Category: News

Employee Engagement

Five Ways to Keep Employees Engaged Post-pandemic

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

As employees venture back to the workplace post-pandemic, employers must reconsider how to re-engage staff to help prevent high staff turnover, reduced productivity and low morale.

New ways of working have challenged businesses, meaning it has become increasingly important to ensure employees don’t feel isolated and they remain connected to a larger purpose on their return.

Since the pandemic started, HR specialists Breedon Consulting have had a surge of questions from employers needing advice on how to keep employees motivated and productive once their period of furlough or working from home has come to an end – be that part-time or full-time.

We know that companies with engaged employees outperform those without by 202% (Gallup), therefore, the team have outlined five key areas that businesses can focus upon to ensure staff remain confident and thrive.

Managing director of Breedon Consulting, Nicki Robson, said: “Reintroducing either furloughed workers or those who have been used to working at home brings with it a new set of challenges.

“As workers have become accustomed to a different environment its extremely important to engage with them effectively on return to the workplace – the impact of this transition can be reduced by following our one-to-one advice.”

 

1. Communicate the overall business strategy

It’s vital that on return to the workplace staff understand your business position and strategy clearly following the impact of Covid-19. It can be a worrying time for employees, with questions around how the business is performing and in turn how that may affect their position and flexibility.

Be transparent, communicate effectively any changes and share any future business plans or goals. This will directly correspond to how their role adds value within the wider commercial setting, and allow the employee to feel respected and involved.

 

2. Relay role expectations and opportunities for progression

Outline clear responsibilities to staff, monthly expectations, and if appropriate, re-communicate clear KPIs – allowing performance to be measured effectively by both the business and individual. Communicate any career opportunities and consider providing training. This should help to re- establish motivation, clarity and confidence within the workplace.

 

3. Have fun

After such a long period, it can be a daunting prospect to acclimatise to a sociable office environment and work alongside colleagues again. Ensure to put together a calendar of activities and events to aid an employee’s adjustment. Think about activities that will unite your team – perhaps a common interest. It will help boost team morale and can also provide a level of healthy competition in the workplace.

If members of staff are working from home – put in place Zoom socials or set aside time where teams can talk about things other than work.

 

4. Create a safe space to share 

During the pandemic, employees faced many stresses including job security, health and safety. With so many employees becoming accustomed to the benefits from working from home – it was inevitable workers would start to require levels of flexibility and support. Create a safe space for employees to share any concerns or needs they may have on return to the workplace. Consider sending out anonymous surveys or creating a staff forum where workers feel able to share their worries.

 

5. Adapt and update the working environment

Adapting to sitting at a desk daily when it’s become a norm to work from the comfort of your sofa could encourage a shift in how we perceive the office environment. Consider adding a ‘breakout’ area for individuals to work on laptops and ensure there is a space to eat lunch away from their desk. Factors such as increased interruptions and noise could be unsettling, so provide quiet areas for working. Also consider allowing employees to wear headphones if this wasn’t in your policy previously.

Business Employees

Building Resilience Is Key for Companies to Adapt

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Resilience is not a personality trait, it is something all employees can improve upon, says Towergate Health & Protection, and this opens up potential for everyone – particularly crucial as we need to adapt to living with Covid-19. Resilience is of benefit to both the employer and to the employee. It is not just about managing stress but giving staff the means to deal with pressure and stop it becoming overwhelming. People who are emotionally well and resilient have fewer negative emotions and are able to bounce back from difficulties faster.

Debra Clark, head of specialist consulting at Towergate Health & Protection says: “While defining, building and supporting resilience is not always easy, perhaps the most important thing to remember is that resilience is not a personality trait, it is something that can be taught and learned, something that everyone can takes steps to achieve – and that provides an opportunity for everyone.”

 

Start as you mean to go on

The first step in building resilience is understanding the workforce and having a baseline reading of how resilient employees are and what stresses they deal with in their work and home lives. From here, employers can identify the biggest risk factors and address them.

The company culture also needs to be right in the first place and will need to be one that encourages resilience. It is important to remember that this is not about being able to give employees greater workloads but enabling them to better cope with the work that they are required to do.   

Discussions about resilience should start at the interview and induction, and progress from there. It should be made clear that the company wants to help build the resilience of its employees. This dialogue around resilience should be included from the start and the skill should be deemed as important as knowing how to log-on to the company’s systems. Companies that have robust support in improving resilience will fare better in recruiting the best talent.

 

Make the tools available

Ideally a company should provide a range of resources that appeal across the board and can be utilised as required.

 

Assessments

Health risk assessments help to build a picture of the workforce’s overall wellbeing. Once this has been established, employers can act upon any risks identified. It is important not only for the employer to understand the resilience of their staff but also for individuals to understand their own resilience.

 

Training

Mental health first aider training can be a great way to provide support, and it can often be sourced through benefits providers, such as those that provide group risk benefits. Many benefits providers will also offer webinars, apps and hubs for additional support.

Training in stress and resilience enables employees to explore and recognise triggers to stress and gain insight into resilience – what it is and how to develop it – helping them to keep mentally healthy. Withstanding change and disruption is something in which employees can be trained and is especially useful around situations like Covid. Line managers can also receive training on how to lead through change, giving them tools to run a successful organisational change initiative.

 

Employee benefits

There are specific and specialist employee benefits, devices, and methods that can help to guide and coach employees in resilience and the techniques they can utilise. These include apps and tools that provide regular and personalised tips.

 

Adapt the offering

There is no one single solution or booster to resilience that will be relevant to every company and workforce. Much will depend on the employee demographics. The industry the business is in will, to some extent, give an indication of some of the typical pressures and stressors. Each individual will deal with stress in different ways and will need different motivators and support. It is vital, therefore, to have solutions that will appeal to as many personalities and demographics as possible and it’s important that employers are prepared to adapt the approach in line with specific requirements.

Debra Clark says: “There is support for resilience within many health and wellbeing benefits. Within our own company we have run webinars on resilience for our staff. We have found that repetition of messages and offering bite-sized information, along with refreshers, is a very useful approach.

“It’s important to remember that resilience is something we all have the ability to learn and build upon, and by doing so it will fulfill our emotional wellness.”

Female CEO with their work collegues

Diversity Data & Gender Equality: How Much Do We Really Want It?

