Recruiter August 2019

Business intelligence for recruitment and resourcing professionals

August 2019

INCORPORATING Recruitment Matters

ALSO INSIDE

www.recruiter.co.uk ww recr it r.co. k

Proactive moves rail recruitment onto a new and better track

p01 cover aug v1.indd 1

t s e t a l e Th e h t n i n weapo alent war for t 09/07/2019 16:39

Power Smarter Assessment Engage your candidates, improve quality of hire & deliver better efficiencies with Saville Assessment Create an immersive and integrated assessment package with our award winning personality questionnaires, situational judgement tests, talent analytics and aptitude tests to hit the metrics that matter.

The winners deserved their award for their commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion opportunities and masterful use of technology.

See why we were named Industry Supplier Of The Year & how we can provide you with a winning assessment package at:

www.savilleassessment.com/power +44(0)20 8619 9000

REC.08.19.002.indd 2

i n fo @ s av i l l e as s e s s m e nt .c o m

08/07/2019 12:22

38

R 18 A

05 Improve service offer and

06

07

07

08 10

B

pitch techniques The level of competition and Brexit effect means recruiters need to do more Hays scores all round with Man City FC sponsorship The exposure gained by millions seeing the Hays name has been impressive Soft skills missing in many in-house recruiting teams The latest survey by The FIRM finds capability in this area seriously lacking Start-up of the Month: Recruitment Heroes Kelly De-Lara launches her multi-sector recruitment firm This was the month that was...

Contracts & Deals

C 16

17

Global skill-short contractor hotspots Tech & Tools CanLead forges ahead on blockchain

FEATURES

18 THE BIG STORY Celebrity influencers Recruiters are using celebrities to champion their employer brand 24 Rail recruitment moves on to a new track The railway sector is finally moving its recruitment practices forward

INCORPORATING Recruitment Matters

E COMMUNITY 28 Community: Upstart

33 34 35 36 38

TRENDS

12 Insight

15

D

NEWS

40 41 42

42

Moving on after leaving the thin blue line Social Network The Workplace: Guy Hayward Workplace Innovation: Dr Nadya Zhexembayeva Business Advice: Alex Arnot My brilliant recruitment career: Nel Woolcott, Anne Corder Recruitment Movers & Shakers Recruiter contacts The Last Word: Nick Barton

24

28

INTERACTION Viewpoint Dawn Smedley, culture and engagement strategist, OC Tanner Europe Soundbites

I M AG E S | I STO C K / G ETTY / IKO N / A LA MY

p03_recruiter_contentsNEW.indd 3

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 3

11/07/2019 14:23

0114 478 0559

FUNDING FOR PAYROLL

Up to 4 Weeks Unlimited Free Credit FUNDING FOR PAYROLL

Agency Benefits 1.

Outsourced Payroll

2.

Up to 4 Weeks Credit

3.

Full Market Exposure

Simplify is one of the leading payroll providers in the UK with an unwavering commitment to compliance.

4.

Total Compliance

We also offer up to four weeks unlimited free credit to help clients manage their cashflow and accelerate company growth.

5.

Contractor Loyalty

6.

GDPR Compliant

7.

Marketing Initiatives

8.

Agency Support

HELPING RECRUITMENT AGENCIES SUCCEED

Such generous payment terms empower agency owners to invest in their businesses whilst free of debt, loans or factoring arrangements.

To find out more about this unique opportunity, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Please Contact Simplify to Arrange an Initial Consultation funding@simplifybusiness.co.uk - www.fundingforpayroll.co.uk REC.08.19.004.indd 4

08/07/2019 12:56

N E WS

UPDATE

WE LCO M E

LEADER

D

id it seem like déjà-vu circa 2008 to anyone else when the pictures of the Deutsche Bank workers, carrier bags and boxes in hand flooded across the media last week? Eighteen thousand employees are a lot of people. Let’s hope that this angry world is not on the verge of another financial crisis while trade wars loom and world leaders trade insults – worryingly, recruiters are less optimistic about the economic picture going forward than a year ago (see p5).

Must we hold our breath and wait?

While uncertainty “Let’s hope prevails in some corners, this angry organisations like world is not SAP and the AA are on the verge putting their money of another financial crisis into big splash talent initiatives while trade – see p18 for details wars loom” of some of the no-holds-barred drives to get their company names and high-profile influencers in front of audiences around the world. Spend on recruitment marketing, in all of its many forms, is not dead!

I’m off to Prague shortly for a few days of R&R. Enjoy your own summer holiday odyssey!

DeeDee Doke, Editor

I M AG E S | I STO C K | S HUT T ERSTOC K

p05_07_recruiter_news.indd 5

Improve service offer to set barometer fair

BY COLIN COTTELL

RECRUITMENT COMPANIES SHOULD improve both the service they offer and their pitch techniques in response to the dampening effects of Brexit and increased competition in the market, according to Alex Arnot, non-executive adviser to more than 20 recruitment companies.

Arnot’s advice comes after the latest Recruitment Sector Barometer, produced by Arnot in association with Recruiter, showed that more than a third (35%) of recruitment business leaders see the level of competition from other agencies as one of their top three challenges in Q3, while more than half (60.7%), put economic conditions/ uncertainty in the same category.

Commenting on the Barometer, Arnot told Recruiter: “A fourth consecutive increase in the percentage of respondents citing economic conditions as one of their top three challenges reflects the ongoing impact of Brexit. Owners that believe Brexit will continue to put a handbrake on UK recruitment into the medium term could consider expanding into new geographies; however that requires investment and is not without risk.

“Alternatively, companies should invest in improving both the service they provide to clients and their pitch techniques. Competition is intensifying, making it harder both to attract new clients and retain existing ones. However, with recruitment processes becoming longer, a large selection of roles to cherry-pick from will make beating targets far easier.”

Although six out of 10 respondents see economic conditions and uncertainty as a major challenge, this is surpassed by their concern over the availability of candidates, with nearly two-thirds (65.2%) regarding this as one of their three top challenges, although this has fallen from its record high of 78.1% in Q3 2018. Overall, the Barometer shows declining levels of optimism among recruitment business owners, with the Arnot Score falling to 25.9% compared to 74.8% 12 months ago.

6/10

optimism

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 5

11/07/2019 10:04

38,180 FOLLOWERS

NE WS

UPDATE

AS OF 11 JULY 2019

Hays scores all round with Man City sponsorship

BY COLIN COTTELL

CANDIDATES AND CLIENTS are around twice as likely to use international professional staffing company Hays if they know about the company’s sponsorship agreement with reigning Premier League champions Manchester City FC, according to Sholto Douglas-Home, Hays chief marketing officer.

Speaking to Recruiter after Hays renewed its agreement with Man City until 2023, Douglas-Home said that although he couldn’t reveal the exact figure for reasons of commercial confidentiality, “this is a very clear figure that I have no hesitation in being able to trust”.

“And it it’s not just based on a one-off study, we do this every year,” he added.

The deal with Man City began back in 2013 when Hays became the club’s official recruitment partner. It has led to a massive increase in Hays’ exposure around the world, said Douglas-Home. Just the announcement of team line-ups had led to “comfortably in excess of 250m exposures of the Hays brand” across social media and professional networks, he said.

The increasing popularity of the Premier League in Asia is also helping to further boost the firm’s exposure in that region. “Asia loves football and it loves the Premier League, and therefore the engagement levels in Asia in particular are growing and growing,” Douglas-Home said.

Although the seven-figure annual deal Hays has with football giant is likely to be beyond the budget of most staffing companies, Douglas-Home said there were still opportunities for recruitment firms that want to go down the sponsorship route.

“You don’t necessarily have to spend huge dollars to do it,” he said. The rise of digital marketing using video and engaging audiences via social media means more can be done with content for less budget.

“It is not prohibitively expensive,” he added.

Once a partnership is in place, Douglas-Home said the hard work really begins: “It’s not a vanity thing; it is something that you have to work really hard on. It doesn’t work itself – it’s a proper commitment.”

Douglas-Home said that the relationship with Man City was not a case of “we will give you some money, and you can make us famous … It’s a proper strategic partnership, where we help Manchester City with their hiring needs, and they help us with our marketing mix.” Hays’ 3m strong LinkedIn following base “is phenomenally powerful” for the Premier League champions, he said.

New members sees REC return to profit and growth A HEALTHY RISE in 400 new corporate members on the back of a double-digit rise in industry turnover to £35bn contributed to growth in income at the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) in the past year.

According to the trade body’s 2019 annual report and accounts, for the year ended 31 December 2018, income rose to £7,149,857 in 2018 from £6,969,877 in 6 RECRUITER

p05_07_recruiter_news.indd 6

AUGUST 2019

2017. A drop in direct costs from £1,777,499 to £1,713, 953 combined with a modest increase in admin expenses saw the REC return to an operating profit of £29,103 compared to a loss of £61,802 in 2017. After adjusting for a change in the value of REC investments, the REC recorded an overall surplus of £4,979 in 2018, compared to just under £6k in 2017.

One significant difference between the 2017 and 2018 figures was cash in the bank at the end of the financial year, which dropped from £942,190 to £41,620.

An REC spokesperson explained this was because “the deadline for membership renewals had been pushed back, which meant that this income didn’t come in until January 2019, which is in the following financial year”.

Find more daily news stories at recruiter.co.uk/news

11/07/2019 10:04

THOUGHTS FROM… B A RO N E S S S AY E E DA WA R S I CONSERVATIVE PEER

“If you had said to me 30 years ago when I was growing up in a small town in Yorkshire that in 2019 we would be in a place where racism and bigotry have become mainstream, where Islamophobia has passed the ‘dinner table test’, where racism and bigotry are found in the most respectable of settings, and where the US has elected a potato for a president, I would never have thought this is where we would be.”

BRUCE DICKINSON PILOT A N D LEAD SINGER WITH HEAV Y METAL BAND IRON MAIDEN

“I never intended to become a professional pilot. But, as I became more curious about aircraft, and, well, not being John Travolta, I realised that the only way I was ever going to fly a jet is if I got a job.”

GREG MULHOLLAND FO RM E R LIB DEM MP AND BACKER OF STOP THE OFF-PAYROLL TA X CAMPAIGN

“What’s interesting in the political climate at the moment is with all the turbulence, obviously Brexit is taking all of the attention, nonetheless, you have a really exciting situation where people are prepared to go against their party lines. So we have a really good chance of getting MPs across the House of Commons, and indeed peers, to really look at the evidence and to realise these proposals are wrong.”

Soft skills missing in many in-house teams

BY COLIN COTTELL

HAVING GREAT SOFT skills is increasingly important for in-house recruiters to do their job effectively, according to The FIRM’s (Forum for In-House Recruitment Managers’) 2019 Recruitment Capability and Training Survey.

The survey found that 41% of respondents ranked soft skills as ‘critically important’, but identified serious concerns about the capability of in-house recruitment teams in this area.

Rachel Dalboth, strategy and capability director at The FIRM, told Recruiter: “It has been fascinating to see the rise in importance of soft skills for recruiters such as stakeholder management, project management and relationship management skills, which has also been reflected in the increasing demand for our training courses in these areas.”

Although the survey showed that 84% of respondents in leadership positions considered their own soft skills to be at ‘strong’ or ‘expert’ level, when it came to their own teams, they recognised there was room for improvement with only 67% rating their colleagues as ‘strong’ or ‘expert’.

The survey revealed employer value proposition (EVP) and employer brand as particular areas of weakness, with 37% of leaders ranking themselves as ‘weak or getting by’, while 72% highlighted concerns about their team’s capability in this area and 19% stating their teams were weak in both.

“A key area of focus of skills development for recruiters is surrounding EVP and employer brand, which has been called out as an area of development for our members,” said Dalboth. “This correlates to our annual membership survey results, which for the last three years have called out EVP and employer brand as one of the top three strategic priorities.

“Also interesting to see is the reduced focus on vendor management as a required skill from our members, which again reflects the annual membership survey results looking at the ongoing focus on direct resourcing as being a key member priority.”

I M AG E S | I STOC K / PA L HA N S E N

STA RT-UP OF THE MONTH ELITE TALENT RESOURCING Kelly De-Lara, who has about 15 years’ experience in recruitment, has set up multi-sector recruiter Elite Talent Resourcing.

De-Lara, who has worked as an internal recruiter, talent acquisition executive and headhunter, told Recruiter the decision to set up her own business followed on from her realisation that in previous roles she built up a loyal client following which had bought into her personally.

“The companies I worked for have given me a safety net that I felt I

needed, with a guaranteed income each month, but I know that I can make this work alone and, hopefully, reap the rewards too,” she said.

In terms of standing out in the market, the headhunter revealed 90% of her roles are filled by passive candidates, who are not actively looking for a role. She added she prides herself on being a consultative and honest recruiter, who is straight with clients if they have unrealistic expectations of candidates or if they are paying below market rate, and equally straight with candidates who

are asking for remuneration that is not in line with their skills.

De-Lara, who has two children, added that while most of her recent roles have offered some flexibility to do school runs, she wants to be able to be at home in the holidays or when her children are poorly. She added that as the business grows and expands, she wants to offer that flexibility to new staff.

“We have got off to a great start so far, making our first placement in our first month of trading. I need to keep up the momentum.”

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 7

p05_07_recruiter_news.indd 7

11/07/2019 10:04

NE WS

THIS WAS THE MONTH THAT WAS… Here is a round-up of some of the most popular news stories we have brought you on recruiter.co.uk since the July issue of Recruiter was published J U N E •‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒→

FRI, 21 JUNE 2019

T H U, 2 7 J U N E 2 0 1 9

CANINE COLLEAGUES BRIGHTEN UP RECRUITERS’ OFFICES

S STAFFLINE SHARE PLACING TO RAISE £41M TO REDUCE DEBT

On Bring Your Dog to Work Day, Recruiter showcased some of the canine consultants lifting the spirits of staff at agencies across the country including a ‘top dog’, a ‘chief slobberation officer’ and a trio of ‘chief barketing officers’.

First up is LHi Group’s Reggie (pictured below), a three-year-old Weimaraner, who according to a spokesperson for the agency is “goofy, soppy, incredibly loyal” and loves his job. As CSO (chief slobberation officer), Reggie offers all round good vibes, ensuring everyone is happy during his weekly visit to the office.

Next is Understanding Recruitment’s Rufus, a two-year-old cockapoo. Like Reggie, Rufus comes into the office once a week. A spokesperson for the agency describes Rufus, whose official job title is ‘top dog’, as “charming, especially with the ladies; loyal to his owner founding director Chris Jackson; and very easy on the eye”.

