Hr Network Volume 20 Issue 2

NOVEMBER 2023 VOLUME 20 ISSUE 2 A MEDIA AVENUE PUBLICATION | www.hrnetworkjobs.com

Menopause at Work: THERE’S NO NEED TO SUFFER IN SILENCE

SPECIAL FEATURE: ANNOUNCING THE Hr NETWORK AWARDS FINALISTS FOR 2023

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CONTENTS

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COVER STORY Menopause at Work: There’s no need to suffer in silence Last month was World Menopause Awareness Month and with more women in work than ever before, are organisations being accommodating enough to put menopause higher on the agenda? Andy Moore discovers how HR can help ensure more supportive workplaces.

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CONTENTS

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News

14 Employment Law Update A range of updates from the world of employment law

8 22

20 Stats Will HR be replaced by AI?

22 Feature Two Preview of the Finalists in the Hr NETWORK Awards 2023

32 The Bookshop Latest bestsellers to the published

34 Feature Three Qualifications vs.

Confidence – Why are ethnic minority voices the quietest?

38 Extra REVEALED – How to manage a business crisis

42 Insights Cracking the Networking Code; Remote Working

34 38

44 Event of the Month: Review of the Nominees Lunch in Edinburgh during October 2023

46 My LinkedIn Ross Fleming

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CONTRIBUTORS

Georgia Wilson

Founder and Publisher:

Employment Law Update: Artificial Intelligence p. 14

Senior Associate Editor:

AAB People

Lee Turner lee@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Andy Moore editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Deputy-Editor:

Shaun Gray

Teresa Flannigan editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Feature: How to Manage a Business Crisis p. 38

Editor-At-large:

Enerpac

Neil Archibald editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Editor’s Assistant/Admin: Marion Robertson editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Cameron MacArthur

Advertising/Sponsorship:

AI Insurance

Feature: Cracking the Networking Code p. 42

Donna Turner advertising@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Design: Media Avenue Ltd Hr NETWORK now available on:

Sonia Blizzard

LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/ hrnetwork1

Insight: UK businesses split on benefits of remote working p. 43

Twitter: www.twitter.com/ HrNETWORKNews

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The views expressed in Hr NETWORK (SCOTLAND) are those of invited contributors and not necessarily those of Media Avenue Ltd. Media Avenue Ltd does not endorse any goods or services advertised, or any claims or representations made in any advertisement in Hr NETWORK (SCOTLAND) magazine and accepts no liability to any person for loss or damage suffered as a consequence of their responding to, or placing reliance upon any claim or representation made in any advertisement appearing in Hr NETWORK (SCOTLAND) magazine. Readers should make appropriate enquiries and satisfy themselves before responding to any such advertisement or placing reliance upon any such claim or representation. By so responding or placing reliance readers accept that they do so at their own risk. © Media Avenue Ltd. 2023.

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W E LCO M E

November 2023

Welcome to our November issue of Hr NETWORK magazine.

We’re so excited ahead of this month’s Hr NETWORK National Awards Gala Dinner 2023 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute.

I want to say a huge thank you to Roffey Park’s CEO, Dr. Arlene Egan and all her colleagues for their hugely valuable and continued support.

The Hr NETWORK Team are putting the finishing touches to what promises to be the biggest and the best HR industry event for 2023, taking place in Glasgow on Thursday 9th November. We have a wonderful evening of celebration planned and the prospect of hosting almost 700 guests this year with the chance to recognise, acknowledge and reward the champions of the HR and people management & development industry in Scotland.

Awards Gala Dinner 2023 We are very grateful to all our sponsors for their support this year and thanks also to the many organisations that have secured a Table of 10 at the forthcoming Gala Dinner.

This Issue

We also have a full preview of all the finalists and sponsors in this years Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023 and the following issue in January 2024 will feature the winners from the Gala Dinner from Thursday 9th November in Glasgow.

The regular sections of the magazine include: Stats, the Bookshop and a range of Insight features on some hot topics in the people management & development world.

I hope you enjoy your online copy of Hr NETWORK Magazine and look forward to welcoming everyone attending the Awards Gala Dinner next week.

Lee Turner Publisher

In this online edition of the magazine, Andy Moore discovers how HR can help to ensure there are more supportive workplaces for women experiencing the lifechanging effects of the Menopause.

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Contributors: Georgia Wilson; Shaun Gray; Cameron MacArthur; Sonia Blizzard

NEWS

40% of women state care responsibilities impact their tech career choices

Joanna Kori, Head of People at Encompass Corporation, commented: “It is both concerning and disheartening to see these figures, which highlight women being forced to alter or give up their careers in technology – and especially when a primary cause is centred on a lack of flexible working practices.

“With women saying they have left roles to better fulfil care commitments, this only emphasises, again, the importance of giving employees the opportunity to make work work for them. These commitments should not be a barrier and flexible working policies, for example, can be central to empowering women, and all workers, to prioritise the life and wellbeing choices that are important to them while meeting professional goals.”

40 per cent of women in the technology sector agree that their decision to stay in their current role depends on the care responsibilities they have, according to the Tech Talent Charter. The research shows that almost 12 per cent of women have left their role in technology so they can invest more time in their caring commitments, while a lack of work-life balance was also shown to be the top reason for women deciding to leave their role in the technology industry.

Karen Blake, Tech Talent Charter’s chief operating officer, said: “It’s really troubling to learn about the high number of women in tech who are feeling unhappy in their jobs.

It’s especially discouraging to see that so many talented female technologists are considering leaving their positions or not staying for very long.”

While disproportionate care responsibilities were evident before the pandemic, it is said that the work-from-home mandate has highlighted that women have been hit with even more care responsibilities, making it no surprise that those who are able to work more flexibility have higher retention rates.

Along with care responsibilities, a lack of career development was also highlighted as a key reason for women leaving their roles in tech, with four out of five women saying this has impacted their decision, while pay dissatisfaction was also shown to be a top reason, likely being linked to the cost of living crisis and high childcare costs.

Employers encouraged to remove barriers to seeking mental health at work The Scottish Mental Illness Stigma Study, published in 2022 by See Me and the Mental Health Foundation, found that more than three quarters (77%) of people with experience of severe, enduring and complex mental illness have faced stigma at work. Of those who identified employment as an area where stigma had the greatest impact, 71% reported being treated unfairly by employers, supervisors or managers.

EMPLOYERS across Scotland are being encouraged to take action on employee wellbeing, and address the factors that are preventing employees from speaking up and seeking support when they need it.

See Me, Scotland’s programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination, is calling on senior leaders to show a commitment to improving workplace mental health, invest time and effort into improving their practice, and role model non-stigmatising attitudes and behaviours.

To help businesses take action against stigma, and recognise where they can do more to support staff wellbeing, See Me’s workplace team will host a series of webinars and masterclasses in the months ahead.

Despite progress in recent years in terms of public awareness of mental health, stigma – negative attitudes or beliefs based on a preconception, misunderstanding or fear of mental health – and fear of discrimination continue to hold workers back from speaking up when they’re struggling in the workplace.

The free online sessions will showcase how taking action to tackle mental health stigma at work can benefit businesses – by saving money, reducing absenteeism and presenteeism, and creating a better working environment for staff.

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NEWS

Nearly half of hiring managers suffering with ‘post hire blues’

rushed decisions, there remains a fine line to balance here, as if you take too long without keeping candidates in the loop during the hiring process, you may see potential talent going elsewhere.

“Managers do feel under pressure to make a good impression, as they want to ensure that potential future staff have a positive experience during the interview process. But a lot of the time, interviewers ‘wing’ the interview – a key part of the hiring process – which can not only leave applicants with a bad impression, but also can cause detriment to the business in the long run.

Nearly half of UK managers (46%) say that they regret being too hasty when hiring, with threefifths wishing they had asked different interview questions before making their decision to take on a new employee, unveiling how ‘post hiring blues’ is disrupting businesses.

“Nearly half of managers (47%) worry about asking candidates the right questions, with a shocking twothirds (66%) of managers making up the questions themselves,” continues Ian.

The new research conducted by Reed has also revealed the top interview blunders managers make during the hiring process include over one in four (27%) calling potential candidates by the wrong name, even more (29%) having the wrong candidate’s CV in front of them during the interview, and over one third (37%) not being able to answer candidate questions.

“While personal experience and knowledge of the role you are hiring for are big indicators as to what sort of questions you should ask, there are still a plethora of other factors that need to be considered when trying to get to know your potential new hire.

Ian Nicholas, Global Managing Director at Reed, commented: “In this sensitive economic climate, businesses need to make sure the hires they are making are smart investments. Being prepared and confident when conducting interviews, therefore, is so vital. And while I would advise managers to not make hasty,

“Questions need to reveal how and if the candidate can support current business demands, how the person would work alongside the rest of the team, and how their professional qualifications work alongside their soft skills and previous experience – to name a few.”

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NEWS

Stagecoach invests in its future pipeline of talent by launching a new and improved graduate leadership programme

With a gender split of 44%, the new group of graduates are set to join a team reflective of the communities served by Stagecoach. Alongside this, 33% of the cohort are from ethnic background and 44% of the cohort also qualify as socially mobile supporting the commitment to a more diverse employee population as set out in its recent sustainability strategy.

Stagecoach, which employs around 24,000 people across the UK, is driving forward several initiatives to build an inclusive workforce that represents all the customers and communities it serves.

Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, has relaunched its Graduate Leadership Programme after four years, welcoming nine future leaders to operating companies across the UK.

Ray O’Toole, Stagecoach Executive Chairman, said: “We are delighted to welcome these new graduates into our teams and know they will have a fulfilling time throughout the two-year programme.

“Our graduates will be based across the UK, developing their expertise with multiple stakeholders which will build their skills and knowledge for becoming our future leaders within the transport industry.

Stagecoach offers graduates the opportunity to get involved from day one during their well-rounded twoyear programme. The graduates induction week was filled with networking, meeting leaders, and undertaking a self-discovery session before joining their individual operating company teams.