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

We live in a world where equality, in numerous forms, continues to reside at the forefront of many people’s minds. From gender to race and everything in between, things have certainly improved, but there is still a very long way to go.

Today, there are a mere six female CEOs in the UK FTSE 100, with the average male CEO earning 17% more than the average female CEO. Gender equality has been in the spotlight far longer than other protected characteristics such as race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age and it continues to remain prominent.

And here, CEO and founder of AssessFirst, the innovative artificial intelligence recruitment firm, David Bernard, asks why, if we are losing the battle for gender equality in the FTSE 100, we should expect to see diversity, equity and inclusion successes across a much wider cross section of the business community.

 

A race to equality and diversity

The business case for gender, cultural and ethnic diversity is strong, and is only getting stronger.

Since 2015, McKinsey has conducted extensive research and produced compelling reports that demonstrate ironically, whilst the business case for diversity is robust, international progress is weak.

The latest reports show that those pushing ahead with gender diversity are 25% more likely to financially outperform companies in the bottom quartile. What’s more, for ethnic and cultural diversity, the top quartile companies are 36% more likely to be profitable than bottom quartile companies.

The UK (aside from the US) leads the way with gender equality on executive teams. But representation here only grew by 5% between 2014 and 2019. McKinsey’s global data set for 2017-2019 shows a mere 1% increase. This pitiful and indeed slowing progress is a problem. We need to do better.

Yes, the UK and the US lead the way with gender diversity, but there is still a long way to go, and neighbouring countries need to make quick and impactful changes.

And, let’s not forget, whilst gender equality is of pressing importance, businesses and leaders should ensure that other cases, such as culture and ethnicity, are considered no less important.

 

A knock-on effect

I see a lack of diversity and equality in workforces as a psychological manifestation of who we are.

We, as are all humans, are programmed to find differences in our perceptions distasteful. We just do not like change – even if we adapt to it in the end – and even ‘feedback’ on our actions is naturally offensive to us.

So, with that in mind, it is inevitable that we have ended up in a situation where we have an echo chamber of talent that isn’t necessarily supported by objective performance data.

The problem manifests itself everywhere; from the executive hires in the world’s biggest companies to the latest bartender pulling pints at the local pub.

Conventional hiring and recruitment, such as only using a CV to identify and rank talent, is part of the root cause of bias decision-making (however implicit it may be) because the initial filter sifts candidates based on their upbringing, education, experience, or even appearance.

We are, thankfully, at the start of a movement of change. But this is a problem that is hundreds, or maybe even thousands, of years in the making. We need to unpick that problem with a collaborative and collective effort.

 

Covid-19 impacted diversity, equality and inclusion progress

There has been a polarisation of diversity, equality and inclusion efforts, also known as DE&I, as a fallout of Covid-19, the ongoing pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns.

In the spring of 2020, companies rightly turned their attention to the Covid-19 crisis. Most have continued to do so – either to stay afloat or even gain a competitive advantage – which meant DE&I became more of a focus for some whilst a matter of less significance for others. 

Those that deprioritised DE&I – perhaps as a short-term measure to consolidate HR and hiring resources – have weakened their position; whether that is in their ability to retain, recruit, or mobilise their workforce, or even all those stages in the talent lifecycle.

Diverse talent is often most at-risk during times of challenge and hardship, as downsizing can have a disproportionate impact on roles held by those from more diverse backgrounds. And with increased home-working practices, all manner of inequalities can manifest in ways that will hit the bottom line and badly impact minorities.

For example, those who are managing childcare responsibilities during periods of isolation or school closures or those who are living in shared accommodation may be frequently working against the odds in order to keep pace with their peers.

Without a diverse collective of perspective catering to a diverse workforce, these problems can multiply to cripple performance from the ground up.

 

The acceleration of DE&I

The generational leap of tech-first remote working for so many companies provided an opportunity to build inclusive and agile cultures. Though we may be coming out of the ‘crisis’, there remains a golden opportunity – and one that businesses should seize.

Traditional management structures, reinforced by physical office environments, have been fundamentally changed forever – even if we see a hybrid home-office working pattern become the norm from this point onward.

With this revolution, HR departments find themselves in a situation a pathway to achieving diversity and inclusion goals seems more realistic.

 

Make or break: what’s next?

There is no silver bullet. There is much to consider and even more to do.

But, with a few simple changes, real and meaningful progress is possible. What encourages me is that with all the companies that I speak to, particularly within the UK, there is almost wholesale agreement that this is an important issue – notwithstanding the economic arguments. However, the same cannot be said for all other countries across the globe.

The most common question I receive from those who recognise the criticality of this however is, “But, where do we start?”.

And to that, my response is always the same; “What is the data telling you? What is your workforce saying about your DE&I efforts?”

We must know what the scale of the problem is before we can tackle it. Every single company is unique, and the manner of their ideal solution is unique to suit.

Once the problem is identified, I recommend a few ideas that can be considered to start spinning the wheels of change:

  1. Get unbiased views of candidate potential (internal and external)
  2. Consult with your DE&I team, committee, or lead when publishing job descriptions
  3. Implement DE&I training for your workforce
  4. Offer remote working opportunities where practical and appropriate

I’m proud that AssessFirst continues to help companies of all shapes and sizes with their DE&I goals through our data-led psychometric technology. We practice what we preach with our own remote workforce and using this technology as part of our own talent lifecycle management. But I recognise that fantastic technology is most effective when it is embedded as a part of a wider reaching strategy.

I have hope for the future, though there is ongoing work to do, and there will be for quite some time. But as the UK economy stirs back to life within what feels like the closing chapters of ‘crisis’, we can also bring the equality gaps to a close with renewed urgency.

Working in partnership with a handful of partners in the UK, we created a Diversity and Inclusion strategy guide. Whether it is for you or a colleague, you can get it for free by clicking the link below: https://www.assessfirst.com/en-gb/diversity-inclusion-guide/

For business and media enquiries contact  Fran Prince on [email protected] 

Businessman cycling to work

5 Key Sustainability Trends in the Post-Covid World of Work

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

There’s always been something rather bittersweet about the back-to-school season. On one hand, it marks when the mornings start to feel a little more crisp, the return to the grind after that last bank holiday until Christmas. On the other, there’s a sense of hopeful optimism – a chance for new beginnings and an opportunity to return to work feeling refreshed.

