It’s ‘World Bee Day’, and like any Queen Bee, I’ve been asked to lead by example and write a blog about it.
At first I thought “great topic – thanks!” (with a huge amount of sarcasm added in), but then I got thinking about the research industry, my team and the global economy (yikes) and it got me thinking there’s actually quite a bit to talk about.
I started as a recruiter in market research back in 1998. The job was hard work then and it still is now. There’s a certain repetitiveness to it, I got to talk to lots of people and the more pleasant I was the easier I found the job. It was a very industrious job where you were never short of things to do.
Over the last 23 years, I’ve progressed quite a bit in the research industry. I’ve gone from recruiter to venue host, to field manager, to field director to starting my own field agency! I guess you could say I have quite a bit of experience and I’m time served too. I’ve always loved this industry and I still love the buzz of it (excuse the pun).
So in the spirit of ‘World Bee Day’, here are the top 10 things that I think connect BEAM to the Worker Bee;
1. Bees are very industrious, just like the BEAM team. We don’t stop till the job is done, every last recruit is found and everyone is happy.
2. Bee colonies are very structured with different types of bees doing different jobs. The BEAM team is structured the same way, with our team and our skills deployed to produce quality on every project.
3. The Manchester Worker Bee is one of the best-known symbols of Manchester and has been the emblem of the city for 150 years. BEAM is the best-known symbol of quality fieldwork in Manchester and I hope our brand will live on that long too!
4. We are an all-female team. We didn’t intend it that way, it’s just the way it has ended up being (I promise our recruitment practices are geared at creating a more diverse team). Bee colonies are the same, with the Queen Bee and all worker bees being female!
5. Our company values all start with Be (okay, maybe not quite Bee but near enough). To be a member of the BEAM team you need to Be Resourceful, Be Supportive, Be Trustworthy and Be Cost-effective.
6. Bees have lots of eyes. We have an eye for detail – simple!
7. Bees can be found in many locations and live on many continents, just like BEAM International. Our international division spreads our knowledge across seas and continents so we can deliver quality fieldwork projects wherever you are and whatever you need.
8. Bees have very smelly feet. I don’t, but some of the team are required to keep their shoes on at all times.
9. Honey bees have a dance called a ‘Waggle Dance’. If you are ever unfortunate enough to bump into us on one of our legendary nights out, you’ll probably see some or all of us ‘waggle dancing’ like a bunch of buffoons!
10. And finally, bees sometimes get very tired. If you see a tired bee you should always give it a mix of water and sugar to re-energise it. If you ever come to the BEAM office after you see us ‘waggle-dancing’, please bring along a sugary drink too as we will definitely need it!
If you want to get to know the BEEAM Team better, or you have an interesting project you want to discuss, then give me a call honey on 0161 850 9864 and if we can’t answer, we’ll buzz you back!
Amy Middleton | Founder & Director | BEAM Fieldwork