Over at Rafferty Resourcing, owner of the agency Jodie Rafferty, who also owns trio Louis, Rosa and Dolly, told Recruiter they command the title of ‘chief barketing officers’: “The ‘three musketeers’ are too noisy to stay in the office all day, and instead attend doggy day care during core hours. They are picked up from the offices at 9.30am and dropped back around 4.30pm. They break awkward silences, recycle junk mail and keep competitors at bay.”

Finally, we have a familiar furry face in the form of Octopus Personel’s Molly, who featured in recruiter.co.uk back in April 2017. Molly, who is described as “calm, approachable and disarmingly charming”, is still going strong at the age of 13 – that’s 91 in human years

T Troubled staffing and training provider S Staffline Group is seeking to raise up to £41m through a share offering in its efforts tto reduce group indebtedness.

In an announcement to the London Stock Exchange, the company said it proposed to place up to £34m with iinstitutional shareholders, and offer up to £7m in shares to qualifying shareholders at an issue price of 100p.

According to the company’s 2018 results, net debt stood at £63m the end of 2018, which is more than the group’s current market value. As recruiter.co.uk went to press Staffline’s share price had fallen 23% from yesterday’s closing price of 150p to 116p, valuing the group at £32m. The company said the aim of the share placing is to cut net debt to twice its EBITDA by December 2019.

An analyst, who asked not to be named, told Recruiter that the institutional investors were likely to have had meetings with the company before the placing was announced, and would be likely to have seen it as a choice: “If they do take up the share offering the company has a good chance of survival, but if they don’t the company could be taken over, or worse.”

Institutional investors include Invesco, Standard Life Aberdeen, Legal and General Investment Management, and Hargreaves Lansdown.

The announcement comes after a series of setbacks at the embattled company. Its shares were suspended in January after the company delayed its full-year results citing concerns over its payroll and invoicing practices. And it said that the cost of its failure to comply with minimum wage rules would be much more than previously anticipated, and that a result of this and weak trading it risked breaching its banking covenants.

More: https://bit.ly/2IYgN32

TUE, 25 JUNE 2019

DISQUALIFIED RECRUITMENT BOSS LANDED WITH SECOND BAN The boss of an Altrincham-based recruitment company has been disqualified for nine years after he was discovered acting as a director while banned from doing so.

Simon Wooding from Altrincham in Cheshire was disqualified after an investigation by the Insolvency Service. It found that although he officially resigned his role as director of Avante Recruitment in November 2016, he continued to work as a director right up to the company’s liquidation in September 2017. This despite having been previously disqualified in May 2016 while a director at Manchester recruiter AMS Search and Selection for three-and-a-half years.

As a result of the disqualification, effective from 5 June 2019, Wooding is banned from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.

More: https://bit.ly/2FYLVP2

More: https://bit.ly/2JtTr5K

8 RECRUITER

AUGUST 2019

p8_9_recruiter_month-that-was.indd 8

IM AGES | SHUT T ERSTOCK / IT V / ISTOCK / WE ST M I DL AN DS P O L I C E

10/07/2019 16:38

MON, 1 JULY 2019

HUGHES STEPS DOWN AS COO FROM STHREE SThree chief operating officer Justin Hughes is stepping down from his role after a quarter of a century with the group. SThree revealed Hughes would step down from the board but remain with the group to provide handover and transition of his duties over the next two to three months, as well as being available to offer advice to the Centre of Excellence (COE) for the rest of the year.

More: https://bit.ly/2X6c4Fv

31

DAYS

←‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒• J U L Y

T H U, 4 J U LY 2 0 1 9

COURT UPHOLDS EGON ZEHNDER’S USE OF RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS

MON, 1 JULY 2019

EX-RECRUITER JOINS LOVE ISLAND TO SHAKE UP THE VILLA The recruitment sector finally has another representative on reality ITV2 smash hit show Love Island to cheer on – Joanna Chimonides.

Recruiter understands Chimonides previously worked at education recruiter Tradewind Recruitment before relocating to the capital to pursue a career outside of recruitment.

The show’s programme makers describe Chimonides as “straight talking”, adding she was ready to tell current islanders a few home truths and shake up the villa in which the islanders reside.

Let’s hope she cracks on for a while longer and manages to graft away before the next recoupling takes place.

A landmark decision handed down by the Supreme Court has far reaching implications for recruiters’ use of restrictive covenants.

The decision relates to a case involving executive search firm Egon Zehnder, who hired consultant MaryCaroline Tillman back in 2003 to work in its financial services practice division.

Clause 13 of her original contract provided for five restraints upon her activities following the end of her employment, all limited to a period of six months from leaving the firm.

On 30 January 2017, Tillman left Egon Zehnder and shortly after told them she planned to start work at a competitor firm, adding that she intended to comply with all her covenants in the agreement, apart from the non-competition covenant in clause 13.2.3. She conceded it would prevent her proposed employment within the restricted six-month period but alleged that it was in unreasonable restraint of trade and thus void.

On 10 April 2017, Egon Zehnder took legal action against Tillman, applying for an interim injunction to stop Tillman starting her new role, which was subsequently granted.

While Tillman appealed, with the Court of Appeal allowing that appeal and setting aside her injunction, this week’s Supreme Court judgement reversed that decision restoring the injunction, although the original contractual period of restraint has since expired.

See full story below for legal implications from employment lawyers.

More: https://bit.ly/2JwNPaH

More: https://bit.ly/2xC8DYS

Find more daily news stories at recruiter.co.uk/news

p8_9_recruiter_month-that-was.indd 9

MON, 8 JULY 2019

MIDLANDS AGENCY HELPS BRING DOWN MODERN SLAVERY GANG A recruitment agency co-operated with authorities to bring a major modern slavery network to justice.

The gang tricked vulnerable people, including the homeless, ex-prisoners and alcoholics, from Poland into England with the promise of work and a better life but instead they were forced to live in rat-infested houses and work in menial jobs.

The group of five men and three women includes Julianna Chodakowicz (top row, third from left), who worked for a Worcester-based recruitment agency and signed up ‘dozens’ of the victims.

Recruiter understands Chodakowicz worked for Workforce Staffing as a temp for a short period before any issues around her involvement in the gang’s activity had come to light, at which time the agency worked closely with authorities to build a case against Chodakowicz and the rest of the gang.

In a statement sent to Recruiter, the agency’s CEO Paul Alekna said, like other businesses who have helped the police build their case over the past four years, he was “delighted” that such a large organised crime syndicate had been brought to justice for illegally manipulating people into joining Britain’s labour market. He said he was pleased the systems and processes Workforce Staffing has in place played a role in identifying victims.

More: https://bit.ly/2G30P73

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 9

10/07/2019 16:38

NE WS

CONTRACTS

CONTRACTS & DEALS ADP Global technology company ADP, which provides human capital management solutions, has acquired Irish payroll and HR services provider Softcom (Ireland). The firm says the acquisition follows many years of close collaboration between the companies. Softcom offers primarily payroll and HR management services in the Irish market. Softcom has been an ADP Streamline partner for many years and now becomes part of the ADP UK & Ireland Business under ADP Employer Services International (ESI).

Brightwork Scotland-based recruiter Brightwork has announced an open-ended extension to its partnership with Migrant Help, the UK-wide charity dedicated to assisting victims rescued human trafficking. Brightwork originally joined up with Migrant Help last year.

Empresaria International specialist staffing group Empresaria has acquired a further 17.5% interest in its subsidiary, IT recruiter ConSol Partners, taking its total investment to 82.5%. The shares have been acquired from management shareholders, including ConSol directors Graeme Hubert and Marc Cohen, for a total consideration of £3.5m on terms in line with the original acquisition in 2016.

StepStone Group The StepStone Group has acquired 85% of Appcast, a technology provider for programmatic job advertising in the US, for around €70m (£61.7m). Appcast was founded by CEO Chris Forman in 2014, who will continue to lead the company after the takeover of the majority stake.

Indorse Brand Capital, the strategic investment arm of Indian media house The Times Group, will invest up to £5.1m in Singapore-based skillsverification platform Indorse. The investment will be used for Indorse’s expansion into India and to build demand for its services.

The Curve Group Recruitment and HR outsourcing provider The Curve Group has launched an HR outsource system for risk and control data analysis company Acin. The Curve Group has also helped Acin to implement a HR technology platform to underpin the admin involved.

DEAL OF T HE MONT H

People Infrastructure Australian workforce management company People Infrastructure has entered into agreements to acquire two Queensland-based healthcare recruiters – First Choice Care and Carestaff Nursing Services.

The combined acquisition price for the two companies is $16.8m (£9.2m).

People Infrastructure expects First

10 RECRUITER

p10 contract dealsNEW.indd 10

AUGUST 2019

Choice and Carestaff to contribute $3.4m in EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) for the next 12 months.

It is due to take a few weeks for both acquisitions to be completed. The deal will be funded from cash reserves, including proceeds raised from a $20m share placement announced on 13 June.

Smart Resourcing Solutions Employability assessment services provider Smart Resourcing Solutions is the chosen supplier to work with the University of Hertfordshire on its Assessment Centre Experience (ACE) programme for students.

Having begun as a pilot event in autumn 2016 for 400 students, this year’s November event will see over 3,000 students attend at Watford FC’s Vicarage Road Stadium.

More contract news at recruiter.co.uk/news

11/07/2019 09:53

REC.08.19.011.indd 11

09/07/2019 11:05

TRE NDS

INSIGHT

SKILL-SHORT CONTRACTOR HOTSPOTS THAT CAN CONNECT THE WORLD With increasing skills shortages in a number of regions across the globe, where should agencies be looking to place international contractors?

BY MICHELLE REILLY

urrently, there is a wealth of opportunity available for recruitment agencies placing contractors abroad.

With a more interconnected world than ever, and skills shortages prevalent across a number of regions, there is no shortage of attractive destinations in need of foreign talent.

However, with so much choice, it can be difficult to know where to focus your attention. According to our latest company data, here are five key hotspots for contractor activity.

C Norway

With its beautiful landscapes, museums, tourist attractions and booming economy, it’s no surprise that Norway is the preferred option for hordes of international contractors. In fact, demand has been surging, with our data revealing a staggering 170% increase in freelance professionals working in the country between January and May of this year, the largest growth in any region by some distance.

This boom in demand could potentially be explained by the fact that the Norwegian economy is currently flourishing, outperforming estimates in the fourth quarter of 2018, and growing at the fastest pace in four years. In addition to this, a 2018 12 RECRUITER

AUGUST 2019

p12-13_Recruiter_Insights.indd 12

government report estimated that the country could face a shortfall of more than 4,000 experts in the niche area of IT security by 2030 unless active measures are taken to reverse the shrinking talent pool.

Germany Europe’s economic powerhouse (and home to some of the best beer in the world) has been enjoying a strong economic performance in recent years, building on strengthened domestic demand, good social outcomes and record-low unemployment. As the largest economy in Europe, the country is fertile ground for businesses and contractors alike, and has noted a 43% increase in the number of contractors working there from January to May this year.

However, there are many legal and financial concerns to bear in mind when attempting to work in the destination, and the government has been very active recently as part of the international crackdown on tax evasion.

In fact, Germany’s finance minister Olaf Scholz has been one of the key figures in the movement towards a ‘worldwide minimum’ corporate tax rate for non-compliant multinationals.

The Netherlands With the Dutch economy growing, and

predictions of further positivity over the coming year, it is unsurprising that the country saw a 58% increase in demand for contractors in this period.

Furthermore, according to the latest OECD Better Life Index, the Netherlands has come out on top when it comes to work-life balance.

For agencies, it’s important to be aware of the compliance challenges that could arise when doing business there. For example, if an individual is going to be residing in the country for over four months, they will need to register with the personal records database (BRP). Workers can also obtain a 30% ruling, which will see their taxable salary reduced by a maximum of 30%. However, there are stringent criteria to be eligible for this.

Sweden With a reputation as one of the world’s most beautiful, happy and leading equality countries in the world, it’s no wonder that so many professionals want to work in Sweden, with a 31% IM AGE | ISTOCK

10/07/2019 16:39

T R E N DS

INSIGHT

POWER POINTS

With so much choice, it can be difficult to know where to focus your attention

Romania Romania, once known as the ‘sick man of Europe’, is now the 41st biggest economy in the world, the 10th largest in the EU and was one of the fastest

growing economies in 2018. The country’s tech sector, which employs around 150,000 people, is projected to double its share of GDP to 12% by 2025.

Therefore, it’s unsurprising that there has been 50% increase in the number of inati contractors working in the destination.

However, the country’s tax system ystem is notoriously complicated, and while duce there has been moves to introduce reforms, the president of the he Chamber C re of Deputies, Liviu Dragneu, recently o ot stated that “legislation is not so clear”, and described it as “s “so sly y complicated, so dangerously drafted, that any ia, businessman in Romania, in this second, can be ”. ● accused of tax evasion”.

2

Contractor numbers across Norway, The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Romania have shown notable rises, with Norway showing a particularly large jump of 170%.

3 4

There was also a smaller – 10% – increase in the number of contractors working in France.

5

Across all destinations, the compliance landscape is becoming stricter, whether through local, individual laws or due to co-ordinated international actions from organisations such as the OECD.

Compliance requirements vary significantly across these destinations, with issues such as lengthy processes and detailed application necessities likely to affect placement timeline.

↗

increase in the number of contractors making the move in the first five months of this year. The country is considered a great place to work, securing the second spot on the 2017 Forbes list of best countries to do business.

However, it’s important to be aware of the strict employment legislation that makes many Swedish firms reluctant to employ contractors under self-employed models. Much of this stems from the increased risks to businesses, with tax liabilities transferred to the end client if incorrect payments are made. Despite this, expat contractors in Sweden can potentially benefit from an attractive tax relief. Of course, there is a wealth of criteria that must be met before individuals can be considered for this expat rate.

1

6CATS International has noted a general increase in contractors working internationally, with a 26% increase from January to May of this year.

MICHELLE REILLY is CEO of 6CATS 6 Internation nal and International founder off 6CATSPRO WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK K 13

p12-13_Recruiter_Insights.indd 13

10/07/2019 16:39

Sometimes things aren’t always quite what they seem

We understand that developing a compliant PSL is no small challenge. Distinguishing between organisations that pay lip-service to compliance and those that are fully committed is complex, costly and time-consuming. Getting it wrong can have serious implications on your business.

That’s why we have done the checks for you.

T Every FCSA Accredited Member has already undergone the most stringent testing in the industry, at no cost to your agency.