 

That notion rings particularly true this year, as many of us also make the long-awaited journey back into the office. But just because we’re now returning to our old desks doesn’t mean we should automatically fall back into old ways.

 

Even before the pandemic, sustainability was firmly placed on the global agenda, but almost by chance Covid-19 has had some truly positive side-effects on the way we work; with our offices, businesses and commutes all becoming greener. Here, we outline five sustainable initiatives that workplaces can embrace to catalyse a change for the better.

 

1. Sustainability as a Growth Driver

The importance of sustainability has grown for companies across sizes, sectors, and regions. Nearly half of the UK workforce admits to being more environmentally responsible at home than they are in the office, mainly due to a lack of control over green activities at work and a lack of information around their employer’s energy and sustainability policies. However, 69% of businesses say they would support their workforce to reduce the impact on the environment.

 

Companies are also feeling pressure from their customers and their competitors to become more sustainable, yet at the same time, they acknowledge that sustainability is a growth driver. In fact, sustainability is cited as the fourth biggest growth driver among companies looking to expand in the next two years, behind the strength of the customer base, the quality and availability of the workforce and the quality and availability of suppliers and raw materials.

 

Recent global lockdowns due to the pandemic have encouraged debate around the sustainability of businesses, office space and commercial property; sparking a change in the way we think about work and the way we interact with our environment every day.

 

Therefore, it’s little wonder that companies are increasing their level of investment to become more environmentally sustainable. 45 per cent of companies surveyed say they plan to increase investment in the next 1-2 years – among them 65 per cent plan to increase their level of investment by more than 5 per cent.

 

According to new data by Tech Nation, European ‘net zero’ start-ups (categorised as companies which have no negative impact on the environment) raised a total of £2.1 billion from venture capital funds last year – a 129% increase on the year before – and a testament to sustainability’s growing prevalence pre-Covid-19. Although agile start-ups are leading the way when it comes to sustainability, larger businesses are also taking steps to become more sustainable; from incorporating green roofs, to reducing their plastic footprint, and using environmentally friendly promotional materials, start-ups and corporate giants alike are noticing changing consumer attitudes and using the pandemic as a catalyst for change, reducing their carbon footprint and adjusting their practices.

 

Forward-thinking companies around the country are beginning to embrace this trend as part of accelerated action towards tackling climate change. Print company Solopress, which produces products such as business cards, flyers and posters, saw a notable increase in demand for their Solopress Green range of sustainably produced and recyclable products during the pandemic months, reflecting the increased environmental awareness of businesses.  

 

Simon Cooper, Managing Director at Solopress commented “In recent years, we’ve seen a marked rise in demand for eco-friendly print products. Following this increased demand for the sustainable materials within our core-range, we introduced Solopress Green to offer customers the further assurance of CO2 neutral paper production. The response has been phenomenal, confirming that our customers share our concern for the environment, and that they’re prepared to adapt their buying habits to minimise their impact.”

 

2. Increase in Flexible Working

It’s safe to say that Covid-19 has accelerated the adoption of flexible working. Regular lockdowns forced many companies to work from home – even those that were reluctant to work anywhere but the office. Working from home, as well as other types of flexible working, such as staggered hours, co-working spaces, and working closer to home, will continue to form a part of our working lives in the future.

 

While this partly comes down to ongoing efforts to contain the pandemic, it’s also a consequence of our newfound focus on flexibility. Even before the pandemic, experts were predicting that half of the UK workforce would be working remotely by 2020, but the pandemic has demonstrated that different people, roles and tasks require different parameters for optimal performance.

 

Even working from home or from a more local co-working space for one or two days a week can help businesses reduce their CO2 emissions and achieve a lower carbon footprint. In addition, providing flexibility in terms of working environments, places, working hours, and agile working setups can boost employee productivity, engagement, and happiness.

 

Undeniably, despite our newfound acceptance of remote working, there is a growing need for businesses to provide office space for their employees to develop their skills, collaborate and learn from one another. Although most people have certainly enjoyed this newfound flexibility in our working lives, research suggesting that ‘Zoom Fatigue’ is real demonstrates that people are also sincerely missing their office environments – and everything that comes with them. 

 

In fact, research by Knight Frank shows that only 8% of UK employees want to work from home five days a week, and 53% of UK businesses said they wanted their offices to feature more collaboration space. So, while the demand for flexibility continues, social capital remains critical to finding the right balance.

 

3. Active Commuting

As businesses return to the office, some employees are nervous about commuting while the Covid-19 virus continues to exist among the population. As a result, active commuting – commuting on cycle, on foot, or by e-scooter – has become a popular way to both avoid public transport and break up a sedentary working day.

 

At the start of lockdown, Britain’s biggest cycle retailer, Halfords, reported a 500% jump in sales on selected cycling equipment. In addition, cycle-to-work schemes (which offer tax benefits to employees buying bicycles and equipment) have seen sales double.

 

All this points to the fact that businesses are keen to embrace a more sustainable commute, and it’s likely this trend will continue, with employers looking to provide offices fit for an active commute, installing showers and secure bike racks.

 

4. Sustainable Office Spaces

It’s evident that the pandemic has kickstarted a new wave of green thinking in the world of work. In fact, 56% of consumers feel that reducing single-use plastics, lowering carbon footprints and behaving more sustainability have become ‘a lot more important’ since the pandemic.

 

A survey of over 1,000 young people has revealed that 57% per cent of people aged between 18 and 34 would prefer to work for an employer who shared their environmental values. In response to these findings, more and more businesses should make sustainability a key part of their employee engagement and hiring strategy, highlighting the use of renewable energy in the workplace, conveying how the company is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and understanding that equality and diversity are critical factors.

 

As well as more sustainable office spaces, businesses are realising the value of creating spaces that are less traditional, incorporating sleep pods, mothers’ rooms, gyms and workout facilities, and placing a greater emphasis on health and wellbeing; encouraging staff to take time out for yoga, tai chi, or even volleyball.

 

The concept of ‘Biophilia’, popularised by psychologist Edward Wilson in 1984, describes the innate relationship between humans and nature and is one of the key drivers behind the shift towards more sustainable workspaces. Studies have found that bringing in elements into a work environment that allow direct connection with nature (such as parks and lakes) or indirect connections (interior design using natural elements), can help alleviate stress in the workplace, restore calm and provide respite for employees. Businesses that take proactive steps to promote employee wellness can improve their financial performance by up to 10% and reduce sick days by 27%.

