Issuu

Inspiring People Development

SEPTEMBER 2021 | VOLUME 17 ISSUE 1 A MEDIA AVENUE PUBLICATION | www.hrnetworkjobs.com

+ AWARDS GALA DINNER

2021

FOUR DAY WEEK :

Doing More With Less

FEATURE: Discovering the Benefits of Talent Intelligence

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CONTENTS

COVER STORY Iceland flies the flag for the four-day working week. It reports improved employee productivity, wellbeing and retention. But can Scotland fly high too? Shorter weeks may not suit everyone. Andy Moore looks at the pros and cons.

CONTENTS

8 News 22 Stats

‘Pleasanteeism’ plagues UK businesses as many mask mental health challenges at work

24 Feature Two

Preview of Hr NETWORK National Awards 2021

28 Feature Three

Discovering the Benefits of Talent Intelligence

32 Feature Four

Three Levels of Resilience in the Face of Adversity

36 The Bookshop

Latest bestsellers to be published

38 EXTRA

Defining the Five Pillars of Health and Wellbeing

42 Insights

Diversity & Inclusion; Employee Productivity; Modern Day Racism

46 Event Planner

Event Updates for 2021

CONTRIBUTORS

Founder and Publisher:

GARY TOWERS

Talent Intelligence Director, Jobtrain

Lee Turner lee@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Feature: Discovering the Benefits of Talent Intelligence p. 28

Senior Associate Editor: Andy Moore editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

NEIL STRUTHERS

Co-founder & Director, Love Your Employees

Feature: The 5 Pillars of Health & Wellbeing p. 38

Deputy-Editor: Teresa Flannigan editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

PROFESSOR BIRGIT SCHYNS

Editor-At-large: Neil Archibald editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

NEOMA Business School

Insight: Emotional Abuse in the Workplace p. 42

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

GILL COOKE

Propositions & Engagement Lead, Three

Advertising/Sponsorship:

Insight: Diversity Inclusion & Belonging p. 43

Donna Turner advertising@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Design:

RICHARD JEFFREY

Group CEO, ActivOps

Media Avenue Ltd

Insight: Employee Prodcutivity Using Data p. 44

Hr NETWORK now available on: LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hrnetwork1

JAMES MEACHIN Partner, Pearn Kandola

Twitter: www.twitter.com/HrNETWORKNews

Insight: Modern Day Workplace Racism p. 45

Media Avenue Limited 18 Young Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JB 0131 625 3267 www.hrnetworkjobs.com www.mediaavenue.co.uk

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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. 2020

WELCOME

September 2021 This Issue In this online edition of the magazine, Andy Moore looks at the much talked-about and sometimes controversial topic for organisation’s adopting the four-day week working pattern and asks can employers do more with less? 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.

Lee Turner Publisher

elcome to our September issue of Hr NETWORK magazine. Thankfully things really are starting to return to normal, albeit I realise some things have clearly changed forever, as a result of the global pandemic. There is a renewed sense of excitement and anticipation as our team are now in full planning mode for the forthcoming Hr NETWORK Awards Gala Dinner 2021 taking place at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 25th November.

We have recently conducted the scoring process for all nominations in this year’s Awards and we are delighted to announce that the judges have shortlisted four finalists in each category. The next stage of the judging process will include interviews with the Judges for all shortlisted finalists, which will take place in mid-September and the winners will be announced at the hugely anticipated Gala Dinner in Glasgow in November. 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. There are a few tables remaining and if you would like to join us at the Gala Dinner with your guests, please contact the Awards Planning Team as soon as possible.

Contributors: Neil Struthers, Gary Towers, Birgit Schyns, Gill Cooke, James Meachin and Richard Jeffrey. Hr NETWORK also available on: LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hrnetwork1 Twitter: www.twitter.com/HrNETWORKNews YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/ hrnetworkscotland

NEWS

Women optimistic that more new flexible jobs could open up work options Seventy-three per cent of working mums are optimistic that COVID-19 will mean more flexible jobs being advertised, with three quarters saying they would be more likely to change jobs as a result, according to workingmums.co.uk’s annual survey. The survey shows the extent to which a lack of flexible new roles has held back women’s career progression in the past. Many felt that working flexibly had affected their prospects of promotion. Twenty-eight per cent said flexible working had affected their career progression, while 19% said it hadn’t. Others were unsure of the impact. Many of the mums were keen to progress. Forty-two per cent said they wanted to be a senior leader compared to 39% who said they didn’t.

There has been concern that greater flexible working may be taken up more by women than men, with a knock-on impact on women’s career progression unless employers support and encourage more men to consider flexible options. The pandemic has also had a big impact on women’s career progression, with 24% saying they are less likely to go for a promotion as a result while 22% are looking to change jobs and 8% are looking to change sector.

The detailed survey of over 1,300 mums also showed women are becoming more confident about demanding flexible working and turning down roles that are not flexible enough. Over half [53%] said they had turned down a job because it was not flexible enough.

Nearly half of the mums polled worked part time. Thirty nine per cent had not been able to work from home during the pandemic. However, 12 per cent said their remote working was only temporary and 21% were not sure it would last. Nevertheless, 45% said they felt remote working would remain in some form, such as hybrid working, after COVID and 11% said they had changed permanently to remote working. Just 11% had worked from home before COVID.

Yet, despite the positivity about new flexible roles, only just over a third of mums said their partners were looking to work more flexibly after COVID. This compared to 47% who said they weren’t. Only 23% said they share childcare equally.

LFC appoints new equality, diversity & inclusion leader Liverpool Football Club has appointed Rishi Jain as the new Senior Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager. Jain will lead the Club’s important ED&I work as part of its overall Red Together strategy, which encompasses all equality, diversity and inclusion activities, driving its ambition to be the most inclusive football club on and off the pitch. With over 15 years’ experience, he has been named on the Global Diversity List as a Top 20 Diversity Professional. His previous work led to wide-ranging

having such a strong connection to the city, I’m delighted to be re-joining LFC. The club is built on a rich history of supporting people from underrepresented backgrounds and supporting those who need it.

recognition at the European Diversity Awards 2019, North West Football Awards 2019 and Inclusive Companies Awards 2019 – that’s in addition to being awarded with the Premier League Equality Standard Advanced Level in the same year. He has also held roles at Kick It Out, Manchester United and The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board. Jain is thrilled to be reappointed at the club. “Being raised in Liverpool and

“To have the opportunity to use the experience and knowledge I’ve gathered during my career to further lead the way in this important area here is something I’m really passionate about. I can’t wait to get started,” he added. Lynne Stockton Howard, Senior Vice President HR added: “We are thrilled to have Rishi back at the club to lead our vital Red Together strategy. He has dedicated his career to championing diversity and inclusion and knows how the power of football can have such a positive impact across society and its local communities.”

NEWS

US leads the way in careers coaching boom as global revenue reaches $1.3 billion

How does the largest employer in Scotland manage its recruitment?

Research from Ezra, the leading provider of digital coaching, reveals that the global careers coaching market has grown by 21% since 2015, with the American market generating annual revenue of almost $1.3 billion.

Used by organisations across the UK and beyond, the Jobtrain applicant tracking system manages the entire recruitment and onboarding process.

The global careers coaching market is booming. With revenue growth of 21% since 2015, the industry currently generates $2.8 billion a year. This is due to the fact that the number of employers and leaders who are choosing to provide coaching for their staff has grown by 47% globally, an increase in demand that has caused the number of coaching practitioners around the world to rise by 33% to a total of 71,000.

Our expertise and technology empowers a wide variety organisations across Scotland, including: NHS Scotland, Glasgow Airport, Aberdeen Airport, Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership and Teleperformance. Based in the heart of Glasgow, we support our clients with a highly experienced and locally based team.

When focusing on individual nations, the data shows that North America has, by far, the biggest coaching market in the world. After enjoying growth of almost 36%, the US market is now worth $1.3 billion. But while it is certainly the biggest market in terms of dollar value, the US is not the faster-growing market in the world. That accolade goes to Latin America & the Caribbean where the coaching market has grown by nearly 108% to create a yearly revenue of $191 million.

"Jobtrain have, throughout the entire programme, shown a clear focus on delivery. With the customer at the heart and with a very positive "Can do Attitude", Jobtrain have been flexible to meet the size, complexity and scale of NHS Scotland."

North American market growth is also being outpaced by Eastern Europe where the market has grown by 44% to create annual revenue of $101 million. Latin America’s extraordinary growth is a result of the number of businesses and leaders choosing to provide coaching for their staff increasing by 190%, more than anywhere else in the world. The region now has 2,900 managers providing coaching for their staff, closing quickly on North America where a -3% decline in the number of managers providing coaching leaves the total at 3,000.

