Category: News

Hiring new members of staff can be an expensive task. Not only is it time consuming to undergo the recruitment process, but when you bring a new colleague into your business, they need extensive training to make sure they can be the biggest asset possible. However, a lot of companies completely overlook up to 95% of the overall cost of hiring.

In the UK, the average recruitment process costs £3,000. This takes into consideration the need to advertise, interviewing time, hiring fees and any possible agency fees you may incur. On top of that, to provide the correct training can cost over £1,000 before you add on any in-house or external training. Therefore, reducing staff turnover can be crucial. Here, with change management specialists, Impact International, we look at how to make sure you have as little staff turnover as possible.   

Hire the right people
We all know that the hiring process is crucial, but how many companies push through the wrong candidates simply because they need the manpower as soon as possible? Start by making sure your job specification is as clear and precise as possible. Doing so will ensure that you should only receive applications from those who are sufficiently qualified to carry out the role.

However, it’s not just about having the right skillset. While this may be very important, you must also be sure that candidates are a good fit for your company’s culture.

Company culture
Company culture is the personality of your business. It’s crucial that you incorporate your beliefs and goals into an environment that is fun to be a part of. Workers who buy into your company’s culture are more likely to enjoy their time at work and therefore be more content in their role.

For some candidates, company culture is a huge part in whether they’d take a role or not. By having a fun company culture for your colleagues to be a part of, your staff are likely to be more productive and work together towards targets.

Recognise achievements
We are a nation who like to be patted on the back from time to time, and rightly so! If a colleague has enhanced your business or made an important contribution, make sure you show your gratitude. If you fail to do this, they are likely to become disillusioned with the company. Reward them and you’ll have a greater chance of them rewarding you with their loyalty.

Of course, this recognition doesn’t have to occur for every little thing they do. Doing this will dilute your appreciation. The goal for this is to make your teams feel appreciated and let them know they bring a sense of worth to the business.

Offer flexibility
According to research, flexible work is one of the most important benefits a company can offer. Research revealed that 59% of UK respondents believed it was the most important aspect when looking for a new role. Remote working was also high on the desired checklist, with more people looking for a better work/life balance. If you can offer this, your staff are less likely to look for a new role. The data found that 28% of respondents would also look to change jobs if this wasn’t available in their current workplace.

Offer a competitive pay and benefits
Your profit levels are obviously the most important aspect of your company, but sometimes paying above the average amount for a specific role can help you attract and maintain the top candidates. One of the main head-turning issues businesses come across is another company offering more for the same role.

As well as this, the company benefits should also be appealing. Work out what it is that your employees crave. If it’s regular nights out as a team, plan them in. Elsewhere, if it’s the opportunity to learn on the job, be sure to make sure your team know you will support them with their studies.

Show progression potential
It’s important that staff don’t stagnate. If there isn’t a clear career path visible, then you may find that some of your best workers get itchy feet and will jump ship. Most employees are looking for a job in which they can learn new skills and progress, giving their career a sense of purpose. Help your staff visualise their future at your company and show that progression is a real possibility. 

By incorporating the above into your recruitment process and everyday work life, you’ll be more likely to have a happy workforce. After all, a happy workforce is more likely to lead to a profitable business.

Sources
http://www.access-to-employment.co.uk/news/information/much-actually-cost-hire-new-employee/

https://resources.globoforce.com/globoforce-blog/12-surefire-tips-to-reduce-employee-turnover

https://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/issues/may-2018/59-flexible-working-job-hunting/

The media is rightfully putting a huge focus on our mental health in the UK. According to charity Mind, approximately one in four adults will experience a mental health issue each year. Staggeringly, one in six of us report experiencing a common mental health problem each week. With anxiety and depression the biggest issues, this can have a huge effect on our working life. In total, approximately 70 million work days — 12.7% of all sick days – are lost on a yearly basis because of mental health problems. This equates to a cost in the region of £2.4 billion for companies.

However, there are many ways we can improve our mental health in the workplace, both as an employee and as an employer. Here, with Mental Health Awareness Week coming up on 14th-20th May, we look at some of the best methods available:

Flexible working
Studies have found that a flexible working pattern can benefit our mental health. Traditionally, employees would crave the stereotypical nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday working week. However, with a great emphasis on finding the perfect work/life balance, this is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Mind states that giving employees greater control over the precise hours they work can be important to help those who are coping with mental illness. This is because it gives them the chance to avoid stressful situations, such as the busy commute, while also allowing them to easily attend medical appointments.

Remote working
Similarly to flexible working, the concept of remote working can help remove stress that workers face. Since 2007, the average time for the daily commute in the UK has increased by 10 times. The average commute in Britain stands at 58.4 minutes, with London perhaps unsurprisingly taking the longest time.

