If you are giving a talk at a conference and are in any way worried about how you'll go down with your audience, Pannone & Partners' head of human resources Rachel Dobson provided a foolproof method of ingratiating yourself - bribe them with chocolates. Ms Dobson, who is also a partner at the Manchester firm, was explaining how cream buns, chocolates and even better extra holidays are her 'secret weapons' in managing and rewarding staff and gave a practical demonstration by handing round a huge box of luxury chocolates, presumably as a reward to delegates for making it to the lunchtime session. It could be a useful tip for the likes of Baroness Scotland the next time she addresses a group of angry legal aid lawyers. Ms Dobson also provided a couple of other valuable lessons. First of all, don't necessarily listen to marketing professionals. Pannones' head of marketing had reservations about the firm entering The Sunday Times best places to work competition - it did anyway and finished sixth, the highest ever for a law firm. 'She's not being allowed to forget it,' Ms Dobson said. And second, do not underestimate the importance of Christmas parties. When she joined in 1992, the firm 'was going through a bit of a crisis, to the extent that we cancelled the Christmas party'. With bitter experience in her voice, Ms Dobson said: 'Can I tell you one thing? Never cancel the Christmas party.' She went on to talk about a new recruit, for whom the breaking point that led her to leave her previous firm was not the low pay, long hours or lack of recognition, but the fact that the managing partner would put all the staff's names in a hat and pick out the 20 who would get a Christmas party.