Fast set-up

Latin America’s extraordinary growth in demand means that the number of coaching practitioners has increased by 175%, from 4,000 to 11,000. The number of practitioners is Eastern Europe has grown by 40%, and in North America, the number has grown by 33% to create a total of 23,300 American coaching practitioners.

Flexible platform

Fantastic service

NEWS

Embracing global talent of the future key to business success Authenticity, accountability and accessibility are among the X factors that organisations must embrace if they are to attract the globalised talent of the future and drive forward successful, sustainable businesses. That was the message from Scottish business leaders across the technology and data industries who shared their insights to how organisations can capitalise on new ways of working while truly integrating diversity and inclusiveness (D&I) into their workforces. All agreed that organisations which don’t embrace these qualities now risk not only lagging behind but are likely to be forced to change to address the skills and talent shortage.

The business leaders were speaking recently at a virtual roundtable focused on Exploring the Future of Talent. Hosted by MBN Solutions, panellists included: Elizabeth Hollinger, director of insight at Aggreko; The Data Lab’s chief executive officer, Gillian Docherty OBE; and Samantha Bedford, chair of Scotland Women in Technology and a transformation leader in tech and digital. They were joined by MBN Solutions’ director of client services and the company’s academy, Rob Huggins, and non-executive director, Paul Forrest, an industry-respected business mentor who works with a diverse range of organisations across the tech and data sector. Among the themes discussed were purpose-driven leadership. Samantha said: “It has to begin with real authenticity. Purpose has become the new strapline for organisations and it’s fundamental that they are living and breathing it with consistency sitting throughout their organisation. “I’m not convinced, for example, that people really get the benefits of D&I. While it’s good they know it’s important,

I think a number of businesses still see it as a box ticking exercise. It’s often passive in that the response is often things like ‘I need training’ but I would say ‘no, you need to go out and seek this’. There are a number of great consultants who can help.” Elizabeth said: “Organisations benefit from the experience and diversity of their workforce that they can use to build on the success. Truly diverse teams create better and more challenging conversations, as long as you make sure you create the right environment to make it work effectively where everyone can contribute. All panellists agreed that stronger commitments to D&I were integral to overcoming future challenges for the tech and data industry.

HR jobs fall 38% year-on-year but demand for interims holds strong as employers utilise contingent workers Professional vacancies for human resources specialists dropped by 38.1% year-on-year in 2020, however demand for interims remained strong as employers relied on the contingent workforce. That’s according to  new research from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo), the trade association for the recruitment sector. The data, provided by business intelligence specialist Vacancysoft, revealed that the year-on-year reduction in HR jobs was largely attributed to the UKs first lockdown which forced hiring levels down by

80.1% in April 2020 compared to the same month a year earlier. In comparison, HR jobs started to recover as the year progressed and by quarter 4 2020, vacancies were 12% higher compared to the same period in 2019. APSCo’s data also revealed that while many employers put a hold on permanent hiring during the pandemic, others turned to the flexible labour market, with hiring for interim positions increasing from 13.2% in 2019 to 17.8% in 2020. Ann Swain, CEO of APSCo comments: “It’s no surprise that demand for HR

professionals reduced last year as the pandemic took hold, however our data suggests that by the end of the year the recovery was underway with recruitment levels rising once again. It is also interesting to note that demand for interims actually increased last year, indicative of the increasing reliance on the professional contingent workforce as employers turn to agile and flexible hiring solutions in an uncertain market. And as we progress throughout 2021 and lockdown measures are eased we expect to see the recruitment market for HR professionals continue on a positive trajectory”.

NEWS

Legal firm officially implements 4-day working week following successful trial Arken Legal, experts in digital estate planning solutions, has introduced a four-day working week for full time employees following a hugely successful nine-month trial. Since October 2020, all full-time employees at the firm have had Fridays off – with the exception of two staff who take a different day to ensure cover – but have maintained the same level of output.

Many also use the day for up-skilling and fitness – Arken Legal runs staff yoga on Friday mornings for those who want to join. The four-day week also gives staff the opportunity to take long weekends away without having to book holiday.

The result has been an increase in productivity and efficiency, improvements in job satisfaction and a better work-life balance for staff. It has also changed the way staff rate Arken Legal – eight in ten say it has improved their view of the company and 85% say the introduction of the four-day week has increased the time they are likely to stay at Arken Legal.

Speaking of the change, an Arken Legal employee said “I manage to get all my admin and chores done, so it doesn’t eat into family time on weekends. I also have the ability to do any extra work if needed but at my own time, with no interruptions. Essentially it is a ‘me’ day that allows me to use the time as I feel I need to – that can be getting admin done or just chilling out.”

Staff can use their day off however they wish, and while some do catch up on work, most use it to spend more time with family or do chores and run errands so they can free up their weekends.

NEWS

Sleep or work? Managers sacrifice a good night’s sleep in order to feel more productive

precedence in these manager’s lives. In order to explore this trade-off, the researchers interviewed 98 hotel managers, who participated in an 8-day daily diary study focused on work and home interactions. Each day, the managers were asked a series of questions about the previous night’s sleep and their work day, focusing on sleep duration, work mood, work time and perceived productivity.

Overworked managers sacrifice sleeping the recommended 7-9 hours a night in order to feel more productive, new research from emlyon business school finds. Despite the many benefits of getting a good night’s sleep, managers reported feeling more productive on days they slept less, as they had more time to spend at work.

Results indicated that managers who slept less put those extra hours into their work time, and felt more productive as a result. In fact, managers worked 31 min, 12 s longer for every hour of sleep lost.

This research was conducted by Gordon Sayre, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Leadership at Emlyon Business School, alongside colleagues from Pennsylvania State University.

Professor Sayre says: “We know that sleep has benefits to our health, happiness, and performance. Despite this, many adults aren’t getting the recommended 7-9 hours per night. Our research points to one potential reason for this gap— concerns over productivity. When under pressure to perform, managers may feel they have to sacrifice sleep in order to get work done. While understandable, it’s important to note that any small gains in productivity are far outweighed by the long-term costs of not getting enough sleep”.

The researchers were keen to understand the trade-off between sleep and work for managers, and which took more

To address this problem, Professor Sayre suggests that organisations must work towards reducing and eliminating this trade-off between sleep and work for managers, by encouraging a healthier work-life balance. One potential avenue is to actively combat the “face time” culture present in many jobs, where managers feel pressured to put in unnecessarily long hours in order to appear productive.

New job schemes to support engineers return to work after a career break Engineers and people working in STEM across Scotland have the opportunity to break through the so-called ‘career break curse’ after a new job scheme has been launched in two of the country’s biggest firms. Both SSE and BAE Systems have teamed up with STEM Returners to establish a 12-week paid placement to help people return to work after a career break. The Returners Programme is being seen as an important step to help plug the skills gap facing the UK STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) sectors.

The firms have launched their schemes at the same time as STEM Returners release the results of their annual survey of a nationally representative group of more than 750 STEM professionals on a career break who are attempting to return to work or who have recently returned to work. The STEM Returners Index, which was carried out in collaboration with the Women’s Engineering Society, asked a range of questions to understand their experiences of trying to re-enter the STEM sector. Twenty-seven percent of women in the survey said they feel they have personally experienced bias in recruitment processes due to their gender compared to 8% of men, while 30% of women said they feel they have personally experienced bias in recruitment processes due to childcare responsibilities compared to 6% of men.

Both men (39%) and women (43%) said they felt have personally experienced bias in recruitment processes due to a perceived lack of recent experience. The Returners Programme at SSE will provide jobs in Glasgow, Perth, Inverness and Aberdeen, across its Renewables, Transmission, and Distribution businesses, whilst a separate programme runs concurrently in their Thermal operations. The programme at BAE Systems will be their site in Glasgow, with a focus on Maritime Engineering specific roles. As the leading generator of renewable electricity in the UK and Ireland and one of the largest electricity network companies in the UK, SSE has a firm commitment to improve diversity and inclusion. A pilot returners scheme recently took place, in which every person went on to be offered a permanent role within the company.

NEWS

Scottish employers report high confidence as labour market bounces back

The survey, which is forward-looking, found recruitment intentions are particularly strong. More than two-thirds (67%) of Scottish employers plan to recruit in the three months to September 2021, up from 45% six months ago and 41% this time last year. There has been a dramatic shift in hiring intentions in some sectors since summer 2020. Across the UK, just 26% of hospitality/arts/entertainment employers were looking to hire last summer, increasing to 72% this summer. In transport and storage, this has increased from 33% to 65% of employers looking to hire. Both of these sectors have been impacted by the pandemic and changes to immigration as a result of Brexit, and are suffering from widely reported labour shortages.

