slowed down with a heavy schedule of interviews.

Other video interview platforms are available so explore the market before committing.

People - www.peoplehr.com

People is an HRM system which can support the administration side of the business. With this system, HR Managers can easily access employee details and manage absences more effectively, allowing them to quickly determine and deal with any potential issues in this area. 

People provides an interactive system which can allow HR Managers to keep track of the progress of performance management and ensure reviews are undertaken. It is also more efficient for managers conducting performance reviews, as the interactive system allows them to manage the process more effectively, without having to leave their seats. There is also an application tracking system, where applicants can be managed and a recruitment pipeline can be created, to allow for more effective succession planning. Other worthwhile features of this system are the creation of workflows and a reporting function.

It’s a comprehensive set of tools and because it is charged on a per-employee basis per month, offers a cost effective option for smaller organisations. Of course other options are available so check widely.

BambooHR - www.bamboohr.com

This is an HRIS which is most suited to small and medium businesses. It allows for automation of a number of tasks, including onboarding and employee records, which can be useful for HR managers who only have limited HR resources. Automate onboarding, PTO and employee records. It also offers self-service for employees and managers and the ability to track training and benefits.

Make sure you understand what you need from an HRIS and the cost commitment of investment before pushing ahead. 

WISP - www.wispapp.com

WISP is a mobile app which promises to increase employee engagement and simplify onboarding process. It has many features which make it valuable for HR Managers, including the ability to share company news quickly, using push notifications. In most companies, news is shared via email and this can make it easy to miss vital information.

WISP is a  simpler and more efficient way to share news, as well as company handbooks and policies. HR Managers can also assign employees to specific groups, so they only receive information which is relevant. Employees can also use messenger to communicate with each other and share files.

This is another subscription-based system. The monthly fee ranges from zero, for a company of nine or fewer people, upwards. Check other options before committing. 

In fact many of these applications, and ones like them, can be tested on a free trial basis so it may be worth testing a few and see which ones work best for you and your organisation. Of course you should always comply with your company’s IT policy before using any system, particularly when it has access to sensitive or confidential data.

But there’s normally no reason why you should not champion systems that will not only free up HR for more value-added tasks, but will also increase the accessibility, communication and quality of HR data in your organisation. 
Please note: Regan & Dean has no affiliation or commission arrangement with any of the providers mentioned in this blog. 

If you have suggestions for HR tools you’ve found of value, that might be of interest for our blog followers -- then let us know communicate@regananddean.co.uk and we can share more ideas and options in future blogs.

If you’re serious about your marketing career and your continuing professional development (CPD) you should always be on the lookout for resources and materials to help you. The problem is, there’s such an overwhelming amount of information out there it’s difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. 
 
Here are 7 sites we think are worth your time (in no particular order) 
(nb - do always check you are using only the free resources on offer if that’s what you’re after….).
 
1 - The Hubspot Marketing Blog - blog.hubspot.com/marketing
The guys who have perhaps the greatest claim to have invented the Inbound Marketing, also produce a prolific and practical series of blogs, tools, templates and materials. Hubspot have a refreshingly scientific approach to inbound marketing and an impressive series of benchmark measures. If you can forgive the occasionally evangelical tone, the only danger here is you could spend all day reading rather than doing. 
 
You don’t have to be a Hubspot customer to read the blog. 
 
2 - Smart Insights -  www.smartinsights.com
Dave Chaffey, the UK academic who literally wrote the textbook on digital marketing runs this tremendous resource bank of guides, checklists and instruments. A little academic in parts, there’s some useful stuff here, some of which is free and some of which requires an “expert membership” fee. 
 
3 - The Chartered Institute of Marketing - www.cim.co.uk
Whatever you think of the CIM, it’s website, and in particular the Expert Zone, is an invaluable repository of best practice guidance that takes you step by step through a marketing strategy with tools and webinars to help you through the process. Free access comes with CIM membership. 
 
4 - LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com
You really should spend time on LinkedIn as it is not only the best way to build your network of contacts and extend your influence by commenting on others articles and updates. It is also one of the premier sites for posting and finding job opportunities. 
 
Demonstrate your expertise by writing LinkedIn articles, respond to others posts and build a network that will support you throughout your career. 
 
