Is your recruitment process working for you?
From haulage to hospitality and almost everywhere in between, job vacancies have reached record highs. Close to 1.2 million at the end of last month.
Recruiters are even having to recruit for themselves to meet the demand.
The good news is that businesses are in a position to hire more staff. The bad news, however, is that whilst vacancies remain unfilled, more time and money is spent on advertising, CV sorting and futile interviews.
The impact of Brexit and the pandemic, has left some businesses currently operating on low numbers. A viral sentiment adopted by some captures the moment well – The whole world is short staffed, be kind to those that showed up.
It highlights another problem associated with record levels of job vacancies, an increasing workload and risk of burnout for those that are holding the fort.
Employers with jobs to fill may need to review their current recruitment process. Is it giving them the competitive edge they need to stand out in today’s job market? For some, this has also meant a review of pay scales, resulting in entry level salaries rising at a significant rate.
Not all businesses can afford to bump up the pay package though. So what other options are there?
When your recruitment process is working for you, it doesn’t all come down to salary. There are other hooks and USPs you can utilise to find and attract talent.
- The pandemic has caused a shift in priorities and working practices. Key employee benefits of 2021 include access to flexible working, job security and training.
- For an industry that has been hit hard by the pandemic, a push on training or opportunities to progress within the company may sweeten the deal. Equally, taking on candidates with a good attitude, but lacking some skills and training, can be rewarding.
- Have you been using the same template job ad? Now is the time to analyse it with fresh eyes. Does it really sell the role or your company? Does the language used speak to a diverse pool of candidates? Tweaking a few words here or there can make all the difference.
The next question you’ll want to ask is: “Are the right people seeing my ad?”. The quality and quantity of applications that you receive will help you to determine this. If the answer is no, it could be time to actively seek the candidates that you want to meet. Headhunting has become commonplace in the post-pandemic landscape.
Improving the quality of your applications also saves valuable time later on in the process. It can reduce the risk of being ghosted by only half-interested candidates, or those that leave in their first week for another offer.
When all the attention goes on recruitment, employee retention can sometimes get overlooked, but retaining good employees is a pillar of a successful business. If no one wants to leave, you will have more time to focus on the things you want.
Dealing with narcissism in the workplace
Working with people, you will encounter a range of personalities and their associated traits. It’s the variety of these characteristics that help certain people work well together, and others to butt heads.
One such personality trait demands more attention than others and can be problematic without the right kind of people management in place.
Existing on a spectrum, narcissism ranges from slight narcissistic tendencies to a full personality disorder.
Spotting the signs of narcissism in the workplace is important for damage control and supporting your workforce.
Narcissism refers to an inflated opinion of self-worth, which can lead to behaviours such as:
- Being charming yet insincere
- Taking the credit for others’ work
- Hogging the limelight
- Disregard for the feelings of others
Understandably, these behaviours can cause issues with co-workers or clients.
Narcissistic personalities can end up in positions of power due to high levels of confidence and seemingly top performance. This means that they may not be challenged as often as they should.
This is detrimental to an entire organisation. It can result in increased stress and absences, or accusations of bullying and harassment from other employees.
If you spot narcissistic behaviour in your business, don’t turn away. Approach the person and use questions to better understand where the behaviour is coming from. Has your company culture allowed it to manifest?
Bad behaviour that breaches your company rules on respect should be dealt with as per your usual policy. If problems persist with a particular employee, you may need to pursue disciplinary procedures, for which professional HR help is advised.
Costly denials of flexible working
The UK government recently published a consultation on flexible working titled: Making Flexible Working the Default. What does this mean for employers?
Currently, employees need to have at least 26 weeks service to make a request for flexible working. This has to show how it can work for the business. The employer can reasonably refuse the request.
The consultation is not seeking to remove employers’ choice, but to make flexible working accessible to more people.
Proposals put forward include a day one right for employees to make a request and a review of the reasonable denials of a request. Employers are also encouraged to consider alternatives if a flexible working request cannot be accommodated.
Although employers retain their right to deny a request, it’s worth noting that doing so without reasonable consideration can lead to costly consequences.
We have seen this in recent cases, such as with working mother Alice Thompson being awarded over £180,000.
Ms Thompson’s employer had denied her request for shorter hours to collect her daughter from nursery without seriously considering her proposal.
In another case, flight attendant Chloe Daly won £40,000 after her request for reduced hours, also related to childcare, was denied.
These cases highlight a specific risk of indirect sex discrimination concerning flexible requests from working mothers. Employment tribunals recognise that women tend to take on childcare responsibilities more often than men, meaning that women disadvantaged by inflexible working practices could be at risk of discrimination.
Demand for flexibility has increased since the pandemic and there can be benefits for both employer and employee when it’s implemented correctly. If you have received flexible working requests from employees and need advice on next steps, we can help.
Tipping point: The law is changing on tips
Employers in the hospitality sector will receive new rules on discretionary customer tips under legislation coming into force next year. The change will make it illegal to withhold tips from workers.
Plans were announced back in 2018, under the Good Work Plan, and form part of a wider government strategy to ensure fair and decent work.
These days, especially with less businesses accepting cash since the pandemic, tips are typically paid by card. It is at the employer’s discretion whether these payments get distributed to staff. However, a Code of Best Practice advises to clearly display this decision and communicate it to employees.
Some businesses and restaurant chains have already committed to a fair tips policy, others will need to review their practices prior to the new legislation to ensure they are compliant.
The sector has been hard hit by lockdown resulting in low staffing and vacancies going unfilled. The new policy on tips should help to attract talent and increase job satisfaction, whilst also restoring faith for customers who are crucial in the sector’s continued recovery.
Things that go bump in the… workplace
Books randomly appearing in the middle of the aisle, hearing footsteps whilst working alone and other suspicious noises: One US library faced a creepy conundrum when employees voiced fears that the place was haunted!
They are not the only ones either. Offices in historical buildings, hotels and even one branch of Toys “R” Us have reported paranormal activities on the premises.
Aside from a speedy Google search for “ghost hunters near me” what can employers do when spooked out staff complain of supernatural goings on during their shift?
If it’s purely suspicion, you’ll probably want to remind them that there are more important things to worry about. However, if they are working alone, The Health & Safety Dept can help you with a lone working policy to manage real risks.
If you want to see it for yourself and get an overall picture of how much this is disturbing work, you could consider surveillance. Just make sure your processes are compliant with the Data Protection Act. Give us a call if you have questions.
If something unbooelievable shows up on your recording though, that’s one for the Ghost Busters.
Send in the clowns
No really, please do send in the clowns. A big top circus owner in Northern Ireland has admitted to experiencing a challenging recruitment drive prior to reopening his business post-COVID.
Due to Northern Ireland relaxing its restrictions after other countries, many skilled entertainers already appear to be working overseas.
No funny business. Well at least not until Mr Duffy can staff his big top for the upcoming season. Key competencies needed include adaptability, creativity, and a willingness to travel.