“Having paused our graduate recruitment during the pandemic, it is a really exciting time to be welcoming a new group and generation of enthusiastic individuals into the sector, who I’m sure will go on to achieve great things here.”

The areas hosting graduates from September 11th 2023, are Manchester, South Wales, Yorkshire, Merseyside & South Lancashire, South, London, South East and West.

The operator is also one of only 107 employers across the country who met the Gold Standard and is committed to the continued training and development of employees.

Reflective of capability requirements for future leaders, those in the programme are set to develop skills in stakeholder management, commercial innovations, people leadership, operational performance and change management. With additional access to their own support network, they are assisted by a buddy and mentor within the company.

Narcissistic leaders cause employees undue stress in crisis situations Vulnerable narcissistic leaders are especially likely to make employees irritated during crisis situations, reveals new research from NEOMA Business School.

“Resources are often already stretched thin in crisis situations. Vulnerable narcissistic leaders strain them further, for instance by giving employees no guidelines on how to accomplish goals or blaming others for their own shortcomings. Employees already short on time and energy are required to invest more in making sense of their leader’s behaviour,” explains Professor Schyns.

Respondents reported their levels of irritation and Coronavirus-related worry in five weekly surveys, as well as their experiences with vulnerable narcissistic leadership – an unstable form of leadership characterised by covert feelings of entitlement.

The researchers suggest organisations should watch out for red flags of narcissistic leadership, such as punishing others for taking the initiative, as the irritation this causes followers can lead to more severe mental health impairments.

The study finds that employees subjected to this kind of behaviour reported feeling more irritation in general, and this irritation worsened in weeks when they were exposed to higher amounts of vulnerable narcissistic behaviour from those in charge.

“Followers can be protected by implementing checks and balances and adjusting HR practices to better deal with these behaviours,” says Professor Schyns.

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NEWS

Two thirds of fathers in HR feel as though paternity leave had a negative impact on their career New research indicates that UK fathers who work within the recruitment and HR profession could be getting shortchanged when it comes to the early weeks of raising their children.

Life insurance broker, Reassured, has investigated the need for a parental leave offering within the HR and recruitment sector. The experts spoke with UK fathers to determine their stance on the parental options they’re given.

According to the research, there are significant disparities in parental leave experiences with over one in six (17.1%) fathers being granted 5-6 weeks of paid parental leave, whilst 20% were allowed 1-2 weeks.

Although 36% of those polled within HR and recruitment were given 5 to 6 weeks of paternity leave, two thirds of those did not feel as though they had enough time to bond with their child, and further stated they felt as though their career had been impacted from taking the leave.

Worryingly, 67% admitted that they felt pressure to return to work prematurely, and the same number of fathers added they were denied additional leave from their employers.

Delving further into the topic, Reassured spoke to Danielle Baron to offer tips on what employers can do to make paternity leave more accessible to new parents: A spokesperson at Reassured comments further: “Our study highlights the need for continued efforts to improve parental leave policies. With life being filled with unforeseen twists and turns it’s crucial to ensure your family is protected should the worst happen.”

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NEWS

Student Loans Company appoints new People Director

Gilian has a BSc (hons) in Physiological Sciences from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland. She joined Natwest in 2005 and was previously at HBOS. Speaking about her appointment, Gillian said: “I have been looking forward to joining SLC – my first public sector role after a career in financial services. This is an excellent opportunity to lead a team who are committed and passionate about the people in this organisation and continue to develop our culture.

The Students Loans Company (SLC) has appointed Gillian Brydie as Executive Director, People. Following more than 20 years in the financial services sector, Gillian moves into the public sector bringing a wealth of experience to the organisation, including expertise in strategy development, people change and transformation, business partnering and senior leadership.

Leading the People Directorate, she is responsible for developing the People Strategy, which aims to ensure that SLC is a great place to work.

“SLC’s purpose plays a core role in enabling students to realise their ambitions and supporting their education journey. In my first few weeks, I have been encouraged by the extensive knowledge and experience in the business, both in the People team and beyond in other directorates. There’s lots to do and I’m excited to get started.”

Gillian joins from NatWest where she was the Head of People Transformation. Chris Larmer, CEO at SLC, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Gillian to SLC to lead our People Directorate. We are a customer-focussed, purpose driven business and our employees are at the heart of everything we do. Gillian has extensive skills and experience that will be of huge benefit as we move forward and continue to make SLC a great place to work.

“Gillian has a proven track record of leading large teams and focusing on the success of strategic priorities. We are excited to have her on board at SLC.”

AoEC certifies as a B Corporation The Academy of Executive Coaching (AoEC) is delighted and proud to announce its certification as a B Corporation. As an accredited global coach training company, joining this community of B Corps is a significant milestone for the AoEC and symbolic of its desire to create positive impact by championing coaching.

AoEC’s vision and strategy is built on the key pillars of people, planet and prosperity and our dedication to customer service, inclusive culture and strong ethical approach to business underpin the company’s commitment to the B Corp movement.

John Leary-Joyce, founder and CEO of the AoEC commented: “We are honoured to become a Certified B Corporation®. As a values-driven business, we hold people and planet very much as key stakeholders and are committed to doing good work with a purpose of making coaching as accessible as possible so that we can all realise our potential. This is fantastic recognition for the AoEC team who are devoted to ensuring the AoEC is best in class in everything it does. Our ambition is to continue being an influential leader within the coaching and professional development space so we carry on making a sustainable difference to the individuals and organisations we have the utmost pleasure to work alongside.”

B Corps are a global community of businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. As a B Corp in the coaching industry, AoEC is now counted among these businesses, leading a global movement for an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy and the AoEC team is excited to be joining this movement, all committed to positively impact people, communities and the planet.

AoEC was assessed across five impact areas: governance, workers, customers, community and environment. Based on the B Impact Assessment, it earned an overall score of 86.9. The median score for ordinary businesses completing the assessment is 50.9.

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NEWS

Over half of remote workers admit to house cleaning on the job

Less than half of the women surveyed think that what they’re being paid adequately reflects the value they bring to their organisation with their skills and experience (45%) or what they do for their employer in terms of their role and responsibilities (44%).

In comparison, half of the men surveyed do feel adequately rewarded for their efforts, with 49% agreeing that their salary reflects their skills and experience, and 51% that it is reflective of their current role and responsibilities.

Most people spend up to ten hours cleaning each week, but did you know that six in ten Brits admit to cleaning up between work tasks? In fact, more people clean on a Monday than any other day of the week, with 81% participants saying they tidy on a Monday, based on a survey of 1,000 people.

Of the 1,000 people polled by HR software provider Ciphr last month, just one in four (26%) women, compared to one in three (36%) men, had asked for a pay rise. Women were also shown to be less likely to have asked for a cost-of-living bonus (7% vs 14% of men), for a promotion (17% vs 22%), or for more employee benefits to top up their income (11% vs 16%).

Yet, conversely, it is female employees that are the most likely to say they can’t afford to take sick leave (55% vs 47%), the most likely to report feeling overwhelmed by the stress of money worries (80% vs 70%), and the most likely to think that they are not being paid enough (38% vs 32%).

Retention rates nosedive as majority of businesses find it difficult to retain top employees The majority (72%) of businesses are finding it difficult to retain top employees, with 22% admitting it’s very challenging, a new survey has revealed.

rely on spreadsheets and paperwork. Something has to change.”

Only 28% of HR leaders are capturing, storing and viewing employee performance and development insights on an online platform. A further 21% of respondents have information siloed across different platforms, and, worryingly, 7% don’t capture, store or view these insights at all. When asked how long it takes to access employee data or insights, 60% have to spend up to a week or more to gain access. Ten percent have to wait more than a month to access this data, and 8% can’t view this vital data at all.

Alongside difficulties retaining top employees, almost two-thirds (64%) noticed an increase in employee turnover in the past 12 months. That’s according to a survey of 250 HR professionals, conducted by StaffCircle, the all-in-one Employee Success Platform, which found that 60% of HR professionals are restricted by lack of real-time data that drives better retention: performance, engagement and development insights.

“With employee performance and development data inaccessible, HR teams are unable to strategise and plan accurately or effectively,” Seemann continued. “It’s time for HR teams to ditch spreadsheets and embrace technology for optimal employee performance management. The real-time, accessible benefits can’t be overstated. Otherwise, HR teams will remain in the expensive recruit-to-replace loop.”

Worryingly, performance management data is still logged on paper or spreadsheets for half (49%) of HR professionals, with a further 48% unconfident in the accuracy of their employee performance and engagement data. This suggests an inability to react or implement changes in real time to resolve issues or motivate key players.

“Without real-time data and insights, organisations simply cannot understand their workforce,” commented Mark Seemann, Founder and CEO at StaffCircle. “On average, HR teams are spending 3-4 days a month on performance management admin – time that could be spent on employee training or mentoring. Too many still

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BULLYING & HARASSMENT

DATA PROTECTION

DISABILITY

DISCIPLINE & GRIEVANCE

DISMISSAL

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS

E M P L OY M E N T L AW U P DAT E

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: WILL IT REQUIRE A CHANGE IN UK EMPLOYMENT LEGISLATION?

By Georgia Wilson AAB People

We already know it is important to remain up to date with advances in technology to remain competitive. You may be familiar with buzzwords such as machine learning, algorithms, automation, ChatGPT… but what is AI? AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, performing tasks, which involves understanding language, recognising patterns, making decisions, learning from experience, and solving problems.

is also disrupting traditional job roles, raising some complex ethical and potential legal issues, which may require the businesses to adapt to new challenges.

One of the most pressing challenges for employment law is how to regulate the use of AI in hiring and recruitment processes. AI-powered systems are increasingly being used to screen job applications and select candidates for interviews. These systems often use algorithms to analyse CVs and identify suitable candidates based on factors including keywords, experience, educational qualifications, and more. This can definitely help businesses reduce time constraints when recruiting and potentially reduce costs.

It is shown that UK business leaders are making use of AI to improve their operations. Around one in six UK organisations, totalling 432,000, embraced at least one AI technology in 2022 – according to government research.