5 - MarketingProfs - www.marketingprofs.com
600,000 marketers can’t be wrong! Another apparently limitless supply of blogs, materials, events and training presented in a very accessible way. You’ll struggle to find a subject that isn’t covered and you can even study for a qualification.
 
While there are paid for options the free subscription option will give you access to tons of materials so we suggest starting with that. 
 
6 -  Udemy - www.udemy.com
Undemy specialises in online courses, delivered by video and covering a whole range of subjects, not just marketing. Unfortunately there are no free options at the time of writing. A course will comprise a number of video sections sometimes resulting in several hours of training often for less than £20. 
 
A word of caution - always check learners’ feedback before buying a course (there are some duff ones) and avoid paying £85 or £149 for a course - there’s almost always some sort of promotion on if you search for it. 
 
Please note: These recommendations have come from our own personal experience and from our own network. We have no affiliation with the sites listed above and you should make sure you are happy with any terms and conditions on the sites before signing up. 
 
And last but not least! ….
 
7 - Regan & Dean - www.regananddean.co.uk
There are lots of marketing job sites around, and many more general sites, each promising hundreds or thousands of opportunities each day. It’s all too easy to spend hours wading through dozens of sites, before losing focus and motivation. American psychologist Barry Schwartz called this The Paradox of Choice.

This is one of those areas where less is more, so we recommend focusing on a small number of specialist sites that will highlight the opportunities that are of specific interest to you. 
 
We may be biased on this one, but even if we can’t compete with some sites in terms of volume, we do pride ourselves in listing carefully selected, career-enhancing opportunities. And you can be sure you can talk to your consultant in detail about the role that interests you. 
 
You don’t have to keep checking the site. Sign up for our job alerts here www.regananddean.com/register and we’ll send opportunities that match your search criteria as soon as we get them.
 
You can be sure that every role on our site is a genuine role, that has been checked and verified by a member of the Regan & Dean team in direct communication with our clients - so sign up now if you haven’t already so you can keep updated with what’s happening in the market - and for our blogs too for more information and handy hints for your career!

If you’ve ever seen the position of Account Manager advertised and wondered what it entails then this is the blog for you. Even experienced professionals can be confused by the term because, although it’s a job title commonly used in both events and marketing agencies, it can mean different things in different organisations.

What follows should be seen as the common components of an Account Manager role, but if you are interested in applying for such a position, always check the job description with particular care to see what the specific employer includes.

That caveat in place, Account Manager roles will normally involve a balance between acting as a client’s key contact point and managing the delivery of their project or service.

At one end of this continuum the role might have a significant element of sales and business development, while at the other it is a project management role with a large degree of client liaison and communicating their needs to the delivery team - or doing it yourself!

A critical driver of where a role sits on this continuum is often the size of the marketing or events agency.

A large agency, for instance, will often have a dedicated account management team that focuses purely on finding and building new relationships with prospects, and nurturing relationships with existing contacts and clients. Indeed, in some firms the role is labelled Client Services Manager or Business Relationship Manager (or Executive).

Once the pitch is won and the sale is secured, the role largely becomes one of ensuring the client feels informed, happy with progress and that the project is being delivered to timescales, budget and quality standards, plus looking for ‘sell on’ opportunities and other ways to assist the client. The project is normally handed over to a delivery team that takes care of actually making the event or project happen.

In a smaller agency, however, the Account Manager role is more likely to blend client contact with lots of hands-on project management and the actual delivery of the event or campaign as well.

What is clear is that wherever the role sits on the ‘Account Management’ continuum, there will always be a degree of client contact.

And that requires a particular set of skills.

What skills are important for an account manager in a marketing or events agency?

You’ll appreciate that in this role you have to be a communicator, an organiser and, perhaps more than anything, a diplomat!

