How can employers support employees through the cost-of-living crisis?

How can employers support employees through the cost-of-living crisis? 

Advice on meaningful ways to support employees through Britain’s cost of living crisis.

Never have our purse strings been under more strain. The ‘cost of living crisis’ is here and is beginning to not only squeeze household budgets but also strangle them. The term refers to the fall in real incomes (adjusted for inflation and tax) that the UK has experienced since late 2021. 

The triggers post-pandemic include, but are not limited to, high inflation outstripping wage increases and predicted tax increases. This together with a spike in fuel, energy and food costs has meant that the pound does not stretch as far as it did and, for employers this means that their workforce is feeling the pinch and some, particularly those worst-affected such as lower income households, who also spend more on energy costs, need more support than ever before. 

Here is guidance on how to provide tangible help for those in or nearing financial crisis.

Provide safe counsel: Discussing financial concerns doesn’t come easily for all but it’s an important rung on American psychologist, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs that we feel secure in order to perform. Not everyone is happy to speak out loud and proud, however. This is where a robust Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) can provide a confidential and important source for employees to air their concerns and get advice on how to manage their finances. Advertising these services internally plays an important part in boosting take-up. SMEs can also provide support, even where an EAP due to size does not exist. Having someone to turn to whether that is the managing director, an HR officer, a colleague or mentor is really important for employees that want to share their concerns. Making it known that it is good to share is a key message.

Make money work: Dentsu, a media and digital marketing communications company forecast that a massive 41% of UK adults will be at best ‘Budgeting to Survive’ over the coming year. This translates to 19 million people who will be facing real struggles making ends meet and feed their families. Employers can run webinars, talks, share vlogs, podcasts and general advice on how to make money work harder, from amalgamating debt to reducing energy costs and cooking on a budget. Employers can also consider hybrid working models to allow employees to reduce unnecessary commuting costs as well as introducing salary sacrifice loans as part of benefits packages, allowing employees to make payments direct from their wages in return for better rates. 

Encouraging longer-term financial planning is also key. It’s easy to forfeit contributions to pensions when money is tight but offering some alternatives including reducing the amount temporarily might be a better option. Savings schemes for big item events including Christmas or summer holidays can also help employees plan ahead for expensive times of the year.

Offer development opportunities: Up-skilled workers means boosted profits for the organisation and in turn can help employees raise their earnings. Boosted salaries can also be offered via performance related bonus schemes as well as being linked to company profit lines. Providing clear career progression routes can also establish a path ahead for not only more responsibility and a recognition of talent but also for higher earnings. Offering a brighter financial future is a key retention tool. It’s important that employees know there are days ahead when making ends meet may not be as challenging.

Read more about how to rethink your employer brand in this free downloadable ebook: Employer Branding Reboot: A guide for employers throughout the pandemic and beyond Need advice or help building your employer brand? Get in touch with Wonderful Workplaces on [email protected] 

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Annie Hayes is a specialist HR, skills, careers and L&D writer with over 19 years’ experience in the sector. 

Women Working

Championing gender equality in the workplace

Championing gender equality in the workplace 

Advice on meaningful ways to implement gender parity in the workplace as we approach 8 March, 2022, International Women’s Day (IWD). 

Celebrating women’s achievements, raising awareness against bias, and taking action for equality. These are all key themes for this year’s International Women’s Day (8th March) and the workplace has an important role to play in helping to create a world that is diverse, equitable and inclusive. 

Here are some useful tips to help you implement robust gender equality strategies in your company.

#BreakTheBias. IWD’s hashtag for this year’s event marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. It’s 47 years since the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 came into law, protecting men and women from discrimination on the grounds of sex or marital status, yet many women in the workplace continue to report experiencing less pay for equal work. Almost 60% of women regularly experience microaggressions at work too. Breaking the bias aims to address the sometimes chasmic differences in attitudes towards the sexes at work. 

Equal pay: Pay parity has for many decades been debated between the genders. It’s no secret that the pandemic has stalled advances. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021, the impact of COVID19 has increased the time it takes to close the global gender gap by a generation from 99.5 years to 135.6 years. Businesses that strive for gender equality in the workplace can begin with addressing fairness of salary. Transparency is key. Improvements can begin by reviewing employee compensation regularly, disclosing salary levels, checking starting salaries are equal between men and women and removing any bias from performance related pay, bonuses or overtime. 