Recognised as the industry’s compliance gold standard for umbrella employers, contractor accountants and CIS payroll providers; agencies can reduce risk by committing to a PSL comprising exclusively of fully compliant and transparent FCSA Accredited Members.

Take a closer look at your PSL. Check they’re an

Accredited Member

0203 772 8622 | info@fcsa.org.uk | www.fcsa.org.uk

REC.08.19.014.indd 14

09/07/2019 11:06

T R E N DS

TECH & TOOLS

CanLead forges ahead on blockchain Referral platform aims to disrupt recruitment SUE WEEKES

While there’s no shortage of innovative tools around for recruiters, so far the sector hasn’t been disrupted to the degree the travel market has by digital platforms such as Airbnb, or the mobility sector by the likes of Uber. However, the recently launched social referral platform CanLead, developed to run on the distributed ledger technology blockchain and which will have its own digital currency, could change the landscape. But unlike some marketplaces based on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, it doesn’t seek to remove the middleman and could create more business for recruiters and agencies.

NEED FOR CHANGE Online job marketplaces have existed for some time, in some cases evolving into more sophisticated recruitment agency management platforms.

CanLead is built as a straightforward transactional platform based on the sharing economy that typically uses a P2P network and community to share goods and services.

Michael Quan, CanLead CEO and founder, felt job boards hadn’t fundamentally changed and disruptive technologies like blockchain were largely being neglected. “We like the Airbnb

approach,” he says. “You put a property on the platform, people like it and they transact. It’s very straightforward.”

HOW DOES IT WORK CanLead seeks to combine opportunities, referral and networking.

In a recruitment context, a recruiter or employer (called ‘hosts’) can post a job opportunity and a reward, and invite their network of referrers (called ‘leaders’) to refer suitable candidates (called ‘friends’). The potential disruptive aspect is that it provides a platform that turns anyone into a recruiter in the same way Airbnb turns anyone with

available rooms into an accommodation provider. It doesn’t aim to eclipse the recruiter but provide them with an additional channel for doing business and expanding their referral networks. “And if it can help single recruiters in an agency to scale, it will help the agency bring down its overall operating costs,” explains Quan.

REVENUE AND REWARD CanLead takes 10% commission from the hosts’ reward (the average referrer reward is around £1k), and this can currently be paid in US dollars, sterling or Euros. It will launch initial

D I G I TA L C U R R E N C I E S I N R E C R U I T M E N T Cryptocurrencies are seeping into the recruitment world. HireVibes (see Recruiter, January 2019) also launched a new model for recruitment based on the EOS.io blockchain, which uses HireVibes Tokens (HVT) for rewards and incentives. Meanwhile, Libra might also prove impossible to ignore, given it could be adopted by billions of Facebook and WhatsApp users.

I M AG E | G E T T Y

p15_Recruiter_TechTools.indd 15

coin and exchange offerings (ICO/IEO) in August to fund the move on to the Ethereum blockchain platform. It will enable it to add its own cryptocurrency, CAND tokens. Quan explains that it will also adopt the Facebook digital currency Libra when it launches next year. The other reason to transact in a cryptocurrency is that it could increase in value and buying in early could pay off.

VERIFICATION AND RECORD-KEEPING The platform verifies personal profiles and opportunity listings and blockchain will ensure there is an immutable record of all opportunities and referrals that take place.

It also provides a smart messaging service for communication within the platform. Beyond

this functionality though, as more application programming interfaces (APIs) are developed, it will be possible to integrate some recruitment systems with CanLead. It is currently working on a pilot project with a major recruiter, which will involve Broadbean integration.

BIGGER THAN JUST RECRUITMENT CanLead is also targeting the property market as Quan sees similarities in the sectors in terms of the use of agents. The experience so far shows that those seeking new job opportunities may also be looking for property rental or training. So its aim is to ultimately provide an opportunity and referral marketplace encompassing multiple products and services on the same platform. ●

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 15

10/07/2019 16:39

INTE R AC TIO N

C

VIEWPOINT

Peak power Providing positive experiences for employees helps them feel engaged and connected

BY DAWN SMEDLEY

rganisations frequently talk about creating great customer experiences, but few view employee experiences in the same way. All too often, how employees ‘feel’ about their workplace and job role is given minimal consideration. However, change is happening. In recent years, there has been a real shift from focusing on ‘employee engagement’ to a greater movement around the ‘employee experience’. But why is this? What is the employee experience and why is it so important?

Employee engagement pioneers Tracy Maylett and Matthew Wride describe it as “the sum of the various perceptions employees have about their interactions with the organisation in which they work”. It is the totality of an employee’s experiences, so it encompasses all aspects of how an employee perceives their everyday life at the office, both good and bad.

All the employees’ tiny interactions with their company therefore affect the entire employee experience. Daily emails and conversations with leaders and colleagues count – as do the recognition they do or don’t receive, job responsibilities and projects, and meetings they are involved in.

All these elements combine to create an employee experience which, like it or not, affects how employees engage with their organisation. A poor employee experience makes an employee feel disengaged, cynical and disgruntled. A great employee experience is filled with meaningful interactions that help employees become connected, feel inspired and thrive. It is therefore so much more than merely engagement.

Research indicates that positive experiences, such as celebrations of success and meaningful interactions, have the

O

+ DAWN SMEDLEY is culture and engagement strategist, OC Tanner Europe

16 RECRUITER

p16 Viewpoint.indd 16

AUGUST 2019

power to overshadow – or even erase – the poor or damaging work experiences. Positive peak experiences help inoculate employees against the personality conflicts, frustrations, deadlines and other disappointments that occur naturally throughout any working day. In fact, according to OC Tanner’s 2018 Global Culture Report, the key to a thriving workplace culture is creating lots of peak experiences that connect employees to purpose, accomplishment and one another.

So how do you create a peak employee experience? Let me share my own experience. On my five-year career anniversary, my colleagues prepared a surprise presentation for me. It started with a video from my husband saying how proud he was of me. This was followed by colleagues sharing their own stories, poems and anecdotes.

What made this a peak experience was the thoughtfulness and effort everyone had gone to. It was the emotional connection as people spoke about me. Yes, there were tears. But the experience made me feel proud, humbled, loyal and hugely grateful to be part of such an amazing team. What did it take? Just a little bit of thought so that the moment was meaningful and impactful.

It’s important to think about the employee lifecycle within an organisation – from the initial recruitment process, onboarding and development through to the employee’s eventual departure.

How can interventions at every stage of the employee lifecycle create powerful peak experiences that make a lasting impression?

During the recruitment process, for example, the candidates must be made to feel special. The recruiting organisation must find out about them as individuals – their likes and dislikes – rather than as walking CVs. Then throughout the employee’s lifecycle, the employer must get to know what makes them ‘tick’, encourage effort, reward results, and celebrate their careers in a meaningful and sincere way.

Everyone wants to feel valued and connected. Peak experiences can help connect people to their own sense of purpose, and to their colleagues, their managers and the organisation. ●

I M AG E | I STO CK

10/07/2019 16:40

I N T E R AC T I O N

SOUNDBITES

L ET T ER S/ WEB CHAT FAREWELL PRIVATE SECTOR PSCS – IT’S BEEN NICE KNOWING YOU In reference to your article ‘Independent reviews should determine IR35 status, say almost half of contractors’ (recruiter.co.uk, 19 June), IR35 will remove most personal service companies (PSCs) in the private sector by April 2020.

The biggest danger is apparent now, with HMRC winning a case using MSC Legislation 2007 – take the Court of Appeal decision in Christianuyi v HMRC [2019] EWCA 474 (Civ). [Law firm Osborne Clarke states: ‘The court’s wide interpretation of the MSC legislation in Christianuyi appears to have given HMRC free rein to pursue PSCs and their accountancy advisers.’]

And how is this likely to impact accountancy advisers connected to the PSC world, their PSC contractor clients and, potentially, the staffing agencies or hirers that referred the contractors to the accountancy advisers in the first place?

In some ways, this represents a bigger threat to the PSC industry than the proposed IR35 reforms.

CRICHTON MILLER

THE RISE OF INFLUENCER MARKETING I read your Insight article, ‘Winning business and influencing people’ (Recruiter, July 2019), with interest.

Absolutely agree that influencer marketing is on the rise. We collaborate with influencers a lot in our business too.

APRIL LAURISTON

RECRUITMENT SHOULD STILL BE A HUMAN TASK AND LEFT NOT DOWN TO AI In response to your article ‘Roundtable shows recruiters not yet convinced by AI’ (recruiter.co.uk, 24 June), AI in the recruitment space is a tricky prospect, as what data sources does it use?

If it is drawing from people’s social media profiles without consent and then using it to exclude them from jobs, is it ethical and legal to do so?

When it comes down to CV assessment and feedback, that is a function that should be done by people who can look past buzzwords and jargon on CVs and see what candidates can truly offer.

ADAM JONES

BAE Systems dubs particularly hard-to-reach talent ‘purple squirrels’ – what is the best way of engaging purple squirrels in your sector?

MATTHEW BREAKWELL D IREC TOR , BREL L IS RECRUI T MEN T

“A lot of time and focus needs to be spent on unearthing those rare, hard-to-find creatures, so we use our time wisely. Networking and personalising the sourcing strategy leaves candidates with a positive impression of our business, so even if they are not suitable or successful on this occasion, the purple squirrel will return when the time is right. It is also key to act as a consultant and challenge the preconceptions of the hiring managers – in many cases opening up the candidate field to violet, lilac, red or even grey squirrels.”

CHRIS MOORE D IREC TOR , L ET ’ S BE MORE

“Upskilling and redeploying the workforce is likely to be a necessary investment. Engaging with, and inspiring, the future workforce that is currently sitting in a classroom somewhere is a must, especially when research suggests that 65% of children entering primary school in 2016 will end up doing a job that doesn’t yet exist. There is a huge role for recruitment businesses in this space but it does call for us to rethink how we will be successful in the long term. Candidates are out there, but they may need investment in order to meet the dynamic and ever-changing profile of work.”

JAMES TRETT MA N AG IN G D I REC TOR , JP T RET T

“Our aim is to increase inbound marketing; we allocate time and resource attending, supporting, speaking, presenting and sponsoring all manner of agricultural events throughout the country as well as overseas – Agritechnica, SIMA, Eurotier, and so on. We try and showcase every time an associate from our firm visits an event for whatever reason, and employ all social media channels, as well as intelligent content marketing and SEO. We sponsor and judge at awards ceremonies, and speak at careers and graduate events/shows. We try to uncover every location the purple squirrels may be hiding in, to engage with them.”

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 17

p17_recruiter_soundbites.indd 17

10/07/2019 16:40

TH E B IG STO RY: EMPLOYER BR ANDING

used g n o l e v a h s ertiser v d a d n a ducts, s r o r e p r i e h t Market n hampio c o t he act, s t e i n t i o r b n i g n cele i t nd. a s are get r r b e t r i e u y r o c l e p r their em but now e t o m o r p o ncers t e u fl stigates n i e g v n n i i s l l u e t t o Colin C

P18-23 recruiter featureNEW.indd 18

11/07/2019 09:53

T H E BIG STORY: EM PLOY E R B R A N D I N G

raucous atmosphere, th the drinking of beer and the roar of a crowd as darts thud into the dart board on a distant floodlit stage – to those familiar familia with high level darts, this is a familiar scene.

But this particular darts event h held in Frankfurt’s Palmengarten in June is not any old darts event, but bu one sponsored by international enterprise application software ccompany SAP. As Matthew Jeffery, SAP’s vice president, global head of employment branding and sourcing channels SAP admits, c compared to the company’s “very corporate and quite safe brand, it’s a different sort of people watching the sport and involve involved in it, and a different type of atmosphere with singing, dan dancing and chanting. It’s wild and a party”.

Although SAP and darts are not obvious bedfellows, Jeffery explains that this is precisely the point of an event attended not only by hundreds of member members of the public, but also by prospective hires, members of SAP’s recruitment team and senior leaders. “For us it wa was a great way to think ‘Let’s be disruptive, let’s go out and meet new people that can be brand advocates that we can try a and recruit’,” says Jeffery.

A

Hitting the bullseye The Frankfurt event is jus just one in a series around the world that is designed to raise a awareness of SAP and change perceptions of the compa company in a crowded marketplace and ultimately to acquire tal talent. “If you say a brand like Apple, Facebook, Google – auto automatically people have a subconscious view of th them. They may see them as fantastic consumer companies and a then they may extend that to ‘I would like to one day work w for them’. But with SAP it’s, ‘Who is that? What do you do? I don’t understand that.

Are you a big technol technology company?’ etc. So it’s about trying to get people tto subconsciously think ‘SAP – I’ll have a look’ and see w what we’re doing, get to know us.”

As a global company compa that recruits internationally, Jeffery says SAP also wants to tap into the popularity of darts in Europe, pa parts of Asia and increasingly in North America. “So they watch it, and they see that brand on televisio television, and they start to subconsciously get SAP in their m mind; when they walk through

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 19

P18-23 recruiter featureNEW.indd 19

11/07/2019 09:54

TH E B IG STO RY: EMPLOYER BR ANDING

“The brilliance of working with someone like Ant is that he is relevant and current not just to the military, but he can talk to a wider audience�

P18-23 recruiter feature.indd 20

10/07/2019 16:42

T H E BIG STORY: EM PLOY E R B R A N D I N G

the airports they’ll see some of our advertising, and it starts to build that brand resonance, which hopefully they explore and think ‘I want to learn about that company’ and hopefully ‘I want to go and work there’. So that’s the goal.”

In the battle to be noticed and to stand out from the competition, a key plank in SAP’s strategy is to leverage the power of celebrity. Alongside paying for world-class darts players such as PDC World Darts champion Rob Cross and women’s world darts champion Mikuru Suzuki to play at its events, the company also holds ‘Talent Win’ events, where it invites hot prospects [candidates] in the local area to meet and mix with employees.

In some locations, this is followed by a concert. This year, under the banner of #WomenWhoRock, SAP held two such events in Vancouver and Bangalore featuring Scottish songwriter and musician KT Tunstall. In March, the company also hired out the late Prince’s Paisley Park studio in Minneapolis, a city where SAP has offices – where performers and former Prince acolytes Sheila E, Judith Hill and Liv Warfield played to the company’s recruits and local people.

This Morning rocks UK TV presenter Holly Willoughby is another celebrity that SAP is using to reach audiences that other approaches fail to reach. During a SAP-sponsored #WomenWhoRock event ‘An evening with Holly Willoughby’ held at BAFTA in London in June, she was interviewed about her career by her This Morning co-presenter Phillip Schofield and fielded questions from the audience.

