Our approach to professional development

We know the value our clients place on expertise.  And that’s why we invest so heavily in our team’s professional development.  In fact, each year Circle invests almost seven times the UK average in the professional development of each employee. Money well spent we say.

 

Most agencies aim to create research experts and so do we.  But we go further.  We believe that research not only needs to be well designed and executed.  It needs to be relevant, insightful and action focussed.  Ultimately, it should deliver competitive edge.  And to do this, research expertise needs to be coupled with business savvy, a deep understanding of the specific industry environment and strong communication skills.  In light of this, our professional and personal development programme takes a rounded approach to enhancing expertise in these areas.

 

                        

 

 

We also think that learning takes place in many different ways.  Traditional classroom based training is an important element of any development programme.  But we feel this needs to be paired with a healthy dose of reality.  So, whilst each programme has various training courses at its core, a balanced perspective is provided through two further elements:

 

• A regular session with a mentor provides the opportunity to discuss learnings, pick brains and gain the benefit of another’s experience
• Attendance at industry events, membership of professional interest groups and subscriptions to relevant publications provide the exposure needed to keep knowledge fresh

 

The world is a diverse place.  So, we recognise the need to tailor each programme to the specific needs of an individual.  This means that the balance between the different components described above will differ as appropriate.  We also think ownership is important so each plan is designed by the individual (with the support of their manager of course).

 

And finally, we don’t think that training is an extra-curricular activity.  That’s why each employee is allocated a minimum of five professional development days per year.