Ecom Recruitment Blog

Boys vs. Girls Netball - The Rematch

After the 1st game, which boasted no referee, no bibs and volleyballs instead of netballs, Wednesday 11th April became: The Rematch. The boys were confident, maybe bordering on arrogant heading into the contest. The girls were quietly confident, knowing that the rules would be enforced and the boys would struggle to compete with infractions.

The girls had a different line-up for this match - a few players that had proved key in the past were out and some unproven commodities entered the fray. The boys stuck to what they knew, and even had a sub to the girls 0.

The boys started off quickly, with the deadly duo of Jonny and Hiren up front combining effortlessly to sink 7 baskets against the girls 3. The girls noticeably lacked height on the defensive end, so even when the boys missed they were able to rebound and shoot again a large amount of the time. The boys struggled on the defensive end when the girls were able to get the ball into the final third - partly due to penalties but also due to the great interplay of new-to-the-team GA Georgie, and once again strong play of girls Captain Morgane - but getting there was half the challenge: the boys intercepting passes and denying the girls movement.

The second quarter was a complete reversal of fortune. The girls were able to constantly able to get into scoring positions and constantly capitalised - finally able to get the volume of shots Morgane needed to nearly draw the girls level - a narrow 13-12 lead for the boys heading into half time. The work of Center Paula up and down the court, backed up by some good effort from the whole of the girls team was a large reason for this, however a few of the referee’s decisions certainly left the boys scratching their heads, wondering what exactly they had done wrong. With the boys reeling, the girls quickly pressed on with play to bring it back.

After the half - the boys decided to change things up a bit. Captain Jonny decided to put a premium on defence, and switched in a long, athletic line up to slow down Morgane. The changes were effective immediately, as Jonny send some of these shots back to sender as Morgane struggled to get her shooting rhythm going. While the defence improved, the attack notably dropped off, scoring just one basket in the quarter to the girls` 7 - resulting in a commanding 19-14 lead going into the last quarter. GK and GD combo Liz and Sinead stepped up to put pressure on the boys attack. Again, some questionable (in the boys opinion) refereeing decisions took the boys out of great positions and put the girls into them, and they fully capitalised. Joaquin and Hiren were the most vocal with their displeasure, however they just echoed the sentiments of the rest of the team. The boys could only do so much as the girls superior knowledge and experience of the game shone through in light of an organised, refereed and correctly equipped game.

Captain Jonny got the boys together for a team talk before the start of the fourth. With the sports centre staff huddling around, and a gang of eager badmintoners (?) raring to go, the referee had to cut down the final quarter. A 19-14 deficit seemed a tough ask for the anaemic boys attack. Jack stepped in to partner Ben to spearhead the attack, while Jonny stayed on defence to protect the rim. Some great interplay from the boys, particularly in the middle of the court, led to easy, quick baskets for the boys as they were able to make their chances count. This fuelled the defence, which now had WIll and Hiren to support Jonny in sparking the counter attack. Jack let out some screams as he scored to pump the boys up and this seemingly intimidated the girls - unable to get recapture their 3rd quarter form. The final minutes were tense - firstly 20-18 to the girls, then 20-19, and then 20-20. The badminton players weren`t even annoyed at waiting, they were instead enthralled in the match, which the boys so obviously were trying their all to win, and the girls giving their all not to lose. Even the referee seemed into it, not penalizing the boys for at least 3 minutes (their longest stretch of the game). The girls worked a basket in the dying second to extend their lead to 21-20. With the clock ticking, the boys quickly worked the ball up to Jack, who took the shot. As it reached the height of it`s arc, the referee blew the full time whistle, as the fall swished threw the hoop. What was the final score?  21-20 to the girls apparently - the boys last basket hadn`t counted. Devastated and dejected, to have come so far and eventually lost, the boys found it a bitter pill to swallow, later conceding the victory and congratulating the girls on what was a genuinely competitive match with a close finish (seriously, this happened...ask the sports centre staff or the 8pm badmintoners).

Teams:

Girls - Liz, Sinead, Philippa, Katrina, Paula, Georgie, Morgane

Boys - Jonny, Hiren, Will, Jack, Ben, Joaquin, Josh, Owen

Also, if your company is interested in playing ECOM at either 5-a-side or netball, please get in touch as we'd love to play!