Scottish employers are indicating strong employment intentions for the third quarter of 2021, with confidence surpassing pre-pandemic levels. This is the key finding of the latest quarterly CIPD Labour Market Outlook (LMO) survey, involving more than 2,000 UK employers and covering all sectors of the economy.

When asked how UK employers with hard-to-fill vacancies will deal with these vacancies, over two fifths of UK employers (44%) said they would upskill existing staff, a quarter (26%) said they would hire more apprentices, and 23% said they would raise wages. These tactics suggest employers are focusing their efforts on retaining the current workforce to address labour supply issues, as well as recruiting new staff.

The survey found that its net employment intentions figure, which measures the difference between the proportion of Scottish employers expecting to add jobs and those planning to cut them, has continued to improve. The figure now sits at +29, up from +4 recorded in January 2021.

Financial wellbeing solutions. Helping you support your people. We understand how life can throw a curveball and it can quickly feel as if your ﬁnances are getting out of control. At Johnston Carmichael, we are here to help your employees get back on track and gain peace of mind. Find out more on our website:

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NEWS

Employees failing to take holiday risk their mental wellbeing and performance Four out of ten employees have taken less holiday’s since the pandemic, according to new research. A new study from Acas and YouGov found that 39% of UK workers took less paid time off work during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the year before, with employees from small and mediumsized businesses the least likely to take paid time off. Adrian Lewis, Commercial Director, Activ Absence is urging HR teams to encourage employees take up their annual holiday leave to protect their mental wellbeing and performance. Lewis says, “Since the start of the pandemic staff have been accruing holiday, as many decided not to take time off when they couldn’t travel during lockdowns. While restrictions have eased and travel abroad is

opening, many people are still put off travelling abroad because of the costs of tests and risks of quarantine rules changing at the last minute. “This means many employees are postponing holiday leave again, which could be storing up problems for the future with employees suffering burnout and other mental health issues due to not taking any break.” In May 2021, data from the Office for National Statistics revealed that depression rates have doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic began and people have been working remotely, highlighting a growing mental health crisis in the UK. A recent study from virtual team building company Wildgoose, found that 44% of employees had a heavier workload while working from home,

and almost a third said this is having a direct impact on their mental health, stating that they have felt depressed, anxious, or suffered from exhaustion. Lewis adds, “Employers need to really encourage their employees to take their allocated annual leave. Holidays are vital for good wellbeing and employees need to take time off at regular intervals. For any business, having holidays carefully planned and spread through the year and not left to the end of the year helps is essential for effective resource planning.

90% of office workers say they want more flexibility in where and when they do their jobs More than half of the global workforce say they are prepared to leave a job that’s lacking in flexibility and remote working options. The latest research collated by Instant Offices, a Global Workspace Specialists, shows 9 out of 10 office workers say they want more flexibility in where and when they do their job – and more than half of them are willing to leave if they don’t get it Another survey by EY revealed that 54% of workers worldwide would consider leaving their current job after the pandemic if their employees don’t offer more flexibility. As lockdown measures begin to ease, more businesses are requiring that their WFH employees return to the office for at least part of the working week. On average, employees expect to be allowed to work remotely for 2 to 3 days after the pandemic.

gain experience and confidence in working and communicating off-site, around 41% of employees surveyed by McKinsey said they were now actually more productive when working remotely than in the office. Notably, employees in the Millennial age range (24 to 40 years old) are twice as likely to make the move as Baby Boomers (57 to 75 years old), who are more likely to be further advanced in their career paths or even nearing retirement. The growing demand for flexibility at work is reflected in the high number of jobs with remote offerings now becoming available. For example, in the past month alone, Glassdoor has posted over 80,000 jobs advertised as “remote” and 490,000 advertised as “flexible”. Meanwhile, only one in 10 employers are expecting their employees to revert to pre-pandemic working arrangements with a full return to the office. Most of these are companies operating in the services sector.

As of this year, 67% of workers say that their employers can accurately measure their productivity regardless of whether they work in the office or from home. As teams start to

NEWS

GDPR three years on: What do businesses REALLY know? Since 2018, all companies in the UK that store or process personal information about UK and EU citizens must comply with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which requires them to have an effective, documented, auditable process in place for the collection, storage and destruction of personal information. Three years on from the introduction of the regulations, a new study conducted by confidential shredding and records management company Go Shred reveals how much businesses and their employees really know and the impact home working has had on their ability to adhere.

The impact of home working on businesses ability to stick to GDPR rules, the study revealed that since the beginning of the pandemic, a staggering 66% of home workers had printed work-related documents at home, averaging at five documents every week. Shockingly, 30% admitted to printing contracts, and commercial documents at home. One in five (20%) has printed confidential employee information such as payroll, addresses and medical information outside the workplace, potentially breaching GDPR. Go Shred also asked Brits about their knowledge of GDPR. Interestingly, 12% of those polled admit they have

Love on the rocks: Workplace relationships are the latest casualty of COVID Office romances and friendships could be on the rocks as workers continue to spend more time at home than in the office with over a fifth (22%) of UK workers revealing that they met their partner or spouse at work and 78% making lasting personal relationships. This is according to research from the UK’s largest online venue booking platform, VenueScanner. The research, among 1,000 office workers, reveals that only 1 in 5 expect to be fully office-based now we are post ‘Freedom Day’, limiting the amount of time they spend in the company of their workmates. And despite 94% of workers being keen to meet up again with colleagues, only 15% want to be in the office full time. 56% prefer to mix home and office

working, while 28% want to be fully home-based. In addition to those workers who have met a future partner at work, a further 58% revealed they have made good friends at work and 14% played Cupid, acting as matchmakers introducing colleagues to other friends outside of work. 17% of employees made a colleague their gym or hobby buddy and 6% met someone that they keep in regular contact with outside of work. The research, conducted by Sapio, also highlights that as home working becomes the new norm for many for the foreseeable future, in person contact with colleagues will be crucial to workers’ mental health and performance moving forward. 86% said this contact was important for their mental health; 83% said it was

absolutely no knowledge of the rules, with 9% saying their employer has not reinforced rules around GDPR and sensitive information while working from home. Two-fifths (41%) of homeworkers polled said they are aware of GDPR rules and regulations around printing confidential documents related to work outside the workplace, but they have no choice other than to print at home at the minute. Over a third (36%) told Go Shred they are aware of the GDPR rules, so never print at home, and a further 19% admit they have some knowledge of the regulations but would like to know more.

important for job satisfaction; and 82% said it made a difference to performance and productivity. The research found that younger people are most likely to have met a partner at work with a third (30%) of 18-24 year olds striking up a close personal relationship leading to becoming partners or even spouses. Women are more likely to make a good work friend with 63% of those surveyed forming solid friendships compared to 52% of men. Sophie Scott, workplace wellbeing expert and psychotherapist, comments: “Flirting and striking up conversation gives us a feeling of confidence and potency in the world. And it requires practice. Daily small talk, which usually centres on what’s right in front of us, paves the way for deeper and more meaningful connections to build. Without it, our self-esteem, motivation, perception and communication skills erode. Most of us can recognise the giddy high we experience when sussing out someone in our environment – whether platonic or not.”

FEATURE

FOUR-DAY WORKING WEEK: Doing More with Less By Andy Moore

Iceland flies the flag for the four-day working week. It reports improved employee productivity, wellbeing and retention. But can Scotland fly high too? Shorter weeks may not suit everyone. Andy Moore looks at the pros and cons.

FEATURE

f ever there was a time to pilot a four-day working week, look no further than the new world of working during the pandemic. Since March 2020, remote and flexible working has, in many cases, shown that reinvented people practices can pay dividends to HR and their colleagues. In Iceland, in particular, a shorter week was found to have been an “overwhelming success.” Likewise, countless studies have discovered that a shorter working week has resulted in better productivity, morale and mental health and, in some situations, improved employee retention.

at Microsoft in Japan – and productivity has increased. All the evidence suggests it’s a win-win for employers and employees.” Practitioners must clarify what it means by a four-day working week and what they hope to achieve. HR could also introduce four-day alternate weeks, and decide what is the best day to allow off for different roles and the nature of their work.

It is well known that an overworked employee is less productive than an employee working a reasonable number of hours each week. Countries that yield the highest productivity statistics include Iceland, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands; they average around 27 hours a week, not the traditional 40 worked in a five-day week.

But what about the issue of pay? Different organisations handle pay differently. Some may just allow one day off a week and pay employees hourly for a full 40 hours, though they will be working only 32 hours. Others may take off a day but extend the other four days so the work time still equals 40 hours.