This length of added time onto your working week can cause unnecessary stress, especially in a world where so many roles can be completed remotely. In fact, research has found that 33% of people whose commute takes longer than an hour each way had a higher chance of suffering from depression. Therefore, companies should look to incorporate remote working wherever possible.

Office pets
Office pets can boost morale. It’s known that dogs in particular are a powerful source of social support for humans. Petting a dog has been proven to lower your stress levels, whether it’s your dog or not. This is due to it lowering your blood pressure and changing your psychological state into a more chilled and relaxed mode, which helps enhance your mood. Therefore, having a dog in your office can work towards reducing stress levels, thus boosting your mental health.

Dogs also work as a conversation starter, which also helps you build social connections in your workplace. A UK survey found that 43% of workers would appreciate an office pet, with over a third claiming it would make them more productive.  

However, if you rent your office space, make sure that you are allowed pets in the building. It may be a case that you have to look into getting additional insurance if you expect to have an office pet. This could also be the case if you need to hire a dog walker for any walks during office hours, meaning the person you hire will have to have the correct Insurance for Dog Walkers!

Office decoration
While office decoration has often been linked to how productive your workforce is, have you ever thought about how it can benefit, or indeed hinder, our mental well-being? By being too close to other workers and being in a crowded office, an employee may find themselves becoming agitated and stressed. 

Lighting is also important. Season affective disorder (SAD) can cause depression due to seasonal changes. It’s mainly an issue in the winter when there are less daylight hours, meaning that you should ensure your space offers plenty of natural light.

Elsewhere, there have been several studies that have noted the importance of having plants in your office. Adding greenery to your workplace has been found to reduce stress, while also increasing productivity by 15%. They also help to purify the air and make a workspace more attractive to job applicants.

Culture
A work place’s culture can have a huge impact on our mental health. No one wants to be in a strict regimental office where you’re afraid to speak up. Having a good culture in your work environment relies on trust, honesty and fairness from both employees and employers. After all, a happy and healthy workforce is a productive workforce.

It’s also important to give staff recognition when it’s deserved. This will help to boost the morale, leading to a better mental frame of mind.

Support system
This is another factor which requires both employees and employers to respond. If an employee has a mental health issue, they must know who they can approach regarding the matter if they want to. Putting the shoe on the other foot, employers must keep an eye out for any noticeable changes in a person. While you should never make assumptions about someone’s mental health, some key signs could include how they interact with colleagues, if they’re appearing withdrawn from tasks they’ve previously enjoyed and if there are any changes in their eating habits. It’s important that you realise, however, that you don’t need to spotlight or assume anything – simply asking them how their day is going and offering to listen shows you are there.

A company should make sure that they encourage people to talk as it is often a difficult matter to discuss. They should also develop an individual action plan to help the person. Of course, most companies won’t have qualified members of staff to give in-depth advice in the way a GP could, but it is possible to reassure people and point them in the right direction too.

Previously, businesses haven’t done enough to combat these issues. That’s where campaigns such as ‘It’s OK Not to Be OK’ have helped to get people to open up.

While mental health can still come with a stigma, it’s clear that we must be doing all that we can in the workplace to combat these illnesses. By following the above points, your workplace can feel confident that they are doing their bit to help lower the number of people suffering from the illness. Remember, don’t suffer in silence. If you have a mental health issue, reach out for support. There are many avenues you can go through, including contacting the Samaritans and Mind.

Lack of guidance and support hindering women embarking on careers in cyber and information security

Richmond, Surrey, UK, 0900 hours, 8 March 2019 – today announced results from a recent poll revealing that men have more opportunity than women to reach senior roles in the cyber and information security industry. The news comes at a time when technology companies are touting initiatives, promoting and supporting women in the tech industry, and of course, on International Women’s Day which provides an opportunity to celebrate women around the world.

The social media poll, which received 14,706 responses, was conducted by Infosecurity Europe – Europe’s number one information security event – and was the latest in a series of polls ahead of the conference. Sixty one per cent of respondents acknowledged that women have less opportunity than men when vying for senior roles in cyber and information security, which is disappointing, and shows the clear lack of diversity that still exists in the industry.

Europe is one of the worst offending regions in the world when it comes to women in cyber security, with them making up just seven per cent of the industry workforce, and one of the biggest gender pay gaps in the world according to the Global Information Security Workforce Study. During a period where cybercrime poses one of our biggest threats, it’s difficult to fathom why the industry continues to sell itself short by missing out on a huge proportion of prospective female talent.

Worse still, sixty three per cent of those polled by Infosecurity Europe think there’s not enough guidance and support available for women wanting a career in cyber and information security. The future for women in security depends on the IT industry’s ability to inspire women and encourage careers in cyber security. The issue is further exasperated, with over half (56 per cent) of those surveyed noting that there is a lack of female role models in the cyber and information security industry.