“Holly was there to ‘celebrate’ her career, and given her success in a heavily male-dominated field, she is the perfect role model for women and SAP’s #WomenWhoRock campaign. The message is ‘If you are a woman, you are empowered, you can build the career you want to, you can reach senior management positions, so come and hopefully work for us’,” says Jeffery.

With SAP focused on attracting more females, and a goal of 22% of leadership to be filled by women by 2022, Jeffery says the #WomenWhoRock events are a great way of highlighting that commitment, citing that fact that SAP’s Business Women’s Network is its largest employee-driven network, with 10,000 members and 60 chapters globally.

Ready for anything SAP is not the only organisation looking to tap into the power of celebrity, and to use sponsored events to publicise that association and to gain traction in the talent market.

With the aim of leveraging its ‘Ready for Anything’ employer value proposition (EVP) strapline, the AA has signed up ex-Special Boat Services member-turned-TV-adventurer,

action man and best-selling author Ant Middleton.

Selected from a short list of three, based on the amount of coverage on social media, and “who was on the rise in terms of profile”, Craig Morgans, director of talent acquisition, emerging talent & employee experience at the AA, says Middleton is “the ideal ambassador”.

The AA’s association with Middleton started off with the organisation’s sponsoring the star’s boot camps. Activity is already building ahead of the next stage of Middleton’s work with the AA, which will be to accompany six AA employees on a 24-hour long adventure in the Lake District in late July.

The event, which will be streamed live, will allow our employees “to showcase their stories and bring them to life in a very different and innovative way”, says Morgans. And he adds: “You will see them not just as individuals but as a team,” which ties in with AA’s core value of collaboration.

With half of those chosen to accompany Middleton in the Lake District being ex-military, Morgans said “the brilliance of working with someone like Ant is that he is relevant and current not just to the military, but he can talk to a wider audience. He gives us that vehicle and that platform”.

During the event, members of the public will be able to vote to choose the next challenge the participants should face on their intense adventure. As part of the build-up, Morgans says a teaser campaign to promote the event to the public and to publicise the back stories of the six employees is already underway using social media and the AA’s own websites, including its career site.

Hand in hand with holding events featuring celebrities, both the AA and SAP recognise that harnessing the power of social media to spread the message to a wider audience than just those in attendance is vital for the success of their strategies. “We want to see engaged communities, to see the number of shares and likes and comments, so we get exclusive material from the artist, we have interviews with KT Tunstall and interviews with players, and we can put them on our channels so our brand is elevated,” says Jeffery.

Ryan Olah, director, Life at SAP social media, says a good example is the Frankfurt darts event, where by advertising the hashtag for the event, others who could be anywhere in the world “are coming and checking why DartsSlam is trending in Frankfurt, so they then check in and see the @ LifeAtSAP careers Twitter handle”.

A darts game between Leighton Bennett and Phil Taylor held in the Tower of London and streamed live on the internet that attracted 250,000 viewers on Facebook proved particularly successful. This event also received coverage in both The Sun and The Daily Mirror the following day. “The brand promotion that got us was phenomenal,” says Jeffery.

Premier league partnership Global recruitment company Hays also sees the value of being associated with the world of celebrity. In 2013 it signed a partnership agreement with the current Premier League

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 21

P18-23 recruiter featureNEWv2.indd 21

11/07/2019 11:49

WINNERS ANNOUNCED 31 October 2019, 7pm | The Brewery, London

Judging day sponsor:

www.investingintalent.co.uk L@RecruiterAwards | #investingintalent | +44(0) 20 7324 2764 AWARDS ENQUIRIES: Lauren Tandon T: +44 (0) 20 7324 2764 E: lauren.tandon@redactive.co.uk

REC.08.19.022.indd 22

SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES: Paul Barron T: +44 (0) 20 7880 6213 E: paul.barron@redactive.co.uk

09/07/2019 11:12

TH E BI G STO RY: E M PLOY E R B R A N D I N G

“Obviously you expect to get hires,” says the AA’s Morgans.

However, he adds: “We are not looking at this as a recruitment campaign to get 10,000 applications and 100 bums on seats; this is a ‘fascinating experiment’ – that is what we are calling it internally.”

He continues: “By doing it this way, we are hoping to create a different type of connection between the public and the different people in the organisation, and the different roles they undertake, and doing it in a very true and transparent way. We are taking it to a mass audience, so we get our employer brand in front of people who probably never even thought of the AA as a destination employer.”

Morgans says that “although there is still going to be the element of how many candidates convert to employees”, for him “the big piece is the engagement piece, and how many people we drive through to look at the hub on the careers website after they see the content with Ant and the employees”.

Douglas-Home says Hays does not track how the company’s sponsorship deal with Manchester City and the brand awareness it generates feeds through into people joining the company. However, while accepting it is anecdotal feedback, he says he can recall countless examples of “where I have been in an international office when a staff member has told me about someone coming to work at Hays, or just a candidate saying in an interview ‘Oh, I heard about you through the football, through Manchester City’.”

“The problem is that you don’t really know unless you find out how people felt before then after an event happened”

champions Manchester City, an agreement that it renewed recently in a deal that Hays’ chief marketing officer Sholto Douglas-Home tells Recruiter runs into seven figures a year.

In addition to being Manchester City’s official recruitment partner, Douglas-Home says the brand exposure of being associated not just with one celebrity but with a whole team of stars is phenomenal. One example is the engagement achieved on social media whenever team line-ups are announced, which has led to more than 250m exposures of the Hays’ brand.

And just one video campaign with the strapline of ‘Match Your Ambition’ featuring star players, such as Kevin De Bruyne, Kyle Walker and the Manchester City women’s team member Nikita Parris (pictured on pp18-19) was viewed around 5m times. Overall, he says something like 50m people have been exposed to Hay’s branded content on social media.

“These are huge figures,” he says. While Hays runs lots of events around the world, Douglas-Home says most are aimed at clients.

Is it worth it?

Raising the profile of your brand is all well and good, but it begs the question of whether it actually leads to more hires or could the money be better spent elsewhere. Jeffrey reckons that the number of hires from SAP’s events so far “is around 100”.

“Not enough,” he admits, although he points out the inevitable time lag between an event taking place and someone being taken on. However, even if no immediate hire results, Jeffery says since those people who attend events “are then in our talent community”, and hopefully now well disposed to the company, there is a good chance “we can hire them down the line”.

Raising awareness Mark Beavan, head of agency at employer brand and marketing specialist That Little Agency, says that irrespective of whether celebrity endorsement and sponsored events leads to hires or not “sometimes simply raising awareness of you as an employer has value”.

“The question is whether it resonates with the particular audience. The problem is that you don’t really know unless you find out how people felt before and then after an event happened.” And he warns of the risk celebrities can sometimes damage a brand rather than enhance it, citing how Tiger Woods, who was at one stage all over Accenture’s career website, was dropped after controversy engulfed the golfing superstar.

While this may be a risk, for example Manchester City could conceivably get relegated, it’s one that organisations such as SAP, the AA and Hays see as well worth taking. ● Patrick Appleton and DeeDee Doke contributed to this article.

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 23

P18-23 recruiter featureNEW.indd 23

11/07/2019 09:55

TA LE NT M ANAG EMENT

24 RECRUITER

p24-26_featureNEW.indd 24

AUGUST 2019

11/07/2019 09:56

TAL E N T M A N AG E M E N T

Recruitment practices within the railway sector hasn’t moved with the times – that is, until now.

Colin Cottell investigates s the birthplace of the railway Britain has a proud record of invention and innovation that goes all the way back to 1829 and to Stevenson’s Rocket, the first locomotive engine to serve two cities.

However, some argue that as with the railways themselves, recruitment and talent management in the railway sector has been slow to keep up with the times. “We haven’t seen much innovation in relation to recruitment practices,” says Nina Lockwood, founder of Intuitive Recruitment, an interim executive search and contractor provider that specialises in the rail industry.

“It’s still quite traditional, ‘Come in and see us and we will ask you some questions, we might ask you to deliver a presentation’. So in terms of the recruitment process, we are where we were 20 years ago.”

However, although no one working in recruitment across the rail sector would argue that it is a case of full steam ahead yet, change is underway with examples of new and innovative approaches emerging.

Lockwood herself can point to examples of innovation, such as a job share between two senior female engineers that began more than 13 years ago at rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook and continues successfully to this day.

A

Recruiting for the ‘who’…

Another example is the approach championed by recruiter and customer experience design consultancy Proactive, until recently known as Proactive Rail. Founder and managing partner Ruth Rubin says that rather than focusing on a person’s CV, as has traditionally been the case in the sector, the company’s approach has been to ‘Recruit for the Who’.

“We look positively at the gaps in CV, we are searching for the ‘diamond in the rough’, and we cast the net wide,” she says. “A CV doesn’t tell you about a person’s potential, and many people will not yet have reached their peak.”

The most important traits that the company looks for when recruiting for customer-facing roles on the railway are altruism and empathy, Rubin says, arguing that there is a clear link between these and being suited to this type of role. This approach has seen Proactive win contracts with a number of Train-Operating Companies (TOCs), including Southeastern, Heathrow Express (owned by Transport for London), London Overground (owned

by First Great Western) and Greater Anglia (owned by Abellio and Japanese company Mitsui).

customer-facing roles without a job description, which was first successfully introduced back in 2011 on First Great Western (trading as Great Western Railway). Diane Burke, commercial director at Southeastern, worked closely with Rubin to introduce the idea to her company in 2016. “We had established there was a need to have a role on stations that had no operational responsibilities, and was there to purely look after people, and do the right thing for them,” Burke explains.

With this aim in mind, she says, “we decided it was best to not give them a job description but [instead] purpose, and to hire really good people with high levels of empathy and altruism”.

Burke admits that persuading colleagues, including station managers and HR, to agree to what they saw as this “very radical approach” was difficult. “If you look at the Southeastern website or apply for a job, you have to complete a number of tests, a bit like the 11-Plus,” she points out, “whereas for these roles we didn’t.”

Instead, candidates were asked about types of situations they had experienced, and what their response had been to other people encountering those circumstances themselves.

…not for a role Perhaps the most groundbreaking example was to initiate the idea of

“We look positively at the gaps in CV, we are searching for the ‘diamond in the rough’ and we cast the net wide” I M AG ES | SH UTT ER STO C K

p24-26_featureNEW.indd 25

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 25

11/07/2019 09:56

TA LE NT M ANAG EMENT

Situational interviews are not a new concept and are often used for customer-facing roles in other sectors, but for Southeastern this was breaking new ground. “It’s about finding people who share your values, and only then worrying about the technical aspects.

You can train people to open and close the gate line properly and to drive a train but you can’t train attitude,” Burke says.

Although initially seen as radical within Southeastern, Burke says the team “quickly realised what we were trying to do and got on board with it”.

And this judgement has certainly been vindicated, with customer satisfaction ratings at Cannon Street and Charing Cross stations in London improving from 50% and 80% to more than 90%.

Burke says Southeastern is so impressed with the results that the same approach is being introduced into other roles in across the company.

Other TOCs are also sitting up and taking notice, with a number coming to talk to Southeastern and to meet the ‘ambassadors’ (the name given to the roles) to find out more. And the approach continues to gain traction, Rubin says. Earlier this year it was adopted elsewhere when the railway line outside Brighton was closed as part of a £67m upgrade. Staff were drafted in to help rail passengers after eight stations were closed, some trains were diverted and replacement buses were introduced.

Ambassadors for gate line In a variation on the theme adopted by Southeastern, Rubin says Proactive created a profile for gate line operator roles that required candidates applying to jobs on the West Anglia mainline to live within a two-mile radius of the station.

Not only would this help with staff reliability, she explains, but “we took the view

p24-26_featureNEW.indd 26

that people from the surrounding community would be proud of the station and take ownership of it because they would have their mum and people they grew up with passing through”. The name of the job was also changed to ‘community ambassador’ from ‘gate line operator’. “It just worked beautifully,” she says.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the UK’s largest rail franchise, is also taking steps to modernise its hiring practices. The company also uses situational judgement exercises as part of its candidate selection for customer-facing jobs, as well as for driver roles, which take place at the pre-screening stage, alongside a maths test. Successful candidates then progress to a competency-based interview.

“By deploying bespoke situational judgement exercises rather than requiring a specific industry background or former experience, we have been able to bring people into the industry from a variety of backgrounds with confidence that they can succeed in the role,” says Michelle Clark, head of employee engagement at Govia Thameslink Railway.

GTR also uses personality profiling to tailor interview questions to the individual, allowing it to focus on specific requirements for certain roles.

“On the railway, safety is paramount so many of these are based around safety behaviours and attention, and this practice has improved the quality of candidates we take forward,” Clark says.

Women in rail With the rail sector often seen as male-dominated, Clark says diversity is a key area of focus for GTR. This starts right at the

start of the candidate journey, she says, with the deployment of a gender decoder tool to analyse the company’s proposed job descriptions for subtle or obvious use of language that could discourage applications from men or women.

With just 5% of Britain’s 19,000 train drivers women, GTR is just one of a number of TOCs that are taking action to address the imbalance. While achieving its target of women comprising 40% of job applicants for train driver roles by 2021 will be a stretch, progress has already been made, with a 50:50 gender split on trainee driver courses in 2018 on Great Northern and Southern, two of GTR’s subsidiaries.

Recruitment of more women has been aided by all-female assessment centres for trainee drivers, while a networking scheme sees new female recruits team up with another woman in the company.

In another example of innovation, Rubin says on one contract, which involved split shifts, Proactive targeted women who had to do the school run, and weren’t able to do roles that involved a full shift.

Further changes are on their way at GTR, says Clark. These include a new recruitment system and careers portal that will allow candidates to apply on mobile devices using existing social media accounts, online signatures for employment contracts that will speed up getting people into the business, and a text confirmation service for appointment and assessment reminders.

Although some train operating companies are making efforts to modernise how they hire and manage talent, Lockwood says much more needs to be done.

“While the ‘ambassador’ concept is perhaps something that other sectors can learn from rail, in general, I think it is still catching up with everyone else,” says Southeastern’s Burke. ●

11/07/2019 09:56

THE VIEW AND THE INTELLIGENC E

The expertise behind good recruitment P2 BIG TALKING PO INT

Mental health in the recruitment sector P4 LEGAL UPDATE

RECRUITMENT MATTERS

Calculating holiday pay P6 Issue 76 August 2019

TR AINING

How training can help transform your business P8

AG E N C Y STAFF

REC challenges perceptions of agency staff within the NHS T

he NHS employs tens of thousands of ‘back office’ staff who perform vital functions such as cleaning, catering and administrative tasks. And more senior roles in finance, legal, management, HR and IT are essential to ensure the efficient and safe operation of a hospital trust.