The Forbes Advisor Survey found that the most popular uses of AI are in the areas of customer service, cybersecurity and fraud management, and digital personal assistants. AI can be utilised to streamline and enhance various aspects of HR across the employee life cycle.

However, it is not guaranteed that these algorithms make sure equality and diversity is certain taken into consideration and could perpetuate biases or discrimination against certain groups of people, such minorities or people with disabilities. In addition, AIbased hiring systems raise issues of data protection, privacy, and transparency, such as how job seekers can

In 2023, the effect of AI (Artificial Intelligence) on UK employment law is becoming increasingly significant.

While AI is generating job opportunities in some areas, it

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E M P L OY M E N T L AW U P DAT E

However, there are questions about whether these tools could replace human workers in some roles, or

However, this technology raises important questions about employees’ privacy and autonomy, as well as the accuracy and fairness of the algorithms used. In addition,

However, we are dealing in HUMAN RESOURCES issues. Over-reliance on AI could lead to a loss of empathy in interactions. The human element is critical in HR – it’s in the name after all! The greatest tool we need is Emotional Intelligence, and there is nothing artificial about that.

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

On a similar note, another area where AI may impact UK employment law is the use of digital assistants or chatbots in the workplace. These tools can help employees with a variety of tasks, such as scheduling meetings, answering basic queries, or providing training and support.

A third area where AI is having an impact on employment law in the UK is the use of predictive analytics in performance management and employee monitoring. AI software can analyse vast amounts of data, such as emails, social media posts, and browsing history, to identify patterns and predict behaviours of employees. This can be useful in identifying areas where employees need support or training, or in detecting potential misconduct or fraud.

In conclusion, the impact of AI on UK employment law in 2023 is multifaceted and complex. While AI offers great promise in terms of productivity, efficiency, and innovation, it can also raise some ethical, legal, and social challenges that must be addressed through review and updated government guidance. By proactively developing new legislation, guidelines, and best practices for the responsible use of AI in the workplace, the UK can help ensure that the benefits of AI are fairly shared, and that workers’ rights and dignity are upheld. Above all we should remember AI is simply a tool, albeit a useful one.

REDUNDANCY

Additionally, the UK government published the AI Regulation Policy Paper on 18 July 2022, which forms part of the UK government’s National AI Strategy and its AI Action Plan.

For instance, if a chatbot provides incorrect or harmful information, who should be held responsible for the consequences? Should chatbots be considered a form of surveillance, and if so, what are the implications for privacy and data protection? To counter this AI developers and providers may need to establish codes of conduct and ethical guidelines, such as requiring transparency, human oversight, accountability, and a commitment to ethical standards.

employees may feel uncomfortable with the level of surveillance and be unable to challenge the data or conclusions made by the AI tools. To mitigate these risks, the government may need to look at legal safeguards for employees’ rights to privacy, data protection, and freedom from unreasonable surveillance. This may involve developing new processes for informed consent, transparency of the algorithms used, and oversight and accountability of AI systems, as well as strengthening legal protections against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.

MATERNITY & PARENTAL RIGHTS

To address these concerns, the government and the employment tribunals are likely to start looking at scrutinizing AI-based hiring practices more closely, and to potentially consider imposing new regulations and guidance on employers. Already in the United Kingdom, there have been calls by the Trade Union Congress in a report recommending measures to protect against algorithm discrimination.

These include; the employer has burden of proof to disprove discrimination in their AI use in recruitment instead of the employee, creation of statutory guidance on steps to avoid discrimination when using AI and mandatory AI registers to be regularly updated by employers and made available to candidate.

perpetuate biases and discrimination against certain groups. As AI-powered chatbots and digital assistants become more sophisticated, the government must consider how to advise businesses on addressing issues like accountability, liability, and ethical responsibility.

HEALTH & SAFETY

access and challenge the data being used to evaluate them.

TUPE WORKING TIME

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F E AT U R E

Menopau Menopa at Work: Work

THERE’S NO NEED T SUFFER IN SILENCE Last month was World Menopause Awareness Month and with more women in work than ever before, are organisations being accommodating enough to put menopause higher on the agenda? Andy Moore discovers how HR can help ensure more supportive workplaces.

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F E AT U R E

use ause k::

TO E

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F E AT U R E

As an HR professional, do your policies take into account your female employees going through the menopause? Whether full or part-time, there were 15.6 million working women in the UK aged 16 and over from October to December 2022, 1.7 million higher than the decade before.

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very one of those experiencing life’s natural transition deserve full rights to stand up and be counted and receive fair and flexible treatment in the world of work.

The British Standards Institution (BSI) recently published a new British standard, BS 30416, which aims to provide all workplaces with guidance on how they can adequately support their employees who experience menopause symptoms.

“Inclusion in the workplace has never been so necessary.

Ensuring our largest growing demographic of people feel welcomed and wanted through this huge life change is ethical and humane,” stresses Nic Ponsford, CEO and Founder of the Global Equality Collective. “Our research illustrates the importance of putting people at the heart of our policies to create opportunities for all, rather than excluding key parts of our workforce.”

“Flexible working policies and other supportive measures are key to creating more inclusive workplaces for women. Women want flexibility and know that it has an impact on their career decisions. So it’s critical that organisations understand this and ensure that hybrid working is inclusive and does not disadvantage anyone in the workplace.”

To gain deeper insights into the experiences of both female, male and non-binary employees navigating menopause, online print company, Instaprint, surveyed over 1,000 UK workers’ views on the topic. The survey revealed that almost a third of women believe that menopause negatively impacts their work, with the same proportion only feeling comfortable talking about menopause with their female colleagues.

Surprisingly, only 28% of women believe that menopause should be talked about in the workplace, while almost one in five believe their employer doesn’t support menopause at all. So, what steps can HR take to make workplaces more accommodating?

The firm has also run knowledge sessions on the menopause for its managers, ensuring they have the tools needed to support colleagues during a menopause transition.

KPMG UK encourages its colleagues to talk openly about the menopause. In the past it has run weekly internal events, helping to address any taboos, signposting colleagues to support available at the firm.

The company has bolstered its own support measures, launching its menopause policy.

But what about any taboos? An increasing number of women feel uncomfortable talking about their mental and personal health challenges in the workplace, reveals a Deloitte Global report: ‘Women @ Work: A global outlook’. The research surveyed 5,000 women in ten countries, including 500 working women in the UK to better understand their experiences.

Alongside medical support and counselling, occupational health, desk fans and flexible working, KPMG UK has offered colleagues access to a menopause-trained GP and a personalised care plan.

The research found that for menopause, many employees suffer in silence: more than a quarter of women (28%) experiencing symptoms related to menopause, and 40% with symptoms suffer pain without taking time off.

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F E AT U R E

for People and Purpose. “The research highlights how important it is for employers to actively listen to women’s needs and, crucially, take action to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels their health concerns are addressed.”

A lack of work flexibility is driving career decisions too: more women worldwide have left their jobs in the past 12 months than in 2021 and 2020 combined, and a lack of flexibility is among the top reasons cited, Deloitte found.

HR practitioners must be mindful that some women, whether in junior or senior positions, may feel they are unable to continue to perform at the same level due to menopause pressures.

The UK workforce is home to female workers going through varying stages in their lives.

It is evident there is a need for education and awareness of how to support the effect that menopause has on a female workforce. A common misconception is that menopause primarily affects older women, even though this is true for most women.

The Instaprint survey revealed that of those who reported going through menopause, the most prevalent age range was 35-44, followed by 45-54.

Jackie Henry summed up: “Flexible working policies and other supportive measures are key to creating more inclusive workplaces for women. Women want flexibility and know that it has an impact on their career decisions.

So it’s critical that organisations understand this and ensure that hybrid working is inclusive and does not disadvantage anyone in the workplace.”

Menopause, a pause for thought: • BS 30416 standard provides guidance to support menopause • Almost a third of women believe menopause negatively impacts their work • Only 28% believe menopause should be talked about at work • Encourage colleagues to talk openly about the menopause, signposting to support

Women in the UK experiencing challenges related to menopause are more likely than their global counterparts to work through pain (30% in the UK compared to 20% of global respondents).

• Consider medical support and counselling, occupational health and flexible working • 40% suffer pain without taking time off: actively listen to women’s needs

Although menopause is a natural biological process, there remains a social stigma attached, even though females make up a large proportion of the UK workforce.

• Some women may feel unable to perform at the same level

“Our research shows there is a stigma around discussing mental health and women’s issues in UK workplaces, but it’s concerning to see that this worsened last year,” stresses Jackie Henry, Deloitte UK’s Managing Partner

• Most prevalent menopause age range is 35-44

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S TAT S

Will HR be replaced by AI? - 63% of companies are rethinking their HR department

60% of HR professionals think AI will have a positive impact on how HR operates, a recent survey from People Management software provider Advanced reveals.

But in a world where new technology is being deployed at an ever-increasing pace, HR professionals must reimagine how their role functions in the modern workplace.

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focus more on human interactions, enhancing the overall employee experience. AI’s objectivity can also help with complex processes like pay reviews, ensuring fairness.

Moreover, it can analyse social network data to gauge employee sentiments.

PwC research has shown that 63% of companies are rethinking the whole role of their HR department in light of the impact AI will have on the business.

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According to a global study from Harris Insights, while more than 80% of employees in the US and UK believe having AI skills will give a competitive edge, 42% don’t believe their HR department can execute on it.

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‘Nearly 80% of executives rated employee experience as important. But just 22% reported that their companies were excellent at building a differentiated employee experience.’ - 2017 study by Deloitte

Recruitment Research indicates that 70% of a recruiter’s time is currently spent sifting candidates. From processes such as talent screening, booking and re-booking interviews, reminders, and even passive candidate sourcing, AI tools can greatly increase efficiency.

Other HR innovations

Are the HR bots coming?

HR departments, or more recently People and Culture teams, aim to improve employee engagement and experience. However, the reality is that they often get tied up in large amounts of admin tasks. AI and automation can relieve some of this pressure, but it also has the potential to make the employee experience less personal.