Many employees in lockdown have also discovered that flexible or shorter weeks can be combined with the trend towards Staycations in which people can work in locations away from home.

ACAS’s advice for HR and employers includes consulting widely with staff on introducing four-day week working on aspects such as regular communication, technology, performance management and health and safety. Practitioners must examine which roles are eligible,

Derek Cheyne, UNISON Skills Development Scotland branch secretary, says: “The four-day week has worked successfully in New Zealand, Iceland, Sweden and even

FEATURE

But while it might be easy to wax lyrical about shorter working weeks, it is vital for HR professionals to scope out whether they are viable. After all, some organisations need to keep rolling 24/7 – for example emergency services that, although run on shift patterns anyway, cannot introduce universal four-day weeks across their operations. The Social Market Foundation (SMF) cautioned that a four day week is unlikely to become the norm without a clearer idea of how to pay for it if workers do not want to receive reduced pay. Improvements in productivity might go some way to filling the gap, but the average worker may need to raise their productivity by 16% in order to avoid a drop in output, it predicts.

how someone can request it, and any principles such as remote working for a maximum number of days a week. HR must ensure remote staff are not excluded and can access the same opportunities as those in the workplace such as team building activities, training and development.

Jo Elphick, Marketing Director at Legal & General Group protection, summed up by saying: “The pandemic has accelerated the preference for more flexible and shorter working options amongst many employees. Yet with increasing diversification of workplace wellbeing options, there’s never been a greater opportunity for employers to build their workplace wellbeing strategies to reflect those needs.”

ACAS advises that decisions around whether to allow hybrid or four-day working should be fair and transparent, while other forms of flexible working can be discussed with employees. Further guidance includes training line managers and staff to help them prepare for and manage shorter week working, and consider a trial period to see if it works and if any further adjustments are needed.

Will a four-day week help you work smarter, not harder?

One of Scotland’s largest trade unions, PCS, has urged the Scottish Government to “lead the way” by introducing four-day working weeks, with 87% of its workers in favour of it, according to a report published in August by the think-tank, Autonomy. The report demonstrates clear, perceived benefits for the employer, including greater retention and recruitment of staff and being seen as a pioneer in setting new working time standards for the Scottish economy; and having a healthier workforce.

• Shorter working weeks can bring better productivity, morale, mental health and employee retention • HR must clarify what it means by a four-day working week and what it hopes to achieve

Cat Boyd, a PCS national officer in Glasgow, says: “The pandemic has shown that we are able to work in ways many employers told us weren’t possible before. The Scottish Government staff are making it clear that the future can be different, that it can be better for workers, employers, the economy and the environment.”

• Consult widely with staff on four-day weeks on aspects such as communication, technology, performance management and health and safety • Examine which roles are eligible • A four-day week is unlikely to become the norm without a clearer idea of how to pay for it

Countries that yield the highest productivity statistics include Iceland, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands; they average around 27 hours a week, not the traditional 40 worked in a five-day week.

• Some organisations need to keep rolling 24/7 – for example emergency services • The average worker may need to raise their productivity by 16% in order to avoid a drop in output

STATS

‘Pleasanteeism’ plagues UK businesses as many mask mental health challenges at work ‘Pleasanteeism’ – the pressure to put on a brave face – is undermining efforts to promote an open dialogue about mental health at work. That’s according to new research released recently by Lime, the online-only provider of affordable healthcare top ups, which is urging the UK’s businesses to take simple steps to help employees improve their mental health. A NEW REPORT ‘Keeping up Appearances: How ‘Pleasanteeism’ is Eroding Resilience’ – reveals that over half (51%) of UK workers agree that they feel under pressure to put on a brave face in front of their colleagues. A quarter (25%) of respondents who are returning to the workplace or have been working from home are worried about having to be the best version of themselves when they return to the workplace, while almost one in five (19%) are concerned about their stress being visible to others. But, behind the scenes, people are struggling. Just over a quarter (26%) of respondents agree that they don’t think they’re coping at work, and over a third (34%) feel the same way about everyday life. This is taking a toll on the nation’s resilience levels, leaving four in 10 (40%) feeling less resilient now than they did before the pandemic. Women and young people are bearing the brunt of these challenges, with 43% of women aged 16-24 and 49% of young men aged 16-24 feeling less resilient now than they did before the pandemic. The sense of pleasanteeism is also more evident in women than men: 56% of women – compared to 45% of men – feel like they must put on a brave face for their colleagues, rising to 61% for young women aged 16-24.

suggest that low personal resilience impacts their ability to do their job effectively, with many admitting that stress and poor mental health has caused them to have an unproductive day (28%), lose concentration or make a mistake at work (17%), forget to do something important (17%), or even call in sick (9%). Currently, only 16% of respondents feel their mental health is very well supported at work, despite 81% wanting their employers to support their mental wellbeing. 42% of respondents agree that they expect their employer to do more – and 40% even admit that they would look for a new job if their employer didn’t do so. Findings from the report suggested that workers would welcome simple initiatives such as employers being more mindful about workload and work/life balance (25%), greater flexibility in working hours (22%), time out to deal

Pleasanteeism is masking a mental health problem that could be catastrophic for businesses, which are already operating in a challenging environment. 44% of UK workers

with personal commitments (20%), and mental health days off work (20%). Shaun Williams, CEO & Founder, Lime Global Ltd, commented: “The past 18 months has had a huge impact on people’s lives, including on their mental health and resilience. The long-term repercussions of the pandemic are likely to be felt for years to come, and it’s important we act now to be aware of and prioritise both our own mental health and that of those around us.” Shaun Williams continued: “We know that employers have a lot on their plates and each workforce will require unique approaches for tackling mental health challenges. But there are plenty of simple and affordable avenues for doing so. It’s only by drawing attention to and prioritising mental health in the workplace that we can support one another to be as healthy, resilient, happy and productive as possible.”

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AWARDS

The

Big

Return:

It’s time to meet and celebrate again! By Teresa Flannigan

Hr NETWORK’s National Awards 2021 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute will celebrate 14 years of recognising, acknowledging and rewarding the stars of the Scottish HR profession this year. The hugely anticipated annual awards gala dinner, anticipated to attract around 800 top HR & people industry professionals, now that COVID restrictions have been lifted, will see the presentation of 15 Awards for a range of people, project and organisational categories for award winning work over the past 24 months. The Gala Dinner will take place at the hugely impressive Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 25th November 2021.

Hr NETWORK is delighted to announce the appointment of three new Judges for 2021. Joining existing judges Julian Bell, John Ferguson and Clare Moore, who have been involved in the Hr NETWORK Awards judging process for a number of years, Susan DeFazio, Fiona Martin and Andrew Penker have joined the Judging process and will take part in the shortlisted finalist interviews taking place in mid-September.

The Gala Dinner will once again be hosted by broadcaster and presenter Stephen Jardine, who has hosted the event since November 2007.

Table sales for this year’s Awards Gala Dinner are in extremely high demand as anticipated and organisations wishing to host a table of 10, are strongly advised to secure their table as soon as possible.

The nominations process for this year’s Hr NETWORK National Awards 2021 has now closed with nominations entered from all business sectors across Scotland, in all categories.

AWARDS

Introducing the Judging Panel for 2021: John Ferguson

Julian Bell

John is Founder and Managing Partner of John Ferguson Leadership Ltd a results-based leadership company with particular emphasis at Executive and Board levels. John is recognised as a specialist in strategy facilitation and enabling high performing teams. With over 25 years leadership development background, John is recognised for his wealth of international experience and practical insights to support clients to optimise their leadership and achieve their commercial organisational objectives for today and tomorrow. John is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and Deputy Chair of a community service organisation.

Julian is a senior HR professional with over 20 years experience supporting business improvement through peoplechange programmes in many industries from blue chip, FMCG industries to, more recently, Private Equity funded growth companies. He recently became Global HRD for EC English, an English language training company with 27 schools in 8 countries across the globe. Julian started his career in Sales & Marketing with M&M/ Mars confectionery in Slough but quickly “saw the light” and moved into HR and held a number of Business Partnering and European Internal Communication/ Engagement roles. He then returned to Scotland, working for Diageo in a number of UK, European & Global roles covering M&A, OD, Business Partnering, Talent Management and Resourcing. Staying in Food & Drink he then spent five years as HRD for Robert Wiseman Dairies and latterly, assisting the transition to Muller-Wiseman Dairies. In 2014 he became Director of Group HR for Redeem, a P/E backed, global provider of mobile phone recommercing services and sales before moving be CPO for Cloudreach, a P/E backed global cloud-enablement startup. Julian was educated at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh and holds a BSc in Economics from St Andrews University where he is a visiting lecturer in HR, and also met his wife, Pauline with whom he has three ballet dancing children and lives in Dollar.

