CONTENTS
8
News
14
Five Fab... NETFLIX Box sets to Watch During the COVID-19 Lockdown
20
Stats Consumer confidence after COVID-19
22
Extra Design your change. Transform your people. Re-humanise your human resources
26 Feature Two Changing Times For HR
30 The Bookshop Latest bestsellers to be published
32 Feature Three Culture - The catalyst for transformation
36 My Linkedln Simone Lockhart, Group Commercial Director, Taranata Group
38 Editor-At-large IT. Is it really that difficult afterall?
42 Insights Future of Learning; Working From Home; Combatting Loneliness; Work-Life Balance
46 Event Planner Event Updates
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CONTRIBUTORS
DR. ROBERT COLES
EXTRA: Design your change. Transform your people. Re-humanise your human resources. p. 22 Robert is the CEO of the Roffey Park Institute
MARY-CLARE RACE
Feature Three: Culture – The catalyst for transformation p. 26 Mary-Clare is the chief innovation and product officer at LHH
Founder and Publisher: Lee Turner lee@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Senior Associate Editor: Andy Moore editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Deputy-Editor: Teresa Flannigan editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
JANE SPARROW
Editor-At-large:
Insight: Future of Learning p. 42 Jane is the founder of The Culture Builders
Neil Archibald editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Editor’s Assistant/Admin: Marion Robertson editor@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
HILARY ROBERTS
Insight: Working From Home p. 43 Hilary is the CEO of HRC Recruitment
Advertising/Sponsorship: Donna Turner advertising@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
Design:
NATALIE ROGERS
Media Avenue Ltd
Insight: Supporting Employees p. 44 Natalie is the HR director at Unum UK
Hr NETWORK now available on: LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hrnetwork1
JONATHAN LORD
Insight: Work-Life Balance p. 45
Twitter: www.twitter.com/HrNETWORKNews
Jonathan is a senior lecturer at Salford Business School
Media Avenue Limited 18 Young Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JB 0131 625 3267 www.hrnetworkjobs.com www.mediaavenue.co.uk
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/hrnetworkscotland
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
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WELCOME
July 2020 We are extremely excited to announce very soon, some brand new products and initiatives that we have been working on with many of our dedicated partners and supporters. We’ve recorded video’s, podcasts and even created a few exciting webinar presentations that we hope to be able to reveal very soon. It’s all happening at Hr NETWORK even if we’re not heading to Cyprus!
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elcome to the July issue of Hr NETWORK magazine. Normally at this time of year, like many others, my family and I would be getting ready to head off on our annual Summer holiday, with Cyprus our chosen destination for 2020 but alas, COVID-19 has rendered any prospect of us getting that foreign beach vacation this Summer, highly unlikely.
So, with no immediate plans to travel, the Hr NETWORK team will continue to work extremely hard to ensure that people feel connected to everything that’s going on in the HR community. During lockdown, we have adapted the business brilliantly to a new way of working, and in doing so, we are more committed than ever, to continuing to support the HR profession and keeping everyone updated on all the industry developments, news and activities.
Look out for a brand new version of the Hr MARKET platform, which is a hugely exciting opportunity for everyone connected to the HR community, not only in Scotland but across the UK and beyond. This fantastic new platform, when launched, will bring together a world of business and networking opportunities, promoting and encouraging rich content through wonderful examples of best practice. We have also been developing our plans for the next phase of the hugely successful HR Heroes campaign, which we launched in June to recognise the HR Heroes that have worked tirelessly and diligently throughout the lockdown. We have some big plans for the HR Heroes campaign including some well-developed ideas to launch a brand new HR industry dinner, which will run in parallel with the Hr NETWORK Awards Gala Dinner and we will bring you more details as soon as we have them. The Gala Dinner is still planned to take place in Glasgow on Thursday 26th November 2020 and we are very excited about the prospect of welcoming everyone to this event which will have an even greater emphasis for us all coming together in November and share the many stories of our lockdown experience. This of course will be in line with Government advice on social distancing and we will keep you informed of developments as they emerge.