 

5. Greener Data

Every move we make in the online world has a real-world environmental impact. From responding to emails in our inboxes to photos and videos on the cloud, every file hosted online is stored on a server that requires energy to house, cool, power, and maintain.

 

The average email user hoards about 10,000 emails in their account, and over the course of a year, one inbox consumes enough energy to drive 212 meters. This alone isn’t so bad but what happens when thousands or even millions of people hoard emails? All the inboxes in the UK consume enough energy to drive to the Moon and back 18 times!

 

By 2023, it’s projected that over 347 billion emails will be sent and received globally every day. That’s an awful lot of data sitting around in inboxes, and if we just leave it there, its impact will only get bigger.

 

It’s a small part of a much bigger problem, but if businesses and employees alike take control of their data storage, then it can make a real difference to collective energy consumption. Managing newsletter subscriptions, reducing email file sizes, deleting calendar invites, and deleting old email accounts can be great ways of keeping your inbox in check.

 

Aside from emails, websites can also have varying levels of carbon consumption; considering each aspect of web design from an energy consumption perspective can help to make your website much greener than most other sites. For example, using high contrast colours, Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs), cloud-hosted web fonts, static web pages, and green hosting services can all help when designing low energy websites and reducing their respective carbon signature.

 

A Greener Future

With the COP26 conference taking place in the UK between 31st October and 12th November 2021, giving the UK a chance to step up as a global leader in tackling the climate crisis, a global focus on greener living and sustainable business practices looks to continue. Recent findings from HSBC also show that three in four businesses have set sustainability targets in 2021 and 86% expect their sales to grow as a result of adopting more sustainable practices.

 

It’s encouraging to see that although the pandemic has created numerous unforeseen challenges in the business world, the unique circumstances have presented new idea and opportunities for businesses to reflect and adapt their practices to make positive environmental change possible.

Remote work

Could the Employment Bill Pose a Risk to Businesses?

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

With the Employment Bill back in the limelight, Amanda Badley, head of employment at BHW Solicitors, a leading UK law firm, urges employers to find a synergy between business need vs business want.

The proposed Employment Bill (Bill) has been in the pipeline for some time, being first announced in 2019. One of the fundamental elements of the Bill is to make flexible working the default position; effectively flipping the current situation in which employees’ only have a right to request flexible working.

Over the last 18 months, the Bill was placed on the back burner, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the Labour party are now pushing for the Bill to be at the forefront of the Employment Law agenda.

The pandemic has forced both businesses and their employees to work differently, changing the working landscape considerably. Unsurprisingly, many more people (including business owners) now want the option to work from home, at least for part of their working week. 

The Office of National Statistics (ONS) has reported that the number of people working from home in 2020 increased to 37%, up from 27% in 2019. Further, job adverts referring to homeworking are three times above that which were recorded in February 2020, suggesting that many businesses are going to adopt permanent hybrid working arrangements for their office-based staff.

This trend is likely to encourage the implementation of the Bill and therefore flexible working as the default position. It is therefore important that organisations consider what this means for them, and how they will navigate the potential difficulties this presents.

When speaking with clients, I advise them to first consider how flexible working fits with their business operations currently. While it is important to embrace the changes on the horizon regarding flexible working, there has to  be a balance with ensuring businesses continue to run efficiently and effectively, as there is no one size fits all.

Employees are likely to push for flexible arrangements that suit their lifestyle, or give them a better work/life balance, and while a positive attitude from employers is key when considering these requests, compromise between the parties is essential. There may also be times where flexible working simply cannot be accommodated, and others, where the employer has no justification for not permitting it.

Whilst my experience is that most employees have, at a minimum, wanted to return to office- based working on a part time basis, there are still employees that are reticent to return to office working. This has been for a number of reasons; however, health and safety concerns are prominent due to the pandemic. Some employees have raised issue with working alongside colleagues who are not vaccinated. Unsurprisingly, employees who are vulnerable or pregnant have also raised concerns about returning to the workspace. More generally, employees may have strong views about the policy decisions of the employer, for example, lateral flow testing and the wearing of masks. These latter issues have been raised with me regularly.

I always reassure clients that juggling government guidance and regulations will be difficult and there will always be employees to challenge policy decisions made. As long as employers have well thought out policies and procedures in place to protect staff, and they have justifiable reasons for requesting employees to return to the workspace, they should not be afraid to request them to do so.

When approaching the concept of flexible working, there are certain considerations and steps that I recommend businesses take:

  1. Approach flexible working with a can-do attitude. Remember that currently, you can always trial an arrangement and if it does not work, then there is no obligation to make it permanent.

  2. Forward thinking is key – It is important that time is taken to consider how the business can effectively run if all or the majority of its staff had some type of flexible working arrangement. If consideration is not given from the outset, there is a risk that decisions will be made without thought for the business as a whole.

  3. Applying a consistent approach to dealing with flexible working is crucial to minimising the risk of discrimination claims. If requests will not be dealt with centrally, managers should be given training and guidance to ensure that the business is operating as one.

  4. Be reasonable. If your employees can work successfully under flexible arrangements, this could be a positive for a business and could improve morale and productivity.

  5. Don’t forget mental health. Out of sight, out of mind is a concept all too familiar to many. The pandemic has certainly seen businesses adapt to virtual means of communication and this should not lapse.

  6. Where necessary, undertake risk assessments. These may be in the workplace or at the employees’ home but either way, the employer has a responsibility to ensure a safe working environment for all its staff.

  7. Put policies in place that deal with all of the above. This way employees will know where they stand and be reassured that everyone is being treated equally. If adopting hybrid working arrangements, having a specific policy that sets out how this works is advisable.

 

The way in which people work has drastically changed over the past two years. With offices being redesigned, the increase in remote Zoom meetings and many businesses undergoing structural changes, it’s more important now than ever before, for employers to demonstrate themselves as innovative and forward-thinking in the face of continual change, while helping with the retention of morale, motivation, and mental health in the workplace.