Eliminate recruitment biases: Anonymising applications is a clear starting point. Evaluate whether it is necessary to detail name and sex from initial assessment criteria. A candidate number can be an appropriate way to ensure that the best person for the job is chosen regardless of gender. Assessing recruitment channels is also crucial. Ask whether the job boards you place your adverts with are gender balanced and what the demographics of users are. Reach out to both sexes by employing a variety of recruitment channels. It’s important that adverts are gender neutral and refer only to the skills that are essential for the position. Having a diverse recruitment team will ensure that evaluation is fair. Getting feedback from applicants can also help with ongoing reviews.

Celebrate women’s achievements in the workplace: The Women in the Workplace 2021 report found that 90% of companies track women’s overall representation in the workplace but only 65% track gender differences in promotion rates. Data is a key starting point for understanding where disparities may lie and where opportunities are being missed. It is therefore even more important to celebrate women’s successes at work when they arise, be that promotion, overcoming barriers, improving skills or winning clients. Female role models and mentors are a great way of building robust female development pipelines.

Remove barriers: Pandemic lockdown orders disproportionately affected women, particularly single mothers and monitories. The tendency for mothers to have primary childcare responsibilities continues but should not prevent them from moving forward with their careers, yet too often it still does. Employers that wish to remove these obstacles must assess flexible working policies are equitable for caregivers and ensure that parental and caring packages are workable and generous. Term-time only working, hybrid working models, flexible start times and allowances to take care of unwell children and/or attend important school occasions will help to promote more candidates with caring responsibilities coming forward for senior roles while also retaining working parents.

Address differences: Education in the workplace is key. Establishing a culture which is accepting of differences and inclusive is a way to ensure that toxic attitudes disappear. Recently the challenges that menopausal and non-binary women go through in their late 40s and 50s has been highlighted by high-profile career women. Workplaces that accept the challenges faced either when starting a family or coming to the end of childbearing years will reap the benefits of a more loyal and motivated workforce. Some 80% of menopausal people will experience symptoms during their later career. It’s an important point which illustrates the importance of caring for women during the start, middle and end of their careers and accepting the challenges that they and their male colleagues may be going through. 

Read about how to rethink your employer brand in this free downloadable ebook: Employer Branding Reboot: A guide for employers throughout the pandemic and beyond Need advice or help building your employer brand? Get in touch with Wonderful Workplaces on [email protected] 

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Annie Hayes is a specialist HR, skills, careers and L&D writer with 19 years experience in the sector. 

New year, new job: recruitment trends to be aware of in 2022

New year, new job: recruitment trends to be aware of in 2022

Advice on which recruitment trends employers should be aware of this year, as organisations seek to compete for talent in a jobs market in which candidates call the shots.

Soaring demand for talent: This isn’t necessarily felt across the generations and, the Office of National Statistics reports that young people (those aged 16-24) have been particularly affected by the pandemic, with the employment rate decreasing and the unemployment and economic inactivity rates increasing by more than for those aged 25 years and over. Bloomberg (December, 2021) reports that unemployment has fallen and the number of advertised jobs has surged. The UK alone had a record 1.22 million job vacancies through November, 2021. This means that employers are no longer in the driving seat and, candidates, particularly those with key talents, are in high demand. 

Recruitment transparency: Employers need to ensure their hiring processes are robust and fit for purpose. Is the process free of bias? Is it transparent and clear? Can all candidates access the processes? Does it unfairly favour any gender, race or background? Is required experience truly necessary? Never has it been more important to ensure that hiring is fair and equitable. The bottom line being that those businesses that are truly diverse deliver better profits for their organisations.

Hybrid working: The pandemic has reset the need to be physically present in the office 24/7 and as the vaccination programme is rolled out, many employers have reverted to a hybrid working model with employees fulfilling their roles in a split remote/office pattern. Businesses that wish to compete for talent must be aware that many candidates seek to continue with this new way of working, which offers more flexibility and empowerment for them to do their jobs when and where they wish. In turn this opens up a bigger talent pool for businesses that may want to tap into a previously untapped candidate market in which physical location is no longer a barrier to entry.

Harnessing the power of social media: There’s no ignoring the fact that recruiters need to go where candidates are and, for many, that means on social media. Platforms including Facebook now have options to search for ‘jobs near me’. Employer branding and storytelling can also be delivered with videos, podcasts and social media messaging. Recruiting hashtags is another important part of recruitment marketing in today’s world. 

Employing artificial intelligence: AI is readily becoming a tool for savvy recruiters to eliminate bias during the hiring process. Applicants can also interact with the employer with chatbots and create a two-way dialogue that is open and transparent. It’s a tool that most recruiters will agree needs to be used hand-in-hand with human application and interaction but used appropriately it can cut down on manual processing and ensure that discrimination is eliminated.

