Working with us and for us

FLEXIBILITY and self-preservation are our foundation. We do not believe in incurring unnecessary costs. We try to keep our efforts focused. We would rather look across disciplines to find ideas we can adapt - and then adopt - rather than waste time and effort trying to re-invent the wheel.

We keep our payroll to a minimum. We do not believe in burdening ourselves with the responsibilities of employing staff unless there is a very clear contractual commitment to a project which could make joining us a worthwhile career move. It works both ways. We don't carry financial and moral responsibilities we have any doubts we could meet. Potential employees or contractors are not misled.

Freelance assignments

How do we operate then? We use individuals as 'freelances' when we need them.

Assignments may be very short - just a few hours' work, in a home office, at a screen. Alternatively, they may involve many days' hard effort, visiting and negotiating with clients on our behalf, preparing briefs, making presentations, managing others and making sure a high-quality product is delivered not only on time, but within budget.

Therefore, we keep a database of individuals with the necessary skills, experience and 'competencies' on whom we can call.

Expectations

This site describes the services we offer. If you would like to work with us and for us and you believe you have skills and attributes which we can use, then please send us your details.

Probably, we should not need to say so, but we have reasonably high expectations of 'common sense'. We like to work with people who are creative, imaginative and responsible. We do not like to 'micro manage'.

We seek people who have the perceptions and sensitivity to 'pick up on' how we work and what we like without having to be told, 'm by m' or 'byte by byte'. We like to work with people who can work alone deal or with our clients directly; both, depending on the project. Get the work done on time, within budget, but be available, and it's up to you when, where and how you do it, within reason. There is however no mercy if you 'screw up'. Fair?

Development

We believe in development too. We will try to provide opportunities for career and personal development. The deal? Don't steal our ideas, clients or livelihoods.

We try not to be miserly. We try to cost our services so that working conditions allow everyone to deliver the highest quality. We try not to be mean. However, we believe in trust. Exploit or abuse this and again, there will be little mercy.

We believe in the work of trade unions. Everyone has multiple roles in this organisation and its work. We all 'own' different parts of it. We wear different hats - be it as managers, creative individuals, employees, or 'stockholders' - and whether we like it or not, we have mutual responsibilities and obligations. We work best with those who recognise, accept and can use this realisation positively and constructively.

Shared knowledge

We need to know about each other - where our talents and our expertise are founded and exist.

So, we make the CVs and resumes of everyone involved in a project available to everyone else. (You would give permission for this under UK data protection legislation.)

How often have you found yourself working next to a colleague you know nothing about? You spend hours unsuccessfully trying to find someone with a particular expertise only later to find that the best individual in the world was sitting 10 feet away from you ... and the only person who knew was the manager who had overseen the recruitment process, but not bothered to tell anyone else. Of course, other confidential information will be protected and maintained to the highest legal and professional standards.

You can see we need a range of skills. Some require social interaction. Others do not. We know text (sub) editors. 'We know people like that. We've worked with people like that. Shit. We ARE people like that.'

Thinking

The greatest competency we require is the ability to think. We don't care if you can't remember. You can always check. But you should know where to start checking. You don't need to know. You need to know where to find out. Don't waste our time and we won't waste yours.

If you would like us - potentially - to offer you work, then please send us information about yourself and the sort of work you would like us to place with you. What you send and how you send it will, of course, be taken into account in our assessment of you.

We believe in non-discriminatory service delivery and discriminate in employment by competency alone.

We believe both in the right of the freedom of speech but also in the responsibility not to cause offence.

Trial

If we like what we see, and depending on the nature of the task, we will ask you complete a trial piece of work for us. This will be e-mailed to you with a completion period of 24 hours.

Oh, yes, and we try to pay reasonably well too - above union and legal minima. Wherever possible, cashflow and clients permitting, we will pay a proportion of a fee on commission, make stage payments and then a final settlement when a project has been 'signed off' by a client.

Attention to detail

Are you your own worst enemy? Many are. We frequently get e-mails asking about work from people who clearly have either not read this information or not thought about it.

First impressions do count, and if your first contact with us does not show evidence of understanding the information here, then we are unlikely to be impressed.

Thank you and good luck ....

E-mail: recruit@modus-op.com