 

 

Boys vs. Girls Netball

With the ECOM boys still searching for their first win (p.s. - get in touch if you'd like to win play against us) in their 5-a-side league, and the ECOM girls enjoying a hiatus from the action, the two locked horns in a fiercely contested battle on Wednesday 21^st March evening in a West London sportshall.

The usual pre-game netball rituals were all adhered too: pre-game photos, the ref not turning up, having to use volleyballs instead of netballs, the boys trying continuously to either head or volley the ball through the net, no positional bibs, no warm-ups and no stretching… From the outset - it was clear to see both teams were serious about this matchup!

Once the girls had given the boys a rough idea of where they had to stand, who they had to mark and where on the court (or pitch, as many of the boys uttered) they could actually go, we were ready for the: tip off, kick off, start??

The boys got off to a fast start, jumping out to an early 3-0 lead behind the sharp shooting of Jonny and Hiren, who's deadly link up play tore through the girls paperbag defence. All the while, the girls leading scorer, Morgane, was relegated to ref duty. For about 5 minutes. At which point she entered the game and quickly dominated inside, thanks to some great support play from Paula - bringing it back to 6-3 at the end of the first quarter.

The break saw the girls huddle up and talk some strategy to try and slow down the boys. Meanwhile, the boys quickly got back to trying to header or volley the ball through the net. A hearty effort from all 8 of the attendees was just enough to graze the rim for now...

The second quarter saw the boys make use of their subs and make changes at the back to slow down Morgane. In step Owen and Ben (GK and GD respectively) who used an array of 'unorthodox' tactics to hinder the efforts of the girls - and did, to an extent. The boys scored at a similar rate to the first half behind the same reliable front two and their quick tap passes and footwork to create space and get off shots. The height advantage also came in handy for grabbing rebounds of errant shots. The girls would argue that the boys were getting away with a lot in light of no ref, while they kept it clean and played to the book! It finished up 11-7 heading into half-time (where the boys continued to try, and fail, to get the ball into the hoop).

Another round of subs saw some players in different positions as the girls changed up their defence. Early on, WD Philippa saw her pass narrowly miss her head as it was spiked by WA Jack into the next court. In case there was any doubt - this proved that the boys were sick of losing and weren't about to go easy on their femaile counterparts. A largely defensive quarter that was extremely low scoring saw the boys maintain their lead at 13-9 going into the break. Players were beginning to tire in the humid sportshall as the game neared the 45 minute mark.

And then it happened...the boys did it. After a few tries, Owen got the lucky touch that saw the ball gracefully splash through the net. The boys celebrated as if they had won! Only to be reminded they had another quarter to contend. The girls looked far from impressed.

Jack swapped in for a tired Jonny, who had helped carry the load in spearheading the attack, and didn't miss a beat, combining with Hiren to sink shots and extend the lead. The boys defence was critical in protecting the lead, as they shut down Morgane in the final period to run away 17-10 winners.

While the girls showed experience and savvy, the boys showed athleticism and aggression. The lack of referee definitely benefitted the boys - all of which had never played the game before and didn't understand the rules (although Hiren could have fooled anyone) as they surely got away with incorrect footwork, illegal shooting and excessive contact. Once the girls got the ball to Morgane in the D, it was largely game over as she clinically put away her chances. However the boys anticipated the passing lanes and picked off passes to ignite their fast break and deny the girls possession. Ultimately – the sports centre gave us the option of a free court in a few weeks as the ref had not turned up. The rematch was set!

While ECOM Trained Its Staff By Night...

By Abigail Jackson

Whilst the rest of London gears up for the annual Christmas party season, there was no slacking to be found here at ECOM! As part of our policy of professional development, staff were invited to attend a late-night training session given by Andrew Warren, a senior project/web development manager from the industry. They discussed live examples of site build projects, from the initial scoping stages to design and user acceptance testing. 

The presentation broadly covered large scale website builds, and can be divided into four sections. Firstly, the requirements and scoping stage, where the audience and their motivations are analysed. The user journey can then start to be mapped, and the information architecture can begin to take shape. This stage is crucial to inform the next stage, design.