Championing soft skills: Candidates must be recruited for purpose, yet soft skills remain a desired commodity. Collaboration, ability to form relations, creativity, flexibility, negotiation skills, empathy, teamwork and adaptability can be as important as the technical expertise required to do the role. Recruiters that ensure these skills are readily assessed will capture the right person. 

Meaningful benefits: According to Bloomberg, overall pay growth slowed in the three months through October to 4.9% from 5.9% in the quarter through September. That’s above the 3% prevailing before the pandemic. While pay is a crucial part of the employment contract for many, other benefits are the winner that keeps them on board. What we may see in this new year is that opportunities for continued remote working, relaxed holiday allowances, compressed hours or flexible working prevail to be as or more important that increased salary allowances. Recruiters that tap into what candidates truly want will win in the war for talent. 

Read more about how to rethink your employer brand in this free downloadable ebook: Employer Branding Reboot: A guide for employers throughout the pandemic and beyondNeed advice or help building your employer brand? Get in touch with Wonderful Workplaces on [email protected] 

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Annie Hayes is a specialist HR, skills, careers and L&D writer with 19 years experience in the sector. 

How to retain talent through uncertain times

How to retain talent through uncertain times

Never has there been more of a need to refine retention strategies to ensure that an increasingly remote workforce continues to feel valued and appreciated whilst the external environment is uncertain.

Here are some top tips to help you retain top talent during uncertain times.

Communicate: It’s good to talk! This adage applies particularly when employees feel concerned or the world around them is not as it should be. It is even more pressing when professionals are remotely dispersed. Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Google Hangouts or good old fashioned phone calls are ways to encourage dialogue when face to face contact is not possible. Frequency plays a part in creating regular touch points as well as encouraging a culture where it is ok to ‘not be ok’ and speak out.

Promote employee wellbeing:  Employers must lead from the front and put wellbeing centre stage. Employees that feel they are being looked after as a whole are more likely to stick with their employer. Creating a culture in which taking time out for exercise, meditation, counselling or mentoring is valued, is a way of signalling that employees’ mental and physical health is as important as the work they produce.

Don’t ignore development opportunities: Professionals continue to want to nurture their careers and look for ways to develop themselves via CPD, even during bouts of remote working. It’s important that this important aspect of work is not overlooked and employers find creative ways to offer development initiatives with remote workers. Online masterclasses, training workshops and e-networking exist to replicate face-to-face channels when this is not possible.

Relax attendance policies: Many families and carers have juggled conflicting priorities either with children at home, elderly parents or other dependants during the pandemic. It’s important that employers support these changing times and empathise with their employees’ responsibilities. Allowing flexible working hours can help alleviate the stresses of presenteeism and importantly forge loyalty from key talent.

Keep an eye on the competition: Check in with what the competitors are offering. Assess reward benchmarks and HR practices from other firms within the sector. Falling behind the offerings of others may see a mass exodus and it’s important to keep hold of stellar talent during uncertain times. Small gestures can go a long way – a simple thank you, public acknowledgement of good work or a virtual high-five creates bonds and fosters positive work relations.

Prepare for adversity: Employees want security and preparing for ongoing uncertainty and further disruption is an important part of keeping employees onboard and aligned with the cause. Involving staff in protecting the business and offering opportunities for innovation and creativity can boost the bottom line and ringfence income streams, as well as making employees feel valued and part of things.

Using a combination of these strategies will ensure that staff feel valued, committed and importantly buy-in to a long-term retention plan.

Need advice or help building your employer brand? Get in touch with Wonderful Workplaces on [email protected] 

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Annie Hayes is a specialist HR, skills, careers and L&D writer with 19 years experience in the sector. 

Annie Hayes

How to attract top talent in a candidate-driven market

How to attract top talent in a candidate-driven market

Advice on how to find top talent now candidates are back in the driving seat.

As demand soars for key talent, many recruiters are recognising the need to stand-out from the crowd. Candidates may be in receipt of a handful of offers and differentiating your business from the others is the key to hooking the right employees. Here are some tips to ensure you don’t get left behind.

Position your employer brand as valued, trusted and engaging: Reputation counts when the competition is high. Building a strong employer brand takes time but ensuring that the values of the business are embedded in the day-to-day culture helps to ensure that the brand the business has as an employer is strong and robust. Using social media advertising, together with positive case studies of what it is like to work at the organisation, helps with employer positioning.

Create a robust and rigorous recruitment process: Your hiring process must be transparent, open and consistent. This also goes a long way towards enhancing your employer brand. Are recruitment adverts targeting a diverse talent pool? Are they inclusive of all genders, ages and stereotypes? Is the process clear and unbiased? Do candidates receive regular feedback at each stage? Are there ample opportunities for interested professionals to ask the questions they want to? A healthy Q&A is essential to understanding if your recruitment strategy can withstand competition.