Alex Arundale Chief People Officer at Advanced identifies the challenges and opportunities of AI and automation in HR teams: “HR’s dual role of strategy and empathy is not easily replicated by machines, but those whose functions are purely process-focused will need to become more relevant in order to survive in the future. It is important for HR professionals to develop skills and competencies that will be crucial in the digital world, such as critical thinking, emotional understanding, creativity and collaboration – as well as gaining more STEM skills. The key is to maximise the strengths of AI, while enhancing the contributions of HR professionals.”

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Employee portal: staff can access real-time information about holiday, expenses, and payroll without needing to ask

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Employee experience chatbots: requesting holiday, submitting expense forms, answering common questions, birthday messages, onboarding, conduct employee sentiment and feedback surveys, attendance

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Next-level training: identify skills gaps, micro learning, which can quickly close skill and knowledge gaps, experience platforms, AI-based systems and Virtual Reality (VR)

Arundale concludes that new technology will benefit both employees and HR professionals: “HR leaders have increasing ownership of their technology platform. In the past, this technology was designed around the organisation rather than the employees.”

Making processes more efficient Arundale says: “AI is seen by some as a threat, with its mechanisation of huge numbers of tasks and sometimes entire roles – but it is also an opportunity to rethink the organisation and take ownership for smarter ways of working.”

AI offers an opportunity to boost efficiency by automating tasks like ticketing and generating insights through dashboards. This allows HR professionals to

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International Enterprising Impactful Leading Strathclyde The final word in business education

Our Masters programmes are consistently ranked among the best in the UK – and around the world. Our department of Work, Employment and Organisation is Scotland’s leading centre for research, knowledge exchange and professional education in human resource management and employment studies. As HRM experts, we understand the importance of providing high quality education that fits around your career: We offer: • A part time MSc/PGDip Human Resource Management programme which is completed in two years with classes from 1–7pm once a week.

• CIPD* approved postgraduate qualifications leading to Associate Membership.

• Constructive external engagement with policy makers and practitioners.

Make Strathclyde your destination.

www.strath.ac.uk/business

* CIPD is the professional body for HR and people development.

SBS are proud to be offering programmes in conjunction with CIPD (previously IPD and IPM) for almost 70 years.

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Hr NETWORK NATIONAL AWARDS 2023 PRESENTING THE FINALISTS FOR #HRNA23

By Teresa Flannigan

Our list of Finalists for this years Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute has been announced and the eventual winners will be announced at the 16th annual Gala Dinner taking place at the hugely impressive Hilton Glasgow on Thursday 9th November 2023.

Following last years hugely successful Gala Dinner, which managed to return to pre-pandemic numbers of over 700+ guests, we have managed to attract over 700+ guests, again for this years much anticipated Gala Dinner.

On the night, there will be the announcement of 17 award winners in a range of people, project and organisational categories for award winning work carried out over the past 12 months.

After 15 years of hosting the Gala Dinner, Stephen Jardine stepped down as the official host in 2022 and Stephen, will be replaced this year, by radio presenter and broadcaster Scott Wilson. Scott is one of the country’s best-known voices having spent over 20 years in radio broadcasting and appears regularly on TV & radio adverts, worldwide. Scott is also in high demand as a sports presenter and event host and is best known in football circles as the ‘Voice of Hearts FC’ where he spent 20 years as stadium announcer.

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Awards Finalists and Category Sponsors 2023: Attraction & Resourcing Award of the Year sponsored by:

Be-IT are the leaders in IT Recruitment, from IT and digital to change management and executive leadership – we’re here to shape careers and support employers.

Theirs is a team built to help both tech professionals and tech businesses be all they can be.

Whether you’re looking to take the next step in your career or you’re looking for the next member of your team, you can put your trust in them. They know tech and they are the people that work with tech.

After all, they’ve played their part in thousands of career moves and they’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the sector.

They are experts at permanent & contract hiring, and can even deploy entire teams of IT experts to fit with programme deliverables through their consultancy business Be-IT Projects. They have the team, the tools and the culture that others don’t. They’re ready to work with you.

For further information, please visit: www.be-it.co.uk

Multrees Investor Services Multrees recognised the need for specialist input in developing a bold, agile talent attraction strategy, and a seamless candidate journey to

support our growth plans. Through partnership with a boutique managed recruitment agent, they have enhanced all aspects of their candidate journey – from application and interview through to induction – to ensure their people feel valued from day one. Their more defined EVP has supported them to develop a narrative around our uniqueness as an SME.

Skyscanner At Skyscanner, it’s important to them to be a large contributor to the Scottish tech community by hiring in Scotland. As such they heightened their focus on sourcing and broadened their approach to look at not only the ‘who’ they are hiring, but also the ‘where’ and the ‘how’ they are engaging talent. This strategic campaign allowed them to increase applications to their Scotland tech roles by 87% and double their hiring numbers.

HR Graduate of the Year

Laura Briggs, Edinburgh Napier University Laura has enjoyed an exciting career at home, abroad, and at sea onboard award-winning cruise ships.

Since returning to Edinburgh, she has worked as a passionate people professional within the city’s luxury hospitality industry. Laura proudly graduated with an MSc Human Resource Management from Edinburgh Napier University and CIPD Branch Prize in 2022. She is a loyal Girl-guiding volunteer, loves history, and describes herself as a culture vulture, road trip enthusiast, and adventure-seeking globetrotter.

Valneva Scotland

Rebecca MacKinnon, Strathclyde Business School

Working together, Valneva Scotland are driven by their ambition: to be the best place to work in Scotland’s life sciences sector. Their focus is their people. Their strategy is to forge a culture of positivity and inspiration; to develop an exceptional work environment; to continually challenge and empower their teams; and to consistently recruit, retain and reward the most exceptional talent.

Rebecca began the MSc International Human Resource Management, a CIPD Approved programme, in September 2021. She was awarded an MSc with distinction in September 2022. She achieved the highest project mark of all MSc students and was awarded the Professor John Gennard Prize. Rebecca was successful in securing employment with her work-based project organisation, the TCM Group, before graduating and relocating to London.

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the consumer journey. Currently they have 130 members of staff located between Edinburgh, Glasgow, and London.

For further information, please visit: www.multrees.com Zero Waste Scotland

Sandra Sneddon, Strathclyde Business School Sandra pursued a career in HR after being a retail manager for a number of years. She has always been passionate about people development. She decided to take the plunge and graduated with an MSc in Human Resource Management with Distinction and was delighted to receive the Professor John Gennard award for her dissertation. Her research took place in a thriving SME called Bella and Duke where she has continued her journey in HR and she is now the People Manager. Sandra has introduced financial benefits throughout the organisation, created new contracts, and embedded a new workforce management system.

Employee Engagement Award of the Year sponsored by:

Multrees Investor Services was incorporated in the UK in 2010.

Multrees exists solely as a provider of outsourced services to wealth managers. In their most successful client relationships, their client partners consider their team as part of their own operation. The background and heritage of their firm is in understanding and supporting the high-quality services requirements of the unique industry they operate within. Their view remains as it was when they formed as a business, namely that the UK wealth management sector requires stronger support from dedicated partner firms that can supply scalability and client outcome driven solutions across the full breadth of

abrdn abrdn is a global investment company that helps clients and customers plan, save and invest for the future. They manage £496bn of assets on behalf of their clients and are structure around three businesses – Investments, Adviser and Personal. They will celebrate their 200-year anniversary of being there for their clients in 2025, and by diversifying the group, continue to position themselves for growth in a changing investment landscape.

Zero Waste Scotland has developed a holistic approach around employee engagement and wellbeing enabling colleagues to have a voice and be their best.

Employee engagement is a critical part of their people transformation programme. It is something that all employees have a responsibility for as all peer-to-peer interactions form part of the overall colleague experience, therefore they strive to foster a culture of inclusive behaviour.

HR Assistant/Officer of the Year

Skyscanner At Skyscanner their people have a voice when it comes to their company. They recently refreshed their values through an open process that engaged people and gave them a voice to feedback and celebrate and add to their culture. In addition, over the last 2 years they have seen record numbers in employee engagement and participation. This was confirmed earlier this year by their engagement scores and their most recent employee engagement survey achieving 91% participation and 80% engagement. This is huge compared to the industry benchmark and testimony to the culture that they build every day at Skyscanner. Listening to their employees is what makes them a special company to learn, share and grow and their people are their superpower.

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Dylan Hall, Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland Dylan is the HR Projects Officer at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, joining CHSS straight from school in September 2019, as a HR Modern Apprentice. Dylan has continued to grow professionally with the charity, recently achieving his CIPD Level 3 Foundation Certificate in People Practice. Within CHSS, Dylan has taken the lead and supported on Health and Wellbeing, Colleague Engagement, ER Cases, EDI, Equally Safe at Work, Workforce Planning, sourcing/implementing HRIS and much more!

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ESG Award of the Year sponsored by:

Jennifer McIvor, Three UK

Capricorn Energy

Jennifer joined Three UK in 2019 after achieving her Msc in Human Resources Management. She has since developed to be one of Three UK’s most experienced team members, providing advice and support to their 4,500+ employees across more than 80 policies and processes. Jennifer strives for continuous improvement in process accountabilities and has been a key contributor to the successful implementation of various initiatives, including their new Green Cars scheme and extending expertise into ER case management.

Capricorn is an Egypt-focused energy producer, with an attractive portfolio of assets in the Western Desert. Capricorn has a long history of responsible business practice.

They continue to understand changing legislation, standards and societal norms, helping them to improve the way they work to protect their legacy and address future challenges. This means ESG issues have been, and continue to be, at the heart of their business as their portfolio evolves and grows.

Robertson is one of the largest family-owned construction, infrastructure and support services businesses in the UK. Their purpose is to assure a sustainable future.