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This Issue In this online edition of the magazine, Teresa Flannigan looks at the role of our HR Heroes during the COVID-19 outbreak. HR professionals have kept the wheels of people management and development turning, in a world of huge uncertainty and have delivered at a pace of change, never seen before. Editor At Large Neil Archibald looks at the topic of IT and considers just how more proficient we have all become at using remote technology during the lockdown. The regular sections of the magazine include: Five Fab, Stats and The Bookshop. I hope you enjoy your online copy of Hr NETWORK Magazine and look forward to welcoming you at one of the forthcoming events, when the lockdown as been lifted and we can all try to get back to our ‘new’ normal. Stay safe!
Lee Turner Publisher
Look out for a brand new version of the Hr MARKET platform... Contributors: Neil Archibald, Dr. Robert Coles, Hilary Roberts, Jane Sparrow, Mary-Clare Race, Natalie Rogers and Jonathan Lord. 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
Conflict study investigates if COVID-19 could give peace a chance The Covid-19 pandemic’s effect on peace agreements and ceasefires around the world is to be captured in a series of surveys. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh are examining the consequences of the outbreak on peace processes and armed conflict in more than 20 countries across four continents. The study also plans to assess the reaction to the United Nations’ call for a global ceasefire in support of the fight against coronavirus. Researchers will interview experts involved in the peace processes – including diplomats, public servants and those working in human rights and humanitarian aid – to see whether states of emergency or restrictions in countries have changed the dynamics of conflict and peace.
The researchers are gathering data on peace processes involving Afghanistan; Bougainville/Papua New Guinea; Central African Republic; Colombia; Democratic Republic of Congo; Ethiopia/Ogaden; Iraq; Israel/ Palestine; Kenya; Kosovo; Kurdistan; Lebanon; Libya; Mali; Myanmar; Nepal; Northern Ireland; Philippines; Somalia; South Sudan; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Syria; Ukraine and Yemen. Researchers say the data will help inform policy makers and other stakeholders of possible shifts in the peace process landscape due to the current crisis and influence future peace-building decisions in the countries involved. Christine Bell, Director of the University of Edinburgh’s Global Justice Academy, said: “The UN Secretary General’s call for COVID-19 was a potential game
changer in conflicts such as Yemen and Syria. Covid-19 ceasefires open up a possibility for the virus to be dealt with in a way that is just not possible when conflict is raging. However, it also opened the possibility of building confidence between armed groups that might outlast the COVID-19 epidemic and bring more lasting solutions. It is vital that we understand the dynamics between Covid-19, conflict and peace. We are delighted to play a role in gathering data along with a range of collaborators and partners globally, which might help to support the UN Secretary General’s ceasefire call.” The study is being carried out as part of the Political Settlements Research Programme at the University of Edinburgh in partnership with the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution.
Employer confidence slowly picks up in Scottish cities, but certain locations fail to keep up The latest job market data from CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board, reveals that employer confidence started to pick back up in Edinburgh last month, with job vacancies rising by 8.2% month-on-month.
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “Unlike England, lockdown measures remained in place in Scotland last month, which could be why there’s such a mixed picture when it comes to job adverts. At this stage, we still have a long way to go and we cannot expect figures to return to normal overnight, especially when businesses are under a lot of financial pressure.”
The study looks at job market data throughout May and compares this with figures from the previous month (April 2020), to build an understanding of how the labour market is really fairing right now.
CV-Library’s data shows that applications also dropped by 22.8% in Scotland last month. When looking at data for the country’s major cities, the findings show that applications fell by 48.1% in Aberdeen, 29.2% in Inverness, 24.4% in Glasgow, 22.9% in Dundee, 12.9% in Edinburgh and 2.6% in Stirling.