Design begins with the creation of a concept. This is followed by back end development, where the decision between .NET and open source frameworks needs to be made. The positives of using the open source option are that it is fast-paced and more engaging, where the source code is unprotected and therefore open to be borrowed and shared by the online community. The positives of the .NET CMS are that it is straight out of the box and you don’t have to customize – but this comes at a cost. Once the back end development has been implemented, the front end development can begin. It is at this stage where aesthetics really come into play, and the website starts to come to life. From here, content may be uploaded, and the design re-jigged depending on how the site functions.

The third stage (and the final stage of project planning) is User Acceptance Testing (UAT). If there are any flaws in the design, they can be ironed out at this stage until the site is fully functional for all users.

Fourthly and finally we discussed the pros and cons of different project management methodologies, in particular the distinction between the fixed Waterfall approach, compared with the more flexible Agile method.

All involved found the experience to be very beneficial, as it gave us a greater understanding of the whole process of site builds. Having increased our collective expertise, we are looking forward to passing on the benefits of the training to our clients and candidates. Along with the thank-you Malteasers, we genuinely want to express our gratitude to Andrew for taking the time to pass on his knowledge at this busy, festive, time of year. Merry Christmas to one and all!

 

Children In Need 2011

Never shy to raise some money for charity, Children In Need was ECOM’s latest event of choice to try and help out!

We started off with the fancy dress costume, as the office came as characters from our childhood. Minnie Mouse, The Mad Hatter, Darth Vader and even Thomas the Tank Engine could all be found, nonchalantly getting on with their daily tasks. The podium for best dressed looked like this:

1. Cruella de Vil

2. A Banana in Pyjamas 

T3. Pingu & Rod Hull and Emu

In a final 3 sure to rouse some nostalgia!



Some of the other events of the day included guessing how many M&Ms were forced into a jar, and how many Maltesers were crammed into a wine jar. The winner would take home said confectionary stuck in household containers. Suffice to say, red wine tinted Maltesers proved a sour prize for the guestimators!

A quiz followed – again the theme was Children’s TV and entertainment – with the office divided up into teams. Questions varied from the name of the baboon in the Lion King (Rafiki), to the Teletubby sporting a triangle on their antenna (Twinky Winky) and the occupation of Belle’s father in Beauty and the Beast (inventor). We were also treated to a photo round, showing celebrities in their unspectacular and unrecognisable youths, including this young critter. In case you didn’t know, its Marshall Mathers (aka Slim Shady, aka Eminem).

The most fun fundraiser was the childhood event competition, which saw ECOM’ers guess each others memories from an anonymous list. Some hung their head in shame as facts were revealed…including one member of the Creative team who had to be entertained by puppets so they could go to the toilet when they were younger, and a member of the PM team who was invited to Chris Akabusi’s house for dinner. Client Services took the biscuit however, with one member drop kicking a clown to protect their mum, and another getting head butted by a Wigan rugby league player…

All in all, the day’s activities raised £237, which isn’t too bad for an afternoon of activities! ECOM were glad to contribute to the amazing amount raised by people all over the country – and hope to see it make some real differences in young people’s lives. Massive thanks to everyone that helped and our directors for letting us finish early to raise some money for charity!

 

ECOM's Inaugural Creative Drinks

The winter nights are drawing in. The temperature is slowly dropping. Attention is turning towards Christmas. Somewhere in East London, the ECOM Creative team enjoyed a few drinks with some of their candidates…

The Water Poet was the setting for this Wednesday night affair. A cosy, wood furnished pub in the heart of the city, it served the perfect backdrop for a meeting of creatives.

We thought it would be good to catch up with the people that work and represent ECOM so well, and for them to reacquaint themselves with consultants who consistently set them up with great work at top London agencies and companies.

Once the free drinks were flowing – beer, wine and spirits alike - the conversations started. Consultants and candidates mixed seamlessly into conversations about work, football, London – and everything else in between.

We occupied an outside, cavernous area that was crammed by around 8pm. When people tried to get another drink or nip to the toilet, it was like an 8.30am tube ride on the Central line. Thanks for everyone that came and made it the night that it was, and we hope you enjoyed it too!

After about 9, those with families and appetites left, but a hardcore few remained until late. Ideas were thrown about, including that of an ECOM creative calendar. 12 consultants, 12 months, it makes too much sense not too! Let us know if you would be keen on one for a charitable cause. We are planning a similar night in the not too distant future due to the success of the inaugural meeting, so stay tuned for news!

