I don’t think I have been this excited about an app since Angry Birds... #justkidding (except not really.)  Barclays’ new ‘Pingit’ app is creating a storm already; and it was only just released.  The basics of the app, are that you can transfer money instantly to your friends and family; for example - if you’re all out at a restaurant and it comes to paying the bill, one person can pay upfront and the others can use ‘Pingit’ to transfer the money straight to their account.  You can transfer up to £300 a day, and even though at the moment it’s only for Barclays account holders, within a few weeks it will be rolled out to all accounts.  Oh, and did I forget to mention...the app is free.

Of course I have shared this information around our offices and the immediate question arose; ‘how on earth is my money secure?!’  Good question.  I wish I knew the answer...but if I did, then I’d be some super IT powerhouse, and not a Marketing Manager.  I can however say that I’m fairly certain that with information as delicate as bank details, Barclays *must* have run all the necessary tests to ensure complete security.  There is a ‘failsafe’ in place, explained by Sean Gilchrist (head of Digital Banking at Barclays) who “claims the new app features “industry standard encryption”, and can automatically be wiped from a phone if a user tells the bank they have lost their device.  Users must also use a new, five-digit PIN code to access the app, which Barclays claims was developed with the help of its own and mobile banking security experts” -- Telegraph

Well I for one am willing to trust Barclays and jump on the Pingit bandwagon.  If for no other reason than I get to use the word ‘Pingit’ as a verb.

“Facebook, YouTube and even texting will be the salvation of many of the world's endangered languages, scientists believe.  Of the 7,000 or so languages spoken on Earth today, about half are expected to be extinct by the century's end.  Globalisation is usually blamed, but some elements of the "modern world", especially digital technology, are pushing back against the tide.  North American tribes use social media to re-engage their young, for example. Tuvan, an indigenous tongue spoken by nomadic peoples in Siberia and Mongolia, even has an iPhone app to teach the pronunciation of words to new students” -- BBC News

This is amazing (if a little sad - but for the purposes of this post, we’re going to ignore that!)  “It's what I like to call the flipside of globalisation” says David Harrison (Associate Professor of Linguistics at Swarthmore College) - how true!  The fact that a little known language, spoken by under 0.5% of the Earth’s population, can be kept alive due to the power of technology is pretty incredible.

The example given in the article is that of the Tuvan language, spoken by nomadic Siberians and Mongolians - there is now an iPhone app to help teach the pronunciation and keep the tongue alive.  It’s an interesting analogy by David Harrison, that this is the ‘flipside of globalisation’ - more often than not, there is so much negative press surrounding social media and the overuse of technology; so it’s really encouraging to see such a positive article by the BBC.  Right...well I’m off to learn some Tuvan...wish me luck :)

“Do you dream of a world where you have your choice of laptop, smartphone or tablet at work; all of which connect seamlessly one to another, and are constantly updated?  Sitting at your desk, feeling the red mist descend as your ancient XP desktop computer tries and fails to open your inbox, this might seem like an impossible dream. But for some people that day is already here.  In the last year the level of smartphone and tablet ownership has sky-rocketed, and with it the trend towards the consumerisation of IT. In other words, business IT organisations have come under ever-increasing pressure to let their employees choose what they use to do their work on.  While many firms follow the traditional route of offering a stipend or some sort of financial incentive, others expect their employees to pick up the tab” -- Fiona Graham for BBC News

At Testing Circle, we work using a variety of different methods...we all have dual-screens, but some of us work from a laptop as well as the dual fixed screens - three screens definitely does have a very ‘Bill Gates’ feel about it!  As well as this, a few of us iPads for meetings etc as tablets are really handy to carry around.  The iPads are our own, and were purchased by the individuals; but of course the laptops, desktops and dual screens are provided by the Company.  To be honest, when we first had the screens installed I didn’t know what on earth I was going to do with three of them - but now I wouldn’t be without them.  I have my emails open on one, internet browser on another and the laptop screen that acts as my ‘desktop’ with word documents and the Company database etc.  I use my iPad when I go out to meetings, to display information or even to take notes (there are some great Apps available!)  The point is that we all work differently within our office, and I have no reservation in saying that everyone in the world works best in a variety of ways.

