World Sight Day: Love your eyes at work

Globally, 1.1 billion people have an untreated or preventable visual impairment. That’s an eighth of the world’s population – almost as many people as there are in Europe and the USA combined. Shocking, right?

World Sight Day is an annual event that aims to focus global attention on the importance of eye care.

This year, it falls on Thursday, 12th October 2023. And the theme is "Love Your Eyes at Work." 

As per the World Sight Day website: ‘our focus is on helping people understand the importance of protecting their vision in the workplace and calling on business leaders to prioritise the eye health of workers, everywhere.’

That’s exactly what we’re going to do in this post.

The Rise of Computer Vision Syndrome

The rapid advance of technology over the past two decades has meant that we spend a considerable portion of the day staring at a screen. In fact, a study by Lenstore found that the average Brit spends a whopping 75% of their waking hours glued to screens.

As a result, there’s been a significant rise in Digital Eye Strain, also known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS).

A type of eye strain caused by prolonged screentime, DES encompasses a range of ocular and visual symptoms, including:

• Sore, tired, dry, or itchy eyes

• Blurred or double vision

• Light sensitivity

• Headaches or migraines

• Neck or back pain

• Muscle fatigue

Although DES is temporary, it’s not pleasant. It can also have a negative impact on productivity and focus.

Tips to reduce digital eye strain

As an employer, you have a legal duty to look after your employee's health, safety, and well-being. This includes the health of their eyes.

You can help your people protect their peepers by educating them on the importance of eye care. 

Here are five tips to share with your team.

1.     Remember to blink

Most of us blink 15-20 times a minute. But this drops down to five times a minute when we’re looking at a screen.

Blinking is crucial for eye health as it keeps our eyes lubricated, transfers oxygen to the cornea, and helps prevent infection.

All those missed blinks can quickly add up, leading to dry, irritated, and sore eyes.

Get into the habit of actively blinking whenever you open a new email or are waiting for a page to load. You can also keep your eyes lubricated with artificial tears/eye drops.

2.     Give your eyes space

The closer the computer screen is to your eyes, the harder they have to work to focus.

Studies on computer-related eye strain suggest that a screen should be no closer than 40cm (16in) from your face. 

If you struggle to read the text at that distance, increase the font size, rather than move the screen closer.

3.     Follow the 20-20-20 rule

Maintaining a fixed focus at a close distance for a long period of time puts strain on the ciliary muscles in our eyes, leading to fatigue and discomfort.

To beat the pain of eye strain, follow the 20-20-20 rule: look away from your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds at a time and focus on a fixed point 20 feet away.

Your eyeballs will thank you for it.

4.     Adjust your monitor settings

Computer and laptop screens, flat-screen televisions, smartphones, and tablets all use LED technologies with high amounts of blue light.

Blue light waves are among the shortest, highest-energy wavelengths in the visible light spectrum. The wavelengths flicker more easily than longer, weaker wavelengths.

This flickering creates a glare that can lead to symptoms of CVS.

Long-term damage?

In addition to eye strain, some researchers believe that prolonged exposure to blue light can set off a biochemical chain reaction that permanently destroys cells in the retina.

The death of light sensitive cells in the eye is called macular degeneration. It’s incurable and leads to vision loss in about 2.4% of UK adults.   

To minimise the impact of blue light, shift your screen’s colour levels away from the blue end of the spectrum towards the softer yellow end.

This short video explains how to do it.

5.     Eye Care

If you wear contacts, your eyes have to work harder when staring at a screen. Give them a break by switching to glasses once or twice a week.

If you wear glasses, ask your optician to add an anti-glare coating to your lenses. Many offer this service for free.

Final Word

More than 50% of sight loss is preventable. So, the best way to look after employee’s eyes is to ensure they book their annual eye tests.

Why not put some posters around the office as a handy reminder?

To support the ‘Love Your Eyes at Work’ campaign, IAPB has created a bank of printable resources to educate employers on eye safety in the workplace and reinforce the importance of eye checks. Download them here.  

Need an extra fundraising bod to help you manage your workload? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to find out how.

Bouncing back from awkward interview moments

You’ve just finished an interview. You walk out of the building feeling humiliated and frustrated. Despite putting in hours of research and preparation, you stumbled over your answers, found yourself rambling to fill awkward silences, and lost your train of thought while answering key questions. You’re convinced you’ve blown it.

