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HR & RECRUITMENT NEWS

HR & Recruitment Sector tackles DEO

I know DEI is scary. The terminology changes quickly, we want to get things right, but the prospect of saying or doing the wrong thing simply stops us in our tracks. I know it must feel like everyone else is taking action, and this can seem pretty overwhelming, especially when you don’t know where to start. So where do you start? My advice is at the very beginning.

What is diversity?

Diversity is about recognising what makes each of us unique in the context of those around us. This includes our backgrounds, personality, life experiences and beliefs, and all of the things that make us who we are. It is a combination of our differences that shape our view of the world, our perspective, and our approach.

What is Intentional Inclusion?

Intentional inclusion is about recognising, respecting and valuing the differences that diverse groups bring. Inclusion at work is about the culture in which a mix of people can come together and feel comfortable and confident to be themselves, work in a way that enables them to thrive, and deliver the business needs. Intentional inclusion is putting action behind this statement. It’s about ensuring historically excluded groups or individuals are actively represented in your organisation. Actively means assessing your approach in terms of power sharing, decision making, and policy setting.

Is it Equality or Equity?

Put simply, equality is striving to give everyone access to the same resources, opportunities and outcomes as everyone around them. Equity is treating people as individuals and providing them with the access, opportunities and outcomes that they need in order succeed. For example, equality is giving all your employees a three per cent pay rise at the end of the year – everyone gets the same. Equity is understanding where your pay gaps exist, for example in gender pay, and applying appropriate awards that will close those gaps. The perception of fairness is based upon the equity of outcomes, not the equality of treatment.

What is Allyship?

“An ally is any person that actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts that benefit people as a whole.” Sheree Atcheson, Demanding More. Allyship is a verb. It is not a self-proclaimed title; it is momentary and exists in our actions and behaviours. Anyone can be an ally.

Why DEI isn’t an ‘HR only’ problem

Since 2020, the value of HR teams has skyrocketed. They’ve become overnight experts in responding to a global pandemic, rolling out previously unimagined flexible working options, the front-line in talent retention in “the great resignation” and solution architects in “the war for talent”. And now, HR leaders and People teams are expected to singlehandedly craft an operational plan to address racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, misogyny… the list goes on. But the truth of the matter here is that there is no single department that can resolve the issues of an entire workplace culture. DEI at work is as much about our personal journeys and learning as it is about our strategies and policies, if not more so. We’re all familiar now with the concept of putting our own oxygen masks on first when it comes to wellbeing and our mental health. DEI work is actually no different. But instead of thinking about oxygen masks, think of lightbulbs! As leaders in an organisation, you need to understand your own perspective, blind spots, and social identity, before you can ask your people to follow your strategies and abide by your policies. In other words, you need to turn on the light bulbs for yourself, otherwise you will only be leading people around in the dark!

What motivates you?

Understanding what motivates you (personally) to take action is key to making progress with this work. Being clear on “why” you’re doing the work will make it easier to bring your organisation on the journey with you, explain to your people why you are making the changes that you are, and help you remain committed to action when things get tough. Which, spoiler alert, they will. This work is not easy, and you need to be prepared to celebrate the joy that intentional inclusion brings as much as you will need to sit in its discomfort. What motivates your leadership team and your people? In what ways are these things the same or different?

Things that HR can and should do…

• Provide data and feedback: Operationally

HR holds the critical data you will need to understand what is going on in your organisation and where potential gaps to inclusion may exist • Support Employee Resource Groups and other action groups, through facilitation and coaching • Challenge as the people experts in the organisation • Day to day oversight of actions, commitments and progress, where a dedicated DEI person or team is not possible.