Manager Leader

The 4 Key Points for You to Follow to Be a Leader, Not a Manager

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Managing a team of people comes with a new level of responsibilities. But have you ever considered the vast difference between being a manager and a leader? Harvard Business Review reports that 30 is the average age of a first-time manager while 40 is the age where people first embark on leadership training. This is a decade of lost years of building leadership skills – this can lead to ingraining bad habits and not practising to improve your style.

Being a manager doesn’t automatically make you a leader. The main difference between a manager and a leader is that managers delegate tasks to those who work for them whereas leaders have people follow them and believe in what they’re setting out for the company. The best part of the last year has demonstrated that leaders need to be prepared and agile to respond to protect their business and employees.

Here, we will determine the four ways that managers can transform themselves into leaders.

 

Respect goes two ways

Firstly, and most importantly, be respectable. Respect should be earned, not expected – no employee is going to consider a manager their leader if they don’t respect them. There are a number of things you should consider in order to gain your employees’ respect. After all, if they respect you, they’re likely to work harder for you, cooperate more with others, be more creative, resilient, and likely to take direction.

These include:

  • Leading by example. Be prepared to pick up tasks big and small, for example making your own cup of coffee or printing copies out to hand out to the workforce.
  • Listen to your team. Open the floor for others to speak and allow them to voice their opinions on how to improve things. Holding steady team meetings opens up a dialogue of feedback and ideas.
  • Follow through on deadlines and agreements. If you can’t meet your own deadlines, why should your team? If you offer to help someone on a particular project, honour that promise.
  • Accept responsibility if things don’t work out.

 

Communication is key

Never underestimate the power of communication. Managers with poor communication skills often alienate their workers, leaving the team confused and with little faith that things are being run properly. Take time to communicate your ideas, expectations, strategies, and everything in between, making everyone else feel involved in what’s going on. You can do this by thinking of any strategy the same as telling a story to someone who knows nothing about it. You can focus on things you don’t know or what you need to understand yourself in order to relay it others.

By involving your team and keeping them engaged, this will also allow successful executions and a happy, motivated team – you can’t expect a strategy to work if it isn’t understood and nobody is committed.

 

Shape company culture

Leaders should contribute to an active company culture. If workers’ characteristics don’t fit into the culture, this could influence their decision to leave. By defining a culture early on and recruiting those who fit into the talent pool, employees will feel comfortable which will have a positive effect on their performance.

Harvard Business carried out research to find out which qualities are most important in leaders. 700 workers were asked which qualities they value the most – 70 per cent agreed that creating a culture of engagement is a very important attribute and results in lower turnover rates, more productivity, and more profitability.

This reiterates what was mentioned in the first section – leaders must lead by example. They can determine how valued traits are within the business, for example, communication, integrity, and commitment. Employees who work in an engaging culture with their leader will have positive opinions about the company and will be strong advocates.

 

Leadership training programs

Go over and beyond for your team and consider enrolling on leadership training programs. which are designed to guide leaders through key issues and how to effectively adopt forward-thinking strategies. Organisations are constantly evolving in the modern world, therefore so does the nature of leading. Building on agile and reactive skills can help you become a capable and inspiring leader.

Leaders certainly have a big responsibility to inspire and encourage their workers – so it is important to do it properly.

Computer Virus

Five Things an Employer Needs to Instill in Remote Teams to Halt the Rise of Ransomware

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Ransomware up by over 200% in the first half of 2021 – what can an employer do to advise staff?

ProLion, a best-in-class proactive ransomware and data protection solution for ONTAP storage, has today issued five top tips for employers looking to secure their organisations from ransomware attacks as a direct result of insider threats or plain negligence.

Ransomware is on the rise globally targeting industry and organisations with a number of high-profile attacks already this year. It is without doubt creating a number of significant cybersecurity challenges.

Robert Graf, Founder, ProLion, stated: “Ransomware is a type of malware where key files are encrypted by hackers that then renders data inaccessible to the victim. To put it bluntly it is criminal extortion which sees hackers promising to restore systems and data when ransom is paid by the victim.

“But with many employees still working remotely, many organisations are struggling with breaches as a direct result of poor security management. This can and does open the door to an insider threat – either through negligence or malicious intent. As a result, we have developed a Five Point Plan for HR and risk and compliance teams which, if implemented throughout a distributed enterprise, will lead to reduced risk of attack.”

 

  1. Don’t store proprietary data on personal laptops: this makes any remote worker a highly attractive target in the first place.  This risk has increased dramatically as a result of people working from home as a result of the pandemic. And while efforts have been made with the roll-out of new security levels, if your employee still stores data on their hard drive, not a lot will stop the hackers and while this is plain negligence, businesses must also recognise the issue of insider threats.
     
  2. Be sensible with your digital profiles: employers must begin to take a stronger line on employees who continually post where they work and what they do.  Guidance needs to be issued to all employees on what can and cannot be posted on social media in relation to their jobs.  No-one is suggesting pulling off social media platforms altogether, just being more circumspect on what information is posted.
     
  3. A word about passwords: It goes without saying that a password must be a tough as possible and not the same one across all employee accounts. It should also be stressed to employees that when they are prompted for a change in a password, they do just that – change it and not just reuse the old one.
     
  4. Browsing: there are plenty of security tools out there that block access to certain sites if you are working on a company laptop. But if an employee is using their own you may have less control.  The message for employers and employees alike is to get educated on the very real possibility that you could end up with a malware infection as a direct result of visiting a dodgy site.
     
  5. Don’t engage in online conversations with people you do not know: we all know the risks associated with catfishing. Your personal data or your employer’s data is a highly attractive target for many.

 

Graf concluded: “Today’s distributed business and IT environment, when seen in conjunction with the inter-connectivity of digital commerce, means an expanded attack surface for bad faith actors. Like the bank robbers of old, cybercriminals go where the money is accessible, and the easier it is the easier for them to reap benefits from extortion. 

“It only takes one click by an employee to infect an entire network, spreading from a local computer to Network Attached Storage. That is where our solution sits, detecting and blocking attacks aiming to access proprietary data. 

“For the distributed organisation the challenge is to protect and defend the enterprise across a far greater estate. Now is the time for business leaders, risk and compliance experts, IT departments and HR to work in tandem to reduce that exposure and call time on the hackers.