 

R.I.P Steve Jobs

One day after Apple showcased the birth of a new product (the iPhone 4S), a long standing member of the Apple family unfortunately passed away. A co-founder, ex-CEO and chairman at Apple, Jobs has undoubtedly left his mark on the world; be it through his words, actions, or inventions. One of these is sure to have touched us at some point.

His influence was so great that hours after his resignation was made public, Apple’s share prices dropped by 3%. Everyone in the world knew what Jobs meant to Apple – he was the driving force behind their innovation, and it comes as no surprise that their success started when Jobs had returned to the company after a hiatus to rival firm (that was eventually bought by Apple) NeXT, reigniting the brand.

The iPod started off a string of products that had never been seen before. Critics speculated that no one would buy something that they didn’t know if they needed, but time after time, first with the iPod, then the iPhone and now the iPad, Apple seem to be experts in creating a new market in technology for products we seemingly had no need or desire for previously. It’s not that portable music players didn’t exist, but the way Apple innovated with iTunes and then the App Store differentiated the Apple products from the rest – seamlessly delivering outstanding customer service.

Even now the rest of the market seems to be behind. Apple release the iPhone, and other smart phones inevitably follow. The iPad is unveiled, and then the Blackberry Playbook, Motorola Xoom and Amazon Kindle follow. The App store, which is a driving force behind the success of Apple products, is followed by the Android app store.

All the while, it seemed somewhat painfully inevitable. After news emerged that Jobs had a long standing battle with pancreatic cancer (the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the world), and then his later resignation, the worst was feared, and unfortunately realised, this morning.

A world without Steve Jobs would be a different one. Would we have smart phones? Tablet computers? Would portable music be where it is today, being able to buy music with the click of a button? Would designers be frustratingly distressed, and subsequently balder, with the speed of Windows at work?

A driver of change, not only in what we do, but how we think, he inspired Apple employees company-wide and his fans alike. I’ll leave you with a quote from Jobs himself, which sums up his approach and the type of person he is perfectly:

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me… Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful… that's what matters to me”

Rest in peace.

 

Starting in recruitment!

By Kelly McGrath

Starting a new job is like getting a haircut. You may stick to what you like – getting a trim and some safe caramel highlights - or go completely different a la Katy Perry and take the plunge from black to blonde! When you undertake a big change like this (as all fellow hair-dyers will know!) you have to risk having unsightly orange ‘bosco the clown’ hair momentarily until you get to your perfect blonde shade.

Coming from a radio/PR/media background, the step into recruitment was a pretty big career change. I was happily working in radio for the last few years in Dublin having just left university. Things were going well – I got some great experience researching and reporting for some brilliant radio stations and even met Jedward! *tumble weed* But after a while I decided it was time to move on. I always wanted to live in London and the impending cut backs in my last office gave me the push I needed to move on.

One of my best friends from home had just started a new job in recruitment and after meeting her for dinner one evening it got me thinking about looking into recruitment roles in London. Certain aspects of recruitment sounded pretty similar to my previous jobs – and I loved the thoughts of being in a sociable role where I got paid to chat and meet great candidates and clients!

I knew coming from a creative, fun, working environment that I wanted similar and wouldn’t suit a strict, formal office. One of the most important things for me in moving jobs was to work with nice people in a fun environment. I liked the look of Ecom’s site with their bright designs and little ‘cartoony egg’ people graphics (to use the...technical term!) – I’m like a magpie, shiny bright things catch my attention.

So that had me sold – I fired off my CV and cover letter. I flew over from Dublin for interviews at Ecom and quickly found out how expensive looking for another job is! I didn’t really want to hand in my notice without a solid offer of a job but knew if I didn’t get the job at Ecom that I would just have to come to London and hope for the best, as flying back and forth for interviews was not an option.

After meeting a few of the staff, the role at Ecom quickly became my first choice. At the second interview I was told that they’d let me know by the end of the day. I was flying back to Dublin at 5pm that day so knew it could go either way – either I would be very happy indeed... or I would be attempting to busk on the plane hoping to earn a few extra quid to fund my move to London as an unemployed person. Luckily I didn’t have to subject the cabin crew to my fantastic singing and spoon playing.

After that, things happened really quickly – I finished up my radio job, said goodbye to my friends, family and lovely dogs and off to London I went...with three massive suitcases!

