Strewth! The London Borough of Croydon is so desperate to hire the right staff that two officials flew to Australia to interview candidates for 4 planning officers. They found the right recruits who fly over later this summer for a two-year contract. Planning staff are the second hardest posts to fill by councils after social workers, and Croydon has been struggling for years to maintain a full team. The cost of finding and engaging temporary staff is simple not cost-effective and apparently pales next to the expenses of two officials packing their shorts and getting pissed in Melbourne and Sydney on the job hunt – the cost for the process will be fully recovered in the first year. Croydon is birthplace to Kate Moss. I’ve got a photo of her going down under if anyone wants to see it.

Tags: Architects, Australia, Civil Servants, Local Government, Planning, Seeing the World, vacancies

Decent business news is thin on the ground over the summer holidays. Hurrah then for gasper peddler, Japan Tobacco who have found a novel way to get some column inches: to coincide with the start of the Japanese eel-eating season they have launched a canned yellow fizzy drink made with eel extract. Many believe the fish can boost energy during the muggy summer months and spokesmen for the drink say it is aimed “mainly for men who are exhausted by the summer’s heat.” Given that the tipple is called “Surging Eel” there may be another reason that it is aimed at limp men. Fortunately the drink has a similar taste to broiled eels. Last year Japan was the sole home to Pepsi Ice Cucumber (that did exactly what it said on the tin) – Coca-Cola responded with slightly less appetising “Water Salad.” 

Tags: Food and Drink, industry, Japan, Retail, Seeing the World, Talking point, Tobacco

Holiday Inn surveyed 1,000 businesses and found 80% believe the type of biscuit they serve to potential clients are a key factor in clinching a deal. The chocolate digestive was deemed to make the best impression followed by shortbread and Hob Nobs. Jammie Dodgers and Bourbons made bosses smile and lawyers were the most easily won over by good boardroom biccies. 30% frowned on the employment of the regular, naked digestive in the work place, as it led to “crumb-age” (my word) and dunking biscuits was also looked down on. The big news to remember is that two is the acceptable number of biscuits to help yourself to in a meeting….which makes me unacceptable in a whole new area!

Tags: biscuits, Business Practice, career help, Interviews, tourism

The boss of betting business Ladbrokes, Chris Bell, was flying from Barbados to Gatwick with his daughter and her friend, both 14, when BA told him there was no room for the girls – offering them £250 each to take a later flight. (Result!) Bell stood his ground and magic seats for the princesses materialised. But Bell has a good sense of perspective so has ordered his 14,000 workforce not to use British Airways for corporate travel. Steady the buffs Chris – BA operate something like a quarter of all international flights to Barbados. D’Oh! Yorkshireman Bell read business studies at Wolverhampton Polytechnic then he spent 12 years at Allied Breweries. The Ladbrokes boss removed the threat of a ban on his staff using BA only after receiving an apology from BA’s chief executive, Willie Walsh, himself.

Tags: Airlines, Aviation, BA, Customer Service, Ladbrokes, leisure

Mishcon de Reya, the law firm who initally advised Heater Mills on her divorce from M.C.Cartney, have said that City spouses are rushing to the divorce courts to get their share of their partner’s fortune before it all turns to dust in the recession. Economic downturn helps the bread winners negotiate lower settlements with their spouses. “Trophy wives who married for money are starting to cash in their chips” was the delicate way Sandra Daivs from Mishcon referred to her, presumed, clients. In America, one wife posted a YouTube rant in an attempt to persuade him to leave her their Manhattan Apartment.

Tags: City, law, Legal, Recession