At Regan & Dean, we deal with lots of event and marketing job briefs from our varied clients - and the following are the sort of skills you’ll need to be a great - and ‘in demand’ - Account Manager:

• The ability to get to grips rapidly with the client’s business and objectives. The more client-focused the role is the more in-depth this understanding needs to be - their sector, competition, key business challenges etc.
• The ability to take a brief comprehensively and accurately and share it with colleagues clearly and concisely.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills - noting that communication is a two-way process and listening is an essential skill.
• Negotiation and supplier/internal team management skills to ensure the client gets the project delivered to the agreed objectives, standards, budget and timescale.
• Time management and project management skills.
• An eye for detail - from proofreading to budget control.
• Able to present well and persuade internal and external audiences.
• Selling and business development skills.
• Ability to strike the right balance between the needs of the agency and the demands of the clients.
• Responsive, resilient and flexible.
• Finely-honed customer service skills. Diplomacy!
• Ability to research and assimilate knowledge and share it with clients and colleagues.
• A problem solver and troubleshooter - able to recognise where your product or service can solve a genuine need (rather than trying to sell a solution to a problem that does not exist!)
• Plus a natural curiosity, excellent interpersonal skills and a genuine interest in helping others achieve their objectives. 

Interested? Keep your eyes open for Account Manager roles by subscribing to our Job Alerts here.

NB if you are looking for an Account Manager position, also make sure you look out for other role titles that might be relevant for you - in particular the formal titles of Event Manager and Project Manager can also give you the mix of role responsibilities and client contact you are looking for. 

Maybe you thought your days of examinations were long behind you, but more and more employers are now using tests to differentiate between candidates who look broadly similar on paper.

We deal with personality tests in another blog - "Psychometric secrets - How to succeed in psychometric tests". In this article we’re focusing particularly on the tests that bring many people out in a sweat - the numerical reasoning test (or numeracy test) and the verbal reasoning test.

Both are aptitude tests; that is they test skills and ability rather than behaviour.

And they are normally completed against the clock. 

Verbal reasoning tests give the recruiter a better idea of your ability to understand the meaning of written information. In your school days maybe they called them comprehension tests. The exercise usually consists of a passage of text and you are asked to interpret the information, normally by identifying whether a series of statements are true, false or cannot be concluded from the given information.

It’s about more than just understanding words. You need to apply logic too. In the marketing and events industries, verbal reasoning tests may be used to identify the your ability to understand a client’s brief and reach valid conclusions, or to interpret and apply reports.

Numerical reasoning tests, unsurprisingly, test your ability to draw conclusions from a set of figures, from financial data and statistical breakdowns, to ratios and currency rates. They are as much about your ability to understand the language of numbers as they are about mathematical ability.

In roles such as event management and marketing, your ability to manage budgets effectively, measure ROMI, interpret data such as Google Analytics and work within cost constraints are vital and this is why these tests are commonly used.

Preparing for verbal reasoning and numeracy tests

A lot of employers now use online tests, which you complete from home as a way of helping them to create a shortlist for interview, while others include on paper or computer-based tests as part of an interview day.

Either way, they can be the deciding factor in whether or not you get the job or even get the opportunity of an interview, so it’s important to maximise your chance of success.

The prospect of undertaking a verbal reasoning or numeracy test may set your nerves on edge, but with thorough preparation, it can be a lot less stressful. It is just as important to prepare for your aptitude tests as it is for your interview and this blog aims to help.

Don’t be afraid to ask

Recruiters will normally give you notice about your aptitude tests when they send you confirmation of the interview. If you are unsure about anything related to the tests, ask questions. Obviously, they can’t give you exact information of what the tests will contain, but they might be able to indicate how long it will last, how many of the tests to expect and whether a calculator may be used.

If you are able to find out which test the recruiter is using you will be able to practise for the test much more effectively. Which brings us to our next tip.

Practice makes perfect

Regardless of your experience in the marketing and events sector, it is important to practice as much as possible for the tests. You can’t be sure of exactly what will be in them, but there are plenty of free online tests which will help give you a good indication of what to expect. The more you practise, the more prepared you will feel and the greater your confidence will be. You may find certain are weaker than others once you start practising, so you can sharpen your skills in these subjects, to give you a better chance of success.

The following are just examples of the free online practice tests available:

https://www.practiceaptitudetests.com/verbal-reasoning-tests/

https://www.practiceaptitudetests.com/numerical-reasoning-tests/

http://www.psychometricinstitute.co.uk/free_numerical_aptitude_tests.html

http://elearn.pwc.co.uk/psychometric/try.html

http://www.psychometricinstitute.co.uk/Free-Aptitude-Tests.asp

It’s good to remember though that although practice makes perfect - always expect the unexpected! So if the style/format of the test you actually do is very different from the ones you’ve practised on, don’t panic when you see it - everyone will be in the same boat, and the tests you’ve already tried can only have helped put you in the best place to do this new one!