I was so excited to move, and slightly terrified. I was going from working in an area I had studied in university and had worked in for years, to something completely different! I had the fear of permanently being stuck in the orange ‘bosco the clown’ hair phase (see my hair analogy does make sense...I think!). Luckily after my first day I knew I’d love Ecom – the people were lovely and I was allowed to play Jedward and 5ive on Spotify (with only a few complaints!).

I’ve been here three months now and have had to get used to living in a new country as well as starting a new job. As with any new job there’s a lot to take in, in the first month especially, and for a while I was even dreaming about Ecom! The most exciting thing so far was doing my first deal and placing a candidate in their dream job...and the work day out to Ascot was pretty amazing too – I won £23...then lost £18 of it on another bet! But hey that’s still a £5 profit!

I can honestly say that I look forward to going to work in the mornings – partly because breakfast is my favourite meal! – but also because I work with a great bunch of people in a fantastic city!

Ascot Retro Diary

Continuing our celebrations for the best month ever in ECOM’s history, we went to Ascot for what proved to be a (very) wet yet sensational day enjoyed by all. Let’s take a look back at some of the events of the day, right from the beginning…

8.43am -- The office starts to fill with the guys wearing their suits, and the ladies mostly opting to get dressed at work. This did not bode well, since we had to leave at 10am…

9.39am -- The party moves outside. After warming up with a great hip-hop selection on Spotify, the coach arrives and we move outside for the “before alcohol” pictures, when everyone is still smiling and can stand up straight.

 

9.45am – Quick moment of panic – the bus driver goes missing. There is initial worry after it was revealed the driver didn’t think we were leaving until 10.30am. The lads are sent out to local cafes in search of said driver.

9.49am – Bus driver shows up. Phew. Just nipped to the little boy’s room…

10.01am – The bus gets going! Into the Hammersmith traffic…the bus is roughly ¾ full as some of the team are going straight there. Talk of bets and tips is bounced around. Only later would we discover how inaccurate some of these tips were to be…

10.07am – We are handed an envelope, containing: a pass to the restaurant, grandstand admission, voucher for free race guide and…£20 to bet with! Result!

10.34am – Chat on the bus quickly circulates back to betting...including some of the more “dedicated” looking up odds on our iPhone’s...

10:56am – As we near Ascot, we start seeing lots of scarecrows in the local’s front lawns. I wasn’t entirely sure what this was about but apparently the locals do it every year to raise money for charity, with the aim that race goers stuck in traffic will be amused by the figures and donate money. It certainly kept us entertained! I felt the Alan Sugar mannequin with “You’re Attired!” was the favourite, but chime in with pictures if you have any more!

11:09am – Even closer to Ascot we encounter a horse drawn carriage full of men in elaborate top hats and tails and ladies in their decorative hats. This is when it hit us we were at Ascot!

11:23am – Arrive at Ascot. Step off the coach and it begins to rain...

I feel now is a good time to explain some of the competitions we had going through the day. First off we ran a photo competition. See details below:

Picture of the Queen = 20 points

Picture of you with a jockey = 10 points

Picture of you with a celeb = 10 points

Picture of a celeb = 5 points

Picture of a winning horse = 5 points

Picture of jockey or dress in ECOM business card/website blue = 2 points   

Picture of a horse= 1 point

I can reveal that the winners were Sinead (Accounts) and Olivia (PM/IA), due in part to their strategic detour to the Royal enclosure where they capitalized on the 20 point picture of the Queen which accounted for most of their points! For their troubles, they received a case of champagne, to help relive the experience!

 The second competition reveals ECOM’s softer side. The biggest bet of the day (with accompanying bet slip) would be doubled by ECOM and donated to a charity of the winners choice. Vincent took this one home with a massive £153 on the last race to snatch victory from Tim, who held the biggest bet prior with £135. Massive congratulations and good betting! The money will be donated to WWF Save The Tiger.

 The third was a little less merit-oriented….most orange! Inspired by the Jersey Shore-like tanning spree the girls (and some guys…no names mentioned…) went on, it only seemed fair to award the effort they went to. Kelly (Client Services) took home the prize with a slightly deeper than normal shade of orange to leave the competition in the dark. (Edit: It was later revealed Kelly won because her dress was orange…whoops).

 

11:29am – The first timers were awestruck at the sheer size of the grandstand as those who had been before headed straight to the bar! We were greeted with a champagne reception which certainly marked the occasion. The Sandringham restaurant where we were sat was luxurious, large and extravagant.