First Day

Six Steps to Take in September for Creating the Perfect Graduate Onboarding Experience

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

Alex Hattingh, CPO and Employment Hero

After rounds of interviews and many applicants, you’ve now found your star candidate and you’re ready to hit the ground running. Onboarding a new graduate should be handled a little bit differently to those who have years of experience. You want to make them feel comfortable and not overwhelm them on the very first day. 

Before they start you’ll need to ensure that their contract, policies and paperwork are all up to scratch. There should be a proper induction plan in place to ease them into the business, especially if this is their first full-time role. We all know that first impressions count, the last thing you want is for your new hire to wait for hours for their manager to turn up or sit there twiddling their thumbs. Make sure that when your new graduate’s first day comes to an end, they know they’ve made the right decision in becoming part of your business. To help you get organised and give your new graduate an amazing first day, week and month, we suggest following these simple steps. You want to show that you’re organised and excited for them to make a real impact in the business:

 

Before the first day

Work Space
  1. Prepare your new employee’s work area and office space and equip it with supplies
  2. Order appropriate access keys/security cards and make sure they work
  3. Order business cards, if applicable
  4. Arrange for parking, if required

 

Technology Access
  1. Order technology equipment (computer, iPad, phone) and software
  2. Set up their system in advance and assign them to a printer
  3. Arrange for access to shared drives
  4. Add their name to relevant email lists

 

General Communication
  1. Share the news about the new starter with everyone in the business
  2. Assign a buddy or mentor to the new hire

 

The first day
  1. Have a small gift waiting for them such as your company t-shirt, mug or keychain
  2. Give them a tour of the office or workplace and introduce them to key team members
  3. Present them with their onboarding pack, containing important information like account info
  4. Ensure they get a proper induction
  5. Meet with them and their manager to explain the expectations of their role
  6. Have their manager assign some initial tasks
  7. Organise for them to have lunch with their new manager and/or team

 

The first week
  1. Introduce them to employees from different areas of the business
  2. Follow-up to ensure they’ve accessed, read and acknowledged your company policies
  3. Check-in with them and their manager regarding initial tasks
  4. Have their manager assign them their first project
  5. Ask for first week feedback

 

The first month
  1. Hold regular check-in meetings and evaluate their progress after a month in the company
  2. See how they’re getting along with the rest of the team and whether they’re enjoying their work
  3. Assess and action training needs
  4. Check in with their manager on how their one-on-ones are going

 

With these steps, you’ll be on your way to giving your new graduates a recruitment and onboarding experience they’ll remember for many years to come. Remember, the key is to be personal, be upfront, and tailor your process to suit them. So go on, go find your gold star grad!6. Encourage graduates from all backgrounds and experiences to apply

When it comes to hiring graduates, you need to be inclusive. Be conscious of framing your workplace as an accepting and inclusive place to be. Consider putting a statement on the end of your job ads that invites people of all backgrounds and identities to apply. 

If you would like, we can provide further insight from Alex who has over 15 years of experience in partnering with business leadership, establishing company culture and improving employee experiences on an international scale.

Back to the office icebeaker game - people dressed in victorian clothing participating in a murder mystery roleplaying game

The Perfect Office Icebreaker Post Lockdown

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Murder on the Second Floor:

Crime Writer Launches Back-To-The-Office Team Building Game

 

Award-winning crime writer Fiona Sherlock has opened bookings for her interactive ‘office return’ game, Murder on the Second Floor, to help companies welcome staff back to the workplace post lockdown. The mystery-inspired game has elements of a treasure hunt and escape room to allow staff to explore their new office environment and become reacquainted with new colleagues after such a long period working from home.

 

During the pandemic, Sherlock’s virtual murder mysteries were played by over 20,000 players internationally, including corporate organisations Zurich, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and a range of banks, institutions, schools and voluntary organisations. The games remain a popular team building event for those working a hybrid of remote and in-office, and Murder on the Second Floor is the perfect one to reconnect colleagues and boost team morale.

 

The premise of the 90-minute, five-clue game is that it’s the first week back in the office for a fictional law firm. Things have changed since the pandemic, but a routine office tour takes a turn for the worst when a dead body is discovered under a desk. The top brass doesn’t want word to get out and sully the company’s reputation, so the staff must examine the evidence, search for clues, and figure out whodunnit! With many office layouts changed or redesigned for returning to work, the game allows clues to be planted in customised locations. The game can be reused multiple times for example when new team members join.

 

“The power of our imagination is immense – we have seen just how far our minds can stretch and adapt during the past 16 months,” says Sherlock (yes, that is her real name). “My mission is to create memorable stories and experiences that help people come together. Resocialising after such an extended period can be awkward, my hope is Murder on the Second Floor helps to break the ice and give people a chance to get used to their new surroundings whilst reiterating the values of inclusivity and diversity that organisations now require.”

 

Dr Keith Lyons, Behavioural Psychologist said: “Creating memorable experiences and opportunities for engagement help teams to be more collaborative and productive. An immersive experience like this is ideal to reintroduce staff to the office environment in a fun way.”

 

Murder on the Second Floor will be available internationally in self-hosted formats where organisations can print all the materials and run the event, with prices starting at £500 for 20 players. It includes:

  • Customised welcome video – insert a backdrop/logo from your own reception area!
  • Host guide detailing how to host and plan the game
  • Evidence dossier for each player containing a range of fun resources including the victim’s suspicious emails, diary entries, memos and pieces of evidence
  • Printable prop pack including crime scene tape, mugshot backdrop and prisoner ID number
  • Certificate of sleuthing – a fun keepsake certifying the participation of your team

 

As a special offering to organisations, Sherlock can host managed events with professional actors, with costs for 20 players starting at £2,800. There are a limited number of spots available, and booking is now available on the Bespoke Murder Mystery website.

 

For press enquiries, please contact Bei Guo | [email protected] | 07704 501 242

Blockchain technology concept with 3D rendoured chains, with binary 1s and 0z along them

iov42: Digitally Connected

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

Blockchain solutions provider iov42 has been turning heads with their advanced strategies and has recently secured a blockchain partnership, beating out some of the bigger names in the industry. We spoke with CEO Dominic von Trotha Taylor to find out more about iov42, and what makes it different from other industry giants.

 

iov42 is a blockchain-inspired identity platform, which helps to build trust between organisations, built for governments, enterprise and business.