Interestingly, the findings show that job numbers fell by 1.9% in Scotland as a whole during this period, with vacancies in Aberdeen (down 26%) and Glasgow (down 7.4%) following suit. However, job numbers rose by 43.1% in Stirling, by 32.7% in Inverness and by 15.9% in Dundee.
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NEWS
Six in ten nervous about returning to work following lockdown A nationwide YouGov survey, commissioned by One Year No Beer, has revealed that as much as 60% of the UK workers who are no longer travelling to their usual place of work and now working from home are nervous about returning to work following lockdown. The survey also identified that women surveyed appear to be considerably more nervous with 70% of them opening up about their fears of returning to the workplace, opposed to 49% of men. 61% of 18-34 workers who are not currently in their usual place of work agreed that they were nervous about returning and surprisingly fears were lowest amongst those aged 55 years and over. Geographically, Midlands came out on top with 72% of all workers no
longer travelling to their usual place of work nervous about returning to work, and those most relaxed about getting back to old routines were workers residing in the South (51%). Whether people had children in their household or not seemed to have little impact on their attitudes towards returning to work with 63% of those with children in the household opening up to anxiety around returning to the workplace, compared to 60% of those with no children in their household. Ruari Fairbairns, founder and CEO of One Year No Beer comments, “As the CEO of a company that operates its entire workforce remotely, I’m not sure why there is such a sense of urgency from employers to get their staff back into the work place, especially if they still feel so uncomfortable returning to work at this stage of the pandemics lifecycle.
Study shows video conferencing could be the key to solving workplace anxiety A nationwide study commissioned by Eskenzi PR and carried out by OnePoll, observed the attitude amongst the UK workforce towards remote working and the increased use of video conferencing tools. The survey of a thousand individuals found that software such as Skype, Zoom and Teams have helped to lessen the impact of this abrupt change in circumstances. Indeed, 6 in 10 respondents feel ‘less stressed’ or are unaffected by the use of video conferencing whilst working from home. Rather, for many, this is a means of communicating efficiently from the comfort of their own homes.
“With so much access to technology and productivity software, there is no need to be sitting in an office with each other right now (or ever) and the flexibility and freedom that working from home affords, by far outweighs any benefits of working in an office. We are personally urging CEO’s to review their thought processes and empower their staff to work from which ever location makes them feel safest and most comfortable.”
On the whole, over a third (35%) of respondents would prefer to continue working from home for 2-3 days a week following the alleviation of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Among other motivations for this decision, many cited a reduction in stress levels. One in 3 individuals feel less stressed whilst remote working, almost half of respondents believe their homes are a more relaxing work environment and a further 36% consider themselves to be more productive. These statistics appear to suggest that our society is prime to transition into a split three-day week as suggested by the Royal Society for the Arts,
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Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). According to a report by the independent charity, the separation of an organisation’s workforce into A and B teams may go some way to resolving today’s economic woes. By having two groups that alternate their days in office, with some working from Monday to Wednesday and others from Thursday to Saturday, organisations can better manage social distancing and the spread of coronavirus; all whilst restoring economic activity. Moreover, this three-day week could also be pivotal in enabling a greater eco-friendly society by helping to reduce congestion on roads and encourage more people to cycle to work. This alternative working arrangement could even facilitate a more connected and improved society as individuals use the extra time to learn new skills or volunteer.
NEWS
Travis Perkins appoints Emma Rose as new Group HR director Travis Perkins, the UK’s largest supplier of building materials, recently announced the appointment of Emma Rose as the Group’s new HR Director with immediate effect. Emma joins the business from Kerry Foods, where she was HR Director. Travis Perkins CEO, Nick Roberts, said: “Over the past weeks and months we have demonstrated that we have a key role to play in the economic recovery of our country, and the commitment of our colleagues across
Emma has a distinguished HR career that spans a range of companies and industries, from InterContinental Hotels Group, to Mondelez International, Cadbury, Coca-Cola and M&S. In 2018, her achievements were recognised at the HR Excellence Awards, when she won the prestigious HR Director of the Year award. the Group in terms of adapting our business models and adjusting to new ways of working during this time has simply been extraordinary. “The conditions under which we will operate in the future requires us to develop and care for our people in new and innovative ways as we move our business forward, and so I am delighted to welcome Emma onboard. I know that her wealth of knowledge and experience will be invaluable in ensuring that our colleagues remain central to our success.”