What leaders must do…

• Lead by example: Walk that talk, engage and demonstrate that intentional inclusion starts with you • Take ownership: This is a big one, as it’s really your responsibility. Senior stakeholder ownership is critical to making sure that progress is made. Be accountable for your organisation success • Become comfortable talking about what is and is not acceptable: This is not as easy as it sounds, and this is where turning your own lights on first is vital for confidence, courage and clarity • Prioritise action, resource, budget, and

sponsorship: This work is not an add on to other roles, or a nice to have. Treat it like every other project and support it accordingly • Be prepared to experiment and make mistakes: There is no check list or copy and paste for this work. You need to figure

out what works for you, by being open to try and accepting feedback on what works and what doesn’t. You will find the right approach. For specific advice and support about how to approach diversity, equity and inclusion work in your organisation, contact Katie Allen on katie@katieallenconsulting.com or visit her website www.KatieAllenConsulting.com for free resources and information.

IT, SECURITY & DIGITAL SECTOR NEWS

The importance of cyber incident response

In the digital economy, technology can seem a mixed blessing: it enables commercial agility and success, but can also be exploited to cause chaos and disruption. As recession looms, it can be tempting to cut costs by reducing your cyber security spending. However, understanding your business’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks and data breaches, and preparing for their impact, is critical. When you suffer an attack or breach – which you almost certainly will – the speed of your response makes a significant difference to your recovery and costs. For instance, according to IBM’s 2022 Cost of a Data Breach Report, organisations that identify and contain data breaches within 200 days spend, on average, 26.5 per cent less than those that take longer. To put that in context, the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022 found that 39 per cent of UK business identified a cyber-attack in the previous 12 months, with attacks costing medium-sized and large businesses an average of £19,400. If this sounds like it might be beyond your resources or expertise, don’t worry. IT Governance’s sister company GRCI Law’s Emergency Cyber Incident Response Service provides 24/7 support every day of the year to help organisations throughout the incident response process. GRCI Law’s specialists can quickly analyse any cyber security incident you might be suffering, and help you contain it so you can restore affected systems and return to business as usual as quickly and efficiently as possible. www.itgovernance.co.uk

4 reasons to change IT support providers

As businesses become more reliant on technology, having an excellent IT support provider is crucial. This list will hopefully cause you to reflect on certain elements you may not have noticed. It also seeks to help you assess if you are receiving the best service you deserve.

1| SLOW RESPONSE TIMES

When your IT support provider is slow to react to a situation you have raised, this should sound alarm bells. Being passed onto one party to another within the organisation and acting slow on the ticket raised can be frustrating.

2| POOR COMMUNICATION

Good providers will always keep in touch and update you when required. Technical problems are often hard to explain to companies that are not technical. A good IT support provider will always maintain excellent communication and explain things in layman terms.

3| PERSISTENT ISSUES

Many of the small IT issues add up over time. When your staff start to become frustrated over these small issues that keep reoccurring, this will cost you time and money. Your provider should spend time to find the root problem and fix it for good.

4| TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING

Your IT support provider should make you feel that you completely trust they have your systems secure. They should create a strong feeling of trust within you that if the worst was to happen, they could fix it quickly and efficiently. Overall, your IT provider should understand your requirements and systems; if not, it might be time to leave.

Cambridgesupport.com ask@cambridgesupport.com 01223 901 900

Chamber membership provides access to key information, expert advice and legal protection, enabling you to stay informed, legally compliant and free to focus on what you do best – building your business.

The importance of cyber incident response

In the digital economy, technology can seem a mixed blessing: it enables commercial agility and success, but can also be exploited to cause chaos and disruption. As recession looms, it can be tempting to cut costs by reducing your cyber security spending. However, understanding your business’s vulnerability to cyber-attacks and data breaches, and preparing for their impact, is critical. When you suffer an attack or breach – which you almost certainly will – the speed of your response makes a significant difference to your recovery and costs. For instance, according to IBM’s 2022 Cost of a Data Breach Report, organisations that identify and contain data breaches within 200 days spend, on average, 26.5 per cent less than those that take longer. To put that in context, the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022 found that 39 per cent of UK business identified a cyber-attack in the previous 12 months, with attacks costing medium-sized and large businesses an average of £19,400. If this sounds like it might be beyond your resources or expertise, don’t worry. IT Governance’s sister company GRCI Law’s Emergency Cyber Incident Response Service provides 24/7 support every day of the year to help organisations throughout the incident response process. GRCI Law’s specialists can quickly analyse any cyber security incident you might be suffering, and help you contain it so you can restore affected systems and return to business as usual as quickly and efficiently as possible. Please contact us at www.itgovernance.co.uk