Infosecurity Europe 2019 seeks to address these issues and will be hosting the third annual Women in Cybersecurity networking event on Wednesday 5th June. The industry will meet to celebrate the achievements of females in cybersecurity, debate the challenges around diversity and discuss career opportunities for women in the industry. The event includes an inspirational keynote presentation by Dr Sue Black entitled ‘If I can do it, so can you’, a panel discussion, Q&A and networking.

Dr Sue Black, commented on the poll saying: “I’m not surprised by the results of this survey, the majority believe the same as me: that we really need to do something about the lack of guidance and support for women wanting a career in cyber and information security. There are many awesome women working in these areas, but we haven’t heard about them enough. Stories about the trailblazing women that have done incredible things in technology like Dame Stephanie Shirley, UK technology pioneer, and the women recently portrayed in the film Hidden Figures Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, have not been heard until now. Yet the history of computing is built on the work of women like them.

I have long championed women in tech since setting up the UK’s first online network for women in tech BCSWomen back in 1998 and now as Professor of Computer Science and Technology Evangelist at Durham University I’m working hard to get more women into technology, to inspire and encourage millions of women to work in tech. Technology is the future.”

Victoria Windsor, Group Content Manager at Infosecurity Group, says: “We are thrilled to have such an inspirational female speaker at the upcoming event. The cyber and information security sector must continue to encourage women to study and consider careers in the industry and, furthermore, it should be focused on retaining the female demographic and inspiring female influencers, motivating women to drive for senior roles in their field.”

Infosecurity Europe, now in its 24th year, takes place at Olympia, Hammersmith, London, from 4-6th June 2019. It attracts over 19,500 unique information security professionals attending from every segment of the industry, including more than 400 exhibitors showcasing their products and services, industry analysts, worldwide press and policy experts, and over 200 industry speakers are lined up to take part in the free-to-attend conference, seminar and workshop programme. More information and registration at https://www.infosecurityeurope.com

Demand for professionals increased by 24% between 2017 and 2018 according to new research undertaken by data publisher Vacancysoft on behalf of the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). This is in keeping with the predictions made in PwC’s CEO Report where two thirds of UK business leaders expected their headcount to grow significantly throughout 2018.

Beneath this headline figure, APSCo’s research reveals that quarter one and two 2018 saw the strongest growth with vacancies rising by 35% and 41% respectively. In contrast, demand for talent grew by just 6% in quarter four which is perhaps unsurprising given the increasing political turmoil and uncertainty surrounding Brexit which resulted in many employers taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to hiring in the latter months of the year.

Growth across the board but TMT leads the way

The data also shows the top growth industries throughout 2018. Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) led the way with advertised roles rising by 24%, followed by Financial Services. The impressive growth within the TMT sector is in keeping with the 2018 Tech Nation Report which revealed that the tech arena is expanding 2.6 times faster than the rest of the UK economy, worth almost £184 billion, up from £170 billion in 2016.

The figures also reveal the companies that advertised the most vacancies throughout 2018. Barclays Bank topped the list with 3902 roles, representing an increase of 16% year-on-year, followed closely by HSBC which advertised 3497 positions, up 11% from 2017. When analysing the data more closely, both banks posted substantial numbers of technology roles throughout the year, demonstrating their commitment to digitalising the sector. In fact, Barclays CEO, Tim Throsby said in early of 2018 that ‘the digitalisation of the markets is a key priority for us in order to provide the best service for our clients and shareholders’, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that demand for tech talent intensified throughout the year.

IT professionals most in demand

In keeping with the significant growth in the tech arena, APSCo’s data reveals that the top profession by vacancy numbers in 2018 was IT with demand up 28% year-on-year. This is somewhat to be expected given the huge emphasis employers across all sectors have placed not only digitalisation, but also defending their organisation. This is a sentiment echoed by Gartner research which reveals that spending on cybersecurity in 2018 was $114 billion, and is predicted to reach $124 billion in 2019.

Northshoring takes hold with vacancies rising 25% in the North West

APSCo’s data also looks at professional vacancies by region across England and Wales. While it is unsurprising that vacancy numbers in London were highest of all regions, other areas outperformed the Capital in terms of year-on-year growth. The North West and the East Midlands both performed well with advertised positions rising by 25% and 18% respectively. The impressive growth in the North West can, in part, be attributed to the increased ‘Northshoring’, a trend which has gained pace in recent years and is set to continue in 2019 with Channel 4 and HMRC already announcing moves.

Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo comments:

“It is clear that the upsurge in vacancies recorded throughout the past twelve months is a real indicator of the robust nature of the professional staffing sector. The latter months of 2018 saw many companies put the brakes on hiring due to Brexit uncertainty, however our conversations with members reveal that while caution is the order of the day, most are optimistic that the professional recruitment market will remain as resilient as ever throughout 2019.”