The right equipment

Whether you are taking the test at home or at the interview location, make sure you are prepared with the right equipment. The assessor may provide you with these, but there is no harm in taking a pen, paper and calculator along – just to be on the safe side. Although you should make sure you are allowed to use these before you get started.

If you are doing the test at home make sure your browser is up to date and compatible with the test and ensure your broadband speed is adequate. If you work on a Mac or intend to use a tablet or touch screen system check that these are compatible - some tests can be temperamental on such devices!

If you have any special requirements in order to complete the tests (e.g. screen reader, large or high contrast text, specialist data entry device) make sure this can be provided by giving as much advanced warning as possible.

Get - and stay - focused

Whether you are completing the tests at home or in the interview environment get reasonably comfortable without losing that important state of alertness. Keep essential items - pen, paper, calculator if allowed and a watch or timer  - close to hand but otherwise avoid distracting clutter. Reference materials are unlikely to be of much help at this stage.

Make sure you won’t be disturbed during your test. Turn off the phone, send the kids to their friends, lock the doors if necessary. These tests are normally time limited without the option of pausing the clock.

Read the instructions

It is vital that you spend a bit of time reading the test instructions. There may be some guidance on how long to spend on each question, but you will definitely have information on the duration of the tests, so you can work this out if necessary. If there are any aspects of the instructions you are unsure about, this is the time to ask your assessor, so you don’t end up in a panic.

One notorious test instructed applicants to read all 20 questions and instructions - many of which were very odd - before starting. Only those who did so to the letter saw the hidden message at point 17 - “Once you have read this paper only complete questions one and two”!

Some tests will have a few traps for the unwary. Don’t get tripped up.

Read each question carefully

Verbal reasoning and numeracy tests are based on your ability to interpret information, so it is vital that you take your time when reading the questions. You will need to be aware of how long you have on the clock, but not so much that you are just skimming the questions and taking wild guesses to get onto the next one.

Candidates often make mistakes with these tests because they have not taken the time to read the questions carefully. Remember it is better to complete 75% of the questions correctly than complete all of them but only get 50% right. Relax, breathe and take time to understand what is being asked.

Watch your time

At least one test publisher argues that if candidates were given as much time as they needed to complete the tests it’s likely the large majority would achieve full marks. It’s the time limit that makes the tests particularly tough and as a result it’s those people who make the most effective use of their time who do best.

So keep an eye on time. Have an idea of how long you should spend on each question. If you get stuck on one question, and if the system you are using allows it - move on to the next and re-visit the tricky question at the end. There is no point spending 20 minutes trying to work something out when you still have more (easier) questions to answer. Answer the questions you are sure of and leave the more difficult ones until last.

If all else fails, most tests do not include penalty marks for incorrect answers so it’s probably spending the last 30 seconds or so making a best guess of remaining answers.

It is a good idea to keep a watch next to you, so you can make sure you are on schedule.

Learn some hacks

It’s worth reminding yourself of some of those maths hacks you may have picked up from school. Maybe you have a trick to help you work out percentage increases and decreases, or a quick way to convert currencies. Now’s the time to bring them back to the front of mind - they could save vital seconds.

Conclusion

The main points about these types of aptitude tests are that you need to make sure you know what to expect and that you take the necessary time to understand what is being asked. As you practise, take a note of any types of questions you are struggling with and practise these some more. Aptitude tests are not designed to be easy, as they need to differentiate between the good and the great, but with preparation and practice you can improve your performance.

Further help and reading

Some test providers and career coaches offer help in preparing for aptitude tests for a price. Alternatively, if your budget or needs are more modest you might want to consider some further reading. The following get four to five star reviews on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Numerical-Reasoning-Tests-Step-Step/dp/0749439580

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brilliant-Passing-Verbal-Reasoning-Tests/dp/1292015454
 
Your recruitment consultant will also provide you with as much help as possible, to help you prepare for the test. Another reason to choose Regan & Dean.