They achieve this by working in partnership and through sustainable growth, which enables us to invest in their business, the future of their people and communities, and to deliver a wide range of projects for customers nationally. Ultimately, everything they do is about making progress safely towards a sustainable future for their people, communities and their business. It’s the Robertson Way. For further information visit: www.robertson.co.uk

Luke McKeown, Three UK Luke’s HR career commenced 5 years ago, transferring his customer experience skillsets from their Contact Centre to their People team. Luke is passionate about constantly improving their People experience and provides advice and support to their 4,500+ employees on more than 80 policies and processes. Luke is consistently celebrated for demonstrating Three’s value of “going beyond the expected”, particularly in his role as People Team Employee Forum Rep and supporting the recent successful business transition to hybrid working.

Business Stream Business Stream is one of the largest water retailers in the UK. Employing c300 people, they provide a range of services to over 300,000 business customers including billing, water efficiency support and water and waste-water management solutions. Since 2008, they’ve helped their customers save over £335million (£30million in 2022) through discounts and water and energy efficiencies. To support their goal of driving positive change for the environment and society, they developed their ESG strategy to make a positive difference to their customers, their people, the environment and their local communities.

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ScottishPower ScottishPower has been aligning Pre-employment programmes to the UN, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for many years, collaborating with external partners to provide quality inclusive work experience to a wide range people across their communities. Examples include Breaking Barriers, delivered with Enable Scotland and University of Strathclyde, and their Returners programme, aimed at people who have had a gap from a STEM career and are looking to refresh their skills and increase their confidence, all leading to a positive destination post-programme. These and other activities are an integral part of their ESG strategy in the UK.

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HR Project of the Year

Robertson Group Through delivery of a new HRIS, the Robertson HR Projects Team responded to a key business need: to have one platform that improved operational efficiency and reduced risk for people leaders through robust reporting and analytics; and encouraged an engaged and empowered workforce. Accessible online and via mobile, the outcome is a system that delivers real-time HR reporting, integrates with their ATS and LMS, and provides every employee with a simple and efficient self-service tool.

Turning Point Scotland Through compassion, integrity, respect and inclusion, Turning Point Scotland seek to create an environment where all employees can achieve their full potential, benefitting not just them, but the people they support. Key to enabling this is their people managers at all levels across the organisation. A project was launched to develop, test and implement a suite of values led People Management training, which enables and empowers their managers to utilise and support the potential of all their people.

implementation of Evolve and My Conversations has revolutionised HR and OD practices. The project’s financial impact, improved learning engagement, and streamlined reporting demonstrate its effectiveness. West College Scotland’s forward-thinking approach in project management and change leadership has not only enhanced HR processes but also positively impacted the organisational landscape.

HR Manager/Advisor of the Year sponsored by:

At AAB People, they don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. They will work closely with you to truly understand your business inside out, and together, they will craft innovative, commercially driven strategies spanning HR, health & safety and learning & development.

Their strategic and outsourced services are personalised and designed to fit your current needs and future aspirations. They don’t just give you “off the shelf” solutions, their team of experts will seamlessly integrate as an extended part of your team whether you’re just starting out or are wellestablished. They will provide creative interventions and flexible, hands-on support every step of the way.

Lauren Kinnaird, Multrees Investor Services Lauren joined Multrees two years ago as a People Advisor. She has led transformational projects with the implementation of a performance management and engagement system, and the successful outsourcing partnership with a resourcing managed service provider. Lauren’s passion, confidence, and enthusiasm to drive change whilst maintaining the People Team’s reputation as a key influencer and enabler, can clearly be seen across Multrees. High on her priorities is self-development and she is currently studying towards CIPD.

For further information, please visit: www.aabpeople.com Stephanie Stewart, Three UK

West College Scotland West College Scotland’s sector leading HR project, driven by a comprehensive analysis of business needs. Through strategic alignment, stakeholder engagement, and Prosci’s ADKAR model, the

Known better as Dot, she manages the HR team; leads on complex ER cases; creates/maintains Employment Policies; directs the Performance Management process and plays a key role in L&D activities, including delivering Change Management and Line Manager training programmes. She has a particular interest in Women’s Health issues, operating as a member of the Health Group and the CHSS Menopause Café, which she created.

Dorothy Livesey, Chest, Heart & Stroke Scotland Dorothy is Deputy Head of HR at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, joining in 2020, after a very successful 25-year career with Tesco.

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Stephanie (“Steph”) is Senior People Services Operations Manager, accountable for providing shared services support and delivery to our 4500+ employees. Steph has over 13 years’ HR experience across Advisor, Specialist and Operations roles, equipping her with the breadth of experience and knowledge to lead and develop her team. She embodies our company values and leads with humanity and humility,

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realising the team’s full potential through the successful framework design and delivery of our full suite of services.

Health & Wellbeing Award of the Year

strategy is embedded through policies, guidance, internal communications, training, team meetings and one-to-ones. Their employee engagement survey demonstrates how highly colleagues value the on-going work in this area.

Organisational Development Award of the Year sponsored by: International Beverage International Beverage started their Health & Wellbeing focus about 3 years ago. It was a reactive measure to the Covid 19 pandemic. They gained a real passion for this initiative and were able to see strong links to business performance and team engagement. They then embarked on a more strategic process to bring health and wellbeing to the forefront of their HC initiatives and proactively manage and support the health and wellbeing of their colleagues.

Based in the UK, Singapore and Ireland, Roffey Park Institute delivers high impact Leadership and Management Development, and Organisational Development programmes and qualifications, as well as development and coaching for HR and HRD leaders and business partners.

For further information, please visit: www.roffeypark.com

Robertson Group Health and wellbeing is at the heart of the Robertson people strategy and an intrinsic part of their culture.

With over 3,000 employees in site and office-based roles, it’s crucial they maintain a culture of health, safety and wellbeing for all. The strategy is driven by their senior leaders, and across all Robertson businesses, ensuring the resources, benefits, tools and mechanisms to support mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing is known and accessible to everyone.

International Beverage International Beverage is proud and passionate. They want to compete on the world stage with leading spirits organisations. Therefore, they have embarked on a transformational change programme to support business growth. This is lead by their HC Director. Their journey started by looking at their business structure and making it fit for the future and then they will look at the skills they have and the development they require to reach their targets.

Zero Waste Scotland Zero Waste Scotland is an organisation, which places high strategic importance on employee health and wellbeing, leading to the best conditions for their people to thrive, be inspired and be happy and healthy at work. The essence of their approach is leading by example. The

West College Scotland West College Scotland’s Organisational Development Team has been on transformative journey through the implementation of

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Evolve and My Conversations. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and employee empowerment, the initiative has elevated engagement, streamlined processes, and heightened engagement with CPD and learning initiatives. Through strategic stakeholder engagement, innovative technological integration, and a data-driven approach, West College Scotland has effectively revitalised its organisational culture, resulting in enhanced effectiveness and viability amidst evolving challenges.

Zero Waste Scotland Zero Waste Scotland set out its ambitious corporate plan in the fight against climate change in 2019, including a strategic outcome dedicated to the transformation of the organisation. Now in its final year, they are incredibly proud of all that has been achieved, their organisation is almost unrecognisable from 2019 from an impact, efficiency, adaptability, maturity and strategic alignment perspective, but has retained a people centric culture and remains a really special place to work.

HR Specialist of the Year

Gary Docherty, Robertson Group As Training & Compliance Advisor for a UK-wide construction, infrastructure and facilities management business, Gary works in an industry where health and safety is everything. At first glance, this perhaps doesn’t seem like a traditional HR role – but through Gary’s work and passion for learning and development and employee

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wellbeing, the positive and farreaching impact he makes at Robertson is second to none.

Whether in a work or voluntary capacity, Gary makes things happen.

Learning & Development Award of the Year Mintra

Kate Paterson, Morgan Stanley Kate re-joined Morgan Stanley in 2021 as an Immigration Manager for the UK after first joining in 2017 as part of the EMEA Global Mobility team. Prior to returning, Kate was the Deputy Head of Student Immigration at the University of Edinburgh. Today, Kate is responsible for UK immigration, EMEA business travel and crossborder working and she was recently promoted to Director. Kate is also the Co-Chair of the Firm’s Pride & Ally network in Glasgow.

Paula Miller, Three UK Paula has over 17 years of experience as a highly skilled HR professional, with previous roles extending across shared services, transformation, and generalist disciplines. As People Policy Lead, Paula aligns policy and contractual principles and frameworks to our People strategy, supporting the enablement of an ambitious and inclusive culture. Paula brings a unique skill set to her role, exceling at scanning external and internal landscapes to understand the systematic implications of change and enabling the successful delivery of initiatives.

Mintra is a leading provider of human resource management solutions and digital learning to safety critical industries. Their technologies have been developed over 30 years to provide the scope, scale and capabilities required by companies of all sizes, to keep up with the complexities of deploying a skilled global workforce.

Headquartered in Bergen, Norway, Mintra operates from a network of global offices.

Multrees Investor Services When Multrees introduced hybrid working they recognised that leaders needed to develop their skills to remotely engage their people. Leading in the Digital Age was the first bespoke management development programme delivered

by Multrees. Through the programme their leaders explored the agile mindset and the importance of striving for simplicity in a complex world. The value-add has been in their ability to successfully navigate the shift to hybrid working whilst maintaining a culture of excellence.

NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde The NHSGGC Professional Administration Transformation programme (PAT) was established as a board-wide initiative to enhance professional administration delivery through engagement, training and guidance, defining agreed common practices across acute services and supporting staff through technological advances and

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a career development pathway. The other key aim of the programme was to work in partnership with staff and staff side representatives alongside human resources to transform administration, which supports the delivery of patient centred care.

Best Employer/ Workplace of the Year sponsored by:

Seamless, flexible, and leading-edge applicant tracking systems – Jobtrain pioneered applicant tracking systems in 1999 when online recruitment was in its infancy.

They are regarded as the UK’s most innovative and client-focused ATS / Talent Acquisition Management Software provider. They are a trusted partner to organisations including, NHS Scotland, Teleperformance, Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports, Toshiba, Odeon Cinemas, and Scottish Canals. They enable you to manage the sourcing, assessment and hiring of the right people with minimum effort and maximum efficiency. This positive automation of administrative processes in recruitment, frees up your time as recruiters to focus on the all-important element of hiring – people and relationships.