College drop-out rates for adopted young people ‘alarming’
About her appointment, Emma said: “I am delighted and excited to join Travis Perkins; a business that has such a longstanding reputation for great performance and great people. I’ve been very struck by how the colleague focus is alive and kicking across the business, and the ambition of the team for future growth and continued leadership in the industry.” Emma is a non-executive Board Member of Special Olympics Great Britain; an organisation she also supports as an athlete mentor.
Low self-esteem and lack of confidence in their ability to meet the academic standards had a detrimental effect, especially among those who had previously struggled at school. Many adopted young people will have had a very difficult start in life. Three quarters of them have experienced abuse and neglect. All have lost their birth family and endured moves through the care system before finding a permanent home. In school, they are much more likely to be excluded, to have complex special educational needs, and to leave with few or no qualifications.
A “huge and concerning” college drop-out rate among adopted young people has led Adoption UK to call for governments in all four nations of the UK to rethink our education system.
The majority of respondents to Adoption UK’s survey did not benefit from the provision of a mentor or key worker, or access counselling or wellbeing services while they were at college. More than half found the college environment overwhelming and even threatening.
The charity’s Better Futures Report reveals a third of adopted young people who started a college course within one year of leaving school, were unable to complete it. A similar proportion were not in education, employment or training (NEET) at some point between the ages of 16 and 24 – three times the national average.
Adoption UK is urging the governments across the UK to provide greater support for all care experienced children in schools; track the attainment of adopted young people in post-16 education and provide more realistic post-16 options for all young people.
More than half of the adopted people surveyed for the report, all of whom are aged 16 or older, revealed they did not feel confident about their academic ability while they were at college.
The pause in formal education due to lockdown, and subsequent transition plans, are a vital opportunity to reflect seriously on how to give the UK’s most vulnerable students equal opportunities to learn.
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NEWS
UK HR chiefs join campaign to thank #HRHeroes for their commitment during COVID-19
all sectors and within employers large and small, HR teams have had to really step up during the COVID-19 lockdown.” John went on: “Tackling issues ranging from establishing new ways of working to managing new remote workforces, to supporting resilience and mental health, and in many cases with no obvious or previous rulebook to work from. HR teams have helped leaders and employees alike navigate the new norms, and have understood employee sentiment and what really mattered during these times of challenge.” On the subject of HR teams showing inspiring levels of innovation and resilience, John added: “This is a time that the HR community has been innovative, tenacious, resilient and on the front foot. The stories I have heard have been uplifting, examples of problem solving, fast delivery, calm and professionalism in the storm.”
Hr NETWORK magazine recently launched the #HRHeroes campaign highlighting the exceptional commitment and hard work of the many people professionals across the UK, who have kept the wheels of people management turning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
John concluded: “This has also been a time for huge learning and real development, and one, which has raised the standing of the HR Community. So a huge well done to all of those involved in keeping their people supported during an unprecedented time.”
