Work Experience: A Company's Perspective
Like all companies, Plus4 regularly receives enquiries from schools and colleges asking if we can accept students on a work experience placement, usually for one or two weeks at the end of the summer term. As a ‘Boutique’ agency in a busy industry, with a small core team working a mix of office and remotely, the easiest thing to do would be to press delete or reply with a flat ‘no sorry’- and after hearing that our latest student approached 200 companies before receiving a ‘come in and see us’ reply from Plus4 this appears to be the norm. However, at Plus4 we have a long tradition of saying ‘Yes’ to hosting work experience students and here are some of the reasons why…
‘Giving back’: By providing practical work experience, we feel we are doing our ‘bit’ to contribute to the education and skill development of the next generation of workers, ensuring a well-prepared workforce. Engaging in educational and professional development initiatives supports our company’s Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) goals and underlines our commitment to the community. We relish the opportunity of being able to positively contribute to the community.
Relationship building with Future Employees: At Plus4 we have a very low staff turnover rate (people tend to stay!), so we are not continually involved in the recruitment process, but when we have recruited it has taken a lot of time and resources. A benefit of the research industry engaging with students via work experience is that it can provide a ‘pipeline’ for future junior hires - it gives an extended opportunity to assess their skills, work ethic, and suitability in different roles more comprehensively than an interview alone would. It can reduce the time and resources spent on recruiting and training new hires and makes for a more successful recruitment experience from both sides.
Benefits to Existing Staff: Mentoring / supervising students can help existing staff use and develop their own leadership and coaching skills, which can be valuable for their personal professional growth, and can also work as a reminder about their own level of knowledge and experience and re-ignite their passion for what they do – let’s face it, many of us do our jobs on autopilot from time-to-time... when we have to break it down to explain the elements of what we do to another person, it can make us have renewed appreciation for what we do. And of course, no matter the average age of the existing team, there is always benefit of the injection of youth! Hosting students can invigorate existing staff by bringing new perspectives and new energy into the workplace and fostering a culture of learning and collaboration.
Support for Projects: At Plus4 we make a conscious effort to ensure there is a learning element to all tasks undertaken and that students do not spend the whole week clearing the stock cupboard or at the photocopier! We have found that students can provide an ‘extra pair of hands’, which can be a godsend in a small business, assisting with projects and tasks and providing valuable support to teams and departments. While they might not be able to take on highly specialised roles, they can handle less complex tasks, alongside experienced personnel.
Overall, at Plus4 we believe that offering work experience to students is mutually beneficial and can help our team / the company grow and innovate, while also supporting the professional development of the student and the next generation.
The MD’s thoughts:
Why I say ‘yes’ to work experience applications at Plus4…
The work environment is likely very different to what students' will have encountered previously, so as well as providing an opportunity to experience that, it provides a starting platform from which students can consider practical elements from a more informed place, for example; is a small or medium size company more suited to them than a large company (or vice-versa); Is working locally more/less attractive than spending a long time travelling each day… is the industry one that may be of interest to them in the future, and if so, which department/job role/ path has piqued their interest. Many of us probably had little idea or certainty of what we wanted to do when we left the world of education, and if we did it was unlikely to be matched with the reality of the role, so if we can help somebody find their ‘path’… or indeed discount one, we will!
Finally there’s the importance of ‘passing it on’… my own ‘kids’ have benefitted from work experience and it’s pay-back time!
Peter Allan, Managing Director, Plus Four Market Research
Work Experience: A Student's Perspective
Work experience plays a vital role in every student's school life. Gaining insight into chosen industries will allow me to make wiser further education choices and later, employment. It is also all about gaining skills that make you a suitable candidate for future roles.
I was given the opportunity by Plus4 to join their business for a week and learn about different aspects of market research. They put together a plan for me, to enable me to get as much insight and learning as possible across the week. After an initial introduction to the background of Plus4, I was introduced to each division (and employees) within the company.
I was able to observe and ask questions about finance while the Accounts Manager explained systems and accounting to me and spent time in The Analysis Solution looking at data analysis, finding out about what software is used. I scripted an online survey in Snap, which I have never used before. This included learning about routing, filtering and types of questions.
In The Field Division, I was introduced to some past and current projects, different ways of recruiting, positives and challenges of running research projects. This included taking some Market Research Society (MRS) practice training modules e.g. project management and data protection/GDPR.
I also spent time in The Phone Unit, making some monitored training calls (telephone interviews) using Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) software. The first trial calls were quite nerve-wracking, but in the end, I was given the go-ahead to call real respondents… telephone interviewing is not as bad as I feared! This experience made me more confident talking to people I don’t know on the phone.
After learning about the approaches to marketing and business development used by Plus4, I spent some time learning about panel recruitment, and combined the two by making some social media posts in Canva. This was great fun and showed there are opportunities to use creativity in non-creative roles.
Lastly, I was able to help-out in The Qualitative Lab, Plus4’s own viewing facility with a project involving focus groups. This involved ‘meet & greet’, checking-in participants (related documentation) and ensuring client's and respondent needs are met. Who would have thought the amount of preparation that is needed to hold a focus group? Being a host requires friendliness, calmness and good communication.
This week flew by and proved to be highly informative and educational, which will put me at an advantage in future, due to the skills (including personal skills) and knowledge gained. I am incredibly grateful for Plus4 giving me this opportunity, every student knows how difficult it is to find a placement*. Thank you for this week and I am looking forward to working with the team again in the future!
*I researched and contacted c.200 organisations!
By Oliwia Ojrzynska (38) Oliwia Ojrzynska | LinkedIn
Work Experience: Recollections from the Plus4 team
Having Oliwia in the office with us sparked conversations about our team's experiences of work placements or 'first jobs', so we thought we'd share...
Volunteering for charitable organisations is a great way to gain experience and build confidence in a work environment. Information can be found here:
Advice and information on work experience, and careers advice on volunteering can be obtained from the following organisations:
Photo credits (sourced by our work experience student Oliwia):
More information on Plus Four Market Research Limited and the research we undertake can be found at www,plus4.co.uk
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