For further information, please visit: www.jobtrain.co.uk

Skyscanner At Skyscanner their people have a voice when it comes to cultural change. They recently refreshed their values through an open process that engaged people and gave them a voice to feedback and celebrate. Encouraging recognition and creating unique and inclusive benefits is important to them.

Evolving their strategy has led to an increase in recognition awards by

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over 100% and is a factor driving their 88.3% retention rate, significantly above their target of 81%.

Tata Consultancy Services A part of the Tata group, India’s largest multinational business group, Tata Consultancy Services has over 614,000 of the world’s best-trained consultants in 55 countries across 150 nationalities. TCS has been operating in Scotland since 1982 and has grown to around 30+ clients and nearly 4,000 associates based in UK supporting Scottish clients. Their values and ethos form the core around which they build their business model, people practices, and customer relations. Their focus is to ensure that their diverse workforce is constantly inspired, supported and valued.

Zero Waste Scotland Logo Zero Waste Scotland is a great place to work: that’s what their people tell them, who are highly likely to recommend working there, demonstrating that people value working there as much as the company values them. They nurture them to develop, so they can be a collective force for positive change.

From 2019, to match their ambitious corporate plan, they embarked on their organisational transformation programme towards operational excellence, investing in improving the overall employee experience.

HR Business Partner of the Year sponsored by:

Right Management Right Management from ManpowerGroup Talent Solutions has more than 40 years of expertise

in the talent lifecycle, helping organisations ensure they have the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Their workforce solutions include outplacement, workforce career management, leader development, coaching and assessment. Right Management’s solutions blend high-tech and high-touch, providing the strategies and insights to ensure your workforce is equipped for the future, whilst empowering employees to take charge of their careers.

For further information, please visit: www.rightmanagement.co.uk

Jenny Asher, Aegon UK As HRBP for Aegon’s Operations & Service business Jenny played a critical role during a year of exceptional challenge, where acute operational issues and contextual factors saw customer service levels drop, leading to significant client and commercial impacts. She worked tirelessly as part of the Operations Leadership Team to design and implement recovery actions whilst developing a longerterm plan to address underlying systemic people and culture issuesincreasing employee engagement by 10% in under 12-months.

Elaine Reid, Turning Point Scotland Since joining Turning Point Scotland, Elaine has built strong and credible reputation within the organisation and with the people they support because of her knowledge, skills, experience and down-to-earth approach. A forward-thinker with a keen eye for succession planning, Elaine works to enable colleagues with potential to develop, mentoring them to progress with an outcomes-

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based approach that provides a firm foundation for their future careers.

She embodies the values that TPS expects in all their leaders.

Sharon Cartwright, Three UK As ER Lead, Sharon is accountable for the provision of professional and commercial HR advice, proactive partnering and coaching of people managers for case management, strategic business change and people initiatives. Sharon is a pragmatic and inspiring leader with 20 years HR experience across multiple industries. She has led our ER team through a highly successful evolution from service provider to trusted business partner, whilst overseeing a shift in service strategy to support manager empowered self-service solutions.

HR Team of the Year

International Beverage The International Beverage HR team until recently was an all-female team of 6 extremely hardworking, passionate and supportive individuals. The team is made up of HR Director, 2 x HCBPs, Business Support Manager and 3 x HC administrators. In June 2023, they appointed their first male HC Advisor. A big team for a business of 270 people, however their team is more than just a support function, they are a proactive engaged team who drives change, and success across the business.

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Robertson Group Robertson has built an outstanding HR team and they’re proud of it.

Each member brings their own experience and specialist skills to provide exceptional support each day to their UK-wide family of businesses. And through the creation and delivery of their people strategy, to transformational projects that address key business challenges and support people development, their people play a pivotal role in achieving their overall Group Strategic Objectives and a talented and engaged workforce.

Skyscanner In response to Covid, the People Team developed a plan for how Skyscanner would engage and retain their people, and how that would involve all their leaders across the business. The plan was integrated into seven strategic pillars of the organisation in November 2021. This was a big, bold and totally new way of working for them and as a result of the strategy they’ve seen an unprecedented 11% increase in their company engagement score.

Leading with Kindness Award of the Year sponsored by:

Leading Kind believe that kind organisations and kind leaders make a difference to the bottom-line – and they work with their clients making work fairer, workplaces kinder, more inclusive, and outcomes better. The Leading Kind team combine strong research skills

and extensive HR, Equality, & People experience gained across a range of sectors with deep knowledge of how organisations work (and what to do when they don’t). Naturally diverse, their core team have a range of lived experiences that informs what they do and how they do it – using evidence and insight to provide thoughtful solutions that make a (positive) difference.

For further information, please visit: www.leadingkind.co.uk

Black Professionals Scotland Black Professionals Scotland (BPS) was formed in 2016, rooted in the values of equity and fairness.

Originating as Edinburgh Black Professionals, it embarked on a journey of growth, extending its reach across Scotland’s cities and towns. Its diverse membership boasts expertise in Tech, Finance, Art, Sciences and more. BPS provides support for their members to start and excel in their career while also while also supporting their corporate partners on their DEI journey with access to the diverse talents within the membership. With a seasoned leadership team dedicated to member welfare, BPS thrives as a growing community with several talented individuals and a vision to impact more lives. BPS currently has over 30 corporate partners and 4,000 members and growing.

Gleneagles At Gleneagles, leading with kindness is about looking after the whole person, not just the professional; building a culture of care that treats all with kindness, respect and fairness – so their people know they’re part of an organisation that supports and celebrates each important life event.

To do this, they take a service led approach, which they adapt based on what their colleagues tell them is important to them, putting everyone at the heart of every decision and product they design.

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Turning Point Scotland Turning Point Scotland (TPS) is a social care organisation supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society. Their people-centred ethos, People-First, aims to ensure that their employees are engaged and committed to the delivery of kind, caring and effective services to those they support. Through compassion, integrity, respect and inclusion, they seek to operate with kindness to create an environment where all employees can achieve their full potential, benefitting not just them, but also their service users.

HR Director of the Year sponsored by:

LHH exist to help people, teams and organisations find and prepare for what’s next. Their end-to-end HR solutions future-proof organisations and careers all over the world.

Through Advisory, Career Transition & Mobility, Learning & Development and Recruitment Solutions, they enable transformation, and their job is never done because there’s always another tomorrow to prepare for. They make a difference to everyone they work with, and they do it with local expertise, backed by global infrastructure and industryleading technology. LHH’s over 8,000 colleagues and coaches span 66 countries, working with more than 15,000 organisations, a majority of Fortune Global 500, and nearly 500,000 candidates each year. Together they address needs across the entire talent journey, helping organisations build their capabilities and individuals build brighter futures. There is a world of opportunity out there. Let’s get to work. LHH is a part of the Adecco

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Group, the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

organisation dedicated to the promotion of Scotch whisky around the world.

improve their performance and create an impact through professional qualifications and apprenticeships.

For more information, please visit: www.managers.org.uk

For further information, please visit: www.lhh.com/uk/en/

Supporting Sponsors Louise Smith, Zero Waste Scotland

Rachel Davidson, Skyscanner Rachel is Skyscanner’s Senior Director for Talent. She has been with Skyscanner for almost nine years, having worked her way up through the roles of People Partner, Senior Manager, Director of People Operations and now Senior Director.

Throughout this time, Rachel has developed an unrivalled understanding of the business and is widely regarded as the person you go to if you have a promising idea you’d like to try out, or a tricky problem you need to solve.

Samantha Kirk, International Beverage Samantha is the Human Capital Director of International Beverage, a global beverage company headquartered in Airdrie and with People spanning four continents, as well as five Scotch malt whisky distilleries and a large warehouse and bottling complex located in Scotland. Samantha joined International Beverage in 2010 from their Scotch whisky subsidiary, Inver House Distillers, where she held the role of HR Manager since 2007. Prior to joining IHD, Samantha held various HR roles, starting her career working part-time in Sainsburys’ HR office whilst studying at University.

In 2016, Samantha was promoted to HC Director and is responsible for driving the people agenda within International Beverage. She was also elected a Keeper of the Quaich, an

Louise is an experienced business leader with a career spanning over 20 years in private and public organisations. Louise joined Zero Waste Scotland in 2019 as People & Transformation Director. Reporting to the Chief Executive, she is part of the Executive Leadership Team responsible for a substantive Transformation portfolio to deliver Operational Excellence, Customer Excellence and Business Growth.

Louise spent the first 15 years of her career in global organisations including Coca-Cola, Ikea, and Amazon.

Additional Sponsors

Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR The Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR Award is Scottish HR’s most prestigious award made to an individual or organisation, who has demonstrated a distinguished service to the HR profession. The winner of this most prestigious award will be announced at the Gala Dinner on Thursday 9th November 2023.

Nominees Lunch sponsor Sponsored by:

CMI (Chartered Management Institute) is the only Chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards of Management and Leadership excellence. CMI gives managers and leaders, and their organisations, the skills they need to

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If you have any enquiries in relation to sponsorship or becoming a table host at the Gala Dinner at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 9th November 2023, please contact: Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk www.hrnetworkjobs.com/events/ awards/

FE B OAT O KUSRHEO P

BETWEEN the LINES The Housemaid

By Freida McFadden Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house, top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school.

And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life.

The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out... and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of . . .

Ultimate Comfort Food

By The Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers, AKA the Hairy Bikers, are known and loved for their hearty dishes, big flavours, and simple food. Now the nation’s favourite cooking duo are back to bring you the ultimate collection of comforting recipes - perfect for those cosy times spent with friends and family.

Inspired by the dishes that Si and Dave loved to eat growing up and that they cook with their families now, this is comfort food at its best. Recipes that are guaranteed to deliver on flavour, even when you’re short on time, all made with readily available and affordable ingredients. Real, everyday food to enjoy and share.