#HRHeroes has been designed to shine a light on and share stories of those HR individuals, teams and specialist groups, who have gone above and beyond by putting people first, during these difficult and challenging times. Commenting on the launch of #HRheroes, founder of Hr NETWORK Lee Turner said: “Just as the nation has done for key workers throughout the lockdown, we wanted to shine the spotlight on the commitment and exceedingly hard work carried out by the vast number of HR and people professionals working tirelessly to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.” Commenting on the hard work of HR professionals during these times, John Stewart, Director of HR at leading energy company SSE plc said: “Across
Mental health specialist encourages us to reclaim control through new activities In the first month of lockdown there were 135,000 UK searches for the word ‘anxiety’. And according to a recent study by the University of Sheffield and Ulster University, the day after the UK lockdown was announced 38% of Brits said they were suffering from depression and 36% claimed to be struggling with anxiety. “Underlying, most anxiety is a loss of control leading to a sense of entrapment and panic”, says Amy McDonald, CEO of Headtorch, a company that delivers mental health and wellbeing learning & development to workplaces. Amy continues: “As all aspects of our way of living is strictly curtailed, none of us are able to choose as before so it is beneficial, to focus on the elements we can control, to bring back a sense of balance.
“Choose to double the number of walks with your dog, start to learn a new language, clear out that cluttered garage, reclaiming small elements of control will help. A big part of this is self-care. We all need to look after ourselves. So prioritise sleep, exercise and a healthy diet. When we look after our own health, we are better prepared to deal with such uncertain times.” “Communication is key and leaders need to be regularly talking to their people with one-to-one discussions, most vital. As well as group catch ups where teams should be able to chat about the challenges the current situation brings, the one-to-one slots provide an opportunity for senior staff to really assess how employees are faring and whether additional support is needed. Check in with people individually and encourage everyone to talk.”
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NEWS
UK businesses could pay up to £250,000 of annual leave after COVID-19 Heading into the second half of 2020 and lockdown restrictions ease, the risk of too many employees requesting annual leave at the same time will pose a significant challenge for most businesses. For a small company, paying out 10 employees for only half of their annual leave days could set the business back more than £10,000, while an SME of 250 employees faces up to £255,500 in costs.
is still beneficial, and employers should encourage employees to take their holiday to protect their wellbeing, not just for financial reasons.”
As the working population in the UK return to work, this logistical nightmare has been raised by businesses as one of their key
concerns, with the government looking at several ways to assist the 5.9 million businesses who will be affected.
This means many businesses still face pay-out and carry over challenges, especially if employees leave the company before they have had a chance to take their allocated time off.
Lucinda Pullinger, Global Head of HR at The Instant Group, says “In addition to the financial challenges, there is a huge wellbeing element here too. Just because we are unable to take the destination holidays we hope for, it doesn’t mean we don’t need a change of pace. The need for a break from work has never been higher. The pressures of COVID-19 on some people are extreme, and protecting mental health is key right now. Taking a break, even if that break is at home under lockdown,
Age of UK key workers revealed in new report The BBC recently reported that younger workers were more likely to be affected by lockdown with a quarter of 18 to 24-year-olds furloughed alongside a steep increase in the number of people applying for employment benefit in the UK since the start of the year.
But which key worker jobs have been the most searched during lockdown? • Overall search volume for key worker roles rose by 67% • Searches for healthcare jobs has increased by an average of 82%
In light of this, the Money.co.uk Key Worker Nation Report reveals the most common ages of UK essential workers, and what the most popular essential jobs are, all over the UK.
• Delivery Driver Jobs searched for the most with +475% in last 90 day
• ONS data reveals that there are 67% more key workers in the UK aged 50 to 54 years old than 20 to 24 years old (1.3m vs 777k)
• All three healthcare careers in the study increased in interest; Care Workers (+144%), Midwives (+77%) and Nurses (+25%)
• National and Local Government jobs most popular with 20 to 24 age group (11.7%)
• Fire Service (-40%), Police (-21%) and Border Force (-15%) all experienced a decrease in interest for their respective career searches.