11:35am – Everyone settled in and mingled, as ECOM welcomed some new faces, it was good to get them on a more social level and to really become part of the ECOM team. As such, the customary photos began, a whole selection of which can be viewed at our Twitter stream.

12:31pm – The 4 course meal had started! First up was the starter – as described from the website:

Starter 
Involtini of Lightly Smoked Speck Ham, Peppadew, Artichoke, Grelot Onions
Courgette Ribbons, Beetroot and Balsamic Reduction

Which proved a hit with everyone. The champagne continued to flow, as did the fine wine which some of the more mature members definitely appreciated.

12:57pm – The main course. Once again, the website description does it more justice than I could:

Main Course
Warm Ballotine of Corn-fed Chicken, Slow-roasted Tomato, Shiitake and Cep Mushrooms
Cracked Wheat, Summer Pea and Soy Bean Salad 
Poached English Asparagus with a Truffle and Rocket Dressing

Which again was magnificent. The photos continued as the girls in particular found as many excuses as possible to show off their dresses!

1:38pm – Dessert, you know the drill:

Dessert 
Burnt Orange and Vanilla Tart 
Chocolate Turritella and Wild Strawberry Dressing

However what the menu failed to mention was the chocolate token denoting the 300^th year of Ascot – a classy touch for a big occasion! Some people’s dessert was cut short by the Royal Procession (where Sinead and Olivia picked up all those points). The anxiousness for the first race for building with every passing second...

2:15pm – The mad rush to the betting facilities started. As did the questions from the non-betting folk among us of “What does 16/1 mean?”, “How much will I get back if I win?” and “What does each way mean?”

2:30pm – The first race began. Some of us opted to watch from the security and dryness from the restaurant porch whilst the more adventurous went for the grandstand. We were perfectly situated to see the finish line, and the countless TV’s helped clear up any confusion that arose!

2:41pm – 16/1 Samitar comes in first much to the delight of Katie (Creative) and Jack (Creative) who were some of the early winners. Soon after, all betting questions are directed their way for horses in the next race! Steve’s optimism proves short-lived...

2:53pm – The bar staff start to tire of topping up champagne, and instead just begin leaving whole bottles on the tables. A win-win situation.

2:54pm – With the 3.05 looming, the betting rush began again. The favourite, Nathaniel, was tipped by many and was a favourite amongst the ECOM betters. Some of the more risk averse members decided to pocket the betting money ECOM gave us...which would turn out to be a great decision for the majority of people!

3:20pm – Race favourite Nathaniel (11/4) romps to victory to the delight of everyone (apart from the bookies). Outsiders Fiorente and Alexander Pope came 2^nd and 3^rd respectively to tease the gambling folk but certainly helped a few people with the each way bet.

 

3:28pm – Sinead and Olivia return, slightly damp but smiling after another photo spree.

3:31pm – Most of the ECOM lads regroup and try to figure out a “sure-fire” betting strategy moving forward, frustrated by their lack of success to this point.

3.32pm – Numerous girls reveal their “My Nan/Mum/Dad told me to bet on xxx horse” strategy.

3.33pm – Anticipation is rife for the biggest race of the day, the 3.45 Coronation Stakes. No clear favourite here so it really becomes a guessing game.

3.59pm – 8/1 Immortal Verse wins to make a few of the ECOM lot happy, followed by Nova Hawk (9/2) and Barefoot Lady (16/1). A really exciting race that went right down to the wire and lived up to the billing. Vincent with a massive £114 on this race!

4:02pm – Afternoon tea! And some welcome food for some of the people that “took advantage” of the free bar. A mix of tea and coffee, scones and jam, cucumber and salmon sandwiches were all part of the tea which was very Ritz-like. Just even more fabulous food from the restaurant!

4.22pm – Everyone frantically looks at the race guide in search of a name they like the look of before betting...

4:33pm – The Wolferton Handicap. 12/1 Beachfire took home the honours in another close race which saw anyone with odds better than 10/1 finish at the back end of the pack, and some ECOM’ers very rich!

4:41pm – At this point, the mantra is very much “go big, or don’t bet”. MDs Tim and Vincent ramp up the betting along with the few people actually up money for the day. The 5pm Queen’s Vase is shaping up to be massive with the charity prize still very much up for grabs.