But earlier this year NHS Improvement (NHSI) launched a consultation into reducing reliance on agencies to fill these positions.

The REC was already working hard to counter NHSI’s anti-agency stance for clinical roles, but this latest consultation could have a much broader impact across the recruitment industry.

As part of its campaign to create an environment for brilliant recruiters to thrive, ensuring there is a level playing field in which they can compete fairly, the REC responded strongly to the consultation.

In particular, it highlighted that restricting the use of agency staff has

@RECPress RM August 2019.indd 1

“With over 100,000 unfilled vacancies in the NHS, agency workers are a vital part of the staffing of the NHS” the potential to impact on patient safety. And when SMEs are often excluded from staffing frameworks, it also raised member concerns that the NHS could lose some of its longest running and most trusted staffing suppliers – particularly in specialist fields.

So the REC welcomes the inclusion of a ‘break-glass’ clause to the proposed rules to allow NHS trusts to use agency workers “where there is an exceptional and direct risk to patient safety”. It has also exempted agency staff working on highly important projects, as well as IT staff, and delayed the introduction of the rules to 16 September.

But Sophie Wingfield, the REC’s head of policy and public affairs, added: “This is really just a silver lining. With over 100,000 unfilled vacancies in the NHS, agency workers are a vital part of the staffing of the NHS, and are essential for maintaining patient safety during the critical staff shortages we currently have. What we also need is a change of attitude towards agency workers in the health and social care service, and an acknowledgement of the experience and expertise that they bring to NHS trusts up and down the country.”

Neal Suchak, policy adviser, REC

www.rec.uk.com 11/07/2019 10:58

L E A D I N G T H E I N D U S T RY

the view...

Focus on optimism for our industry, says NEIL CARBERRY, REC chief executive

I

have taken to talking about the potential effects of Brexit on the jobs market as being a bit like the Night King from Game of Thrones. Everyone talks about it coming up – but no one quite knows how much to worry and what will happen. The same might be said about other fast-moving changes we’ll have to deal with too – including technology changes and the climate crisis.

As recruiters, all we can do is be ready for the market as it changes – as it undoubtedly will. It is doing so already in many sectors. That’s why the REC has been all over the country during the first part of this year helping firms with the strategies they can take to ensure their businesses are robust in changing times. We’re here to help – reach out when you need us.

But we also need to be careful of only seeing challenges.

When I opened our fantastic TREC conference in June, I asked delegates to focus on optimism for our industry – because what we do is getting more important to clients, as long as we do it well.

All our speakers at the event emphasised that getting the right people and bringing them into companies in the right way was crucial to performance – from bestselling author and Twitter executive Bruce Daisley on the need to build a sense of belonging in work, to Tony Danker, CEO of the Be the Business movement, identifying that people performance is the real differentiator between the businesses that succeed and those that don’t.

All of this was brought home to me by one comment made by Jayne Haynes, SVP of talent at GSK. She said that “increasingly we need sourcing advisers, rather than recruiters”. That’s the key – wherever Brexit, new technology or other changes lead us, the firms who can align what they do to changing client business plans and then help them access new and different pools of talent are the ones who will succeed.

Recruiters are well placed to do this – entrepreneurship and adaptability are in our blood. So let’s head into the summer optimistic about the future. Not without challenges – but we have the answers!

If you want to keep up to speed with all things recruitment, then follow me on Twitter @RECNeil

2 RECRUITMENT MATTERS AUGUST 2019

RM August 2019.indd 2

Change at the top will create new opportunities for recruiters, says TOM HADLEY, REC director of policy and campaigns HADLEY ’ S C O MMENT

Leadership 2025 We are seeing the biggest shift in leadership and management needs for a generation. Addressing this is not only key to UK productivity and growth, it is also key to changing business culture in a way that drives good work, inclusion and employee wellbeing. Not only was this a core message from TREC 2019, it’s also at the heart of our latest Future of Jobs whitepaper – ‘Leadership 2025’ – developed in collaboration with the Association of Project Management (APM).

What is fuelling this leadership revolution? Here are three of the drivers we identified: • Intensifying workforce challenges – Candidate availability has been declining since 2013, according to Report on Jobs and skills needs are evolving at pace. For example, 40% of employers responding to a recent APM/PwC survey predict an increase in the need for specialist project managers. The need to embed employee wellbeing within corporate culture, and nurture a more diverse and multi-generational workforce are further priorities. This is creating the need for ‘people-focused’ leaders and managers.

• A volatile external environment – Regulatory and societal changes are driving disruption across all sectors. Brexit has created one of the greatest ever challenges for business leaders. Preparing for different scenarios, reassuring EU workers, keeping up to speed with political developments and spreading business risk (for example, by looking at overseas markets) were identified as the main Brexit-related priorities by industry leaders.

• The speed of technological change – The 4th industrial revolution is creating its own leadership and management revolution; 73% of leaders expect their business to face significant disruption, according to a report by Mercer. Future business leaders will operate in an increasingly changeable and high-pressured environment and harness new technology to drive productivity.

How do we make change happen? Government must boost business support and ensure education policy is nurturing a new generation of leaders and managers. For the business community, reviewing hiring procedures is key to building a dynamic and diverse leadership pipeline; facilitating this review process is at the heart of the REC Good Recruitment Campaign. The ‘Leadership 2025’ whitepaper also identifies specific opportunities for the UK’s £35.7bn recruitment sector. Over 80% of employers cite the provision of ‘expertise’ as the determining factor when choosing a recruitment partner to work with. Helping clients meet future leadership needs is an example of this.

You can follow Tom on Twitter @hadleyscomment

www.rec.uk.com

11/07/2019 10:58

16%

the intelligence...

Good recruitment is a key driver of productivity

If the pre-2007 trend had continued, productivity would now be 16% higher than it actually is. Wages and living standards would also be higher.

BY THALIA IOANNIDOU, RESEARCH MANAGER AT THE REC roductivity is a priority for both businesses and governments. And that’s because increasing it is the only sustainable way to deliver better jobs and increase living standards; productive businesses pay higher wages and are more competitive.

But while the UK has a strong labour market, with record high rates of employment and the lowest unemployment rates since the mid-1970s, its productivity growth has remained below long-term trends since the financial crisis.

So much so that, if the pre-2007 trend had continued, productivity would now be 16% higher than it actually is.

Wages and living standards would also be higher.

The labour force is the greatest asset of any organisation and a key driver of productivity. With demand for skills mounting and fierce competition for talent, hiring the best person for every job is crucial to the success of a business.

Yet picking talent remains the most pressing challenge for employers. Poor hiring decisions are not only common, but the resulting lost productivity is substantial – though often overlooked.

Good recruitment is vital in sourcing the talent needed for a business to thrive and creating a more diverse, agile and better-performing workforce. From flexible working practices and diversity & inclusion, to investing in skills and innovation, recruiters are ideally placed to advise businesses on how to provide an enabling environment in

P

which their people can perform at their best.

There is increasing recognition that diverse organisations, in terms of gender, age and ethnicity, perform better than competitors with homogenous teams. A diverse team means a more extensive range of backgrounds and experiences, leading to more innovative solutions and better quality decision making.

Recruiters can take a lead on inclusive growth and deliver recruitment practices that promote diversity, resulting in better performance and sustainable growth.

According to JobsOutlook, nine in 10 employers cite the importance of an agency’s expertise in terms of regions, sectors and skills covered.

By providing this strategic support, recruiters can help employers identify and meet future staffing needs, which in turn will drive future growth.

Good recruitment is also about understanding and addressing the

PERMANENT BILLINGS REMAIN SUBDUED

The latest information from Recruitment Industry Benchmarking’s RIB Index shows that in Q1 2019, perm billings for the median RIB recruiter were 1.5% higher than in the same period last year. This followed a calendar year (2018) in which perm billings remained subdued –

4.6%

5% 4% 3% 2%

1.5%

1.3%

1% 0%

-1.2%

evolving business needs, especially when striving to harness AI and technology-driven productivity gains.

Recruiters can help businesses fill those skills gaps, which would allow them to maximise the technological benefits.

Looking at the longer term, recruiters can identify and inspire the potential managers and leaders of tomorrow.

Just under 200 REC members are already registered as Future of Jobs Ambassadors, and working with local schools and colleges to build better bridges between education and work.

Every day, good recruitment professionals are fuelling the UK’s business engine. They advise employers on how to invest in people and skills, plan their workforce and adopt innovations that will help boost productivity and unlock future growth.

To find out more about the link between good recruitment and productivity, visit www.rec.uk.com/ good-recruitment-campaign

an average, across the year, of 1.3% higher than in 2017.

Set into historical context, perm billings across 2017 were an average of 4.6% higher than in the prior year. The median RIB recruiter fared less well across 2016, however – the year of the EU referendum – when perm billings

were an average of 1.2% lower than in 2015.

Of additional note, the average permanent placement fee in Q1 2019 was notably lower than in Q1 2018.

As such, the median RIB recruiter had to work increasingly hard to maintain its permanent billing levels.

-1% -2% 2016

2017

2018

Q1 2019

Perm billings versus last year (%) for the Median RIB Recruiter

www.rec.uk.com

RM August 2019.indd 3

BELINDA JOHNSON runs employment research consultancy, Worklab, and is Associate Knowledge & Insight Director of Recruitment Industry Benchmarking (RIB). The RIB Index provides bespoke confidential reports on industry benchmarks and trends. See www.ribindex.com; info@ribindex.com: 020 8544 9807. The RIB is a strategic partner of the REC.

AUGUST 2019 RECRUITMENT MATTERS 3

11/07/2019 10:58

M E N TA L H E A LT H I N T H E W O R K P L A C E

big talking point

Mental health: do you know how to support it in your business? s many as 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem this year, according to mental health charity Mind. Recruiters working long hours in high pressure sales environments are likely to rank in this number, and whether they realise it or not, they’ll also come across candidates who are suffering too. So what needs to be done to better support mental health in the recruitment sector?

This important topic was discussed at the REC’s recent TREC conference. And one thing everyone agreed on was that working environment is crucial.

Workload, management and culture can all contribute to stress and mental health issues, which is why firms need to embed good mental health and wellbeing into their business.

There is also a clear business case for doing so – even if some managers might take convincing. According to the CBI, UK businesses spent an average of £720 for every person in their organisation due to time taken off work last year – whether for physical or mental health – and this cost rises by 9% for SMEs. Taken on its own, the

4 RECRUITMENT MATTERS AUGUST 2019

RM August 2019.indd 4

government’s Thriving at Work report suggests poor mental health costs the economy up to £99bn a year.

But stepping back from the figures, few could argue that companies perform better when their staff are happier, healthier and more engaged. Just think what can be achieved by a room full of recruiters firing on all cylinders, working with contagious positivity. And UK firms that have invested in longterm health and wellbeing strategies have been rewarded with lower absence rates, higher productivity, and are better able to attract the people and skills their business needs.

Small steps that can make a big difference There was lots of practical advice about what good mental health practice looks like at TREC. Leading a group discussion, Abigail Hirshman, senior adviser at Acas, said mental health and wellbeing support should be a 3-way model, actively involving employers, individuals and managers.

Measures people talked about putting in place included appointing and training mental health first aiders, peerto-peer support networks, stress awareness workshops and activities such as yoga. Some ideas were as simple as recognising a job well done, or weekly 1-to-1 sessions with team members to catch up on their deliverables and KPIs, but also their workload and how they are coping.

Buy-in from managers and leaders is crucial in order to drive awareness and foster a culture of openness, people agreed. So is taking the time to understand your workforce and what they want or need, and tailoring the support you offer accordingly. In a male-dominated environment, for example, there can be low uptake of stress-lowering sessions, while a particularly young workforce may be facing issues around adapting to working life or a new city.

And although offering flexible working can be a useful tool in restoring work-life balance, several conference participants sounded a note of caution: it can have downsides if not supported properly, including loneliness and less of a sense of being part of the team.

www.rec.uk.com

11/07/2019 10:58

M E N TA L H E A LT H I N T H E W O R K P L A C E

TOP TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS Addressing mental health issues in their early stages is best way of preventing them escalating. That means having a long-term strategy in place for recognising the signs and providing services to help.

Make use of free services, such as the government’s Fit for Work service, or those offered by your critical illness or group income protection policies. And if you’ve already got an Employee Assistance Programme, which offers services such as telephone or face-to-face counselling, make sure people are aware it exists.

Consider offering flexible working – it can be useful in assisting employees manage their work life balance and wellbeing.

Invest in training – especially for line managers and HR personnel. It can assist in tackling some of the ongoing stigma around mental health.

Improve staff satisfaction and culture – it has an impact on employees’ wellbeing and helps management understand some of the issues a workforce faces.

HOW YOU CAN BEAT THE STRESS Make time to talk – talking about your feelings can help you stay in good mental health and deal with times when you feel troubled. It isn’t a sign of weakness.

Get moving – exercise releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good and regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and help you concentrate, sleep, look and feel better.

The responsibility to share best practice Recruiters have another reason to embrace best practice on health and wellbeing: candidates are increasingly interested in what policies prospective employers have.

According to Hays’ What Workers Want 2018 report, 73% of candidates will only consider applying to organisations that have a public commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (and policies are expected to include mental health). Similarly, research from recruiter Robert Walters suggests 63% of professionals would be more likely to recommend their employer to their contacts if that employer had positive mental health and wellbeing policies – and employers typically underestimate the importance of them.

With the continued hunt for talent, being able to advise on best practice on mental health – and lead by example – is another important tool in the good recruiters’ box.

www.rec.uk.com

RM August 2019.indd 5

Take a break – a few minutes can be enough to destress you. Give yourself some ‘me time’. Why not give yoga or meditation a try?

Eat well – there are strong links between what we eat and how we feel. For example, caffeine and sugar can have an immediate effect. A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.

Ask for help – none of us are superhuman. We all sometimes get tired or overwhelmed by how we feel.

If things are getting too much for you and you feel you can’t cope, ask for help.

For more detail on these and other practical ways to support mental health in the workplace, the REC has worked with Howden Employee Benefits & Wellbeing (formerly Punter Southall Health & Protection) to create a free guide which you can find on the REC website.