James Chaplin, CEO of Vacancysoft, which compiles the report for APSCo, comments:

“Our data certainly paints an optimistic picture of the professional jobs market with impressive growth across not only several sectors, but also regions outside of the Capital. And while it would be remiss to suggest that Brexit won’t impact vacancy levels in some areas over the next few months, I have no doubt that several sectors will continue to perform exceptionally well. The increased use of technology to combat cybercrime will no doubt mean that professionals with niche skills sets in this area will be in acute demand, for example.”

According to Deepak Poria, General Manager APAC at Dynama, winning companies are those that look inside their organisation to attract, recruit and retain the best talent regardless of gender. Deepak explains how to gain competitive advantage using the latest Workforce Management solutions.

Like the rest of the world, organisations in Australia are struggling to fill critical roles, with personnel who have the right talent, skills or experience. However, if the latest findings from management consulting firm McKinsey are anything to go by, they are probably looking in the wrong direction. While women constitute 42% of employees, they make up just a quarter of executives and only 10% of CEOs for large, commercial companies.(i) In certain industries, female participation is exceptionally low, for example in cyber-security where only 10% of information security professionals worldwide are women!(ii) What is more, many companies don’t make it easy for women in the first place, with recent government statistics revealing that only 25% of women work full-time, therefore making it difficult for them to progress and flourish in their careers (iii).

Of course, there are real-life success stories such as Julie Bishop (Australia’s first female foreign minister), Maile Carnegie (former Australian Google chief), Catherine Livingstone (chair of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia) and of course, the formidable Gina Rinehart who famously turned around the mining company she inherited from her father. Sadly, for the majority of women, it appears that many organisations, both in the private and public sector, are good at talking about gender equality but poor at putting it into practice by overlooking 50% of their workforce for senior roles.

Changing the mindset along with the job spec
The world might have moved on with digital transformation and smarter working but the general mindset towards women appears fixed in a time-warp. The problem is, if you ignore 50% of your total workforce, how can you expect to compete against more enlightened organisations at home and abroad? The questions should be how do you attract and find more women? How to empower and then keep them? These are questions that can apply to all employees, regardless of gender.
Here are a few tips to get started on reassessing the corporate mindset:

• Make a conscious decision to change – by introducing an organisational model that is committed to diversity and actively sponsors rising women

• Start from within – the chances are the employees you already have know your culture, understand how your company works and are loyal. Why waste time and money on outside recruiters when you might already have the best candidates within your existing talent pool?

• Get the job spec right – the mining industry is a classic example of a sector that faces skills shortages but dig a little deeper and you’ll find they sell their jobs to men rather than make them attractive career opportunities for both sexes. Pitch the job correctly and you’ll find the right people. In particular focus on areas that appeal to women for example, flexible working practices, transparent pay structures and maternity leave
•Introduce new workplace planning practices – such as ‘redesigning roles to enable flexible work’ and ‘supporting talent through life transitions’ to create a more inclusive work environment, practices that McKinsey believes are proven to achieve greater gender equality (iv). In uncomfortable or hazardous industries such as marine engineering or defence, simple measures like improving the working environment are good ways of addressing skills shortages. Most recently, the Australian Defence Force revealed that its new fleet of submarines are to “have better living conditions as well as be more female friendly“, a definite move in the right direction.(v)

Using Workforce Management to close the gender gap
Another tip is to review the technology that manages your people and other resources. Today’s Workforce Management (WFM) technology offers a practical and secure all-in-one solution for recruitment, onboarding and asset management while keeping personal details safe – at anytime, anywhere, using a variety of mobile devices. Automation simplifies and accelerates the recruitment process to eliminate the common feeling of disenchantment that can follow a long and lengthy interview procedure. Tap into existing talent and maximise their potential using key WFM capabilities:

• One solution, single view of all candidates – the beauty of modern integrated WFM technology is it links seamlessly with critical HR databases and ERP systems to provide a complete view of all employees. Details such as gender, age, career and pay history, past roles and future aspirations are presented in real-time making it easy to source and match candidates against current vacancies

• Make the most of self-service apps – enhance employee engagement by allowing access to WFM systems via mobile applications on people’s mobile devices. Knowing in advance about shifts, travel and career options both at work or at home via a mobile device provides more control over work-life balance which is important to everyone whatever their gender

• Turn information into insight – use WFM as a powerful workforce planning tool to conduct ‘what if’ scenarios such as time for maternity and paternity leave and the flexibility to accommodate career breaks or role changes for working parents

• Don’t just attract them, keep them – make the most of WFM data to focus on relevant and tailored e-training programmes that empower people and allow them to learn at a time and place to suit them. They’ll be happier and more likely to stay put!

Get out of that time-warp and don’t ignore the hidden workforce. The rewards will be lower staff attrition and recruitment costs and higher levels of productivity and operational efficiency.

Deepak Poria, General Manager APAC at Dynama