• Public safety and national security most popular with 50 to 54 age group (14.6%)
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NEWS
Impact of COVID-19 on disabled employees A recent report from the Office for National Statistics has highlighted the social impacts of Coronavirus on disabled people and sheds light on the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on people with a disability, with over 7 in 10 disabled adults worried about the effect COVID-19 was having on their life in May 2020. According to recent research from Barnett Waddingham, disabled employees have been harder hit by COVID-19 in terms of job security too. Key findings from Barnett Waddingham’s research: • Disabled people are almost twice as likely to expect to be made redundant, either immediately or after a period of furlough; 22% expect to be fired either outright or after a period of furlough, compared to 13% of non-disabled employees. • 12% expect to take a pay or benefits cut compared to 10% of non-disabled staff, and only 40% anticipate working normally for the next three months, compared to half (51%) of non-disabled employees. • 61% of UK employees have seen a member of their household take a salary reduction, and 79% of those say it has affected their mental wellbeing. In terms of how this has impacted the mental health of disabled employees, 24% are likely to report mood swings, while 23% are likely to experience deteriorating relationships. • 15% of disabled employees have asked a mental health charity for help compared to 5% of non-disabled employees. Peter Meyler, Head of HR Analytics & Consulting at Barnett Waddingham said: “We are now in an employment landscape that was unthinkable just a few months ago, when employment levels were at a record high and we were worrying about skills shortages. Despite heavy investment from the Government in the furlough scheme, employees are anxious and disheartened, and even those currently in work, are pessimistic about the next three months. Crucially, the issues are not just economic. The current situation is perpetuating, and even worsening, social inequalities, with those living in the lowest income households, BAME and disabled employees hit especially hard.”
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Guidance urgently needed on how salaries for zero hours workers will be calculated Not enough has been said or done to define how zero hours workers will be able to benefit from the job retention scheme, says Genevieve Morris a partner at leading accounting and tax advisory firm Blick Rothenberg. Genevieve said: “Guidance is needed urgently on how their salary would be calculated, whether this is over the past 4, 8 or 12 week average. Many businesses that operate in hospitality and leisure industry employ individuals on zero hours contracts, and as this industry is at the forefront of this disaster, the Government should prioritise issuing guidance here.” She added: “Furthermore, it is not clear whether employers will have to top up the additional 20%. When the chancellor spoke last Friday, he said it would be up to businesses if they decided to top up, but seemed to neglect to comment on whether cutting salaries for staff by 20% would be in breach of their employment contracts and therefore against the law. Any guidance issued so far comments that it would likely be up for negotiation between employer and employee, but this is not good enough.” Genevieve said: “ Where businesses could easily lay people off during these times, saving 100% of their salary costs, more is needed from the Government to encourage them to keep staff furloughed, including guidance on how they calculate their salaries, how quickly they will be able to receive funding and a statement or temporary change in employment law to allow businesses to adopt this approach without fear that they are in breach of employment law.”
FEATURE
through technology, have been supported incredibly well by their HR teams, which has also included offering ‘support’ and reassurance to disparate teams, ensuring that they feel valued and enabling them to perform well during a time of crisis.
Shirley added: “My thanks, appreciation and admiration go to my HR colleagues in all organisations and sectors that have stepped up by going above and beyond Shirley KateCampbell Guthrie the call of duty to ensure that employees everywhere are safe, well, treated fairly and where possible, remain connected to their organisations.”
“From San Diego to Sydney and across our 200 locations in between, Keller Group’s global HR team has provided leadership to the organisation at all levels”, said Keller’s chief HR officer, Graeme Cook.
Shirley also added: “I couldn’t be more grateful and proud of those working across the People Directorate at Scottish Water. Every part of the Directorate has had a vital role to play. Like us, organisations may be trying to capture the good that has emerged over the many weeks of lockdown to ensure that we all recover well.”
Graham added: “With over a third of our 10,000 employees impacted across 40 countries, the quantum, quality and pace of change that Graeme Cook has been delivered during COVID-19 has been simply breathtaking.” Graham also added: “The provision of both physical and emotional support to stranded employees caught by global lockdowns, has kept our business on the front foot.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges and obstacles for HR professionals to overcome with many more challenges to face in the coming weeks and months, but out of the madness of the Coronavirus, we have witnessed the emergence of many HR heroes who have worked tirelessly and diligently to deliver the people strategy in some of the most difficult and challenging conditions our economy has experienced.