How B2B’s can use Social Media effectively

DOES SOCIAL MEDIA FORM PART OF YOUR MARKETING ACTIVITY?

Social media is ideal for reaching and engaging with prospective customers cost effectively, but many B2B’s use it sporadically, or delegate ownership to the office junior who ‘gets’ it. These approaches often result in a lack of strategy, consistency and hit or miss results. Dan Ince of BrandWorks Social shares his approach to develop an effective, resultsfocused social media strategy for B2B’s.

Define your objectives

For any marketing activity to be effective, you need to start with identifying your objectives. With clarity of what you’re trying to achieve, you can define what success looks like and develop a strategy to deliver it. • Want to get your business in front of more of your ideal customers? • Want to help them understand who you are, what you do, and how you can help them? • Want them to get in touch with you? Social media can help achieve these objectives, and in a highly targeted way as over 66 per cent of people in the UK are active on social platforms.

Understand your audience

Who are your current customers? What needs and traits do they have? Why do they choose to work with you, rather than a multitude of competitors? Taking the time to understand your existing customers and identify your target customers is worth it. It allows you to build up a picture of exactly who they are, their needs, interests and the problems your business solves for them.

Identify the right platforms

Which social media platforms should your business be using? Simple. The ones where your customers and prospective customers are most active and receptive to your message. 93 per cent of B2B marketers use LinkedIn to reach and engage prospective customers. With over 33m UK users, of which 30 per cent are active on the platform every week, LinkedIn is an extremely efficient way of reaching your target customers and educating them about what you have to offer. Remember it’s important not to put all your social media eggs in one basket though. Many of our clients are also active on Instagram and Facebook for greater reach.

Plan and publish good content

While you want to use social media to showcase your business, it’s important to remember that no one likes to be ‘sold’ to. To create an engaging content plan, put yourself in your customers’ shoes and identify three-five themes that can become your content pillars. Then develop content that educates, inspires and entertains your audience. Developing a visual look and tone of voice for your social activity that mirrors your existing marketing materials will help your content stand out and leave a positive, consistent impression. Overall, ensure your content plan is engaging and balanced with a clear call to action where appropriate, and plan your content to go out consistently (typically every other day) to build your presence.

Take time to engage

To get results from social, it’s vital to not only share great content, but also engage with your audience. Respond to comments on your content, like and engage with other people’s content, take time to get to know people and build relationships. It’s called ‘social’ media for a reason!

Review performance

It’s easy to ignore performance metrics, place far too much store in followers and likes, or swamp yourself in data when it comes to assessing performance. Identify the metrics that matter to you - the ones that demonstrate whether your social activity is delivering your business objectives. As a guide, most of our clients want to build reach and engagement - with the right people. These measures help

us understand whether we’re reaching and growing their audience, as well as identifying the type of content their audience are most interested in. We recommend reviewing performance monthly to identify actions you can take to further improve performance.

Keep up to date

Social media platforms are constantly evolving and adding new features. It’s important to keep up to date with changes on the platforms you’re using and understand whether there are any implications for your strategy. One easy way to do this is to follow people who regularly publish platform updates such as Andy Lambert, John Espirian and Matt Navara.

Make sure you have the right resources

Developing your social media strategy, producing regular content, and assessing performance regularly to optimise your approach requires a level of expertise and can be time-consuming. If you’d like the weight of social media management lifted off your shoulders, consider outsourcing it to a specialist agency who can develop a bespoke plan focused on delivering results to achieve your objectives. For more support visit brandworkssocial.co.uk

Ripple Effects in Supply Chains: How Can Your Business Ensure Continuity?