The good news? It’s probably not gone as badly as you think.

In the words of Kerry Hanon, author of Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness, “we are all our own worst critics. Chances are the little voice in your head is a lot more critical than what the person observed on the other side of the table.”

The truth is awkward moments happen to everyone. The key is knowing how to acknowledge them and move on gracefully. 

Here’s how to deal with four cringe-worthy scenarios.

1.   Your mind goes blank

You’re mid-answer and your mind goes blank. All that preparation you’ve done goes out the door because your brain has decided to stop cooperating, leaving you scrambling to think of what to say next.

What to do: Interviewers know that job interviews are stressful. They’ve probably experienced a mind blank or two in their time.  

There’s no shame in admitting you’ve lost your train of thought. In fact, it may work to your advantage.

Apologise, explain, and ask the recruiter to repeat the question. Chances are, they’ll add more detail to the original question or rephrase it in a way that’s easier to understand.

If you’re still none the wiser, as them to give you an example to help you draw on your own experience.

2.   You badmouth your last employer

Your last job didn’t end on good terms. Maybe the work environment was toxic, you got fired, or you had a fight with your boss.

Whatever the reason, try and resist the urge to badmouth your previous employer. it’ll reflect badly on you, not them.

That said, in the heat of the moment, things slip out. If it happens, don’t beat yourself up.

What to do: As soon as you realise what you’ve said, acknowledge it and put on a positive spin on it. For example: ‘I just realised that sounded very critical, which is not how I intended it. There were some great things about working for that company. I’ve taken away a lot that will help me in my next role.’

3.   You can’t think of an answer

You can do all the preparation in the world and still get thrown by a question.

When your mind goes blank, it can be easy to go into panic mode.

But consider this. The interviewer is probably throwing in a curveball question to see how you react under pressure.

How you respond is much more important than being able to answer, so try and keep your emotions in check.

What to do: Resist the temptation to bluff your way through it or, worse, lie. That’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, take a deep breath, maintain an assertive posture, and allow yourself a moment to think.

There are several tactics you can use to navigate this situation.

1.    Ask the interviewer to rephrase the question. It’ll buy you some time to formulate an answer.

2.    Try the “reframing” tactic. This is something politicians do when asked a tough question. To reframe, think about the original question, focus on the part of it you can answer, and express your thoughts on that aspect of the question.  

3.    Try thinking out loud. Sometimes interviewers ask tough questions to get an idea of how you work through problems. After you’ve taken some time to reflect on the question, explain your thought process to the interviewer and go from there. For example, if you’re asked about any processes you follow to complete projects, but you don’t have an actual process, think through how you would approach the project and the steps you’d take to complete it.

This will show the interviewer how you think and work through unexpected obstacles without losing your cool.

4.   You fail to give the interviewer what they want

If you’ve answered a question to your full capability but the interviewer is waiting for more, ask for further clarification.

There’s nothing wrong with asking, ‘does that answer your question? Is there anything else I can share?’

Counter questions project confidence and show you can think on your feet. It may also transition the interview into a different topic you may have more insight on.

Final Word

Next time you’re in the waiting room shaking, remember this. Your interviewer is human.

They may have a fancy title, but chances are, they’ll have experienced their fair share of awkward interview moments.

They’re far more likely to show you empathy than the door.

Need some help preparing for an interview? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

Charity Commission launches Trustee Quiz

Back in November 2020, the Charity Commission published a series of bite-sized guides for trustees. They were designed to support trustees as they manage the demands of running a charity.

The guides, listed below, cover the basics of charity governance that all trustees should be familiar with.

• Delivering purpose – advice on how to use your charity’s governing document, how to deliver on your charity’s purposes, and the law. 

• Managing finances – advice on how to ensure your charity’s money is safe, properly used, and accounted for.

• Conflicts of interest – advice on how to identify and deal with conflicts of interest in your charity.

• Making decisions – advice on how to make valid trustee decisions that are in your charity’s best interests

• Reporting information –advice on how and what you need to report to the Commission.

• Safeguarding people – advice on your responsibilities to keep everyone who comes into contact with your charity safe from harm.

• Political activity & campaigning – advice for charities that want to support, or oppose, a change in government policy or the law.

Trustee campaign

In March 2021, the regulator launched a trustee campaign to promote the 5-minute guides.

