Special on Recruitment

Page 24 - BUSINESSES WASTING MONEY ON OUTDATED RECRUITMENT METHODS

New research has identified just how much resource is being wasted by businesses in pursuit of new recruits. A study conducted by AnyGood?, a peer to peer recommendation firm, aimed to gauge the state of modern recruitment processes and their efficiency, and has uncovered the consequences of hiring employees in ways that are not suited to the modern workplace.

AnyGood? collated a wide sample of data from businesses of all sizes and sectors around the UK, and from it turned out an eye-opening look at the inefficiencies of recruitment processes. Among key findings from this study, it was found that organisations implementing outdated hiring techniques are throwing away up to £13500 per new recruit. Of course, the sizes of organisations vary wildly, and for larger companies, recruitment processes that are a poor fit for contemporary employment can soon see a lot of money going down the drain.

Of course, recruitment inherently takes time and money, and some expense should always be expected in the process, but the data collected by AnyGood? found that with regard to senior level hires, businesses could be saving an average of £8500 simply by updating and refining their approach. This figure grows significantly when considering the recruitment of C-Suite professionals; in such instances, companies could be saving up to £13500 per hire.

The study also touched upon the long term impact of poor recruitment techniques. AnyGood? suggest that by recruiting a person who turns out not to be well

suited to the role, a company can incur a total cost of around £132,000. Further, professional relationships, morale and company dynamics can endure irreparable damage if a new employee is found, after their recruitment, to be a bad fit for the rest of the business.

In addition to this, a considerable amount of working time can be wasted on a recruit who turns out not to be right for the company. The average amount of time given to bringing on a new employee has been found to be 27.59 days. The law of 1920 allows us to calculate the monetary value of working hours, and when applied to the average annual UK salary of just over £27,000, we find that the average time taken to recruit an employee is worth more than £3100. As they say, time is money, and this is a considerable amount to throw away on a person who is not right for the company.

Co-Founder of AnyGood?, Juliet Eccleston, explained the results further:

“As part of my experience in programme management I’ve learned to identify wastage in processes and procedures and it struck me that a lot of time and money is lost during recruitment due to the use of quite frankly inefficient and outdated methods. Given how well connected we all are and how valuable a professional recommendation is, it simply makes no sense to hand over large sums of money to an outsourced recruiter in the hope that they find the right candidate.

“The simple fact is, we are operating in a world where immediacy is not only crucial, but also possible. We can instantly interact with people online and we can find out key information on a person’s career through LinkedIn in seconds. Spending a month sourcing candidates for a role is a complete waste of resources that should and can be rectified. In fact, through the use of peer to peer recruitment, we’ve seen the hiring process from initial recommendation through to job offer take as little as two weeks - and that includes multiple interviews.

“It’s clear to me that there’s an excessive amount of wastage in far too many recruitment processes at the moment. While we’re seeing examples of people leveraging things that they previously didn’t consider of value in their personal lives - Uber and Airbnb tapping into the financial benefits of empty rooms or spare seats in a car, for example - there’s little such innovation on a professional level. For businesses, now’s the time to clean up their hiring and take a more strategic and efficient approach to talent sourcing.”

Page 25 - HOW DO I ‘PUT MY MIND TO IT’.

What exactly does it take to ‘put your mind’ to something? Here’s 20 practical steps.

It’s a cliché but what if you could actually put your mind to it and get the results you want. Before we begin let me tell you this is not about motivation, will power, or wishful thinking.

What if I told you that you have all the tools you need to succeed. You will need to increase your learning and develop a plan but you also need to know how to apply it with a daily habit and routine. In fact, you may even be suffering from over thinking and this state of procrastination and denial is what’s holding you back.

So it all sounds simple, but is it easy to do? The answer is Yes, if you want to make the changes and see different results.

In my role as a performance Coach for business owners I enable people to ‘Make a Life, not make a Living. I’m not here to motivate you. Why do you need motivating to reach your potential and succeed? No I’d prefer to engage and educate so that I teach you the tools and principles so that you can apply them in your own way. I may be a Business Coach that talks about marketing, strategy, finance, team, operations and other key areas but none of this works if you haven’t sorted out your own ‘headtrash’ which is holding you back. I want to know that you have a ‘compelling future’. That’s an emotionally important view of the future that you want to have.

Now, imagine I’m going to call you without warning and give you 10 seconds to tell me your compelling future. i.e. Tell you me your goals right now and I’ll make them true. Most people would flounder, look at their phone and tell me it’s in a folder somewhere.