From easy suppers such as risotto carbonara and sausage & cabbage casserole that can be rustled up with minimal fuss, to slow-cooked weekend feasts such as duck confit shepherd’s pie and aubergine parmigiana, plus tempting snacks, soups, stews and puddings, you’ll find versatile, delicious and comforting food for every day and every occasion.

Politics On The Edge Rory Stewart Over the course of a decade from 2010, Rory Stewart went from being a political outsider to standing for prime minister - before being sacked from a Conservative Party that he had come to barely recognise.

Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow our democracy and government had become.

Cronyism, ignorance and sheer incompetence ran rampant. Around him, individual politicians laid the foundations for the political and economic chaos of today. Stewart emerged battered but with a profound affection for his constituency of Penrith and the Border, and a deep direct insight into the era of populism and global conflict.

Uncompromising, candid and darkly humorous, Politics On the Edge is his story of the challenges, absurdities and realities of political life and a remarkable portrait of our age.

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F E AT U R E

A BUSINESS SHOULDN’T JUST FUNCTION. IT SHOULD FLOURISH. With more than 40 years of expertise in the talent lifecycle, Right Management enables organisations to attract, develop and retain the skilled talent your business needs in today’s rapidly transforming world of work.

BUSINESS AND TALENT ALIGNED www.rightmanagement.co.uk © 2022 ManpowerGroup. All rights reserved.

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F E AT U R E

Qualifica vs. Confi

WHY ARE ETHNIC MINORITY VOICES STILL THE QUIETEST IN YOUR WORKPLACE?

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F E AT U R E

ations fidence:

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F E AT U R E

Ethnic minorities are much more likely to be overqualified for their jobs than white counterparts, yet recent data shows a staggering 36% do not feel heard at work.

Britain’s leading visualisation platform Rethinkly explains how its metaverse software can be used to address challenges in inclusivity and discrimination in the workplace.

The unique study reveals how ethnic minorities encounter severe communication challenges at work, compared to their white counterparts.

Despite evidence from the McGregorSmith Review showing that ethnic minorities are much more likely to be overqualified for their jobs than their white co-workers, an external report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies has revealed that educational success has not yet translated into better, or even equal, success when it comes to earnings.

Rethinkly’s research has subsequently found that a staggering 36% of ethnic minorities simply feel they have no voice in the workplace, and it appears this communication barrier may be a crucial factor in preventing marginalised groups from progressing in their careers.

Perpetuating a cycle that maintains the glass ceiling for workers from ethnic minority communities, the new research shows this lack of attention to ensure that all voices are heard and respected is having a detrimental impact on performance and everyday functioning at work. Serving as a testament to this, Rethinkly’s data highlights that a staggering 38% of ethnic minority employees say that their inability to communicate has the most profound impact on their productivity levels.

Now affecting all manner of communication, over one in four (27%) encounter challenges with their speech when attempting to confront difficult issues within the workplace, further diluting the confidence of workers.

As the implementation of the metaverse and virtual world technologies become more integrated into mainstream organisations, Rethinkly discusses how the use of visualisation and virtual safe space can help ethnic minorities depict the unique struggles and challenges they face at work. Their one-of-akind software, used by the NHS and IBM, removes all real-world

references to create a safe space that is designed to inspire autonomy of expression. Co-founders, Andrew Jackson and David Tinker, discuss why miscommunication exists in so many offices and further outline how virtual reality tools can be used to promote better communication in difficult conversations.

Key stats:

36% of ethnic minorities say they have no voice in the workplace

38% say that the inability to communicate within the workplace has had the largest impact on productivity

35% say they are unable to fulfil any kind of public delivery – presentations, client meetings, etc – without acute anxiety

28% harbour all workplace tension and find confrontation too difficult

27% say they encounter challenges with their speech when attempting to confront difficult issues within the workplace By design, the Rethinkly software removes all real-world references creating a neutral, virtual space that is solely designed to inspire autonomy of expression. In this context, users are able to create avatars that can express emotion and gestures, enabling detachment for reflection and transparent communication.

By utilising a virtual world – the platform reframes problem-solving and communication in the workplace and beyond, in scenarios where people may feel uncomfortable expressing their feelings or opinions out loud.

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As such, the power of imagery and visualisation prevails where words fail, with Rethinkly combining the most effective principles of storytelling, psychodrama and coaching to address the issue at hand.

Crucially, the software can either be used under expert direction – which may be appropriate for particularly complex issues including the mental health sector. Users can be taught how to use the software within minutes, making it a scalable solution, especially for teams within businesses. Research on the use of virtual realities in these settings is constantly evolving, and Rethinkly uses a combination of insight from practitioners, academia and case studies leading to one of the most sophisticated tools for addressing communication issues worldwide.

F E AT U R E

Andrew Jackson, co-founder of Rethinkly, comments on the need and benefit for organisations to improve their team communication: “If we think of the teams and groups we work in, why do some perform better than others? Well, it turns out that people being able to express themselves, say what they think, call out bad stuff, and feel connected to their colleagues are the things that really make a difference. For most, employee voice means sending out an annual survey and then trying to work out what to do with the results. Ambitious organisations are using tools like Rethinkly to discover what their talent really thinks and feels only then do you have real power through more comprehensive data to make positive changes.

“ Most challenges at work stem from a lack of or just bad communication. Communication challenges are directly aligned with morale, productivity, and commitment, which have real business impact. Effective communication and building a strong culture based on healthy engagement are often talked about but surprisingly difficult to achieve. But when organisations start to embed and grow critical communication skills and adopt them as a competitive advantage, they can start to see a significant shift in their trajectory.”

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F E AT U R E

How to m busine 38

F E AT U R E

REVEALED:

manage a ess crisis

By Shaun Gray, Enerpac

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F E AT U R E

The UK is facing its longest recession on record and with this crisis looming, uncertainties about business safety are rife, and industries such as real estate are being hit the hardest. As such, business owners are looking for new ways to handle financial troubles and keep consumer engagement high. Here Shaun Gray from Enerpac, we will explore some effective methods your business can take to manage a business crisis.

Identify your key areas Business crises often occur unexpectedly, throwing your business into turmoil. However, this doesn’t mean you cannot have in place methods which reduce the negative affect this will have on your business in the long term. Identifying key problem areas during a crisis can also help you prioritise actions to ensure the safety of your business.

Identification of your business weakness can – and probably should – come before you experience a moment of crisis. This will not only help resolve potentially catastrophic pitfalls, but it can also identify opportunities for improvement during prosperous business periods. Perhaps your data management is poor, leading to clients and customers not receiving the best customer service or you might have staff who lack key training, leading to increased overtime to correct mistakes. Though you can’t always predict when a crisis will impact your business, identification of key areas will give you the ability to be more dynamic in your response to sudden issues, so you can react decisively when necessary.

By saving money on risky deals, you can reserve your money. According to Starling Bank, a company should have three months of working capital in reserve. This will cover negative cashflow problems which might come about through a period of sudden business crisis and low customer interaction. The more you have in reserve, the more protection you put in place for your company.

This is particularly crucial during slower months, such as during the winter period or during an energy shortage, as some industries struggle to operate efficiently.

Finances

Training

Focusing on your company’s finances is important as you undergo a business crisis. Consistent financial reporting will give you an oversight of your company’s spending and profits. With analysis of this data, you’ll be better equipped to see where you can rein in expenditures and which money-saving strategies might work best for your business. This will not only save you from costly business risks, but it can reassure investors even during difficult periods.

Efficient training is crucial for the recovery of your business after a crisis. This can be anything from preplanned business continuity training to industry-specific safety training, for example, bolt tensioning training within construction. Having these training schemes in place before a business crisis means that your company is more robust in the face of difficulties and can get back to work as soon as possible. You can trust your staff to work efficiently, including without supervision, in the case that senior staff within the company are needed elsewhere.

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F E AT U R E

Consumers are now looking for honest branding, with 88% wanting to purchase brands, which promote authenticity.

Managing a business crisis can often be difficult, but prevention measures can prepare you for the worst from the offset. By understanding your business insideout, including your financial position and areas of weakness, you will be able to establish a stronger foundation for your company. Ensuring strong cash reserves, thorough training and safety procedures, and an honest approach to business matters can help when a business crisis strikes.

Sources:

This also means that you don’t have to worry about the issue of on-boarding new staff in the event of a business crisis. Instead, your well-trained staff can get operations up and running, focusing your company on future growth and recovery, rather than re-establishing itself.

Senior leadership will also have training in place to help support junior staff, meaning that they can handle the crisis with as little disruption as possible, allowing operations to start again efficiently.

Ownership During a business crisis, you should take ownership of what is happening. While not every business crisis can be under your control, your attitude towards it must be maintained. Positivity and responsibility are key to getting through troubling times. If you can take accountability for any issues that have arisen, you will be able to address them properly.

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www.acorns.com/learn/investing/industries-mostaffected-by-a-recession/#:~:text=in%20the%20 downturn.-,Real%20estate,construction%2C%20 from%20workers%20to%20suppliers.

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www.cnbc.com/2022/11/03/bank-of-england-ukfaces-longest-ever-recession. html#:~:text=LONDON%20%E2%80%94%20The%20 Bank%20of%20England,to%20extend%20well%20 into%202024.

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www.sage.com/en-gb/blog/financial-statementsgrow-business/#why

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www.starlingbank.com/resources/business-guides/ how-much-cash-reserve-should-a-businesshave/#:~:text=How%20much%20is%20enough%20 for,you%20owe%20to%20other%20people.

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https://smallbusiness.chron.com/effects-lackemployee-training-42687.html

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www.uklaw.co.uk/accident-at-work-claim/faqs/ accidents-caused-by-inadequate-training-in-theworkplace/

•

www.oberlo.co.uk/blog/branding-statistics

For more information on Enerpac, please visit: www.htlgroup.com/enerpac-industrial-tools

By embracing the challenges, and positively looking for corrective measures, you will stand a better chance of coming through it. And this will help your reputation with your customers too. Consumers are now looking for honest branding, with 88% wanting to purchase brands, which promote authenticity.