HR professionals have been described as innovative, tenacious, resilient and proactive. HR teams have helped leaders and employees alike navigate the new norms, and have understood employee sentiment and what has really mattered during these times of challenge. SSE’s HR Director John Stewart said: “The stories I have heard have been uplifting, examples of problem solving, fast delivery, calmness and professionalism in the storm.”
A final word from Shirley Campbell who summarises perfectly: “The place of work was already changing and COVID-19 has been an accelerant, but let’s understand what people now value, and let us maintain those deep, authentic connections, which has helped us all in recent times. Thank you HR heroes!”
HR Heroes: • HR at the heart of enabling organisations to quickly pivot their operating model
John Stewart
John added: “Across all sectors and within employers large and small, HR teams have had to really step up during COVID-19. Tackling issues ranging from establishing new ways of working to managing new remote workforces, to supporting resilience and mental health, and in many cases with no obvious or previous rulebook to work from.”
• The collaboration and support has been unprecedented, irrespective of sector or scale of organisation • HR has provided resources, knowledge and practices in break-neck speed
But how has HR adapted to the challenges of maintaining performance and productivity when staff have so many other home responsibilities and connectivity challenges.
• Innovation and creativity has shone through in HR
Shirley Campbell, People Director at Scottish Water said: “It has been inspiring to see how the HR profession across Scotland has come together to share advice, approaches, policy and communications throughout. The collaboration and support has been unprecedented, irrespective of sector or scale of organisation.”
• HR has ensured that employee and customer health and wellbeing during lockdown has been a priority
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STATS
Consumer confidence after COVID-19: New research highlights importance of measures to reassure customers New research commissioned by People 1st International provides encouraging signs that Britons are ready to return if the correct measures for health and safety are in place. The findings also highlight that the younger generation will be a driving force when it comes to kick-starting the visitor economy. Two thousand people aged 18 and above took part in the research, which focuses on the behavioural attitudes and factors impacting a return to leisure activities such as pubs and bars, restaurants, holidays, non-food shopping and visiting local attractions. Asked about what would influence their decision to take part in these activities, more than half of respondents cited the importance of the following five factors: • Crowd levels (69%) • Ability to social distance (64%) • Confidence in infection control measures (63%) • Cleanliness and hygiene (61%) • Confidence that staff have been trained in these new measures (54%)
For example, 73% of women are concerned about how crowded a location might be, 66% (women) are concerned about cleanliness and 60% of women want to be confident that staff have been trained in safety and hygiene. A piece of much needed good news for the British tourism sector almost three-quarters of those surveyed (73%) said they planned to spend the same (49%) or more money (24%) on holidaying in the UK. Rural areas are the winners here, with 20% of people more likely to holiday in a rural location. In contrast, 27% say they’re less likely to take a city break. The younger generation (aged 18-24) appear to be spearheading the return, and are by far the most positive across the board, whether that is spending more time with family and friends (60%) planning to eat out more (34%), visit pubs and bars more (30%) or do more outdoor activities (48%). Other key findings for this demographic include: • Whilst Gen Z tend to drink less than older generations, two thirds (66%) of young people aged 18-24 say that they plan to spend either the same or more time in pubs and bars, with 30% planning to go more often.
Whilst both men and women consider these factors important, women appear to be more cautious.