So here’s the inside track on what you need to do to ‘put your mind’ to it.

1. Your Brain - It’s never too late. It contains a GPS and a search engine in the guise of the RAS – the Reticular Activating System. RAS is the portal through which nearly all information enters the brain. So would you like to have it on your side?

2. RAS - Give it as much detail as possible without asking for all the solutions straight away. Read ‘The Answer’ by Allan Pease.

3. Understand your ‘Triggers’ and your ‘Chimp’

4. Willpower runs out, don’t rely on it.

5. Establish daily habits and routines.

6. Try ‘Fear Setting’, if you prefer, and be like the Stoics who face reality and take decisive action. Watch Tim Ferris on TED.

7. Be creative with strategy. If your business was shut down today how long before you were missed by clients. Are you are making a difference with purpose. Read ‘The Strategist’ by Cynthia Montgomery.

8. Learn about the Law of Attraction - This is not fantasy, this is real practical stuff you can apply to focus you mind on what’s really important.

9. Understand the ‘Inner Game’. Read Tim Gallwey

10. Gain the ‘Slight Edge’ (Geoff Ohlsen)

11. Golden Thread. This is the

process by which you compress your results timeline by drilling in on the daily actions that are tied to your long term vision. In effect, we are turning your vison into a project and working out how to make it real.

12. Learn the Platinum Rule. Learn how to treat people the way THEY want to be treated and not how YOU would like to be treated. It enables you to communicate more effectively and understand the needs of others.

13. Strategic v Strategy: a strategy is how you achieve an objective. It is the HOW. Being strategic is about being creative and exploring the scale, scope and size of your business.

14. Avoid “I’ll be happy when….” Instead start happy and drive success from there.

15. Create habits and routines and put systems in place to make sure you stick to them. Test & Measure everything so you know if it’s working and if you are on track.

16. Think about the people you mix with. Learn and share with others.

17. Does your business model support the delivery of your plan and the profits? Have a proper USP that is not just a strap line.

18. Every day ask this: “Is this as good as it gets?”.

19. Is it a goal or a task?. If you can do it with existing skills, knowledge and resources then it’s a task and go do it.

20. Set personal and business goals, learn, then take action.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, then… great. Do something about it. Make sure your journey is interesting, has purpose and you are prepared for it.

Find me at www.actioncoach.co.uk/ coaches/richard-perry/ and come to my workshop in September. Email me at richardperry@actioncoach.com

Page 26 - MASTER YOUR CV & JUMP THROUGH THE HOOPS OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

With over 14 million students graduating in 2017 in the UK alone according to The Office of National Statistics the recruitment pool is certainly competitive, with demand for jobs overtaking supply year on year. Therefore any job seeker needs to know exactly how to master and jump through the hoops of the recruitment process in order to beat the challenging game of recruitment. The world’s leading job site, Indeed’s, recent research of 1,000 employers has revealed the secrets to job hunting that all candidates should follow!

Nearly 20% of employers have been put off an applicant due to spelling or grammatical errors in their application or CV. This highlights the paramount importance of double checking any job application for any spelling mistakes. Often, when you have read your application too many times it may become difficult for you to spot errors. In these instances it may be best to get a friend or family member to have a proof read before rushing to submit to an employer. Hence why you should allow yourself sufficient time before a job’s deadline to draft your cover letter and CV, research the role and the company and submit your application, rushing is likely to lead to mistakes that could cost you a selection for interview.

Another frequent reason revealed for rejecting a CV is a misunderstanding of job suitability, with 19% of employers being put off hiring an individual as a result. Failing to read the job description thoroughly such as the job responsibilities, location of the role, the required hours, start date, whether a driving licence is required and the company’s ethos are all very common mistakes made by applicants. When considering applying for a role you must do your research and analyse the job description carefully so you fully understand the company and role you are applying for. Taking time to do so will also provide opportunity for you to check you are suitable for such a role in order to not waste your or the employer’s time.

A staggering 81% of those surveyed interestingly unveiled that they prioritise a person’s experience over their educational achievements and grades when hiring. You can include as much professional jargon in your cover letter and CV to convince the employer that you are the perfect fit for the position, but this will not cover up the fact that you are lacking experience and may lead to your application being rejected. If a lack of experience applies to you, it could be either you are changing job sectors or you are a recent graduate, regardless of the reason it is crucial you are proactive and locate ways you can bulk up your CV in order to shine in the recruitment pool. Internships,

apprenticeships, freelance work and charity work are all common ways to gain experience in the required field. Remember whatever role there will be transferable skills that you can identify within your application to accentuate your strengths gained from your previous experience to your employer.