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INSIGHT: NETWORKING

Cracking the networking code

3. Show gratitude

Networking is a fundamental aspect of both our work and personal lives, it fosters beneficial relationships and helps increase visibility in your field but knowing where to start can be challenging. With this in mind, Solopress has collaborated with Cameron MacArthur, CEO and Founder of AI Insurance, as part of their Best Cities for Networking campaign, to get Cameron’s top tips and valuable advice.

If someone goes out of their way to help you, a handwritten thank you note goes a really long way. Much further than a text or an email!

4. Get specific about your problems In my experience, people are really unresponsive to “I want to join your network” or “I want you to mentor me” because those are vague and meaningless asks. But, people like solving problems. I’ve found that going to someone already in your network or even someone new with “I have this very specific problem, here’s what I’m planning on doing about it. You’re uniquely situated to give advice here because of XYZ, what do you think?”, is a great way to strengthen bonds and regularly segues into “you know who you should talk to? My friend: ....’

1. Be Outgoing You have to put yourself out there and be willing to start a conversation. Two of the most senior engineers on our team came from a connection to someone I met by stopping them as they walked by in our office and saying “Hi, I haven’t met you before, what’s your name?

5. Actually Listen When you meet someone, or reconnect with someone, challenge yourself to really pay attention. Be the person who’s good with names when you meet someone new (there are tricks!) and be the friend who remembers what people tell you. Follow up with them later to check in when you give them a call a month down the road.

2. Check in I think people over-index on adding new connections to their network instead of strengthening the relationships they have. Take the time to notice when people have work or life events happen (LinkedIn is great for this) and reach out to them to check in. Calling people during your transit time (like walking to the shops) is a great way to do this.”

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I N S I G H T: R E M OT E WO R K I N G

UK businesses split on benefits of remote working A study published recently by Beaming, the business internet service provider, reveals that four in every five (81%) UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have now embraced some form of remote or hybrid-working model, but bosses are split on whether it has been good for business. Here, Sonia Blizzard, Managing Director at Beaming discusses some of key findings of the report, which suggests that a quarter of people think remote or hybrid working is bad for their business.

Beaming’s study also revealed significant differences in opinion on remote working when it came to the age, gender and location of business leaders:

Our research, which involved interviews with 500 senior leaders at companies employing up to 250 people, indicates that almost half (45%) of SMEs now practice fully remote working, with colleagues working entirely in separate locations. More than a third (36%) have a hybrid working approach and one in five (19%) requires all employees to be in the office all of the time.

Beaming’s study also asked bosses to score the impact of remote working across various factors. It found that, on average, nearly half (43%) of businesses allowing remote working reported positive outcomes, with greater productivity (47%) and lower costs (45%) the most frequently cited benefits.

•

Younger leaders were significantly more optimistic about remote working than their older counterparts.

55% of leaders aged between 18 and 34 said remote working was good for business, compared to 41% of 35 to 54-year-olds and just 26% of those 55 and older.

•

Male leaders were more likely to favour remote working than female leaders. 45% of men questioned said it had been good for their businesses, compared to 39% of women.

•

Curiously, there seems to be an East versus West divide in opinion. Leaders in the North East (59% positive) and East of England (53%), London (53%), and Yorkshire and the Humber (43%) were more likely to speak positively about remote working than those in the North West (41%), South West (34%) and Wales (23%). The proportion of leaders in the East Midlands (41%) that were positive about remote working was almost double the West Midlands (22%).

Our study shows most SMEs have adopted some form of remote or hybrid working, but bosses are split on whether this has been good for business overall. It seems most leaders are still getting used to this major change in working conditions and the additional managerial and technological challenges it places on them.

However, more than a third (34%) of leaders said they had not seen any change from remote working, and almost a quarter (23%) said it had been bad for business. 24% of respondents said productivity had declined due to remote working, and the same percentage said it had increased costs.

Leaders of medium-sized organisations were more likely to favour remote working arrangements. Looking across all of the factors considered, 57% of bosses at companies employing more than 50 people were positive about remote working, citing easier recruitment (62%), improved productivity (60%) and cost reductions (57%) as the significant benefits. This compared to 38% of micro and 45% of small businesses.

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EVENT OF THE MONTH

Hr NETWORK Nominees Lunch 2023 IN ASSOCIATION WITH The Annual ‘Nominees Lunch’ supported this year by CMI took place on Thursday 19th October at the APEX Hotel in Edinburgh’s Grassmarket.

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EVENT OF THE MONTH

Over 60 guests from this years awards shortlist, as well as members of the judging panel and some specially invited HR guests joined Hr NETWORK’s Lee Turner and his team along with the head of CMI in Scotland, Peter Deakin and his colleagues, for the annual lunchtime gathering.

The lunch forms part of the build up and excitement to the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute, with the winners being announced at the Awards Gala Dinner and which takes place at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 9th November.

During the Lunch, founder & publisher of Hr NETWORK Magazine Lee Turner thanked the CMI for their support of the lunch commenting: “The support that we received from the CMI is wonderful and we are really appreciate their commitment and support.”

Lee continued: “The Lunch is an excellent opportunity for us to recognise the contribution made by all the finalists ahead of the annual Gala Dinner and we would simply not be able to host the Lunch or the Gala Dinner without the support of all our sponsors.”

Peter Deakin welcomed all the guests and offered all the finalists a good luck message on behalf of all his colleagues at the CMI. The lunch offered guests, particularly the shortlisted finalists the chance to meet with other finalists in their categories and to ‘weigh up the opposition’ before the winners are announced at the Gala Dinner taking place in November at the Glasgow Hilton.

Following lunch, Director of policy at the CMI, Anthony Painter offered guests a short insight into the findings from the ground-breaking Better Management report published by the CMI in mid-October on what can be done, and acted upon, to build a Better Managed Britain.

On behalf of the CMI and all our sponsors, Hr NETWORK would like to wish all the finalists the very best of luck for the Awards Gala Dinner.

About the CMI CMI (Chartered Management Institute) is the only Chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards of Management and Leadership excellence. CMI gives managers and leaders, and their organisations, the skills they need to improve their performance and create an impact through professional qualifications and apprenticeships.

For more information, please visit: www.managers.org.uk

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MY LINKEDIN

MyLinked Ross Fleming

LHH - Career Transition | Career Development | Career Mobility | Outplacement | Coaching | Workforce transformation | Leadership development Current: LHH Connections: : 500+ Location: Cambuslang, Scotland, United Kingdom

About:

Experience:

An Analytical, business-savvy and performance Global sales and marketing expert with 19 years+ of sales, marketing, strategic account management, business development, customer management and team development. A proactive and passionate leader with the ability to build a pipeline of relevant opportunities, I have always delivered on sales targets while ensuring KPI’s are met.

Senior Client Partner January 2020 – present Lee Hecht Harrison (LHH) is the global talent mobility leader in connecting people to jobs and helping individuals and organisations improve performance. We have over 45 years of experience supporting individuals and organisations through change.

Organisations choose to use Lee Hecht Harrison to help them achieve or sustain success by effectively managing their most important asset - their people. With specially designed programmes, online tools and highly accredited consultants, more and more organisations are using LHH to support them with their Career Transition/Outplacement, Career Management, Coaching & Leadership Development needs. I support a wide range of key enterprise organisations across a number of sectors with how to support and develop their people using LHH’s wide range of solutions.

Competency Highlights Develop plans and strategies for developing business and achieving company sales goals.

Utilise market and customer insights to formulate innovative sales plans. Manage customer expectations and contribute to a high level of customer satisfaction.

Provide detailed and accurate sales forecasting.

Proactive in instigating, building and maintaining relationships with key stake holders at a senior level.

Inspire the Sales teams to achieve and exceed business KPI’s, create a high-performance climate in which the Sales teams and focused on results, motivated to deliver, and empowered to demonstrate their entrepreneurial and innovative flair.

Monster 12 years 10 months • • •

Core Expertise

Head of Sales Manager Senior Sales Consultant

British Gas 5 years 11 months

Business Development, Account Management, Client Relationship Management, Pipeline Management, CRM, Forecasting, Consultative Sales, Team Development, Stakeholder Management.

•

Sales

Education:

Throughout my career, I have been instrumental in creating a competitive edge, generating diverse revenue streams, establishing strong partnerships that have resulted in maximising organisational profits. I am referred to as a motivating coach who invests in building lasting organisational and people capability; widely recognised for a proven record of transforming cultures.

With a track record of establishing business process and procedures from scratch and leading large Global groups across continents, I have continually developed talent and created the right environment that brings the best out of all.

University of the West of Scotland HND, Engineering 1999 – 2002

Recommendations: “I have worked with Ross for the last 3 years, I would trust Ross with any of my clients.

He is a perfect example of “solution sales” which is very rare nowadays in this trade and market.”

Leanne Bagley, Key Account Manager, International Team

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FEATURE 3

RECOGNISE

ACKNOWLEDGE

REWARD

SAVE THE DATE! NATIONAL AWARDS 2023 in partnership with

Gala Dinner, Glasgow Hilton, Thursday 9th November 2023 For further details contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk www.hrnetworkjobs.com 35 47

What is the impact of change on your people?

How does effective Organisational Development better engage your people in times of change and transformation?

Over the last 75 years we have supported thousands of HR, L&D and senior leaders develop their OD practice, driving effective and sustainable organisational change in their organisations. Our globally renowned MSc in People and Organisational Development has been changing lives and careers for the last 30 years, and is just one of our solutions that can help you develop mastery and improve your skills and confidence.

The Roffey Park Institute’s signature programme was thoughtfully designed and thorough, challenging all of my assumptions and empowering me as a People and Organisational Development practitioner to discover the ‘Power’ in ‘Self’ in my practice. In this MSc, I have examined ‘Use of Self’ as part of my leadership and change management practice by examining ‘self’ in depth. The programme is liberating, and it gives you the tools you need to be a ‘Powerful’ catalyst through your presence and intervention.

Fiby Francis, United Arab Emirates

To find out how we can help you, and your organisation, make a difference contact us today. hello@roffeypark.ac.uk www.roffeypark.ac.uk/contact