Bidvest Noonan

A market leading provider of facilities services and solutions

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The Education Sector in 2021

The past year has been extraordinarily difficult for the education sector. The pandemic has caused massive disruption. Almost all schools and third-level institutes were forced to close, and there has been widespread deferral and cancellation of exams.

Amid the uncertainty, educators took brave and decisive action to keep people safe and continue doing their essential work. The pandemic upended their plans, and they needed to reimagine their operating models. As a result, we have seen the sector conduct online learning experiments on an unprecedented scale. This experiment has been a success. Internet technologies have enabled teachers to continue to teach and assess students.

Now, with multiple vaccines being rolled out, schools and universities are preparing a careful return to in-person learning. This document sets out our perspective on the important role the sector plays and provides guidelines and checklists to help achieve a safer return and to support the physical and mental wellbeing of returning students.

Download our guide

Louise Farrell – The importance of diversity in leadership roles

What defines a great leader and what do women leaders bring that is unique? 

I think great leaders need vision, integrity, self-awareness, and the ability to ensure everyone in a room has their voice heard within a constructive and safe space.

Good leadership is not gender-specific, but having a diverse leadership team brings different perspectives to the table. This, in turn, drives innovation and more effective solutions.

Why is it so important that women have leadership positions? 

It is proven that companies with greater gender equality at a senior level perform better. However, the fact is that diversity in leadership roles allows for people to be seen and thereby be role models for others. 

I think female leaders can be seen as powerful allies and champions by other women at all levels. To be the first or to be in the minority of anything can be difficult. Those first voices can always help ease the way for others, and areas that may have been difficult initially become less so.

How do you think women in leadership can drive important changes in the workplace?  

Sometimes there are assumptions made about women in the workplace. It can be assumed that some, due to circumstances, may not have a willingness to take on challenging assignments or travel. As a parent to two young children, I embrace the opportunity to demonstrate that a flexible company approach allows me to be open to any opportunities that may be presented.

Which woman has inspired you the most and why? 

That is easy, my own mother. She is a lady who will do what needs to be done to achieve an end goal. She sees the world through a lens of honesty, integrity, and empathy, who always knows both how and when to empower people in order to give them the confidence to achieve their goals. 

How have you developed your confidence as a leader? 

Once I have realised that very few people are 100% confident and that some are just better at hiding it, that made it easier! Everyone second guesses themselves at some stage, it’s human nature. 

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions? 

Just go for it, and remember there is never a perfect time for anyone. Although I do recognise that there may be times that are less perfect than others! 

Also, never underestimate how valuable it is to ask or offer other people advice or support. I have been lucky in this regard, and hope that I can repay that for anyone who may want it.

Janice Knight – How to develop confidence as a leader

What are some traits you think great leaders possess?

For me, I admire a person that is decisive and works with great integrity, a leader that has humility. Someone that can inspire others to make a difference and has unwavering resilience.

Which woman has inspired you the most and why?

My Sister Patricia, older by 4 years. I always looked up to and adored my sister, she was my biggest supporter and my toughest critic, always there to guide and mentor me. She most certainly kept my feet on the ground and was brilliant at helping me tease out any difficult decision. She was in banking for most of her life and had such a unique way of connecting with people. Later in her life, she took a risk, which paid off, and swapped banking for a life in the music industry, unsurprisingly she excelled there too. She had a can-do attitude that was infectious and had the unique ability to make people feel that they were capable of everything, she passed away from Ovarian Cancer in June 2017 at the age of 45.

How have you developed your confidence as a leader?

My passion is people, supporting and ensuring people feel connected to purpose, that they are enabled to do their job successfully and bring their best every day.

I have always felt this and believed this is what makes a difference. From my first role as a team leader to my role now as a Director, these values remain for me and I am dedicated to enhancing my team so that they feel that connection.

Confidence grows over time and with experiencing disappointments and failures. I have these experiences on occasion and I have grown from them. It’s tough, and its stings but it’s key to your own development. 

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

Do not feel you need to be everything to everyone, understand your strengths and play to them. If you are a natural ideas person, be that. Equally, if you are better at analysing the idea once presented, then do that. There is space for everyone at the table, once you have that realisation your confidence grows as does your contribution.

Naomi Austen – Lessons for aspiring leaders

In your opinion, what are the characteristics of a great leader?

A great leader is someone who has integrity, is professional, and inspirational. They promote balance, focus on others, are able to plan and lead. For me, a leader needs to show empathy, be open, and listen to other people’s ideas, I see that as a strength. A great leader delegates, praises, and empowers others. I think they should have an element of fun about them too.

Women leaders bring balance and look at things holistically and encompass the work/life balance into the delivery of what is required.

Why is it so important that women have leadership positions?

It is important to have a mixture of genders in leadership positions. Regardless of what gender you are, you add a value that no one else can bring. You bring yourself, your individual traits, which is what makes you a great leader. For me, it is vital to have balance in leadership, creating empowerment for those around you. Showing confidence and giving credit to others’ abilities. There is still a lack of women in leadership roles and we want to ensure that we are showing the next generation of women what opportunities can be afforded to them, with the right pathways.

How do you think female leaders can be seen as powerful allies and champions by other women at all levels?

I think if I told my 15-year-old self that other girls/women would be powerful allies, I may have been cynical! However, as I have grown up and progressed in my career, I have truly found this in abundance. This is about creating a good and positive network of people around you, people that can mentor you, guide you, you can learn from, and they can learn from you. You just have to be yourself and embrace those around you. Rid yourself of negative people.

Which woman has inspired you the most and why? 

