Quote for the Day
“You don’t lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership”
Dwight Eisenhower
Jubilee Newsletter
There are so many bank holidays in May and June, I decided to merge my May and June Newsletters – I hope you enjoyed the holiday and get benefit from my Newsletter.
Recruitment, Retention and Hybrid Working
Earlier this year, I surveyed my clients’ top three issues in 2022 and Recruitment, Retention and Hybrid Working were the biggest challenges, so I chose these subjects for my May Growth & Profit Club Workshop, which I hosted along with Charlotte Dean from P3 People Management.
Here are the key questions and answers, which I hope you will find useful:
- Our survey indicated these would be the big challenges of the year. What’s the story on the ground in HR?
Recruitment in professional services is really tough, with candidates moving quickly and salaries leaping ahead, which means retention is key, as the cost of losing staff is increasing.
Hybrid working is seen as a key factor in retention. What can businesses offer whilst still maintaining or, indeed, increasing productivity? Professional services are being hit hard
- How do we deal with the Salary War?
Keep up with market rates by benchmarking and identifying red flags. It’s a candidate-led market. Don’t forget that increasing your initial salary offers to secure the person will affect your existing staff: if you give a 4% increase and new starters are, in effect, getting 10% – consider how to manage the higher salaries sustainably. Could you get older workers to train junior staff?
- What about other benefits, terms, and conditions in relation to retention and employee engagement?
All the usual benefits plus…. flexible working, office/workspace, type of work, use of and access to technology, wellbeing, CSR and giving back to your community and the wider world.
Candidates are interested in how the business positions itself, its ‘why’.
- Staff turnover and succession
Pace of work and overwhelm are two words I hear from new starters – why are we not planning for their first 3 to 6 months to be a time of support, learning, understanding, teamwork?
- Planning for the post-Covid world
Released from restrictions / what about removal of free testing? / where do you stand on choose to isolate and get paid? / Work from home if possible / preparing for the next winter season 22/23 – numbers are increasing now in summer, what about when we all retreat indoors again in winter…?
- Increasing need for flexible working space
We have seen the closing office in 2020 and in 2021 and the staff are now missing the contact and a place to go.
Consider changing the current space to make it more appealing as a place to work from; creative collaborative workspaces.
- Suburbs booming at cities’ expense
Altrincham, where I am based, is booming with people eating out, drinking, and shopping through the week. We have a lot of flexi workspace and a big business community.
- One in six white- collar workers are prepared to change jobs to avoid being forced to return to the office
It is important. Mental health has been an issue for clients with employees not wanting to return. This is tricky as they accepted the job as an office-based job, the pandemic was exceptional and, for some businesses, performance was not at the same levels during that period, whereas now, we are moving to a new normal and new possible, so businesses need to be alive to the benefits of WFH/ flexi working.
- Trial of the 4-day week
Interesting idea – Six businesses in the trial.
Other similar ideas are to shorten their week by early finish Fridays – always go down well, weekend starts early, early dart if heading off.
Extend the 4 days hours by 1 each day and the company cover the other half a day – so effect is a pay rise.
Longer working hours in the daylight or the winter if business allows (annual hours).
I look forward to working with you this year but, in the meantime, if you would like to know more about how to resolve your defining issues of 2022, contact me by email alan@mrwcs.com or phone 07860 813444.
Growth and Profit Club
Please note that my next free Growth and Profit Club workshop on Zoom will be at 16.30, on Wednesday, 13 July 2022, and the topic is SCRUM – The art of getting twice as much done in half the time.
Membership of my Growth and Profit Club will allow you to access other business leaders’ experience, knowledge, and wisdom, and share your own, helping to develop the expertise and proficiency of everyone on the Zoom video call.
If you would like to discuss the challenges and opportunities for your business or would like to join my Growth and Profit Club, please contact me on alan@mrwcs.com or phone 07860 813444.