Fiona Martin

Fiona is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. She has significant experience working across civic Scotland both in Local Government and in Non Departmental Public Bodies at senior executive level. She has a strong interest in developing organisations, with positive cultures, alongside workspaces that enable individuals and teams to thrive. She is an experienced mediator and enjoys helping others resolve conflict. Fiona also contributes as a Board member within the Further and Higher Education sector. When she is not working Fiona enjoys baking, reading, gardening and very occasionally trying to get fit.

Susan DeFazio

Susan is a recognised expert in strategic workforce planning, business growth and organisational effectiveness with 20+ years global experience. With a passion for empowering internal capabilities by making ‘the how’ possible for leaders and practitioners, as the founder of Be Future Ready Today, she acts as an advisor, coach, speaker, organisational health and strategic workforce planning expert. She is passionate about simplifying the world of work. Susan is a partner with The Human Capital Institute to deliver a well established and proven strategic framework that allows learners to advance their careers and prepare them to lead the future of HR. Prior to running her own consultancy, Susan lead and developed a Global Consulting Practice which was designed to help companies build strategic capabilities for workforce planning, transformation, business analytics and differentiated people practices.

AWARDS

Clare Moore

Key Sponsor:

Clare leads her team at Business Jigsaw and works as an Executive Coach, Facilitator and Consultant. Clients around the UK partner with Business Jigsaw to improve senior team effectiveness, through Leadership Development Programmes and Executive Coaching Programmes. She has over 15 years of senior management experience in two major Blue Chip companies, British Airways and Telewest Broadband. She has held a number of senior positions within Sales, Operations, Marketing and Customer Service Departments. Her current projects include delivering leadership development programmes and supporting several leadership teams through transformation projects, in the form of coaching individuals and facilitating team workshops and conferences. Business Jigsaw also offers CMI accredited coach training for clients aiming to build a coaching culture.

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. They improve leadership, management and organisational development performance and capability. They equip learners with the skills, resilience and agility they need to navigate the change and uncertainty of today’s organisations. They also want to make the world of work a better place. So they are unapologetically and passionately people-focused, as they believe this is key to sustainable organisational performance.

Andrew Penker

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

With over 30 years in HR, Andrew is a highly qualified, pragmatic, commercial and adaptable HR professional with experience gained across a range of sectors with leading national and international companies. A Trustee with Southeast Scotland Scouts, he is also a qualified Curling Coach. Andrew is an independent HR Consultant and Founder of XSectorMentor®, the global community for companies to connect their people across sectors, using reciprocal mentoring to share knowledge and ideas and develop professionally. Married, he lives in Edinburgh and enjoys a good dog walk with Dougal, his ‘spaniel trapped inside a labs body’.

AWARDS

Award Categories and Sponsors: Learning & Development Award of the Year

HR Specialist of the Year Sponsored by:

Sponsored by:

Navigator is Scotland’s leading legal services practice specialising in Employment Law, Human Resources, Health & Safety, Data Protection, GDPR and Immigration Law. From their offices in the West End of Edinburgh, they support clients across the UK which operate across a broad spectrum of sectors. They provide legal advice, conduct employment law, health & safety and GDPR audits, write policies and procedures and represent at employment tribunal. They also write and deliver bespoke training and development sessions on a range of topics that can be tailored to your needs.

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

Health and Wellbeing Award of the Year Sponsored by:

Love Your Employees is a platform to help employers improve employee wellbeing to help drive employee and company performance. Employers can score themselves across the five pillars of wellbeing (mental, financial, physical, career and social) and use this score to shape their reward, benefits and wellbeing support. Organisations can easily review their provisions online, arrange free reviews with independent consultants quickly and simply find support with no sales pressure. The wellbeing marketplace brings together established providers, consultants, tech-based services and more to make it easy to get inspiration and find new solutions.

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

HR Director of the Year Sponsored by:

As the world’s leading integrated talent development and outplacement company, LHH has got both global scale and local knowledge; pioneering technology and experienced consultants. Whether you’re restructuring, changing your culture or developing your leaders, they can help. They work with companies to simplify the challenges of workforce transformation. They do that by helping their people navigate change, become better leaders, develop their careers or find a new path in life. The results: a stronger employer brand, less risk and better business performance.

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

Best Employer/Workplace of the Year Sponsored by:

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

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.

Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR

The Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR Award is Scottish HR’s most prestigious award made to an individual who has an established history of distinguished service to the HR profession either as a practitioner, academic or consultant or may be someone who has successfully transcended different areas of the HR profession.

If you have any enquiries in relation to sponsorship or becoming a table host at the Gala Dinner at the Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 25th November 2021, please contact: Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

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

FEATURE

Discovering

Talent THE BENEFITS OF

Intelligence By Gary Towers

Talent Intelligence is about bringing a different level of insight and understanding and knowing how to apply it to deliver benefits.

FEATURE

Blending data from outside an organisation, as well as data from within it, Jobtrain’s Talent Intelligence Unit has been created as a specialist division to analyse and improve an organisation’s talent strategy, which improves their operational effectiveness making the roles of talent acquisition and HR essential when building a business strategy.

Measuring starting points, inputs, and outcomes is a fundamental component to success, ensuring lessons are learnt and continuous improvement, as well as providing case studies for external accreditation and awards. We summarise this as “A.I.M to succeed!”…. (A – Analyse, I – Improve & M – Measure)

Where do you gather the data from?

‘One-click’ reports that tell you ‘all you need to know and what to do’ are the pot of gold at the end of rainbow. It takes time to gather, evaluate and curate meaningful information. But it is the interpreting and knowing how to apply the learnings from that data, and to communicate it that is where the real value lies.

We use a mix of internal and publicly available external data. There are also companies that specialise in the supply of information as a paid service. INTERNAL / OWN DATA

EXTERNAL PUBLIC DATA (FREE)

EXTERNAL VENDOR DATA (£)

By using organisational and external data companies are armed with insights for more intelligence-based recruiting, a competitive advantage, supporting common business goals and themes such as cost and time savings or increased service satisfaction. These might be broken down into more specific measures, that in-turn feed other goals and measures, with a tangible business outcome. For example:

ATS

External – Public (often free of charge)

Gartner

• Reduced time to hire

Google analytics

So how might this benefit my organisation? HR/L&D platform Job Board/Job Board Aggregators

• % vacancy fill, and % first time vacancy fill

Candidate and employee surveys

• Reduced empty chairs or empty chair time = Increased end customer satisfaction

External – Public (often free of charge) ONS Gov.uk Freedom of Information Requests

• Increased Quality of Hire (measured through selection benchmarks, rejection rates etc) =

Industry Publications

• Increased staff performance =

News outlets

• Increased staff tenure =

Glassdoor ratings

Increased end customer satisfaction

Mercer Croners Horsefly

FEATURE

What are you finding of most interest in the world of Talent Intelligence at present? There is a dichotomy or paradox within recruitment at present: whilst organisations report increased and often, overwhelming numbers of applications, many (and often the same) organisations report struggles filling vacancies. This is suggesting a mismatch, a lack of suitable candidates for the vacancies available. INCREASING VACANCIES

INCREASING CANDIDATES

862,000 jobs on offer between April and June 2021, 77,500 higher than the first three months of 2020. Biggest increase since records began. (ONS, 2021)

4.9% UK unemployment rate. The highest level since 2016 (ONS) 61% of full-time employees planning to switch jobs in 2021 (CareerArc, 2020) 80% increase in applications via Jobtrain Q1 2021 v Q1 2020

So, whilst advertising can certainly be reduced in terms of volume or frequency, a more targeted ‘sniper-like’ approach and a carefully pitched EVP will be required to draw out the best candidates. Automation can deal with the unsuitable candidates efficiently. Skilled resources have departed post-Brexit, and so long term plans to train up future talent will also be required more than ever in some sectors. Another growing influence on a candidate’s choices of employer is their policies and practices with regards to equality, diversity & inclusion. A growing number of Jobtrain clients are participating in schemes and accreditations such as the Disability Confident or Athena Swan scheme and enabling key features to support this in their software and processes such as anonymous

Of the 61% of candidates who plan to change jobs in 2021 mentioned above, CareerArc found that over half expect some degree of flexible home working.

shortlisting, guaranteed interviews, and online accessibility tools to help those with visual impairments of dyslexia. And this is not cynical virtue signalling. Dyslexia UK estimates 13% of UK adults have some degree of dyslexia. If we assume the same percentage for the 60million job seekers Jobtrain handled globally last year, that’s almost 8 million. Certainly, it seems to be the main area of interest for Senior HR leaders we have been engaging with, and so we are finding it interesting that some organisations’ talent functions have been dropping EDI monitoring. Whether that’s due to perceived lack of use for the data, advice from legal counsel to remove it, to suit a 3rd party integration, or simply to make the application as short as possible to appease candidates remains to be understood. Whilst the majority do record data for protected characteristics, those who care for dependants are seldom being recorded as part of EDI. Yet, according to ONS 93% of males and 75% of females have some degree of dependent care to factor into their working life. Of the 61% of candidates who plan to change jobs in 2021 mentioned above, CareerArc found that over half expect some degree of flexible home working. The Economist’s own survey in partnership with Prudential found that 42% of employees say they will resign if they aren’t granted permanent flexible work arrangements post lockdown. The question we have been putting to our clients is this: Could instigating or more actively promoting part time and location-flexible roles boost inclusion but also positively generate a larger pot of high-quality candidates from which to select your hires?