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• Younger people are keen to rediscover the enjoyment of going to restaurants, with 34% of 18-24 year-olds saying they plan to do so more often than before, a sentiment shared by 21% of 25-34 year-olds. Almost three quarters (71%) of those aged 18-24 plan to eat out as regularly or more so than they did before. • Among 18-24 year-olds, the desire for retail therapy remains strong, with 76% planning to shop as much or more than they did before. Commenting on the findings, Jane Rexworthy, Executive Director of People 1st International said: “It’s not surprising to see the importance that consumers are placing on health and hygiene when it comes to their plans to return to leisure activities. It’s also really encouraging that young people want to go out and seize the day after lock-down. Hopefully their zest for life will help to kick-start the hard-hit hospitality and tourism sectors. “Staff training to support health and hygiene beyond Covid-19 that’s in line with government guidance is critical to building consumer confidence, which is why we have developed WorldHost 2020, a new e-learning module to empower staff to keep customers and colleagues safe – helping assure business leaders that they can reopen their doors with confidence.”
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: WELLBEING IN THE WORKPLACE
We should encourage our people to put their own mechanisms in place and their own ways of connecting, so they can create networks within organisations. We should then give those networks time so they can talk, socialise and meet. Wellbeing surveys are not worth much if they are an end-in-themselves: it’s social practices that matter. However, in laying down the foundations for social networks, we have to be careful of the tyranny of extroversion. There’s an assumption in wellbeing and resilience that socially connected people, extroverted people, ‘happy, positive’ people are by definition better in some way. This becomes a form of massive potential discrimination. A lot of people are happy whilst not being widely socially connected, and are still effective in what they do and how they participate. It isn’t true as is generally thought – in non-professional environments anyway – that extroverts are ‘better’ at dealing with things than introverts. This was said to me recently; that extroverts must find the lockdown easier because of technology. I’m still trying to work that one out.
Yes, chuck away the surveys! Chuck away the process and put the human at the centre. It really is that simple. In HR speak there is a so-called division between ‘hard HR’ which approaches people through process, measures and data, and ‘soft HR’ that centres the human being as a person, an experience. My Chairman talks about this when he says HR should ‘own the people franchise’. Being the voice of the workforce, not the function that does stuff to the workforce.
Different personalities deal with things differently rather than better or worse, so we have to be better at talking about wellbeing and culture. We need to avoid the approach to organisational discourse that extroversion, is better by definition because it’s not true. Otherwise we effectively demand a performance of certain kinds of behaviour from our people. Hardly a recipe for diversity!
I think we need to get beyond that and even say organisations are social organisms, they have a function in people’s lives that are social. Upwards of 40 per cent of personal relationships, for example, start at work in Western countries. So, workplaces are not just places you go to do things, but places you go to be things as well, and the clever organisation knows that.
Social connection at work therefore needs to encompass the needs of introverts, extroverts and every other ‘type’, without demanding preferred performances.
So how would you define wellbeing at work? Is it the wellbeing of single people or the whole organisation?
I’ve led organisations where we’ve had massage rooms, yoga rooms, music rooms where people go to chill out, conversation spaces, deliberately designed leisure and social time so people can stop doing and start being. There’s lots you can do that raises productivity, but the most effective ways are less about promoting efficient work and more about promoting healthy, social cohesion in the workplace.
Wellbeing is surely an outcome of social interaction. Socially isolated or emotionally isolated people don’t tend to feel good about themselves. So, if an organisation enables social interactions that people want, that’s an important part of wellbeing. It doesn’t have to mean we all have to jump up and down excitedly. I find it strange that organisations want to ‘organise’ wellbeing. We need to get out of the way, in fact, allowing space for the informal, social, spontaneous. This approach to wellbeing would allow people to step out of the pressures of task-based doing, and take time just to think, reflect, relax, chat – or do nothing!
What is the importance of health and wellbeing in the workplace? Does it ultimately lead to what the workplace wants, which is more efficient work? It’s the old dichotomy: are happy people more productive or are productive people happier? It’s a bit of a chicken-and egg-question. What is true is that socially integrated workplaces where people really do get on, trust each other
And how to improve resilience and wellbeing in the workplace? You’ve talked about doing away with surveys.
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