It published five animated adverts that prompted trustees to consider their understanding of key responsibilities by posing questions connected to each guide.

Next phase

Last month, the Commission launched the next phase of the campaign - a Trustee Quiz, which enables trustees to test their knowledge of their duties and responsibilities.

The quiz consists of a series of multiple-choice questions based on everyday scenarios that trustees may encounter at their charity and covers a range of topics, such as conflicts of interest and safeguarding.

It takes around three minutes to complete, and feedback is provided for each question.

Users are sign-posted to user-friendly resources, including the Commission’s suite of 5-minute guides to strengthen their knowledge.

Research findings

The quiz was launched in response to the findings of the Charity Commission’s 2022 Charity Trustee Research.

The research found that around 98% of trustees feel ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ confident in managing or governing their charity, but when questioned on basic role requirements, on average, trustees answered just 7 out of 10 questions correctly - demonstrating a knowledge gap that could lead to unintentional governance failings.

Knowledge gaps were identified in the following areas:

• Navigating regulations

• Charity paperwork

• Finances

• Delegating responsibility

Upskilling

The quiz is intended to encourage trustees to think again about what they know and inspire upskilling, by revisiting the guides and reaching out to the commission for guidance.

Paul Latham, Director of Communications and Policy at the Charity Commission, commented:

“The 700,000 trustees in England and Wales provide a vital service, not just to their individual charity, but to society more widely.

As regulator, we have an important role in supporting them to do the best job possible, ensuring they have the resources they need to fulfill their legal duties and responsibilities with confidence. Our trustee campaign aims to do just that, engaging trustees with thought-provoking content, and encouraging them to reflect on their skills and knowledge and whether there are any gaps in their awareness that our guidance can help fill.

We encourage all trustees to take our new quiz – it’s quick and designed to be fun, but it will also help you assess your own knowledge and take action to address any areas in which you might need more support or learning.”

Looking for a new trustee with fundraising expertise? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the process started.

Is the traditional interview outdated?

The concept of a formal job interview originated in 1920s America – another of Thomas Edison's bright ideas. Legend has it, Edison would get hundreds of applicants whenever he was looking to add to his workforce. However, he became increasingly frustrated that the people he met lacked knowledge comparable to his own.

To separate the wheat from the chaff, he created a test to evaluate candidates’ intelligence. Some questions related directly to the position, while others were more esoteric and related to topics such as world geography or literature.

It’s believed the test was so difficult, only 7% of applicants passed.

On hearing of Edison’s innovative recruitment method, other employers started devising tests of their own.

Over time, the winnowing process of applicants evolved into the recruitment process we have today.

Is the traditional job interview still relevant?

It could be argued that what worked in the 1920s is no longer relevant. After all, the five-day work week also began in 1920s America, but many organisations are re-evaluating this, (as evidenced by the success of the world’s largest four day working week trial). The in-office situ has also been given a makeover, with 84% of UK businesses considering some form of flexible working.

Isn’t it time we subjected the traditional job interview to the same scrutiny?

In this post, we’re going to do just that.

Let’s dive in.

The traditional interview typically involves an interviewer (or panel of interviewers), an interviewee, and a series of questions and answers.

The method is popular as it’s straightforward, gives you a chance to build rapport, and in most cases, it gets the job done in terms of figuring out whether a candidate knows their stuff.

However, the process is not without its flaws:

It’s prone to bias

Research has shown that we form opinions of people in just 7 seconds. This is due to a phenomenon known as unconscious bias.

Unconscious biases are learned stereotypes that are automatic, unintentional, and deeply ingrained. We all have them. They’re influenced by our background, personal experiences, societal stereotypes, and cultural context.

In an interview scenario, a hiring manager may fall into the trap of affinity bias and unintentionally favour candidates who are similar to their existing team members or themselves; or intuition bias, where they’ll rely on their “gut feeling” rather than the interviewee’s qualifications or experience.

These biases can skew judgement and lead to ineffective hiring decisions.

They questions are predictable

Type "common interview questions" into a search engine and you'll get a plethora of articles with suggested answers. This is because interviewers tend to ask the same questions, which turns the interview into an unenlightening exchange of tired questions and rehearsed responses.

They don’t assess candidate’s ability to do the job

Interviews reward charisma, confidence, and the ability to perform under pressure. While these aren’t bad qualities, they don’t represent the skills and aptitudes that will determine success in the role – people management for example, or strategic problem solving. Yes, there will be questions that address these competencies, but you want evidence that goes beyond their ability to tell a story about how good they are.