I disagree that the culture of ‘BYOD’ (bring your own device) will see the death of the desktop.  The technology of constantly updating information through a variety of platforms is great (a kind of ‘super cloud’) but not all companies can afford that.  Smaller start-ups can’t all splash out on whichever device their employees want, or on the cloud technology - perhaps the option expressed by Fiona Graham (at BBC News) is the way forward; companies could subsidise the cost, put money towards it or simply just say that ‘if you want it, you buy it’!  Small to medium businesses can often prefer a ‘uniform’ approach - of course each department will be different and have different needs for various technologies, but on the whole, most would have the standard hardware.

At TC I like the freedom to take my laptop and work from home, to be able to come back into work and hook it up to the dual screens and take my iPad out to meetings when I need.  BYOD suits us quite nicely, but as I said it’s not for everyone.  So what are your thoughts?

Happy Valentines Day...I hope you're all spending the day with people you love :)

“The folks at StatCounter have been keeping track of the rise of mobile devices. They’re an analytics company, meaning that websites use their service to keep track of how many people viewing their pages. They say that in January 2009 only 0.7% of the web’s traffic moved through a mobile device (tablets don’t count). In January 2012, just three years later, that number has now reached 8.5%.  Looking towards the future, that 8.5% figure will likely double by this time next year; low cost smartphones are certainly going to help that. That begs the question, has the personal computer peaked?” -- IntoMobile

It’s amazing to see what a difference three years makes.  From 2009 where 0.7% of all web traffic coming via a mobile device, to 8.5% in 2012; smartphones have made a huge difference on the way we function on a day-to-day basis.  Since the launch of products like the iPhone, not only is communication easier; but everyday tasks are too - from checking train times and keeping yourself entertained on a long journey with ‘Angry Birds’, to maintaining your direct debits and making dinner reservations; pretty much everything is accessible via your mobile device.

The question posed by IntoMobile is “has the personal computer peaked [as a result of smartphones]?” - and in my opinion, the answer is no.  Personally, I’m an Apple girl - and even though I love my iPhone, I still couldn’t do without my iPad.  And on top of that, I still need my laptop or desktop as there are still things that tablets can’t do - even just being able to touch type for example.  I use my iPhone as more of a ‘top up’ - it’s handy when I’m out and about, and have no other option for example when I’m wondering aimlessly around London and need GPS (sadly this happens quite frequently - thank goodness for Googlemaps!)  However, I specifically go to my iPad for information or assistance.  Basically what I’m trying to say is, if I’m at home and want to go online, I don’t instinctually reach for my phone...it’s great as a backup but it’s not a primary device.

As I said; I think it’s all just a matter of personal opinion - those who aren’t lucky enough to have other devices will certainly use a phone as the first port of call (I certainly did before I got my iPad.)  Either way, I don’t think these new figures will spark the death of personal computers and even though the whopping 8.5% figure has increased so much since 2009; we can’t forget about the other 91.5%.

“The only three true job interview questions are:

1.  Can you do the job?
2.  Will you love the job?
3.  Can we tolerate working with you?” -- Forbes online

So what do you think?  According to the Forbes article, all questions that are asked in an interview basically boil down to these three.  Can you technically and functionally perform this role, are you motivated and want to work at this company; and will you fit in our environment?  Honestly, I have to agree.  This article is specifically written for executive appointments; but to be honest I think it applies to most interviewees.

I was reading an article in Inc.com by Joe Reynolds, Founder of Red Frog Events where he said that over the last four months, they received six thousand applications and hired eight people.  If you read the various articles Joe has written, you’d understand exactly why people want to work at Red Frog Events, but the point is - the team fit is just as important to them as the skill set.  Everyone is hired on a four-month contract basis to assess them in ‘real-life’ situations and according to the Inc.com article - “after four months, we’ve historically hired around 20 percent of those put on contract.”  It gives everyone a chance to see if they fit together; and from seeing comments on @RedFrogEvents - people are climbing over each other to ever get an interview.

What’s your favourite question to ask to be asked in a job interview?

I was recently directed to a relatively new website - JobPoacher.  After the initial 'is this legit?' question, I realised it's actually a pretty amazing tool.  We find that a lot of great candidates are via referral or head hunt; but of course it's difficult to know whether people are looking for a new position and would welcome the call.  A lot of people won't put their CVs on job boards for fear of getting 'found out' by their current company - so this website is a great way to stay anonymous but still put 'feelers' out in the market.