What do you currently see in the future of recruitment? The buzzwords might change and the technology advances to support better methods, but the fundamentals of recruitment will remain – understand your target candidate, be clear about what you offer, truly engage them throughout the lifecycle, run efficient and fair processes, continually analyse and improve. The labour market will change. Growing skills shortages will require longer term strategy, flexible working will grow, and flexible structures too – focusing on recruiting a flexible portfolio of skills rather than following rigid job titles and structures. Insights from data will be crucial to success. Talent Intelligence will be the competitive edge.

FEATURE

Three levels of

RESILIENCE in the face of

ADVERSITY By Owen Cook

Resilience during uncertain times is a hallmark of great leadership, especially if it’s shared and grown in our people too. Seeing and hearing a leader who inspires us by embodying integrity, purpose and kindness during times of difficulty adds to our own resilience too. How do they do it? What makes the difference?

FEATURE

ell, we can prepare well and behave in ways that will make us more resilient in advance of difficulties arising by looking after ourselves physiologically and emotionally; continuously learning and developing, including through feedback from others; staying in touch with our purpose and motivation; and, focusing on what’s important. All of this will help us when the time comes, but the irony of the situation is that we can’t practice ‘being resilient’ until those difficulties are actually upon us. It’s only when the chips are down that we find out what we’re really made of.

INDIVIDUALLY

Well, the chips are well and truly down just now, so it’s time to take a proper look at what you’re doing that is really helping or hindering your resilience (and by association your performance), that of your team and that of your organisation.

Take note of what’s coming up for you and allow yourself to either do the task now or to schedule it so you know when it’s going to happen. Stick to the time you schedule though, otherwise, you might not trust yourself next time.

1. Balance your need for ‘survival’ with the need to have an impact The most resilient among us still have a survival instinct that wants to take over and decide what we should be doing (this happens when we’re not even under real threat, so in times of pandemic and social unrest it only gets stronger). You’ll need to attend to this instinct at times in order to create space for the more evolved, rational part of your brain that tells you what you should really be doing to have an impact. One way to prioritise your to-do list is to rank each item as ‘low’ or ‘high’ by their ‘value to the business’ and ‘value to me’ on a two-axis model. Those items that fall in the ‘high-high’ area are your top priorities and should be done first. However, in times of crisis, there are often tasks that come up which rank ‘low’ in one of the two categories, but which are constantly on our minds, nagging at us, taking our focus and motivation until they’re done – sometimes you need to attend to this, even if it feels like the impact of doing so is lower.

Try these approaches to build or maintain resilience in the face of adversity – they’re split across those three levels, as your focus as a leader should be:

FEATURE

2. Learn from the past, do your best in the present, adapt for the future

FOR THE TEAM 4. Control the controllables

When we face challenges there are always three temporal lenses that we can look through to assess the situation and decide what we should do. Use each of them for their benefits rather than letting their pitfalls wear you down.

During any challenge, it’s easy to focus on and worry about things around you that aren’t actually in your control – it’s a waste of time, energy and attention that’ll undermine your team rather than give them a much needed boost.

The past lens tells us what we could have done differently, what we did right and what we did wrong. It can be helpful, but we should visit it briefly to grab the learning and move swiftly on as we can’t change it and shouldn’t dwell on things that feel like a rod for our own backs, or that focus on the assignment of blame.

Ensure everyone in the team is clear on what can and can’t be controlled, and for what you can control, what their part to play is. Coordinated, targeted focus will help everyone feel more in control themselves and keep you on track as a team.

The present lens gives us a lot of data and information about what we’re facing right now, how we feel about that (make sure not to neglect that side of things or it’ll come back to bite you later) and what feels ‘urgent’.

5. Express empathetic concern for how it feels for others (don’t make it about you) Being honest about how we’re doing and what’s bothering us is a critical part of being a good leader – however, we also need to ensure we’re balancing that with some empathy for our teams and how things may feel for them. It’s important to recognise the likely emotions that’ll be present and to express your concern for your people.

This is where the urgent/important balance comes in. Think about each task and whether it is urgent or important, both or neither. Are the things that feel urgent really urgent? If not, what’s causing you to feel like they are and can you address that root cause? The future lens keeps us focused on our long term goals, aims and purpose...it’s our North Star to guide us and we shouldn’t lose sight of it. It helps us to remember who we are and what’s important to us. In the big scheme of things, what’s important in the long term? Is what you’re doing right now moving you in that direction? If not, what do you need to change, take on or let go of to get back on track?

Something to steer clear of – if you’re sharing critical feedback or bad news, don’t be like a talent show judge, telling everyone how hard it is for you to be the one saying it/delivering it when actually it’s much harder to hear.

6. Open discussion about sacrifice without expectations on anyone to do so As the leader of a team, it often falls on us to be the ones to sacrifice first – as Simon Sinek says, ‘great leaders eat last’. It’s important we share some of what we’re doing to ensure the best result for everyone involved, that’s a part of role-modelling great leadership to others. But it’s equally important that we’re clear these same sacrifices aren’t necessarily required of everyone else and that there should be no bad feelings about not being able to make the same commitment.

3. Be kind to yourself You’re a resilient leader, not a superhuman. You’ll have bad moments and bad days (perhaps even bad weeks), and it’s important to face into that, to remember that it’s okay and natural to have these times – allowing yourself to have them is akin to being the palm tree swaying in the storm rather than the oak being blown over some time later.

I was once part of a leadership team discussing how a difficult economic situation meant the team leader and some team members felt the need to turn down pay increases that were long overdue. The challenge was to make it okay for other members of the team to still take their increase – it was a delicate balance of emotions aided by setting clear expectations at the start before sharing the context for each individual’s decision.

When you have them, these three things might help: First, simply remember that it’s okay to have bad days – be kind to you. Second, be curious with yourself as to why it’s happening – did something happen that had more of an impact than you realised? Is it cumulative? What can you do in future that might feel helpful? Third, if you feel able, can you share it with others? Talking about these moments openly can bring us closer together, form stronger bonds, and help us and others feel like we’re not alone – and therefore we can be more resilient together...

This enabled leaders to manage the remote and hybrid world through regular group sessions, supported with daily behavioural nudges that keep the learning front and centre and keeps the support going as the situation evolves.

FEATURE

FOR THE ORGANISATION

But, leaders do need to be the steady hand on the tiller, keeping the tone optimistic and future-focused in order to help the whole organisation stay resilient. So be open about the challenge, but be open about the plan to address it, your commitment to it and why it matters to you. Your example can shore-up and inspire others, so, think carefully about the words you use and how you use them to help create the right world for your people.

7. Honest, regular communication In uncertain times, people need some sense of safety, security or certainty and they’ll hunt for it anywhere they can get it, including from the wrong sources – often the rumour-mill. Open, honest (as can be) and regular communication is the only thing that helps people build resilience to the uncertainty around them.

9. Keep the ‘why’/purpose in sight

Create resilience by scheduling a regular time, and by using a regular approach to communication, creating space for questions and answers (being honest and taking questions away when you don’t have the answers to hand) and even communicating when there’s nothing new to say – that way people don’t fill the void with resilience sapping stories.

It’s often said that ‘a man can bear almost any ‘how’ if he has a ‘why’.’ Most of your people didn’t join your organisation, and stick around, simply for the paycheque. They are there, with you, because something in your organisational ‘why’, your purpose, resonates with them and they want to make it happen. They want to have an impact. So keep coming back to that purpose, keep it front of mind, through good times and bad – make it the grounding point for everyone and every decision you make.

8. Be open about what we’re facing and how we’re dealing with it There’s no point making out things are better than they are, trying to find the spoonful of sugar for any kind of medicine – people only find out the truth anyway through leaks, rumours or the passing of time, all of which will erode trust and resilience along with it.