5:12pm – Favourite Namibian brings it home, and Tim takes home £135 surely for the charity prize?

5:23pm – With the last race around the corner, and the massive 25 horse field in the Buckingham Stakes, the day is coming to a close with a scintillating end. A lot of the lads put big money on the last race in hope of a big return...and the non bettors take advantage of the last half hour of the bar!

5:53pm – Manassas (12/1) comes in to make Vincent very happy as he pips Tim to the post (excuse the pun) for the charity prize. He would later go on to donate to the WWF Save The Tiger with a massive £153. Congrats!

5:59pm – The bar closes as an end to a great day comes. Those who live locally get cabs or trains, the majority jump back on to the coach for the drive home, and the bookies smile as they see us leaving...All in all a really great day! The food, the fun, the company, and of course, the drink! Everyone had a great time and just to say a massive thanks to our MDs Tim and Vincent for making all of this possible!

ECOM Netball - Season 2!

So another season of netball has begun for the ECOM ladies. Well it had already started and we're lucky enough to take the place of another team who failed to make a team each week... The only downside is, we're bottom of the league. This will not dampen our spirits though! After a great end to last season and bringing home silverware for the cup game, I'm almost certain we will be climbing back up the table soon!

 This week in particular was our best game yet and all our players were on top form. Honestly, I've never seen a team give 100% effort each quarter. Emma Coker is one to mention after making team of the week consecutively with her excellent GA skills - won't be able to make it three though due to Glasto (actually we'll be losing three other players - fingers crossed for us to win please)! Lisa is a newcomer to the netball team and has made her mark in defence, again another one to mention for team of the week! Charlene is back at her best in attack whizzing around everywhere (and beautifully modelling our trophy below) and Kate has been scoring goals left, right and centre. Vicky is also another one to mention, great hybrid player... Great in defence, attacking and shooting! What a multi-tasker!

We're playing the same team next week who we lost by two points to (TWO POINTS!!!) So keep an eye out to see how we get on next week...

 

ECOM picnic and fun in the sun

On Friday afternoon, as the sun baked the skin of Londoners everywhere, and ice cream slowly melted down the hands of children everywhere, sometimes painfully onto the pavement, London’s top digital recruitment agency sat down for a picnic in Ravenscourt Park.

In light of our best month ever, our MDs felt it necessary to reward the hard work that everyone across the company had put in to contribute to our success.

Cocktails sausages, sandwiches, champagne, beer, wine and a variety of other nibbles were put on to ensure ECOM could really kick back and soak up both success and sun.

We were also divided into teams for the inaugural ECOM Rounders mini tournament. Divided into the red, green and blue teams (perhaps similar to the colours comprising digital displays?), we fought out a (not so) tightly contested match.

Conspiracy was in the air as it was apparent the Reds had most of the athletic talent, although organisers dispelled any hint of bias. Suffice to say the Reds ran away with it (literally), romping over opposition for a convincing victory.

 
Above: The Reds discussing tactics

The Blues came second with an impressive batting display against the Reds, and fielded effectively and efficiently against the Greens, who couldn’t contain the firepower that existed top-to-bottom in the Red line-up. The Greens seemed happy to be there as some key players sat idly by and watched their team struggle.

Hiren (Blue) proved the day’s big hitter, almost smashing the ball out of the park on two occasions. Vincent (Green) also had a strategic slog to left field which escaped the fielders, and Steve provided some back up for his fellow team mate Hiren. The whole of the Red team performed well and hardly anyone missed a beat en route to victory.

 

Vam (Green) may have had a nice bruise the next day as she stopped a speeding ball with her body to prevent a rounder!

Perhaps a pivotal point of the day’s event was a drop by Freddie (Green) which could have cooled the Reds hot streak. He recovered well with some other well taken catches to eventually quell the Reds rampage and made up for it with a few whacks of his own.

It wasn’t all sweat and tears however, there was reason for celebration. Three promotions (congratulations to Kat, Charlene and Liz) and our best ever month saw everyone raise their glasses to the future.

The walk back to the office seemed long and arduous given the weather and afternoon ahead, as everyone wanted to continue to the festivities and finish the food and drink!

We also welcomed some new faces to the company who I’m sure you will be hearing from going forward!

Stay tuned to hear more about what is happening with London’s top digital recruitment agency!