I have three. My first HR line manager, a lady called Mandy Fitzmaurice. We still speak now, and often, and if I am in a situation where I am unsure of something, I quite often ask myself what Mandy would do. Mandy was the best line manager, she gave me confidence, opportunities, and helped my growth. I admire Michelle Obama and Jacinda Ardern. Both women have shown amazing empowerment and leadership skills. They use their positions for good causes, to highlight the challenges around the world, and help create and promote solutions and opportunities. Both are never afraid of speaking up about wrongdoings.

How have you developed your confidence as a leader?

I’ve been myself, which is critical. I can be fierce, loyal, but also empathetic. I truly believe that everyone has a place and with the right managers and leaders, everyone is capable of great things. My confidence has come from having great line managers, the opportunities afforded to me, and also from making mistakes. We all make mistakes, and when we do, we learn and do it differently next time. The transition from Manager to Leader is integral. One of the main things I have kept is a sense of humour!

What advice do you have for women aiming for leadership positions?

Have a route (it’s ok to take the scenic route!), know your goals, but mostly be yourself. Find a mentor outside your organisation and learn, listen, and understand. Don’t be afraid of anything, have confidence.

How customer experience will drive in-store retail’s return

The retail sector has always been of great importance to our economies and our communities. The industry supplies essential products to our populations and provides a livelihood for hundreds of thousands of retail sector workers.

The Covid-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through the sector. Travel restrictions, Lockdowns, Supply Chain disruptions and the growing trend of online shopping is putting a heavy strain on ‘bricks and mortar’ retailers. Retail performance plummetted in 2020, with major declines in areas such as clothing, footwear and textiles. Performance in some of these areas has plunged by as much as 50%. Retailers across the sector scrambled to shore up their businesses and continue to serve customers. 

Big grocery retailers such as Tesco and SuperValu, which had existing e-commerce infrastructure, had success shifting their operations online. SuperValu reported that they experienced a 400% increase in online sales at certain times. Tesco achieved a record of £1 billion in online grocery sales during the 2020 Christmas period alone.

Some retailers have innovated to remain relevant and maintain their relationships with customers. Brands such as Burberry, Curries and Boots, used new technologies, such as video chat, to provide a virtual shopping experience online. However, many more in the sector did not have the resourcing or business model needed to take this leap. Others have made a strategic decision to not invest in e-commerce and are waiting for a return to normality.

In the world after Covid-19, does in-store retail have a future, and how can the sector attract people back to stores? We believe the in-store retail will make a strong return and that customer experience can be a game-changer in months and years to come.

Having supported a wide range of clients in the retail sector, we know the value of customer experience. We have spent years ensuring our teams contribute to exceptional customer experience because it is crucial to our clients’ success. Customers that have a great experience spend more, are more loyal and are more likely to refer others.

There are many ways in-store retailers can improve customer experience. We have identified five of the areas we believe offer significant opportunities for improvement:

1. People and Culture

Great people create great in-store experiences. From the car park attendant to the receptionist, every person in your team needs to adopt a customer-centric approach and know what it takes to create a great customer experience. Invest in customer experience training and build a strong customer experience culture.

2. Fast and frictionless experiences

The ability to immediately satisfy customer needs is one of in-store retail’s greatest advantages over online counterparts. Seize it! Don’t make customers wait for service. Ensure there are always enough assistants and cashiers ready to help.

Store layouts should allow customers to quickly and easily find what they are looking for. Reduce friction at every point. Once the customer has decided what they want to buy, their path-to-purchase should be as short and seamless as possible. 

3. Unique, exciting and enjoyable experiences

Shopping is a leisure activity. In-store retailers can create experiences that are far richer and more rewarding than their online counterparts. As we emerge from lockdown, customers will seek fun and exciting places to go. Make your store a destination by providing ‘retailtainment’. Host an event. Allow customers to interact with products in new ways, provide demos, perhaps create environments in which they can test the product. 

4. The right ambience

Sweat the details to create the right ambience. Changing the music played in a store can have a significant impact on the shopping experience. This is also true for colours, lighting and furnishings. Makes sure your teams understand your customers and create environments that make them want to keep coming back.

5. Bring new technologies into the store

Can new technologies help revitalise the shopping experience at your store? Well placed tablet computers may allow your customers to access more information and make decisions faster. Forward-looking retailers use Virtual Reality headsets to enable customers to visit virtual showrooms and experience products in a new way. Self-service checkouts have made a substantial impact in the grocery sector and are becoming more and more popular. Examine the technology you use and ask yourself how new technologies can help you take customer experience to the next level.

Gillian Robb is an Account Director at Bidvest Noonan. Gillian supports the world’s largest furniture retailer. Nick O’Connor is Integrated Accounts Retail Lead at Bidvest Noonan. Nick has over 20 years experience supporting retailers and shopping centres. 

Download our Return to the Workplace Pocketbook

In the coming weeks, businesses across the country will begin their return to the workplace. However, we believe few workplaces will revert to pre-COVID behaviours. Most of us will return to a new normal, a new way of working. Our working practices will fundamentally change in ways that would have been totally unrecognisable to us not so long ago.

The safety of people will be prioritised. This will dictate the vast majority of the decisions we make in the weeks ahead. In the post-pandemic world, our ability to make good decisions will matter more than ever before. This document, which is based on our 43 years of experience and research into best practice, will help you navigate through the coming weeks and into the future.

This document aims to provide sound advice and stimulate your thinking about how you can give confidence to your people as they return to the workplace and how you can operate your buildings more safely. The document covers the areas we see as broadly relevant and impactful.