Owen Cook

And no, ‘shareholder value’ is often not a ‘why’ that works for people – particularly in times like these.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Owen Cook is head of programmes at The Culture Builders. With experience across both the private and charity sectors, Owen has designed and delivered a range of programmes supporting government, businesses, customers and stakeholders, to drive change.

BETWEEN the LINES There is no Planet B

Too Many Reasons To Live

By Mike Berners-Lee

By Rob Burrow Rob Burrow is one of the greatest rugby league players of all time. And the most inspirational. As a boy, Rob was told he was too small to play the sport. Even when he made his debut for Leeds Rhinos, people wrote him off as a novelty. But Rob never stopped proving people wrong. In December 2019, Rob was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, a rare degenerative condition, and given a couple of years to live. He was only 37, not long retired and had three young children. When he went public with the devastating news, the outpouring of affection and support was extraordinary. When it became clear that Rob was going to fight it all the way, sympathy turned to awe.

Feeding the world, climate change, biodiversity, antibiotics, plastics – the list of concerns seems endless. But what is most pressing, what are the knock-on effects of our actions, and what should we do first? Do we all need to become vegetarian? How can we fly in a low-carbon world? Should we frack? How can we take control of technology? Does it all come down to population? There is No Planet B maps it out in an accessible and entertaining way, filled with astonishing facts and analysis. This book will shock you, surprise you – and then make you laugh. And you’ll find practical and even inspiring ideas for what you can actually do to help humanity thrive on this – our only – planet.

Beautiful World, Where Are You

The Split By Lee Child She’ll never stop running. But he’ll never stop looking.

By Sally Rooney Alice, a novelist, meets Felix, who works in a warehouse, and asks him if he’d like to travel to Rome with her. In Dublin, her best friend Eileen is getting over a break-up and slips back into flirting with Simon, a man she has known since childhood. Alice, Felix, Eileen and Simon are still young – but life is catching up with them. They desire each other, they delude each other, they get together, they break apart. They worry about sex and friendship and the world they live in. Are they standing in the last lighted room before the darkness, bearing witness to something? Will they find a way to believe in a beautiful world?

A year ago Felicity Lloyd fled England to South Georgia, one of the most remote islands in the world, escaping her past and the man she once loved. Can she keep running her whole life? Freddie Lloyd has served time for murder – and now he wants her back. Wherever she is, he won’t stop until he finds her. Will he be able to track her to the ends of the earth? Together they’ll find themselves trapped on the ice and in danger. Who will survive?

The Comfort Book By Matt Haig It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learned while we are at our lowest. But then we never think about food more than when we are hungry and we never think about life rafts more than when we are thrown overboard. The Comfort Book is a collection of consolations learned in hard times and suggestions for making the bad days better. Drawing on maxims, memoir and the inspirational lives of others, these meditations celebrate the ever-changing wonder of living. This is for when we need the wisdom of a friend or a reminder we can always nurture inner strength and hope, even in our busy world.

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

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.

EXTRA: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Defining the five pillars of health and wellbeing By Teresa Flannigan

t’s hardly a secret that many employees are unsuccessfully managing to juggle their finances. Easier access to credit and years spent living in a “want” society has meant that more than half of the population is stressed in some way about their earnings. This stress and anxiety has been shown to cause employees to take time off from work and can be very unsettling in all aspects of their daily lives. The impact of the pandemic has only served to exacerbate worries further for many millions of workers across the UK.

EXTRA: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

• Employers feel there is a bigger need for workplace education to help support employees directly

Unsurprisingly, and encouragingly, wellbeing is the top of a lot of people’s lists, both from a human perspective and from a business performance point of view.

Co-founder of Love Your Employees Neil Struthers says: “Financial wellbeing is a key aspect of a person’s overall wellbeing. When you look more closely at what employers can do to help employees and how they can take control of their money, make better decisions, and reduce financial related stress, the benefits of supporting employees with their financial wellbeing, is a key consideration in their employee engagement strategy.” Neil continued: “One of the biggest challenges for employers is how to give employees access to this type of support. There is a perception that financial planning or guidance is for extremely wealthy people or only relevant for people approaching or reaching retirement. There are solutions out there now that help everyone, whether that’s dealing with student debt as they enter the workplace or helping parents navigate maternity leave and the financial pressures associated with that. With Love Your Employees marketplace and the upcoming addition of Inform, we’re bringing all these solutions together in one place to make it easy for employers to give their employees access to support that suits their circumstances. We’re very excited about it.”

Following a recent study carried out by Edinburgh based wellbeing platform, Love Your Employees, the research shows that 89% of employers believe there is a link between their employees’ financial wellbeing and their physical and/or mental wellbeing. With such a high number of employees affected, which can have an enormous impact on the bottom line for organisations as employers, there are many initiatives that employers can consider to reduce the effects of poor financial wellbeing amongst their people.

• Employers are concerned about their overall employees’ wellbeing (particularly mental health)

As part of the work they do, speaking to organisations every day, Love Your Employees has gained insight into trends, where people’s heads are and what’s important to businesses at this point in time. Unsurprisingly, and encouragingly, wellbeing is the top of a lot of people’s lists, both from a human perspective and from a business performance point of view.

• Employers are concerned about a lack of employee engagement

With the “why?” in employee wellbeing (as a business case) being accepted within modern organisations; many

Through the study they carried out, Love Your Employees also discovered there are three big trends from their conversations with employers:

EXTRA: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

still find the Who? What? and How? challenging, particularly given the correlation and impact each of the five pillars of health & wellbeing have on the other. This is completely understandable given workforces are as diverse as ever and vary substantially from business to business.

should therefore cater for all, regardless of individual circumstances and cover a broad range of topics and life events. Topics could range from student loan repayment, first time house buyers, how to manage maternity periods, through to saving for retirement and the most efficient way to draw down retirement benefits.

Love Your Employees built their proposition around their five pillars of wellbeing, and have a network of partners that can support employers in each of the following areas:

Despite the increase in awareness that employers can benefit and have a key role to play in helping their employees manage and reduce financial stress, 52% (of the 300 businesses) Love Your Employees surveyed, do not offer any form of financial education in the workplace.

• Financial • Physical

To help address this gap and provide a solution for organisations and their employees, Love Your Employees is launching Inform, this September, as part of their proposition.

• Mental • Social (and community) • Career

Inform is a workplace education platform designed to give organisations and their workforce access to industry leading education and learning. The content is delivered by a specialist Love Your Employee partner network in the form of webinars and online workshops.

Many will be asking; Who within the workforce needs help? Who should be providing that support? Is it the Provider, an adviser or up to the individual to source support themselves? What can the business do to support that individual (or group of individuals?) Does it need to be regulated financial advice or just guidance and education?

Employers can browse a whole host of workshops and events across the five pillars of wellbeing on topics such as financial education, mental health, fitness, leadership, and productivity.

How can they deliver the support effectively for the employees but also for the business?

Users also have the option to arrange bespoke events direct with partners for their employees, if for example, they wanted to arrange in person education or workshops at their workplace. Won’t that be nice when we can do that again!

The truthful answer is that it depends on the individual circumstances of each business. Finances for the majority are a very private matter and must be handled with care and discretion. A good financial education programme

INSIGHT: WORKPLACE ABUSE

Emotional ABUSE at work is more SIGNIFICANT than we think, and even harder to ESCAPE

uthors of a recent study claim that people – perhaps unintentionally – sometimes trivialize emotional abuse in the workplace, yet it is a problem within workplaces that needs attention. Here, Professor Birgit Schyns from NEOMA Business School and her co-authors of the report claim that psychological abuse in the workplace is more common and complex than we think.

Using a model called the ‘Barriers Model of Abusive Supervision’, the researchers looked into a hierarchically organized set of obstacles that make it difficult for followers to escape the abusive supervisor, explaining why abuse can continue over long periods of time.

While society has become more aware of psychological abuse in intimate or family relationships, psychological abuse in the workplace is more common and complex than we think.

As well as this, internal factors such as an individual’s personality also determine why it is harder for some to escape an abusive work relationship.

People can greatly suffer from psychological abuse by their supervisor, with consequences ranging from increased levels of depression, emotional exhaustion and anxiety to insomnia, problem drinking, and reduced satisfaction with life.

Some people may be less likely to leave their abusive supervisor because they value social relationships and tend to be forgiving. These people may be more likely to trust that things will change for the better and forgive their leader, rather than changing the situation they are in.

They argue that there are a number of factors including barriers relating to an unsupportive societal culture, a lack of available job opportunities, and missing or unenforced legislation. When the economy is doing badly and the job market is tight or there are simply no jobs available in their occupational field, a practical reason for targets of abuse to stay in the relationship may be the lack of alternative options of employment.