Enthusiasm is often the underrated secret to success in recruitment with 28% of employers hiring based on their “gut feeling” on a candidate. Being willing to learn, presentable and smiling in your interview can swing a job interview in your favour if all candidates have similar qualifications and experience. Understandably, it can be hard to be enthusiastic if you have received continual knockbacks and rejections as a consequence of the competitive nature of job hunting, however it is important to be resilient and channel your energy into the next interview or application. In fact, 23% of employers surveyed revealed a strong interview performance swayed their recruitment decision. Enthusiasm can even be emphasised further after an interview with a “follow up” email, this can provide a window for you to thank the employer for their time and can include a key point to summarise succinctly why you would be the perfect candidate for that exact role.

In summary, preparation is key to obtaining the job position you actually want and will enjoy! Considering the frustrating nature of looking for a job with all the necessary recruitment hoops, you do need to allocate time to research and keep your attitude on track. Acknowledging these tips aforementioned will all help direct you onto the path of career success where you will be well on the way to landing your dream role!

*Researchers interviewed 1,006 decision makers in companies with fewer than ten employees in the UK. The research was carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Indeed.com. in May 2018. UK employment figures referenced are from the ONS’s labour market statistics for May 2018.

Page 27 - HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT.

How to recruit the right people, use them to grow your business and reduce your stress, without falling foul of the long arm of the law.

Staff. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them, eh?

The truth is that if you’re serious about growing your business to any size beyond a one-man-band, staff are pretty much always part of the deal.

The trouble is, the recruitment of staff isn’t easy. Nor is the training. Nor is the development. Nor is the performance management. Nor is exiting them.

Have I put you off yet? You get the drift: dealing with staff is hard, but let me be clear: if you’re ambitious, the “alternative” just isn’t an option.

So, what do you do? In truth, it’s simple. You take control of the process, not hoping that your whole employment experience will be a piece of cake, but recognising that there’ll be challenges, and that by putting certain things into place, you can reduce your stress, reduce your risk AND build the business you want.

With that in mind, I’ve put together four simple pointers on how to hire the right people, nurture them correctly and stay legal and compliant - I hope they help!

#1 Hire the best person for the job

That doesn’t mean hiring your friends and family, who might be lovely and willing, but aren’t the ideal candidate.

It also means working hard to ensure that they ARE the right person for the job.

Having a rock-solid interview process will give you the best chance of understanding whether they’re the right or wrong fit for your company. Granted you won’t know for sure, but ‘hiring slow’ is a very sensible way for you to reduce risk.

#2 Write the right contracts

A hugely common mistake is not implementing proper contracts with all of your staff members, no matter how well you know them or how few hours they work.

A contract is vital for a multitude of reasons, but here are just two:

1. It sets your relationship up in the right way, making sure they know what their responsibilities are and what’s expected of them.

2. It protects you if you end up in disputes. If you’ve implemented a contract and it’s clear that all of your actions have been in-line with that (as long as the contract was legal in the first place!), you reduce the risk of losing at tribunal and forking out unnecessary fines and payoffs.

#3 Manage performance

Very few business owners truly commit to this, but managing performance is vital, as it gives you the best chance of getting the best out of your employees, but also protects you if you do need to dismiss them.

Commit to performance management from day one, document it all, and you’ll find staff members either improve, or you can comfortably dismiss them without worrying about repercussions.

#4 Get the right advice

So many business owners simply don’t realise the potential problems that occur when you don’t manage your staff legally. Not only will it hamper the growth of your business, but there’s every chance that you’ll end up in an employment tribunal.

If you want to reduce that risk, and create a business that’s legal and profitable, give us a call today on 01923 866071.

Page 28 - MILLENNIALS IDENTIFY GAP BETWEEN UNIVERSITY OFFERINGS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES

New research has uncovered an underlying and prominent issue being experienced by many young people in the work and education sectors. A significant discrepancy between career goals and formal qualification has been found to be a major concern for millennials, many of whom are now trying to taking steps to overcome it.

Research conducted by the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association found that millennials consider the courses offered by universities to be ill-fitted to the realities of employment and the qualifications expected by prospective employers. Because of this, a trend for taking additional courses around a day job is becoming more prominent, as young people continue to dedicate themselves to high aspirations.