AUGUST 2019 RECRUITMENT MATTERS 5

11/07/2019 10:58

H O L I D AY PAY

legal update

Overtime and holiday pay

By BUNMI ADEFUYE – senior solicitor at the REC

H

oliday pay continues to be a subject that is constantly debated. The payments that need to be factored into the calculation of holiday pay depends on whether or not an individual has normal working hours fixed in their contract. A number of cases in

ELEVATING YOUR RECRUITMENT CAREER WITH PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

6 RECRUITMENT MATTERS AUGUST 2019

RM August 2019.indd 6

the last few years have considered and changed how additional payments such as overtime or commission are dealt with when calculating holiday pay. Sections 221-224 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 sets out the calculation, where a week’s pay will be either: • what a worker would earn in a normal working week if s/he works fixed hours each week; • if a worker’s hours vary from week-to-week, the average hourly rate of pay over the previous 12 weeks; or • if a worker has no fixed working hours, it will be the average total remuneration received over 12 weeks.

Temporary workers ordinarily don’t have fixed working hours in their contracts, because of the nature of temporary work which requires a substantial amount of flexibility. Therefore, holiday pay for temporary workers would be calculated

Recruitment as a career choice is exciting – it varies from using social media and digital channels to seek out talent, coaching candidates, to knowing employment law, and understanding government policy on safeguarding and much more. Technology can be seen as challenging the professional recruiter however clients and candidates are now demanding more value, more care and ethical value driven recruitment.

In a people-based industry, recruiters need a source

by taking an average of the total remuneration received over a 12 week reference period, this will include any payments for all hours worked including overtime.

For workers that have fixed hours in the contract who are typically employees, holiday pay was previously calculated to exclude overtime in some circumstances.

However, as a result of the Bear Scotland Ltd v Fulton; Hertel (UK) Ltd and others 2014 case, the EAT ruled that non-guaranteed overtime (i.e. overtime that is irregular but when offered the employee must do the work) should be included when calculating holiday pay. This position has been extended even further under the recent ruling in Flowers v East of England Ambulance Trust 2019 where the Court of Appeal ruled that even voluntary overtime (overtime that is irregular and optional) should be taken into account when calculating holiday pay. This is because the pattern of ambulance workers’ overtime was settled and reoccurring.

It is clear that the courts are being consistent with their approach where individuals should not be deterred from taking holiday for fear of being paid less.

The above rulings should be considered by employers with salaried staff and recruiters that engage temporary workers should already be including overtime in all hours worked when calculating holiday pay.

of empathetic advice and development, someone they can trust, and someone like-minded, who understands their needs.

Keeping pace with changes in the workplace isn’t easy and your Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP) membership can provide that support to enable people to continually adapt and be supported to learn new skills and progress up the career ladder.

Individual recruiters (both in-house and agency) can join membership. The Institute also runs a corporate purchase scheme

(Advocacy) as part of supporting your recruitment team in their professional development.

At the IRP, our members are responsible for getting the right people into the right jobs in the right organisations. We know recruiters are hugely time poor which is why it will help to put your career and future development in the hands of a professional body that can guide you.

Find out more at: www.rec-irp.uk.com

www.rec.uk.com

11/07/2019 10:58

I N S P I R AT I O N To keep up to date with everything the Institute of Recruitment Professionals is doing, please visit www.rec-irp.uk.com

SIMON GIRLING, director at Girling

www.rec.uk.com

RM August 2019.indd 7

Q&A

What I know

BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE INSTITUTE OF RECRUITMENT PROFESSIONALS

RICHARD FROST, director, Genesis

Jones, on ‘going green’

Employment Services, on winning business as a small business

There’s a huge amount a small business can do to improve their sustainability.

products we buy in. All simple steps that make a difference.

With so much attention around climate change at the moment, we knew we wanted to do something “supergreen”. As an office of 20 people, I wasn’t sure how much impact we could have. Based in Devon, we called on local experts Riverford Organic and ODE True Food (Sustainable Restaurant of the Year 2018) to find out what best practice looks like.

I think we’ll be the first recruitment company in the UK to be carbon negative, hitting our annual green targets by changing what and how much we consume, and doubling our off-setting of emissions. It’s meant changing suppliers, from web hosting to our energy and waste management and even our business insurance. We’ve also changed our lighting and the paper and cleaning

It’s easy to put a green policy in place.

What are the biggest challenges you face as a small agency, staffing industrial warehouses?

You can turn things around in a month – it’s just about knowing what you can do.

So we want to spread the word to our clients and other agencies.

People get excited, when they know they can do their bit.

It helps with employee engagement – we’re incentivising ours to take the changes home with them. There are also plenty of positives we can see for client/candidate relationships. But most importantly, we’re doing this because we want to see everyone doing it.

What’s stopping you?

Since the Brexit vote, the number of Eastern Europeans in the UK has declined making it harder to meet current demand.

We compete against national agencies who have the resources to attract greater numbers, so our margins are being squeezed by the extra advertising costs.

So how do you compete?

It’s less about sales activity, more about client retention. That means customer focus, a personal approach and not simply throwing people at jobs.

We take more time to sit with candidates, talk them through the role and make sure they’re the right fit.

We’re members of the REC and the Association of Labour Providers, which means we have

the knowledge to create recruitment strategies for our clients, particularly when the likes of Amazon dominate the local supply of staff in the months leading up to Christmas.

Clients will pay for a personal service – we have a fantastic client base that has supported us as a small business for many years.

How do you keep staff motivated?

By talking, listening, and developing them to share our passion for the industry. The business opened in 2006 and we are proud of our family culture which gives stability – one of our family has over 13 years’ service so we’re obviously doing something right!

We’ve got the mentality to get the job done, and behind every client is a team effort. We also like to have fun as a business – the industry used to be a lot more like that.

AUGUST 2019 RECRUITMENT MATTERS 7

11/07/2019 10:59

TRAINING

Training for the future Training can support your business transformation.

We asked Graeme Doyle, managing director at The Logistics Partnership, exactly how.

What’s the background to your recent business transformation?

In 2011, the Logistics Partnership was formed after a management buy-out. It was made up of four businesses – Forward Prospects, MVP Search & Selection, DriveLink Network and More Driving, all covering different sectors of supply chain recruitment.

We made things less hierarchical, more agile and more collaborative. But with five brands (including the parent company), all separate businesses in their own right, we never quite got them working together in the way we wanted.

Worse than that, gaps were emerging in our offering we couldn’t quite solve. And our more entrepreneurial-minded managers were limited by the specialisms the businesses dictated. Our structure was stifling creativity at a time when there are big changes going on in the industry and around the future of jobs.

So we consulted everyone in the business – starting off with a positioning paper highlighting the danger if we didn’t broaden our horizons. We got everyone’s views and the upshot was to turn four brands into two.

In 2018, we merged Forward Prospects, DriveLink Network

RECRUITMENT MATTERS

of training out there and you’re never quite sure what you were going to get. As a member of the Why did you choose to focus on REC, and knowing our challenge was exactly the sort of thing you’d training as part of the process? expect them to help with, we felt Training was a huge part of it. I confident about the quality they was very conscious we were changing a lot within the business. would deliver.

I was upfront that I didn’t There was nervousness about how jobs would change and how people want something off the shelf, and I didn’t want something too would be judged. theoretical. So I spent some time Most importantly, when we with our account manager, and changed the orientation of the business and expanded the services Victoria, the head of training at the we were offering, we needed to be IRP, and talked a lot about what it able to do that credibly, coherently was we were trying to achieve – from a cultural, not just a training and from a place of knowledge. perspective.

And while our people had the Prior to the course we spent supply chain experience and time looking at individuals’ profiles knowledge already, they needed and experience to work out to feel confident and comfortable what areas would be useful. We to be able to effectively sell and wanted to make sure everyone got deliver these services. something from what turned into a 2-day course, covering the new Why approach the REC? elements of their roles, the process There’s a real value in having behind the consultative sell, as well external support – it provides as the softer behavioural aspects. a confidence that is difficult to The IRP did the majority of the replicate if you’re sharing internal legwork putting it together. expertise. But there’s an awful lot

The official magazine of The Recruitment & Employment Confederation Dorset House, 1st Floor, 27-45 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NT Tel: 020 7009 2100 www.rec.uk.com

8 RECRUITMENT MATTERS AUGUST 2019

RM August 2019.indd 8

and More Driving to become TLP Recruitment, focusing on juniormid level recruitment – permanent as well as temporary. And a few months ago, we rebranded MVP, keeping the focus on mid-senior level recruitment, and adding some new consultative services to expand and strengthen our offering.

How did it go?

From a team building and confidence perspective, it went brilliantly. It calmed any apprehensions; it filled in knowledge gaps and even strengthened our existing offering through new information and a different perspective.

How has it contributed to your business transformation?

We felt it was absolutely crucial for our business transformation – and it happened at exactly the right time. The final furlong of the process is the hardest part. You need everyone on board.

It’s difficult to judge the impact if we’d done something differently.

At best, we wouldn’t have made the progress we have done; at worst, we’d have done damage to our brand. Without question, I’d do the same again.

The Institute of Recruitment Professionals represents, educates, qualifies and supports the careers of individual recruitment professionals throughout the UK. Becoming a member of the IRP demonstrates your commitment to professionalism and best practice in recruitment and is signified by letters attached to your title. www.rec-irp.com/

Membership Department: Membership: 020 7009 2100, Customer Services: 020 7009 2100 Publishers: Redactive Publishing Ltd, Level 5, 78 Chamber Street, London E1 8BL Tel: 020 7880 6200. www.redactive.co.uk Editorial: Editor Pip Brooking Pip.Brooking@rec.uk.com. Production Editor: Vanessa Townsend Production: Production Executive: Rachel Young rachel.young@redactive.co.uk Tel: 020 7880 6209 Printing: Printed by Precision Colour Printing © 2019 Recruitment Matters. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, neither REC, Redactive Publishing Ltd nor the authors can accept liability for errors or omissions. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the REC or Redactive Publishing Ltd. No responsibility can be accepted for unsolicited manuscripts or transparencies. No reproduction in whole or part without written permission.

www.rec.uk.com

11/07/2019 10:59

Looking for senior talent?

Choose the right solution to reach the best executive level candidates

exec-appointments.com, the dedicated recruitment site of the Financial Times, is the leading job board for executive-level positions across multiple sectors with an average of 33 high quality applications per C-suite role.

Our recruitment advertising packages target a broad and talented group of C-suites, business leaders, banking and finance professionals that can add real value to any business, maximising the exposure of your role and providing you with a great branding opportunity.

Contact us at +44 (0)207 873 4909 to discuss advertising opportunities on exec-appointments.com

REC.08.19.035.indd 35

09/07/2019 11:50

E UPSTART EARPIECE CO M M UNITY

MOVING ON AFTER LEAVING THE THIN BLUE LINE

BY COLIN COTTELL

teve Hardy is certainly not your typical recruiter. In fact, as a serving police officer, with 22 years’ experience, and currently holding the rank of inspector in Devon & Cornwall Police, he is about as far away from the traditional mould as possible. A hostage negotiator, a terrorist security adviser and a critical incident manager for the county of Cornwall, his responsibilities include the security of the Royal Family whenever they visit the region.

However, the beauty of recruitment is that no one has a monopoly on ideas, and with low barriers to entry, what starts out as an idea can and often does come to fruition with spectacular results. So when Hardy came up with an idea for a recruitment business, while lying on a sunbed on Lake Como last summer, to tap into the talent of more than 20,000 police officers who leave or retire from Britain’s police forces each year, there was every reason to suppose that it pursued with vigour and determination it could turn out to be success.

“It’s something that I have always thought about doing, because I have been a bit disaffected in the [police] job. I have always kept an eye out on what’s available out there, and I have been aware that there has always been a problem finding employers to take police and emergency services people on.”

Hardy says that the numbers who leave the police, either mid-service or when they retire, are growing. “People are also joining the police for a set number of years to gain experience rather than joining for a 30-year career, so there is a regular supply of people leaving the police services,” says Hardy. On top of this are the stresses and strains caused by austerity. And it’s the same in the other emergency services – fire & rescue and the ambulance service.

S

“I have been aware that there has always been a problem finding employers to take police and emergency services people on”

Skills on offer While the numbers either retiring or quitting their jobs in the police and other emergency services is on the rise, Hardy says there are a number of reasons why, even at a time of near full employment and 28 RECRUITER

AUGUST 2019

p36-39_recruiter_upstartNEW.indd 36

skills shortages in many areas, they have not attracted the attention of employers.

According to Hardy, it certainly has nothing to do with their skills. By way of example, he explains, “take a custody sergeant, who is responsible for the safe and effective management of detainees, and their staff, and for dealing with different bodies and mental health teams”. Or investigation specialists, he adds, who are working with the Serious Organised Crime Agency. Or financial crime investigators.

Another example is people in middle management positions, at the rank of inspector or chief inspector like himself. “I will be responsible for the entire policing on a day-to-day basis of a county the size of Cornwall, dealing with any IM AGE | IKONIMAGES

11/07/2019 09:56

CO M M U N I T Y

UPSTART

critical incidents or critical crimes, liaising with multiple different agencies and the communities, and engaging with the press,” he explains. In his role as a critical incident manager, Hardy says he has line management responsibility for nearly 500 people.

In addition to being in positions of responsibility, Hardy says police officers “are used to working under scrutiny and in a transparent way”. “It really is an untapped wealth of resources,” he says.

Below the radar However, if police officers are all that Hardy says they are cracked up to be, then the question arises as to why employers haven’t identified this group

E

as solution to their talent needs?

“Police officers are historically bad at recognising their own value and their own skill because they don’t necessarily get academic qualifications through either the vocational route or during their career in the police, and they feel that is a barrier for them,” Hardy explains.

Hardy says this compares very unfavourably with the military, where, when you come to leave, “you have an unbelievable network of support, particularly from the career transition partnership, where you get assistance building your CV, and they recognise the skills and experience you have got”.

“What the police don’t have is someone to help them to get the message across to employers. For instance, ‘Look, I was a custody sergeant for 20 years, how can the skills that I have learned as a custody sergeant transfer into the commercial world?’ And that’s where we come in, by building relationships with employers.”

Hardy accepts there is a job of education to be done to get out there and speak to heads of talent acquisition. He says: “We have to say to them, ‘Look we need to overlook sometimes the academic side of things because I have got people here who have got this experience; this is what they do, and actually the competition doesn’t have it’.”

However, he says he is encouraged by the response he has received from a number of well-known companies, including Barclays, Amazon and construction company Skanska: “Everyone is loving the idea, loving what we are doing, and thinks it is very good.” Referring to the response from the head of talent acquisition at a major bank, Hardy says the person “was quite taken aback” after he ran through the skills of the 250 or so ex-emergency services personnel already on his books and how they could – albeit with some retraining and support – be useful to that organisation.