Moreover, our research states that given the sustained nature of the phenomenon, those exposed to an abusive supervisor often suffer over long periods of time and in many instances the effects are carried over to the next employment.

Ultimately, the model we created could be used to inspire future research on the sustained nature of abusive supervision in order to provide experts with the necessary background information to help abused workers escape their supervisors.

But why is emotional abuse at work so hard to tackle, and why do those on the receiving end endure it for so long?

INSIGHT: DIVERSITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING

THREE’S journey to MORE diversity, inclusion and BELONGING

hree believe that being diverse and inclusive, with a strong sense of belonging is not only the right thing to do but it will make them a stronger and better business. That is why they’re committed to creating an engaging and inclusive culture and embedding diversity and inclusion into their very DNA. Here, Gill Cooke, propositions and engagement lead at Three describes the diversity inclusion and belonging journey in one of the UK’s top mobile phone providers.

The members of each country’s committee were selected to represent all areas of the business from legal to retail, commercial to IT and many had a personal interest in DIB and were members of employee networks internally or supported external groups. Both our DIB steering groups are passionate, knowledgeable and ’get stuck in’, which was recognised with a nomination for UK Steering Group of the Year at the 2021 FREDIE awards. Ultimately, the Steering groups recognise that diverse representation across both businesses makes for great conversations and actions rooted in reality. At the start of 2021, we set out some priorities, which would enable Three as a business to achieve the best outcomes not only for our business, but our wider stakeholder ecosystem. The DIB steering groups work closely with experts around the organisation in areas such as recruitment and policy developers, to ensure DIB is ingrained in everything we do.

We have always been on a journey to become a more inclusive business. In Ireland, our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) committee was founded in early 2020 and was followed in the UK in late summer 2020. Formed with the purpose of driving the DIB agenda within Three, both Steering groups were recruited by inviting interested employees to apply through a formal application process. Applicants were then shortlisted and were interviewed by a panel, which included external expertise from the Irish Centre for Diversity and the National Centre of Diversity respectively.

They are willing to push themselves into arenas beyond the obvious for example: Three are refurbishing office space and a steering group member has ensured that the needs of disabled and neurodiverse employees, have been considered right at the start of the process and has been involved interviewing organisations bidding for the work. While we have made great progress in our journey to date, we know that there is still a long way to go. Thanks to the passion and dedication of not only our DIB Steering groups, but our wider employee base, we know that we will continue to push ahead and embed diversity, inclusivity and belonging into the very fabric of everything we do here at Three. I am proud to be leading the programme across both UK and Ireland now to ensure efficiency and alignment where possible. We have exciting plans for the rest of the year, including celebrating National Inclusion Week in September, Black History Month in October and International Men’s Day in November, as well as Diversity training and some new policies for our employees, and I look forward to seeing what we will achieve over the next few months and years ahead.

INSIGHT: EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY

Resolving EMPLOYEE BURNOUT through data

mployee burnout should be of the highest priority for leaders in 2021 as they start to plan their recovery from the upheaval of 2020. Burnout employees can damage productivity and are likely to leave if they perceive that they can better recover in another role. Here, Richard Jeffery, Group CEO, ActiveOps explains that the key to the success of any organisation’s efforts to reduce burnout is to revisit how they measure employee productivity.

The company attains employee engagement by understanding and providing what employees want from their work – whether involved in decisions that affect them, measurable and actionable feedback, on-going development, or a sense of satisfaction and purpose. Disengaged employees are at an increased risk of burnout. Software that aggregates workforce data can identify employees who are off-task for significant periods or who spend a lot of time using training sections of programmes – both of which may be signs that they are disengaged and struggling. That data can be used as the basis for a productive conversation between employees and managers to help analyse and resolve the issues affecting those employees. The move to hybrid working styles has presented both opportunities and challenges for employee wellbeing. Many organisations lack a transparent view of the time employees spend working, especially during their non-working hours.

Finding meaningful solutions to employee burnout isn’t just a social responsibility for organisations – though it is incredibly important if organisations want to live up to their values and be an employer of choice for the best talent out there. Beyond that, reducing burnout is vital to an organisation’s top and bottom lines.”

Technology enabling organisations to accurately track when employees log on, showing managers how well they balance work and rest, will help managers proactively intervene to protect their employees from overwork and thus burnout.

According to our research, there are three areas where workforce data can help organisations tackle burnout. These deal with the current state of play where organisations have burnt-out employees that they need to support and help protect the workforce from burnout in the future.

Organisations with a high level of burnout will soon (if they haven’t already) see their retention rates plummet as employees look for other roles where they can recover themselves. Burnout damages the company brand and incurs high costs as the organisation has to hire and train replacements for those employees they lose. Eliminating burnout, therefore, can reduce the cost of churn for organisations.

Though the causes of employee burnout are varied, the most significant cause of burnout is overwork – or too much of the wrong kind of work for a specific employee. Organisations must be aware of how much work they are expecting of their employees, what they are getting through, and the work coming down the line. Armed with this data, managers can divert workload away from burnt-out employees while they recover and gradually increase their workload as they regain their wellbeing. By getting a holistic view of the whole team, those managers can see whether they should be diverting that work within the team – perhaps to an underworked team member – or whether they should be looking at additional short-term resources to fill the gap.

Key to the success of any organisation’s efforts to reduce burnout is to revisit how they measure employee productivity. It’s no longer enough to look simply at outcomes or the volume of tasks completed. As work has grown more complex, the methods of measuring success have also increased in complexity – and often, organisations find it very hard to measure performance without technological intervention.

Seeing where your employees are spending their time may also help you identify whether they are in the right kind of work.

INSIGHT: WORKPLACE RACISM

Avoiding the CURSE of HISTORICAL RACISM in the WORKPLACE

ncreasingly, organisations are paying attention to historical racism. English Heritage has pledged to review all its blue plaques, so the associated online biographies can provide a fuller picture… including any uncomfortable aspects. Similarly, the National Trust produced a ‘Colonialism and historic slavery’ report, highlighting the links between its properties and historical racist practices. Here, James Meachin, partner at business psychology firm Pearn Kandola talks about the danger of letting the handling of historic racism become a tick-box exercise, or worse, a smokescreen for those not willing to tackle modern day racism.

BAME workers who have experienced racism at work reporting that it negatively impacted their mental health and wellbeing. A real risk is that the mainly white leaders of many organisations choose to focus, if they do so at all, on the safer and easier ground of historical racism instead of the much harder, more personal, and more essential task of addressing present-day racism and disadvantage. My colleague Binna Kandola’s book Racism at Work makes the critical point that many senior leaders either don’t see, or chose to ignore, modern manifestations of racism in the workplace. Crucially, whilst modern racism may look different to the historical acts of racism that organisations are now focusing on, it still has very real impacts of ethnic minorities’ careers, health and wellbeing, as the survey results described above illustrate. Change, especially tackling racism and inequality at work, takes effort, commitment, and resources. It requires visible sponsorship from senior leaders, it requires an examination of existing processes to weed-out opportunities for bias that we know currently exist, and it requires a change in culture so that different voices, experiences, and people are actively included, involved, and valued.

Addressing historic racism is important for many reasons, including highlighting the immense damage that an acceptance of racism has, and can have, on individuals and societies. However, even more important than investigating historic racism, is addressing the everyday racism that ethnic minority groups face today. For example, almost half of black office workers surveyed have suffered racism at work, with many

Finally, it requires a recognition of the on-going nature of this challenge, rather than leaders seeing it as a task that can be ‘ticked off’ – in contrast to updating the online biographies of blue plaque recipients.

EVENT PLANNER

Welcome to our Events Planner Page. With all previous COVID restrictions now lifted, we are excited at the prospect of welcoming you back to our exciting events.

Forthcoming events: Hr NETWORK Awards Nominees Lunch 2021 Ahead of the Awards Gala Dinner, Hr NETWORK will host a special lunch being held in Edinburgh in October to celebrate the achievements of the finalists for Hr NETWORK National Awards 2021 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute. For more details on this event including sponsorship opportunities, please contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

Hr NETWORK Awards Gala Dinner 2021 The Hr NETWORK National Awards & Gala Dinner 2021 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute will take place at the hugely impressive Hilton Glasgow on Thursday 25th November 2021. If you would like further information on sponsorship or hosting a table of 10 at the Gala Dinner, please contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworrkscotland.co.uk

If you have an event you would like us to promote or review, please contact the events planning team – email: editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk

RECOGNISE

ACKNOWLEDGE

REWARD

SAVE THE DATE! NATIONAL AWARDS 2021

in partnership with

Gala Dinner, Glasgow Hilton, Thursday 25th November 2021 For further details contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk www.hrnetworkjobs.com

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