A sample of just over 2000 millennials was studied by the EISA and results identify the extent of the problem currently occurring in the journey between higher education and employment. On a deeper level, it underpins an emerging gap in the talent pool, and gives insight into the prospective future job market of the UK.

The research found that more than half (51%) of surveyed respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 wish to pursue a career in a higher skilled sector but feel they are lacking in the academic and professional support they require to do so. A significant 61% of those surveyed reported feeling that the options offered by UK-based universities need to become more relevant to the ever-increasing number of high-skilled sectors in the UK job market, if younger generations are to achieve their career goals.

Intriguingly emphasising the perceived locality of the issue, a quarter of respondents (25%) have considered or would consider relocating overseas in pursuit of a better job, as they consider job opportunities abroad to be more lucrative. 26% felt that the course they studied at university was not relevant to the career path they ended up pursuing.

Another topic touched on by the study was the future of the UK’s business arena, and how higher education fits into the picture, particularly considering the impending post-Brexit landscape. 19% of those surveyed believe that there are currently more high-skilled job opportunities outside the UK, and only expect this to increase once Brexit has come into effect. 25% are considering relocating to outside of the UK for better job opportunities, while 24% would do the same to pursue higher quality education.

A significant number of respondents regretted the higher education paths they followed, as they felt they were not suited to the realities of the workplace. 39% felt that they would rather have entered the workplace through apprenticeship than have studied at university, while another 39% wanted to pursue high-tech careers but felt that the education on offer prevented them from doing so, and 39% also felt that the options offered by UCAS did not reflect the needs of the modern private sector. 24% currently attend weekend or night classes in addition to working a day job so that they can eventually move on to higher skilled jobs.

The Director General of the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association, Mark Brownridge, had this to say of the results:

“Overall EISA has repeatedly heard from SMEs that they are more worried about the lack of skilled labour coming out of the EU to provide them with the technical skills and workforce they require to drive their business forward due to a lack of technically skilled people. The two main problems that all entrepreneur face is cash - or the lack of it - and people. The Chancellor’s Spring Statement announcement of an £80m apprenticeship fund helped shore up SMEs on both fronts, but there is a clear need to go further. The results of this report should serve as a call to action for all in the industry to contribute to building a higher-skilled, post-Brexit workforce.”

Page 29 - WORKING WITH YOUR OTHER HALF – TOP TIPS ON KEEPING IT PROFESSIONAL

Written by Patricia founder of www.couplepreneurs.co.uk

As I interview more and more Couplepreneurs – couples that live together and run a business together – I realise that this is a growing economic force that is evolving, compelling and fascinating all at once. It is a sector that is under valued, under represented, somewhat undiscovered and unknown.

There is a huge set of myths that exist around just how this could possibly work. But it does. You only need to look at Desmond & Dempsey, Sxollie, SportPursuit, Kashing, Mod Pizza, Go Ape, Pai Skincare, 38 Degrees North and Eventbrite to see that this is happening across all ages, sectors and geographies.

Be clear around your roles. The strength of relationship with Couplepreneurs is inspiring to witness but one of the key tips is ensuring you know one another’s strengths from the outset and the roles you will play. Creating job specs and defining the roles is highly recommended too.

Know who is managing the team as you grow. This is also critical as the business grows and you take on new recruits. Liz Bingham from Velo Vixen who has been running the business with her husband Phil for 6 years reinforces this as she tells me “It is so important to have clarity over who is line-managing whom and respect those boundaries. “

Communication is key. Avoid pressing the buttons. Jonathan from Mini-epic sums this up so well as he tells me “I don't just mean saying what needs to be said, but saying it in a way that you know your partner will be more receptive to. As husband and wife we know how to press each others buttons, which means we also know how to avoid pressing them, and that can be as simple as expressing an opinion or idea in a certain way.”

Don’t try and do it all. Surround yourself by people who are better than you. Many couples have fed back just how strong they are as a couple working together but just how important it is to recognise one another’s strengths and where they need help. It is critical to bring in the right expertise even in bite size chunks that you can afford and this can help to relieve tension and avoid additional stress.

Be together but separate entities too. Keep it confidential. Couplepreneurs tell me just how they love having the opportunity to develop a healthy culture and bringing in new team members. This also includes maintaining confidences. Nick Cooper, who has just celebrated 15 years of running Salt Media with his wife Jo Rees, reinforces this. Nick says “Make it clear to the team that just because they tell one of you something it won’t necessarily be passed on by you to your partner – you are not a funnel for all communications, they need to treat you as two separate entities.”