Be mindful of the new workplace landscape: Many employees have become accustomed to remote and home working practices. For some this new way of operating is desirable – it’s essential that as life resumes, post pandemic, that employers tap into the appeal of flexible working policies and ensure that technology-enabled home working can be offered as part of the package, where possible.

Be quick to act: In a candidate-driven market, employers cannot afford to take too much time to come to a decision. When the right person for the job is selected, recruiters need to act with an offer before a competitor does. Ensure that the package is competitively framed and offers the company benefits.

Use a specialist recruiter/headhunter: When the right candidates are not forthcoming, it might be time to seek the help of a targeted recruiter or headhunter. In a competitive market, it might be that a candidate needs approaching, rather than the other way around. Professional headhunters can offer search and selection services that can seek out the best talent.

Tap into existing networks: Professional networks are a viable way of finding great staff as well as using existing recruitment channels. Talking to those in the industry and understanding the benchmarks that are offered in competitor outfits can help businesses to understand where they are positioned and what might have to be altered to attract the right staff. Being open to change is essential when demand soars.

Getting the right employees is essential for any employer that is looking to succeed and evolve and is even more challenging when the market is candidate-driven. Yet by targeting the right candidates, whether they are already in existing roles and not looking for a job change, or available for hire, and, offering a robust recruitment process, coupled with an attractive employer brand, recruiters can find the right people. 

Businesses that are aware that today’s employees are accustomed to home and remote working packages will ensure that they appeal to talent that now demands flexible working options.

Read more about how to rethink your employer brand in this free downloadable ebook: Employer Branding Reboot: A guide for employers throughout the pandemic and beyond

Need advice or help building your employer brand? Get in touch with Wonderful Workplaces on [email protected] 

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Annie Hayes is a specialist HR, skills, careers and L&D writer with 19 years experience in the sector. 

Talent pooling and recruitment strategies for right now

Talent pooling and recruitment strategies for right now

Do current circumstances mean a freeze on your recruitment? Or have things slowed as the business tries to navigate uncharted waters? Whatever your situation, if recruitment isn’t front of mind right now, there are plenty of things you can be doing to ensure success when your business is ready to hire again.

Managing your brand reputation 

Building your brand reputation is crucial at any time but especially now, when everyone will be looking at how you are navigating the current crisis. You have the opportunity to influence and inform your audience. We can help you create content – from videos to whitepapers or emails. You can use these tools to effectively communicate with candidates and your own talent pools. 

Nurturing candidates 

During this time it’s important not to forget about those who are still actively looking for work. As an employer, look at how you can reassure and update them to keep your business front of mind when vacancies do become available. Keeping your external comms regular and consistent will help you to boost engagement. 

Developing content and tools for jobseekers 

Creating content with hints and tips for those looking for work and giving them the tools to expand their skills is a great way to help them feel connected to and engaged with your brand. What existing tools or services could you provide to support job seekers through this time? We can help you create content to showcase your brand and keep candidates engaged. 

Utilise our CV database

A key feature of our job sites are the CV databases. You are able to search for and download CVs based on the skills and experience you’re looking for, which will enable you to build a selection of high quality candidates that are relevant for future roles.

Having a pool of good quality candidates for when recruitment gets the green light will ensure you are ready to start contacting potential recruits from day one.

Build your recruiter profile

All of our recruiters have a profile on the job sites. This means that  candidates can find you from the Employer A-Z section of the website. Your profile can be edited to include key information about who you are as an organisation such as your company overview, culture and values. This sits alongside your job listings and contact information. Here’s an example https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/jobs/employer/151/haymarket-media-group/

Candidates can choose to follow your organisation, which means they’ll get a job alert emailed to them when you upload a vacancy. By building your recruiter profile and including information about the company and what it’s like to work for your organisation, you can encourage more candidates to sign up to hear about your future vacancies. 

For more tips and tricks or for support with your recruitment, get in touch with us [email protected] or 020 8267 4476

5 things recruiters struggle with

5 things recruiters struggle with

We spoke to a range of people who work in recruitment, here are some of the top themes of the challenges they face

  • A creative approach to recruitment

"We have to be more creative to target potential employees"

It can be really hard to stand out in such a crowded market so how do you attract the right talent? Doing things differently and thinking outside the box can be a challenge, but it can also get you seen and heard by new talent pools

Take a look at some work we did with HEINEKEN to showcase them as an employer and generate engagement with their brand. https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/go-places-heineken-cloudfactory-show-employer-branding-its-best/1410903