 

How do we do this?  We seek to strengthen the areas of weakness found in ‘traditional’ blockchain: making all data held on the platform immutable whilst at the same time ownership is retained by the originator of the data; replacing strict anonymity with trustable identities, and offering security through a decentralised distribution of data.  We also seek to support applications that conform to the requirements of different regulatory jurisdictions and to provide the ability to scale sustainably.

 

In this way, online interactions and transactions can be codified on our platform and are then shared among a number of trusted identities; for example, an industry’s or organisation’s stakeholders. By providing transparent access to these records, based around verified identities, we help users ensure that rules are being followed and that they can trust those they are working with and the information they’ve been given. As an example, we have built an application called Timber Chain on our platform that allows stakeholders in the timber industry – from growers, exporters and importers to certification agencies and retailers – to build trust around the provenance and processing of timber and its derivatives in the supply chain.

 

My motivation for taking on the role of CEO at iov42 was driven by my interest in both the need for stronger online models of trust and privacy in our increasingly digitised world and the game-changing potential of blockchain as an enterprise solution. In addition, I really enjoy working with young companies that are pioneering emerging tech with the potential to create seismic change. I originally joined iov42 as an investor. Since then, I have grown increasingly excited and confident about the company’s ability to provide genuinely transformative technology that could vitally strengthen our digital infrastructure.

 

So far in my time as CEO, we have transitioned from building our platform to being an operational company with live customers, and we have received validation from organisations such as the European Commission about our vision and approach.   All this is underpinned by great and ambitious people determined to realise our vision. Nonetheless, we are still in the early stages of our development with a long road ahead of us. As enterprise blockchain is relatively new, the challenge for companies like iov42 is not to seek to sell another technology, but to prove its benefits to customers. This ‘proof of value’ is something I’m hugely passionate about and see as key to unlocking the potential of enterprise blockchain and therefore the opportunity for iov42.

 

There is quite a divide in opinion when it comes to blockchain, fueled mainly by the common misconception that it is synonymous with largely unregulated cryptocurrencies. These negative connotations have, for some, given blockchain an undeserved reputation. It’s also poorly understood outside of tech circles. There is still so much untapped potential to be grasped. 

 

We are targeting governments, enterprises and businesses who don’t really care about the tech – they care about robust, sustainable and scalable enterprise solutions that can create efficiency and trust at a predictable price. The application of these solutions will need to be more than a change of technology; they will need to add clear value at a fair price. I think enterprise blockchain is heading in that direction and we are one of the companies driving this forward.

 

Beyond the normal startup challenges, like everyone else, the past year has brought us many different challenges to overcome. Working remotely and being unable to visit friends or spend time with work colleagues has been extremely isolating. I’m sure most of us have found switching between work time and home time when working remotely really difficult and we all know this can bring about a lot of stress.

 

But through it all, iov42 has managed to keep morale high and execute a lot of positive change. With our team dispersed across Greater London, Vienna, and Zurich, we were already fairly accustomed to remote working before the pandemic, and were able to continue effectively collaborating. Although working remotely will never fully emulate being with one another in the same physical office, we’ve been able to facilitate the next best thing by taking full advantage of communications software including Slack, Miro and Spatial. 

 

We’ll certainly be glad to see the back of Covid, and we are excited to meet with both customers and colleagues in person once again. But we’ll be carrying forward a lot of valuable lessons learned from having to adapt to the crisis to inform the way we work in future. 

 

As the recent IPCC report indicated, it is very much a ‘now or never’ situation for climate action, and a significant overhaul is needed to meet adequate levels of sustainability. iov42’s blockchain-inspired platform has been built to provide the very infrastructure needed to enable such a transformation. 

 

By better connecting all of the different cross-border organisations that need to come together to solve these major issues and being specifically built to cater to evolving regulation, our platform is facilitating the tangible delivery of sustainable action. iov42 provides a mechanism which builds trust across the important data points relating to sustainability. Safeguarding against corruption and malpractice, this enables simpler, more robust sustainable action and holds every stakeholder to account.

 

With our Timber Chain model, for example, we’re helping timber supply chains tighten up sustainability by making transaction records transparent, immutable and shared. This system rewards ‘good’ actors in the sustainable supply chain space and identifies those ‘bad’ actors who are counteracting sustainability aims. This model can be applied across any number of supply chains and industries to ensure that rules are followed and sustainability measures consistently met. 

 

We can no longer afford for any company or organisation to shirk the responsibility of sustainable action. By applying our technology across a growing number of industries, we will be able to provide the accountability necessary to ensure that everyone plays their part in implementing sustainability. 

 

There are countless potential applications for iov42’s technology. So far, we’ve started helping sectors ranging from timber, right through to product authenticity and identity solutions – and we’re not stopping there. Following our work on Timber Chain, we will be offering increased security and trust for transactions throughout a wide range of interacting and interconnecting supply chains. We’re especially focused on helping the agricultural industry to improve transparency within commodity trading and strengthen the fight against climate change by enabling greater sustainability, while holding the big players neglecting these to account. 

 

Almost every organisation performs interactions and processes online which currently face the risk of corruption, error and a lack of trust and security. We’re ultimately aiming to apply our technology to address these issues and deliver reliable trust and accountability across the entire online landscape.

 

Blockchain technology has the potential to contribute to the  provision of infrastructure for a digital landscape in which trust is guaranteed. This has the potential to completely transform the way public services operate online. Records and data are shared between multiple trusted identities, rather than being stored by only one. With permission needed by individuals/consumers to access and edit data, this forms a more robust, incorruptible record of transactions and online activity, giving agency back to individuals. From increasing the transparency of data to safeguarding the transaction of assets and commodities, blockchain forms the backbone of a system in which public services can eradicate corruption and widen participation.  

 

It’s possible to imagine a world in which data held on a blockchain would allow individuals, businesses and public sector bodies to prove facts about themselves that can be trivially verified. Such a technology would allow whole ecosystems to emerge where contracts can be negotiated and deals done, by humans or AI, without the risk that whoever you’re interacting with is misleading you or is part of some sort of scam. For example, we can imagine a self-driving taxi that’s able to bid for fares, prove its environmental efficiency and safety record, buy its own electricity and even book its own repairs, all built on an ecosystem of verifiable trust—a ride hailing ecosystem without the need for the ride hailing company middleman. Ideas like this and more become possible if we embrace blockchain for so much more than cryptocurrency.