At the moment, Hardy says this support amounts to asking those leaving or retiring from the police to send in their CVs. “It doesn’t have to be perfect, send us what you have got and we will translate it into something that is understandable to the commercial world, and after that we go to employers. We have just started this, so we are at the very beginning of our journey.”

Hardy says he is particularly excited about the potential for police WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 37 29 WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK

p36-39_recruiter_upstartNEW.indd 37

11/07/2019 09:56

for CIS PAYROLL C O N S T R U C T I O N

Only

5

£

Just £5.00 per head per payroll

Flat fee regardless of earnings

Add your own margin/uplift (Profit Share)

No minimum number of contractors

FREE SMS notification of pay

Public liability insurance available

FREE emergency ‘out of hours’ payments

Payroll 7 days a week

Call us today on 01543 220903 or email info@propaye.co.uk for more information

www.propaye.co.uk ProPaye Outsourcing Ltd | Lombard House | Cross Keys | Lichfield | Staffordshire | WS13 6DN

REC.08.19.038.indd 38

09/07/2019 11:51

CO M M U N I T Y

UPSTART

retirees and leavers to take up opportunities Steve Hardy is awarded in cyber-security, the Long Service and Good which he predicts will Conduct medal be a big area of focus for the business going forward. “With the police’s investigative mind-set that has been honed into police over the years? It makes them perfect for cyber-security,” he says.

Hardy says he is already working with training providers with a view to putting leavers through training. And he reveals that working with government to secure funding for that training. “We want to try and encourage a lot more women to go into cyber-security,” he adds.

“Police officers are used to working under scrutiny and in a transparent way. It really is an untapped wealth of resources”

Back to Civvy Street Hardy says finding employment for those leaving or retiring from the emergency services cannot be seen in isolation. As with many of those who leave the army, he says many find adjusting to ‘Civvy Street’ difficult. That is why along with employment support, he says the plan is to provide leavers with a broader range of support. Unlike the army, the police don’t have a resettlement programme, so his aim is to build up something similar, but in addition he wants to offer levers the opportunity “to come to speak to us, and we will look at the help they might need be that coaching, mentoring or any other sort of assistance”.

Hardy says he is already working with a company called Mightify, by Tom Wheelhouse, a former Metropolitan Police officer that specialises

E

in health and wellbeing, career coaching and training to support those leaving the emergency services. “We have already signposted a couple of people who need help with their CV, who could benefit from working with Mightify,” says Hardy.

Still a serving officer, Hardy carries out his business when he is off-duty and has had to submit a declaration of business interest to the force. “As long as it doesn’t interfere with the day job, it’s absolutely fine,” he explains.

Hardy recognises that it is still early days for the company. “We are at the very beginning of the journey, it will obviously take it a while to build.”

At the same, he says the website is close to being finished. And despite his admission that he is a complete novice when it comes to recruitment, he has sufficient confidence in his venture that he is currently funding the company, called ReRostered, out of his own pocket, although he says he is optimistic that funding will be available going forward.

In a similar vein that portrays Hardy’s sense of hope and ambition over experience, he shrugs off his unsuccessful pitch to early stages recruitment industry company investor Recruitment Entrepreneur, saying he was encouraged by the “unbelievable feedback” he received.

In an industry where bouncing back from knock-backs is a ‘must have’, Hardy’s response to this setback is evidence that he may well have what it takes to join the ranks of Britain’s successful recruiters. And along the way to help those for whom the industry has so far failed to deliver. ●

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 31

p36-39_recruiter_upstart.indd 39

10/07/2019 16:44

Join The Clubhouse with a flexible membership option before Friday 30 August to receive £250 of complimentary meeting room credit

REC.08.19.040.indd 40 Clubhouse London FP.indd 1

09/07/2019 09:35 11:52 10/06/2019

CO M M U N I T Y

SOCIAL NETWORK WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO? GET IN TOUCH!

E

From chatting with Chelsea stars, coping with challenging conditions or supporting children’s charities, you’ve been busy since the last Recruiter…

RP INTERNATIONAL AND UMRIO PARTNER TO HELP CHILDREN IN RIO’S FAVELAS

From Rio to Oxbridge: Matheus Silva, Matheus Oliveira and Ivan Silva at Cambridge University as part of UmRio’s Oxbridge cultural-academic exchange programme

UMRio is a charity that creates a safe environment for those vulnerable young people living in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo’s slums known as favelas. Technology recruiter RP International has championed the charity through Project Blue, which offers young people of the Rio de Janeiro favelas the opportunity to visit the UK for a cultural, educational and sporting exchange programme.

ROBERT WALTERS GROUP BACKS THE DAME VERA LYNN CHILDREN’S CHARITY Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity is this year’s official charity for Robert Walters Group UK. The charity supports under 5s with cerebral palsy (CP) and other motor learning impairments. Richard Johnson, principal at Robert Walters, whose three-year-old son Joshua is being helped by the charity, will be walking 21 miles (35km) for the charity in September, an average of 42,000 steps – more steps than some children with CP will walk in their lifetime.

FAC E B OO K

FORWARD ROLE SCALES THE YORKSHIRE THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE To support the local charity Forever Manchester, 10 Forward Rollers took on the 24-mile Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, battling through wind, rain and hail on their 12-hour hike. Despite the treacherous conditions, they all completed the challenge and raised over £1.1k to support community activities across Greater Manchester.

LHi Group Our Reggie is featured in Recruiter magazine this week highlighting the benefits of an office dog on employee well-being... he’s such an activist! James Westwood – you must be so proud Read here > https://bit.ly/2IYgN32 #ReggieforPrimeMinister #recruitment #choosetobedifferent #wellbeing #manchester

I NSTAGR AM

CONCILIUM CHAMPIONS FEMALES AT CHELSEA Emilia Gladhaug (left), partner and chief of staff at international recruiter Concilium Search, rubbed shoulders with former Chelsea FC captain and England international Katie Chapman (right). The Concilium-sponsored Inspiring Females Summit at Chelsea FC aimed to inspire ambition and confidence in young women.

cloc clockworktalent The #recruitmentequivalent of seeing your name in bright lights! Thanks @recruitermagazine for featuring our @re MD, @natasha.woodford in your July edit edition @R @RecruiterMag instagram.com/recruitermagazine/ ins recruitermagazine.tumblr.com/ re

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 33

p41_Recruiter_Social.indd 41

10/07/2019 16:45

E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

The Workplace

BY GUY HAYWARD

34 RECRUITER

p42 RecruiterWorkplace.indd 42

feel invested in your success.

Their advice should stay with you as you navigate through your career. This is what I want it to look like at my company.

The approach of manufacturing company Caterpillar is well documented – and offers much to be admired. An obligation as a mentor is to build deep relationships with the mentee, spending time exploring career paths, sharing knowledge, making the person better at their job and establishing key learning objectives.

Yet it’s Caterpillar’s approach to ‘reverse mentoring’ that impresses, allowing a more senior person to be developed by someone junior to them. What better way to be equipped to navigate the changing workplace than being exposed to generational, technological or gender-unique perspectives?

Is there a home for mentoring software? I’ve explored the industry, and there are some great cloud-based mentoring platforms that match people with an instant mentor, including Mentorloop and MentorcliQ. My interest in mentoring software took me to the world of artificial intelligence (AI).

Can AI really play a role in the

“A good mentor cares about you and takes the role seriously. They help you to understand the causes of your frustration, your mistakes and your successes” world of mentoring?

Imagine a mentor who believes in you no matter what. Can technology be that person? Can technology really understand psychology? The simple answer is yes, and AI mentoring is just around the corner. Technology has been developed to understand the unique characteristics of a person’s mind – how we think, feel and act. Spend some time listening to TEDx talks on this subject, which are mind-blowing.

Never force a mentorship.

If you are lucky enough to find the right one, take the relationship seriously. Keep them – before they are replaced by AI. ●

↗

HAVING SOMEONE OTHER than your boss to speak to is a must, for many. I found it invaluable, and in today’s world I think it’s an essential.

If you haven’t thought about doing so, is it time to start?

A person who has the experience you have yet to acquire, with the benefit of hindsight that you’re missing; who has their own catalogue of mistakes and successes you can learn from; who already knows the consequences of your decisions before you make them – a mentor has all these qualities, and is someone we can all benefit from.

I pose the question about having a mentor because I wonder to what extent businesses know the art of using them. I include Goodman Masson in that statement, as it’s the very reason we’re just finishing an overview of our approach.

Outside the management framework, a mentor should be an invaluable partner for our people, by challenging, reflecting and critiquing progress, discussing ideas, and offering advice on career road mapping.

A good mentor cares about you and takes the role seriously. They help you to understand the causes of your frustration, your mistakes and your successes.

Above everything else, they

GUY HAYWARD – redefining the modern workplace CEO, Goodman Masson

AUGUST 2019

10/07/2019 16:46

CO M M U N I T Y

WORKPLACE INNOVATION

E

BRING ON THE BRILLIANCE Three simple truths to cope with change ↗ DR NADYA ZHEXEMBAYEVA is a scientist, entrepreneur and author specialising in resilience and reinvention, and is also known as ‘The Reinvention Guru’

“It all comes down to core ideas or views that we hold as ‘truths’ in our life” I M AG E S | I STO C K

p43 Recruiter_innovation.indd 43

BY NADYA ZHEXEMBAYEVA

MINDSET HAS BEEN a topic of conversation for some time now. While mostly everyone understands the idea and its importance in both our personal and business lives, some people still struggle to connect the dots and find what works for them.

About 30 years ago, Dr Carol Dweck of Stanford University noticed something interesting about students’ attitudes towards failure. Some students faced failure and rebounded with ease, while other students seemed devastated by even the smallest setbacks. After studying the behaviour of thousands of children, Dr Dweck coined the terms ‘fixed mindset’ and ‘growth mindset’ to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence. Kids (and adults) with a ‘growth mindset’ – the belief that intellectual abilities are not fixed, but can be developed – do better. A simple, one-hour growth mindset intervention (at a cost not more than $1 [80p] per student) can produce a significant jump in grades for the entire class.

In essence, if you believe you can grow your intellectual abilities, you do. And if you believe they are given to you by God or your DNA, you don’t.

Amazing, right?

Now, let’s take the same question of attitude and apply it to change (whether it is in our personal or professional lives). In today’s business with thousands of professionals all over the world, we see the same pattern. In fact, the way you see change – your attitude towards the disruption – defines your success in dealing with it.

See change as your enemy – and surely there will be a long and bloody war. See it as your friend – and suddenly you are riding the waves of change towards new and better things.

It’s simple.

But, as it often happens, ‘simple’ does not mean ‘easy’. After studying the properties of the productive Reinvention Mindset, here I share three essential beliefs that make up the foundation of a healthy relationship with change. It all comes down to core ideas or views that we hold as ‘truths’ in our life.

Belief number 1… is all about the frequency of change Do you (or your employees) think change is a rare event – or an everyday part of life? Seeing change as rare makes people less open and prepared for a need to try new things, as unconsciously they wait for the disruption ‘to blow over’ and come back to ‘business as usual’.

Belief number 2… is all about the best response to change Fight it or use it? This shift in the approach to an action makes all the difference when new products, services or processes are introduced inside the organisation – or when an external disruption comes your way.

Belief number 3… focuses on your innate ability to use change productively Is it a rare talent available only to a few or is everyone a native-born reinventor? When people believe only some can use change to reinvent, they are more likely to disengage, become reactive and resistant, and won’t have any ownership nor interest in the transformation effort.

These three essential beliefs make up the Reinvention Mindset and can make or break the organisation’s ability to change. They are also a great predictor of one’s personal success in life. I hope they can serve you, your company and even your kids. ●

WWW.RECRUITER.CO.UK 35

10/07/2019 16:46

E BUSINESS ADVICE CO MM UNITY

ASK THE EXPERT We’ve had a tough few months and the summer is generally our slow period. What should we do?

The summer can be a sensible time to take stock of where the business is relative to targets. If you are not hitting targets, you need to either reset expectations or change what you are doing. The summer is often a good time to evaluate your systems, structures, processes and skills to ensure they are more competitive when the market accelerates again in September.

Alex Arnot

Empower your team

The SME Coach

Get your team to take ownership of their billing. Ask them to look at their key ratios and produce individual plans of how they can improve. Encourage them to identify training that will help, as well as changes to what they do and how they do it.

Your immediate priority – cash flow Cash flow is always critical. As the market tightens, your detailed, rolling three-month financial forecast should keep you on top of invoicing, debtor days and planned expenditure, and will give you a sense of control. Assume worst-case scenarios when predicting revenue, as it is best to act decisively and avoid redundancies that will erode morale.

insights that will engage clients and prospects. Pitches are also becoming more polished and personalised, with recruiters researching and finding solutions to clients’ pressure points in advance of meetings.

Fee rates are occasionally a differentiator. But more often it is the terms around them that make the difference – such as the rebate period you offer, the structure of payment of fees, or the clarity of the service that will be delivered.

Critical to getting more roles on is to ensure consultants are closing roles in the meeting – many don’t.

Why you might be filling fewer roles Auditing performance against your plan Having got on top of financial forecasts, the next priority is to understand how each team is performing against budget.

If only one team is dragging down the company performance, research whether it is a sector-wide issue, a question of personnel, or a temporary dip. Consider the importance of the team in the context of the wider business growth, and how resources in that team might generate greater returns.

If you are missing targets across the business, then your key performance indicators will tell you whether it is because you are getting fewer roles on, or filling a lower percentage of roles than anticipated.

If you believe your targets are unrealistic, then reset them. Conditions change, and blindly pursuing unrealistic targets will be demoralising.

The bar for business development is getting higher.

Ever more recruiters are using referrals to open doors, and companies are increasingly developing proprietary

36 RECRUITER

If recruitment processes simply aren’t completing, then encourage consultants to be selective about the roles they prioritise. Taking this step can be transformational – too few consultants consider the probability of success when determining how much time to allocate to each role. The most important formula is time per revenue. ●

↗

What to do if you are getting fewer roles on

Assuming your brand and marketing activities are unchanged, a reduction in the percentage of roles filled is likely the result of fewer candidates interviewing, or clients completing fewer recruitment processes in a timely manner.

Fewer candidates interviewing typically relates to: • candidate attraction and matching: audit your search methodologies, and how and where you are promoting roles.