What’s the alternative?

Award-winning psychologist Ron Friedman argues that we should replace live, in-person interviews with job auditions.

It makes sense. Musicians have to audition. Actors have to audition. The people employing them don't sit down and dart scripted questions their way. They want to see them play, sing, perform. Doesn't it make sense to assess candidates in the same way?

Job auditions can take various forms. Some organisations supply candidates with case studies, which they’re required to present. Others will hold an event and trial multiple candidates in one location.

The most common auditions require candidates to spend anything from a few hours to a full day in the workplace, carrying out duties associated with the role.

Note: If you’re asking candidates to contribute to live projects alongside your team, you need to pay them for their time. No one should be expected to act as an unpaid consultant during the recruitment process.

The benefits of job auditions

• They test job-related skills rather than interview skills.

• As you’re assessing candidates on their ability to complete a task rather than their experience, education credentials or former employers – thus reducing bias.

• A candidate might say they’re a team player, but are they a fit for your team? A job audition allows you to put candidates in the mix with their would-be colleagues and see the dynamic.

• They give candidates the opportunity to find out if they like the type of work they’ll be doing and the people they’ll be working with.

Final word

While traditional interviews aren’t going away anytime soon, job auditions are becoming increasingly popular. According to LinkedIn research, 54% of recruiters see auditions as one of the “most useful interviewing innovations”.

Why not give them a go and see if they work for you? If you want some help, give us a call for an informal chat on 020 3750 3111.

Introducing the Legacy Showcase

Legacy giving is one of the biggest fundraising success stories of recent years. Income has quadrupled over the last 30 years, peaking at £3.7bn in 2022 - the largest total ever recorded.

And the upward trajectory is set to continue.

According to Helen Hamer, Senior legacy marketing manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, the legacy market is set to reach £5.16bn by 2030.

A sizeable opportunity

Research by Remember a Charity found that 35% of over-40s in the UK would “be happy to” leave a gift to charity. However, only 6% currently do. 

This presents charities with a huge opportunity. But, as Hamer says, ‘there's also significant potential for a huge amount of missed income unless we as a sector do more.”

The Legacy Showcase

In a bid to champion legacy fundraising and inspire innovative legacy campaigns, Legacy Futures in collaboration with Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (SOFII) and the legacy consortium, Remember A Charity have launched The Legacy Showcase – Campaigns We Love!

The free online resource showcases some of the best examples of legacy marketing creativity and innovation from around the world.

The campaigns are presented and dissected by champions from the field of legacy fundraising, via a series of short videos. Each champion talks us through their favourite legacy campaigns, and explains what makes them powerful, innovative, and inspirational.

They also share insights and best practice tips to inspire the creation of more impactful and effective campaigns.

Ashley Rowthorn, CEO of Legacy Futures, explains the thinking behind the initiative: “The legacy market is growing fast with more charities than ever recognising the value of this form of income for a sustainable future. So too, the market is becoming increasingly competitive and legacy campaigns will need to work harder and harder to gain cut through.  With this Legacy Showcase we want to champion great campaigns created by legacy fundraisers all over the world to in turn inspire more creativity and innovation in the future. I hope this collaborative effort will provide an invaluable resource that many legacy fundraisers will turn to for ideas and lessons to inform their own work.”

What you can expect

The campaigns featured on The Showcase are diverse in content and approach.

For example:

Dr Lucy Lowthian, Gifts in Wills Consultant at Legacy Voice, shares her thoughts about using positivity and upbeat energy, citing a Battersea Dogs & Cats Home TV ad as a great example with its ‘life rather than end of life’ messaging. While Emma Hazlewood, Head of Legacy Development at The National Trust, praises Centrepoint for including beneficiaries in the building of their campaign, resulting in powerful messaging that challenges perceptions and builds strong empathy.

Nominate a legacy campaign 

The Legacy Showcase aims to provide a living online collection that will grow over time to share inspirational legacy campaigns from charities and nonprofits around the world. 

Has a legacy campaign inspired you? Maybe you’re proud of one you’ve worked on at your charity. 

If so, send in a nomination and it might be featured on the Legacy Showcase wall of fame.  

On the hunt for a legacy fundraiser? You’ve come to the right place. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the conversation started.