Dominic von Trotha Taylor
Busy Office

Creating An Office Space Fit for Purpose

Posted on | by Akeela Zahair

By Edward Griffin CEO, WorkPad. 

The office is still a vital component of the world of work in 2021, especially for small and medium sized businesses which are leading the way in the return to the workplace.  

Latest figures from property agent Cushman & Wakefield shows that office lettings are at the highest level since lockdown started, and our own occupancy rates at WorkPad concur with this.

We’re seeing 100% occupancy across our spaces in Soho and Covent Garden in London, with clients wanting greater flexibility in their office requirements. Across our portfolio of more than 19 Serviced Office sites in the Capital, occupancy levels are on average 92 per cent. And this level is set to increase further in the autumn as more employees intend to return to the office from September onwards.

Even with many businesses considering a move to a hybrid office, having a beautiful space to enjoy commuting into and occasionally host clients in, cannot be replaced by a complete working from home set up.

Combine this with a need for complete flexibility in their contracts and the ability to claim a city centre presence, it’s not surprising that we have seen a major spike in requests for our office spaces with a record number of enquiries coming from growing SMEs and downsizing companies.

What’s more, for junior members of staff, returning to the office and learning from their more senior and experienced colleagues is imperative for their growth and development. This is also true for people who started a new job during lockdown and are yet to meet their colleagues in-person.

Returning to the workplace is an exciting time for most businesses, but it can be daunting if your business has shrunk, grown, or even remained the same size over the past 18 months. Your requirements for office space are sure to have changed. If you are looking to open the office from the autumn onwards, here are some top tips on how to best to return to existing office space or seek a new home for your business.

 

Seeking new office space

What will your space be used for: It is important when looking to downsize or upsize to consider what environment your office will be. Will it be a place for hot-desking, a chance to collaborate face-to-face, or just a change in scenery? How many people will be coming into the office on a regular basis, or a part-time basis? Think about private desk space and quieter spaces for working, alongside open space, large tables and chairs, and white boards / large scale video conferencing facilities for collaboration. A key aim when returning to the office is to champion community, long are the days of the workspace being entirely for completing tasks, it is now a place for employees to get together and collaborate.

Negotiating a flexible lease: With policies on returning to the office changing all the time, it is important to work with an office space provider that offers flexible leases and contracts. You want to have the ability to flex the size of your business and refurbish your office space. During the pandemic, we launched our Flex Start agreements, allowing businesses to secure a WorkPad office with no commitment to pay until they are ready to move in.

Location. Location. Location: Now that you are looking for an office space that benefits both work from home and in-house employees, an office that is close to transport hubs is a great way for your employees to continue enjoying their work-life balance. Also ensure you are close to shops, eateries, and a range of amenities for employees to benefit from.

 

Returning to existing office space

Hybrid working office space: It’s imperative to create policies that benefit both working from home employees and in-house employees. Everyone should feel like they are key members of the team, even when working from home. Creating spaces for remote collaboration with ample video conferencing facilities is key, alongside areas for hot desking, private meetings, health and wellbeing.

Listen to your employees: it is important to engage with your employees and find out how they plan to use the office and what environments help their productivity. It is also important to consider how employees in different roles will have differing requirements. As an employer your role is to entice your employees back to office and send a clear message that you are listening to what they need.

Adapting your office design: Making changes to your workspace can add real value to your business and its employees. It is important that your office caters to all working types, including collaborative spaces as well as individual working zones. It is also a good idea to offer your staff exercise spaces to increase their health and wellbeing.

Make sure the workplace is safe: Despite the government’s removal of social distancing rules, there are still many high-risk people that are still practicing social distancing. It is important to ensure that your office is following measures to allow high risk employees to be able to safely return to the office. Look at changes to ventilation system, open windows, space desks appropriately, and increase cleaning of all areas.

Business man in a suit looking over the job adverts in a newspaper

Entice The Best Candidates By Writing A Compelling Job Advert

Posted on | by Magdalena Lew

In order to entice the best candidates into applying to work for your company, you need to write a compelling job advert. When a potential applicant looks at your advert, you need them to read the entire piece. This will help weed out any overqualified applicants or those not suitable for the role, and it should give the candidate a good understanding of your business.

 

However, when candidates first open a job advert, they skim it before they settle in to read the information entirely. They do this to get a quick idea of if the role is a suitable fit; if it’s not, they move on. If your job advert is a wall of text instead of formatted with bold and concise subheadings to make skimming the information easier, they will most likely move on without reading your job advert at all. 

 

We’re here to help you write a captivating job advert to attract the best candidates for your role.

 

Understand Your Target Candidates

Candidates apply for jobs that they are excited about; tap into that emotion to encourage your prospective applicants to respond to your job advert.

 

Create a persona for your target candidate; what are their professional goals? What will make them happy and excited? Use this information you compile to create promises your company can keep and that your target applicant will be looking for. The right benefits and guarantees will make it more likely that a candidate will respond to a job advert, but be careful to only include ones that your company can deliver on. It’s essential to stay away from off-putting language as that can also cause candidates to ignore your job advert.

 

Advertise On Multiple Platforms

Once you have a clear and exciting job advert, you need to think about how to advertise a job. The first place that many companies go to is generic job boards, posting their advert with as many as possible. This can be detrimental to the quality of the candidate that you have responding to your advert. Instead, choose one or two of those boards, and place your advert on an industry-specific job board alongside them; this will increase your visibility without diluting the quality. 

 

How to advertise a job online is the easy part. Next, you want to look at other platforms to get the most out of your advert. Take to social media to get the word out to your followers that your company is hiring. Tailor your approach to each social media site you use; some social media sites expect a more professional language, whereas others prefer a casual and fun approach. 

 

Respond To Applicants

An auto-response mechanic is an excellent way to reply to every applicant with what to expect next; set a clear time frame for when you will be contacting successful candidates. Doing this will not only make your company look better to job seekers, encouraging them to apply again if unsuccessful, but it also eases the workload for you in not having to reply individually. 

 

Create a shortlist and narrow that down again to have the applicants you wish to interview. For the candidates you liked but didn’t make the cut for interviews, reply personally to wish them luck in the future. Again, this encourages them to apply for future roles.