• candidate preparation: better train your team on how to brief both clients and candidates

ALEX ARNOT is founder of MyNonExec and board adviser to more than 30 recruitment companies

AUGUST 2019

p44 recruiter_careers ASK EXPERT.indd 44

10/07/2019 16:47

Search 13 million CVs and advertise jobs in all sectors!

REC.08.19.045.indd 45

09/07/2019 11:53

E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

“As an optimist, I see failures as lessons, so I remember the solution, not the problem” MY BRILLIANT RECRUITMENT CAREER What was your earliest dream job?

What was your first job in recruitment, and how did you come into it?

I was lucky that in my second year at university we had a work placement, and I managed to get the opportunity to work with the HR team at Procter & Gamble. I was tasked with setting up the graduate recruitment milk-round for the company, and was supported in organising interviews. It surprised me how much I cared about how each interviewee got on – I was hooked on recruitment from that moment on.

Who is your role model – in life or in recruitment?

I am fortunate to be surrounded by some amazing people, so I take inspiration from all of them. In my professional life I would have to say Anne Corder, with whom I have happily worked for over 21 years to build the brand and the business. She is a great friend and mentor, gives great advice and inspires me on a daily basis.

What do you love most about your current role?

My team. I am surrounded by some of the most gifted and talented individuals. We work entirely as a

38 RECRUITER

AUGUST 2019

p46_recruiter_careers_mybrillcareer.indd 46

↗

In my mid-teens, I wanted to be a speech therapist. My grandfather, who was an amazing character and had spent five years in a prisoner-of-war camp during World War Two, was a Chelsea Pensioner. He had so much influence on me, growing up.

Sadly, he suffered a severe stroke and was unable to communicate, so this inspired me to look into speech therapy.

NEL WOOLCOTT, Recruitment partner, Anne Corder Recruitment

NEL WOOLCOTT collective; our business model means that none of us are required to make cold calls, spec CVs or chase in roles, so we aren’t hampered by internal competition and candidate ownership. We all share the pain when the offer doesn’t go the way of our candidate, and we magnify those great moments when you get to make that call and make someone’s day.

IT roles. I also have two director-level positions I am recruiting for, for an exacting client. I enjoy it when you have someone who is quite tricky to please – it’s a great feeling when you nail it.

What would you consider to be the most brilliant moment of your career?

What’s the best or worst question you’ve ever heard?

I love it when you challenge a client and make them see your favourite candidate, and d they call you back to say you got it right. I love it when candidates gett the job of their dreams. I can’tt pick one, as I don’t want to devalue any of the others.

What’s your top job to fill at the moment? oment?

One of my team m has just gone off on n maternity leave, ve, so I am picking g up on some off her

What is your signature dish?

I love cooking, and enjoy making curries from scratch. I also make a mean quiche lorraine.

The hardest question I have had to answer is “What have you failed at?” As an optimist, I see failures as lessons, so I remember the solution, not the problem. The worst questions are those for which I can’t see a point – “If you were a biscuit, what sort of biscuit would you be?”

What would you regard as your theme tune?

As long as Dolly Parton is singing, I don’t care what the song is – Dolly is an icon.

IM AGES | ISTOCK / S SHU TTE RSTO C K / AL AM Y

10/07/2019 17:07

REC.08.19.047.indd 47

09/07/2019 11:54

E CAREERS CO M M UNITY

ALEXANDER MANN SOLUTIONS

BIE EXECUTIVE

The global talent acquisition and management solutions provider has made Danielle Khan client services director to support its growth in the Asia Pacific region.

Claire Paramo has joined the search firm as director within its HR search practice.

AMBITION The professional services recruiter has appointed Ben Stevenson as director of business development, marketing & communications.

AMROP The global executive search firm Amrop has made Federico Cuneo CEO and chairman of its executive board. It also welcomes Patrick Ference, managing partner of Amrop Industrial Search in the US, and Andrew Woodburn, managing director of Amrop Woodburn Mann in South Africa, to its executive board as board members.

BAIN AND GRAY The PA and secretarial specialist recruiter has appointed Tray Durrant as executive director.

40 RECRUITER

CIELO The recruitment process outsourcing provider has made Karla Boddy client services director.

London Ambulance Service has appointed Ali Layne-Smith as director of people and culture. With more than 20 years’ HR experience in large, high-profile organisations across the public and private sector, she joins the service from West Midlands Police where she was their first director of people and organisation development.

Layne-Smith will lead the people and culture directorate – a team of 65, which covers areas including talent, workforce analytics and engagement, diversity & inclusion, employee relations, staff experience, and leadership and performance.

She will take up her new job at the beginning of September, taking over from Patricia Grealish, who leaves the LAS at the end of June, and reporting to CEO Garrett Emmerson.

DELOITTE The professional services firm has appointed Sharron Pamplin as partner for human resources in the UK.

GREEN PARK

FAWKES & REECE The construction recruiter welcomes Warren Kingham as head of its rail and infrastructure division.

The executive search and interim management consultancy has made Dawar Hashmi partner to head up the company’s local government and health practices.

senior associate from commercial law firm Brabners. James has more than eight years’ experience advising businesses on recruitment and employment law issues. She follows Paul Chamberlain, who also left Brabners in March this year, joining JMW as head of employment.

JMW SOLICITORS The law firm welcomes Emma James, who joins as a

Email people moves for use online and in print, including a short biography, to recruiter.editorial@redactive.co.uk

KENNEDY EXECUTIVE SEARCH The global network of privately owned executive search boutiques has appointed Markus Unterberger as practice leader financial services.

AUGUST 2019

p48-49_Recruiter_MoversShakers.indd 48

10/07/2019 16:49

PEDERSEN & PARTNERS The international executive search firm’s managing partner and founder Poul Pedersen has taken on the role of executive chairman, with former deputy managing partner Gary Williams appointed CEO.

PMP RECRUITMENT The Cordant Group firm has appointed Steve Edgson as facilities management solutions director.

Redactive Publishing Ltd 78 Chamber Street, London E1 8BL 020 7880 6200

CONTACTS

VOLKSWAGEN Andrea Morgan-Schönwetter is taking on overall responsibility for recruiting and talent marketing. Before joining Volkswagen at the beginning of this year, she was responsible for HR marketing and employer branding at Telekom.

WORKFORCE PEOPLE SOLUTIONS Serial entrepreneur Mark Mills has joined the Bolton-based recruitment business as chairman.

ROTA

YOLK RECRUITMENT

Terry Payne has joined the staffing app as head of partnership sales at its head office in London.

The Cardiff-based firm has appointed Gareth Jones as a new business development manager.

YOUR NEXT MOVE A selection of vacancies from recruiter.co.uk

SHINE INTERVIEW The video interviewing and pre-hire assessments provider has appointed the former CEO of Fish4jobs and MD of Monster.co.uk Joe Slavin as non-executive director and chairman of the board.

STHREE Chief operating officer Justin Hughes is stepping down from his role after a quarter of a century with the international staffing company.

Concern For Independent Living Talent advocate Rec-to-rec, In-house recruitment Medford, New York (US) Competitive salary Icon Recruitment Senior recruitment consultant Medical/pharmaceutical Spain Comp salary/part-time/flexible Travel and Transport Statesman Internal resourcer Transport/distribution/logistics London Attractive salary & excel. bens For more jobs, people moves and career advice go to ● recruiter.co.uk/jobs ● inhouserecruiterjobs.co.uk ● internationalrecruiterjobs.com

EDITORIAL +44 (0)20 7880 7603 Editor DeeDee Doke

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING Recruitment@recruiter.co.uk

+44 (0)20 7880 6215

deedee.doke@recruiter.co.uk

Reporters Colin Cottell, Graham Simons colin.cottell@recruiter.co.uk graham.simons@recruiter.co.uk

Contributing writer Sue Weekes Production editor Vanessa Townsend vanessa.townsend@recruiter.co.uk

Art editor Sarah Auld Picture editor Akin Falope ADVERTISING +44 (0)20 7880 6213 Sales manager Paul Barron paul.barron@redactive.co.uk

+44 (0)20 7880 6245 Senior sales executive Joanna Holmes

PRODUCTION +44 (0)20 7880 6209 Senior production executive Rachel Young rachel.young@redactive.co.uk

PUBLISHING +44 (0)20 7880 8547 Publishing director Aaron Nicholls aaron.nicholls@redactive.co.uk

RECRUITER AWARDS/ INVESTING IN TALENT AWARDS +44 (0)20 7324 2771 eventsteam@redactive.co.uk

joanna.holmes@redactive.co.uk

CIRCULATION and SUBSCRIPTIONS Recruiter is the leading magazine for recruitment and resourcing professionals. To ensure each issue of Recruiter magazine is delivered to your desk or door, subscribe now at https://subs. recruiter.co.uk/subscribe. Annual subscription rate for 12 issues: £35 UK; £45 Europe and £50 Rest of the world • Recruiter is also available to people who meet our terms of control: http://bit.ly/RecruiterCC • To purchase reprints or multiple copies, or any other enquiries, please contact subs@redactive.co.uk or +44 (0)1580 883844 CONTRIBUTIONS Contributions are invited, but when not accepted will be returned only if accompanied by a fully stamped and addressed envelope. Articles should be emailed. No responsibility can be taken for drawings, photographs or literary contributions during delivery, transmission or in the editor’s hands. © 2019 Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. This publication (and any part thereof) may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in print or electronic format (including but not limited to any online service, any database or any part of the internet) or in any other format in any media whatsoever, without the prior written permission of Redactive Media Group.

Redactive Media Group accepts no liability for the accuracy of the contents or any opinions expressed herein. The publishers cannot accept liability for any loss arising from the late appearance or non-publication of any advertisement for any reason whatsoever. ISSN 1475-7478

Total average net circulation between 1 July 2017 & 30 June 2018 – 14,837. is also sent to all REC members

Recycle your magazine’s plastic wrap – check your local LDPE facilities to find out how.

Scan here to get your own copy of

p48-49_Recruiter_MoversShakers.indd 49

10/07/2019 16:49

E THE LAST WORD CO M M UNITY

A cornerstone of our client service is that we have developed true subject matter experts

Nick Barton Top-notch service: high standards for strategy consultancy

lient service is obviously important for any recruitment firm.

But when it comes to servicing the strategy consultancy arena, it’s even more business-critical. These guys are good at servicing their own clients, so they have big expectations – and as recruitment partners, we have to mirror that.

One of the cornerstones of our client service is the fact that we have developed true subject matter experts. The experienced talent we have recruited includes former tier-one strategy consultants, and we have developed our own talent internally with the help of outside speakers on specific subjects, so all our consultants can conduct peer-to-peer conversations with clients. That way, clients don’t just get great

C

42 RECRUITER

p50_recruiter_lastword.cc.indd 50

candidates – they get great employees and future talent for their business, I believe.

An analysis of our placements over the past three years has shown that 84% of those people are still with the same employer and of those, 50% are with the same company in a different role. That’s a great stat for us to showcase our service.

I believe that if you talk the talk you need to walk the walk, which is why we have developed the UK’s largest strategy/transformation/ mergers & acquisitions conference and networking event, now in its third year.

The most recent conference was attended by 300 clients from 200 client organisations. The event is zoned to allow individuals to network in their particular industry group.

Put yourself in the clients’ shoes. If you were interested

in hiring senior strategy talent, would you go to your internal recruitment department – or would you want access to that network?

It’s a true differentiator for us, and has become a must-attend event, as attested by one of our clients who said: “These guys are the kings of strategy, private equity and transformation, so if you are in any of those industries you can’t miss this event.”

All recruiters talk about relationships – but so many of them rely on technology to try and build those relationships that the old face-to-face approach is fast becoming a lost art. For me, it’s about building relationships, irrespective of short-term gain. I’ve recently been awarded two mandates for possibly the biggest searches the company has ever worked on

as a result of a relationship built up over four years.

My mantra to all my people is ‘Always respond, always reply, always follow up, manage expectations and keep your promises’.

This approach, coupled with our events, thought leadership and extensive network, has allowed us to deliver a 53% year-on-year increase in turnover, a 26% year-on-year increase in profit and a 67% year-on-year increase in headcount.

One of our clients recently said: “With the Barton Partnership, I get the impression that they care about the search, as if they have to prove themselves every time.” I think that pretty much says it all. ●

NICK BARTON is founder and CEO of the Barton Partnership.

AUGUST 2019

10/07/2019 16:49

WE’VE GOT A LOT MORE TO SHOUT ABOUT...

TIMESHEETS

FUNDING

REAL TIME MI

Remove the stress from timesheet management

Risk free funding for contractors & temporary workers

Combine your systems and data sources for better insight and operations

PAYROLL

ACCOUNTANCY

100% BACK OFFICE

We offer services for both temps and in-house employees

Maximise your earnings from day one

Smooth, efficient and seamless back office integration

RISK FREE FUNDING FOR CONTRACTORS & TEMPORARY WORKERS...AND MUCH MORE To find out how we can help grow your business, call us now on 01242 279890 CONNECT WITH US BoomerangFundin BoomerangFunding

Boomerang Funding

www.boomerangfunding.co.uk

REC.08.19.051.indd 51

09/07/2019 11:59

Compliant Pay & Bill Software for Umbrella Companies, Payroll Bureaus, RPO’s & Recruitment Agencies

CAN YOU REALLY

TRUST YOUR DATA? Solutio’s cloud-based payroll software synchronises the flow of data across the contingent workforce supply chain in real-time.

Worker profiles, assignment details & contract information are entered only once via a self-serve mobile app or web portal, thus preserving the integrity of the data & streamlining the administrative process.

Complying with IR35 legislation is assured as data is managed using a unique ID number shared by all parties including the recruiter, worker & umbrella provider.

Guaranteeing the accuracy, consistency & reliability of data is just one of the numerous commercial benefits of integrating Solutio into a recruitment or payroll business.

UMBRELLA COMPANY • • • •

Automated onboarding & assignment management Fast & transparent ‘one click’ payroll processing Solutio Analytics dashboards enable forensic reporting Itemised payslips illustrating all statutory deductions

RECRUITMENT AGENCY • • • •

Immediate worker registrations & contract management Assignment documents synchronised with the supply chain Instant & real time payroll upload to umbrella providers Seamless flow of fees & billing between all entities

CONTINGENT WORKER • • • •

App-based platform with self-serve onboarding Unique ID number shared across the supply chain Timesheet & expenses upload, plus contract information Payment’s linked to worker’s bank accounts

To find out more about the power of Solutio

Book Your Online Demo Now

enquiries@solutio.com • 0203 819 7970 • solutio.com

REC.08.19.052.indd 52

09/07/2019 12:03