The pressure on supply chains remains unrelenting. Businesses in the UK, and globally, ranging from semiconductors to cars to food are under enormous pressure to cope with the so many and diverse disruptions, which show no signs of abating. The RussiaUkraine war is adding to the challenges of global supply chains coupled with other pandemic- and climate-related disruptions, as we witness record-high inflation rates, fuelling cost increases, labour shortages and material scarcity around the world. The resulting ripple effects are alarming the supply of key food resources (e.g., wheat, sunflower oil), electronics, natural gas, and many other raw materials which are straining global supply chains. These factors are boosting interest in localising supply chains which has already started rising significantly. In the same vein, after the financial crisis of 2008, with a significant increase in oil price and several natural disasters (e.g., tsunami in Japan, flooding in Thailand), businesses started to increase local manufacturing to reduce exposure to global risks and be able to respond faster to disruptions. However, the benefits that global supply chains offer cannot be neglected and until there is sufficient infrastructure to support localisation strategies, businesses should pursue deep understanding and visibility into their supply chains as well as strategies to build resilience to keep their supply chains moving amid disruptions.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN

The big companies might be louder about the impact of supply disruptions on their business continuity but that does not mean that SMEs are not affected too. In fact, SMEs might have less power and/or understanding to deal with supply shortages than their larger rivals which makes the problem particularly challenging. To begin with, a good planning process for ensuring continuity within your business is asking the right questions about your supply chain. A strong supply chain continuity capability rests on strong and well-chosen partners who can all work together during a disruptive event and increase the potential for business and supply chain success. However, most businesses have limited understanding of the multi-tier nature of their supply chain. UK-Centric Supply Chains has a complete set of diagnostic and mapping tools which you can undertake to help you gain a deep understanding of your supply chain and identify areas of strengths and weaknesses.

ENHANCING EFFIECIENCY AND BUILDING RESILENCY IN YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN • Gain/increase transparency and visibility across your extended supply network via supply chain mapping:

conduct a multi-dimensional diagnosis of the current state,

try to achieve end-to-end supply chain visibility, identify opportunities for improvements and reduce potential risks

• Continuously assess your

suppliers’ capabilities: establish KPIs, evaluate and assess your suppliers’ capabilities and performance and take actions where needed. For example, consider your suppliers’ capacity, ability to upscale, reliability, financial health • Review your sourcing strategies: dual or multiple sourcing strategies might be beneficial for your business to address supply shortages during disruptive events • Review your supply chain relationships: establish partnerships where appropriate, share risks and information with your partners.

The Kraljic Matrix, a well-established, strategic tool used by procurement and supply chain professionals, can help you to segment the vendor base, identify and minimise supply risks, classify the importance of your suppliers’ products/services, determine and build the right type of supplier relationship and eventually, use your time more efficiently • Gather supply chain intelligence: identify supply chain risks, monitor the market, model supply scenarios and contingency plans, monitor financial stability of key suppliers. • Build supply chain resilience: understand how well your suppliers are prepared, identify supply risks, avoid reliance on single sourcing, instead opting for multi- sourcing and the creation of buffer capacity. As supply chains have become more sophisticated, interconnected and global, they have also become more vulnerable, but localisation is not panacea. Businesses should move from traditional risk management approaches to build resilience into the supply chains. That requires investments and effort, but it is fast becoming a necessity for increased efficiency and competitiveness in the long run. UK-Centric Supply Chains team understands the challenges of getting the supply chains ready to meet the various requirements and at the same time be resilient to respond to disruptions. To find out more about how UK-Centric Supply Chains can help your business and provide a non-biased holistic view on your supply chain, get in contact today with the local Business Engagement Manager Alan Todd, a.todd@aston.ac.uk or 0121 204 3646, info@ukcentricsupplychains.co.uk.