So if you're looking to be 'poached', why not check it out!

We have LOADS of live roles at the moment...within Test, QA, Development, Infrastructure, Support and loads more!  Here are a few of our Hot Jobs;

• *Business Analyst - Ecommerce Giant - £55k - just outside London*
  
• *Data Warehouse QA Consultant - DWH / BI / Oracle / Microsoft - £45k - London*
• *IT Support Functional System Support Technical Analyst (Oracle e-Business Suite) - €40k - Czech Republic*
• *Senior SharePoint Developer - (Consultancy) - £50-65k - Southern England*
• *Developer in Test - High Transactional - TDD / SOAPUi / .NET / Ecommerce - £40-50k - London*
• *Senior QA Automation Analyst - £55k - Hertfordshire*

If you are interested in any of these roles; or would like to confidentially discuss your options, then contact us!  The number to call is (020) 8940 2333 or feel free to email me (ashleighace@testingcircle.com) and I'll forward the messages on to the relevant Consultant.  Happy Job Hunting :)

“The person you sit next to could become a sounding board for product ideas” -- Entrepreneur

I recently came across this article - 10 Workplace Trends to Watch in 2012 - and after reading it (and loving all the points!) I picked up on one line.  The line above.  How true...the person you sit next to really COULD become a sounding board for product ideas.  But not *just* product ideas...ALL ideas.

At Testing Circle, we promote a strong knowledge pool amongst and within everyone.  Not just the Sales team, the Marketing Team, the Testers etc...but with EVERYONE.  For example, if we are Recruiting for a Test role; why not ask the Testers for their help?  There is never such a thing as ‘too much knowledge’.  If everyone in the company helped each other out, spoke to their neighbours or asked people’s opinions then the knowledge pool would grow and everyone would have a better idea of people’s roles and workload.

So here’s an idea...over the next week, why not have lunch with someone who isn’t in your team.  Be more ‘agile’ whether you’re in IT or not.  Adopt the principles of Agile; have scrum meetings, have daily stand-ups - keep the lines of communication well and truly open!  If you try it and it doesn’t work, then fair enough.  However, if you try it and it does then not only have you got to know some other people in the office, but you now have a fresh pair of eyes and ears every time you have a new idea.

Change ‘JUST ONE THING’ and see if you notice the difference.

“Over 80% of CIOs say it is becoming increasingly difficult to find people with the right skills as over half of businesses plan to invest in the latest technologies this year, according to research.

IT professionals with technical skills in database management were in highest demand, according to 46% of CIOs.  Publicly listed businesses, large companies and those in London and the south-east of England are finding it the most difficult to get the right skills, said the survey.  Network administrators/engineers, Windows administrators, desktop support professionals and business intelligence experts are also in high demand” -- Computer Weekly

I wrote a blog post recently about how ‘easy’ people think recruitment is - and to be honest, I can understand why.  Without making such a sweeping statement; this rule can be applied to the 95% - but at Testing Circle, we like to think we are the 5%.

No candidate is ever ‘just a number’, we go above and beyond to understand our Client’s needs as well as the needs of their business, and most importantly - we genuinely care about everything we do.  We have a strong ‘Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy’ - we don’t discriminate or ‘positively’ discriminate and we believe in only sending a candidate across if we are 100% positive they can perform the task.  We do not spam mail our entire database with roles that are completely irrelevant to their skill set, nor do we promise things we can’t deliver.  The point I’m trying to get at, is if more CIOs used smaller and more niche agencies, such as Testing Circle; those figures above may not be so high.

It sounds like some cheesy marketing ploy to tell you how amazing we are and how we can deliver everything you need - but honestly, we can’t.  We are not super human, nor are we miracle workers.  We can however promise to use the biggest and brightest talent in our Company, to do our very best in finding someone that fits your team - not only in their technical expertise, but their team and environment fit.  We don’t just see ‘Recruitment as Recruitment’ - we understand that finding the right person for the right job, has the ability to change a lot of lives.

So why not give us a try - our rates are very competitive and if we don’t find someone great for you, you don’t have to pay us anyway :)