Being flexible is paramount. Flexibility is one of the key benefits that Couplepreneurs experience in running their businesses together but being flexible is crucial to its success. Jonathan from Mini-Epic knows the importance of this as he tells me “With two young children, a home to run, and a business, it's impossible to have a militant routine. In fact it's not fair on the kids or yourselves. Prioritise the tasks that hold the most stress, so you can clear them off your plate, and approach everything else with a degree of flexibility.”

Stronger together and All In - but keep the ‘couple-ness’ out of open discussion. So many of the teams I talk to tell me how much they enjoy working with Couplepreneur businesses but it is essential to be very open. Liz from Velo Vixen tells me “Staff must feel that there is clarity and that there isn’t a secret couple cabal that will override their decision making.”

Support, trust, respect and listen to each other. Lots of couples have had to learn to adapt to working with their partners. Cat Benger who runs ABCpure with her partner Ben Webeck gives great advice as she tells me “Acknowledge and respect each other’s opinion. 2 heads are often better than one and experience has shown facilitate the most effective decision making.”

Patricia Bacon is an expert business growth consultant and founder of Couplepreneurs a new global network for couples running businesses together. Find out more at www.couplepreneurs.co.uk

Page 30 - THE CHALLENGES OF MANAGING THE NEW MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKFORCE

In the mast of the millennials and generation Z workforce, companies are now experiencing and adapting to a multigenerational workforce. Depending on the working environment this is something that if managed well that can bring advantages to a company.

An ageing population due to improved quality of living and healthcare means that men and women are continuing into employment to a higher age. There is no default age for retirement and as stated by the Gov.uk website there is no compulsory retirement age (unless a good reason is provided by the employer). The average age for retirement as shown by the Department of work and pensions has shown 65.1 for men and 63.6 for women 1 . The state pension age for men is 65 and with the women’s age increasing from 63 to 65 in Nov 2018 could lead to a further increase in the older workforce.

The office for National Statistics 2 reported the population to be 66,040,200 in June 2017. This amount had seen an increase of 392,000 from the previous year and upon further research 41% was a result of natural change calculating number of births against death rates. 51% was allocated to international migration rates and an additional increase with the armed forces based in UK of 2,700.

With an estimated increase in the population of 74 million by 2039 these percentages can help us to understand the trends in the future population and prepare for a multigenerational workforce.

A multigenerational workforce can see over 5 generation working alongside each other in the same company. This is said to be the one of the most notable changes within the UK Labour Market and based on their projections 1 third of employees will be over 50 in 2020.

The labour workforce details members of the country who are able to work. This is then split into the following categories to allow rates to be calculated for each 6 . Age 15-24 are classed as just entering the labour market, starting work after their chosen form of education. 25-54 year olds are classed as being in their peak of their working lives and 55-64 years of age are deemed as passing their peak and looking towards retirement.

However, today’s generational workforce has been placed stereotypically within the following terminology 4 . The Generation Z to be the most recent being born after 2001. The

Millennials are the most current workforce being born from 1978-2000, the Baby Boomers from 1946-1964, the silent generation from 1927-1945 and the GI generation from 1901- 1926. The Generation Z and Millennial workforce will be able to work more independently and technology driven. With this in mind and to help manage the diversity of this new workforce implementing strategies to manage the integration of the workforce, with ideas and skill force and a good company culture could be key.

As an employer it is always good to know your workforce. The more understanding of your employees, their skills and knowledge will make sure they are working efficiently in the correct positions. In terms of a multigenerational workforce it means skill sets can be shared and passed on. Many older employees may not take to a younger employee trying to teach them their role but managed well a lot can be learnt through the Gen Z and Millennial generations especially in terms of the latest technology.

Avoid the stereotypes. Make sure as an employer you are leading the company culture and try not to place any negative emphasis to these stereotypes that could cause separation. Find ways to allow all generations to integrate amongst each other maybe through training, sharing ideas and if your workforce is split into teams making sure each is diverse.

Make sure you have the correct policies and procedures in place. As detailed by Citizens Advice 5 , the Equality Act 2010 protects anyone from being discriminated against their age. Regularly provide training and team building for staff and continually build awareness for this issue.

Managed well a generational workforce can bring many benefits to your workforce and in the long term help to be a more proactive and productive workforce.

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