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60% of UK workers plan to take on a side hustle this year

  • UK

Will the popularity of the four-day working week increase the number?

More than 58% of UK workers plan to take on a side hustle in 2023. This is according to the latest findings from CV-Library.

According to the research, side hustle plans are driven by job security (62%) and earning more money (38%). With the increasing cost of living continuing to take its toll, 76.6% of those considering taking on a side hustle this year said they are doing so because they want/need more money. A further 23.4% said they are looking for additional job security in these unpredictable times.

Following the world’s biggest trial of a four-day working week, more companies are predicted to move in this direction. The trial was hailed as a massive success, with 56 out of 61 companies saying they would continue offering a shorter week.

Employees following this working arrangement will gain an extra day per week, which could see people turning their hobbies into side hustles. This allows people to enjoy the security of a main job while pursuing their personal passions and supplementing their incomes.

Lee Biggins, Founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “As the economic uncertainty looks set to continue, it’s understandable that so many employees are considering new ways to supplement their income while prioritising their job security.” 

“With unemployment levels at record lows, supporting employees’ side hustles could boost staff loyalty and help retain key talent. However, there are grey areas that businesses need to be mindful of, particularly for those operating a four-day week. The benefits of increased motivation, productivity levels, and mental health along with reduced sickness levels could be counterproductive if staff are dedicating their downtime and attention to a side hustle.”

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Almost 50% of senior managers dread Mondays

  • UK

Senior managers under more stress than their teams realise, survey reveals

A new survey by HR software provider Ciphr has revealed that the cost-of-living crisis, high inflation and rising prices, and burnout are the biggest causes of stress at work for senior managers.

The survey polled 265 people in senior management and leadership roles at medium and large businesses in the UK. The respondents were asked what issues were causing them the biggest concern or most stress in their job. They were also asked whether they ever felt stressed or anxious before starting a new work week – also known as the ‘Sunday scaries’ or ‘Sunday blues’.

With 47% of the respondents saying that their job is causing them to suffer the ‘Sunday scaries’, it would appear that many senior managers are more overwhelmed by on-the-job stress than their colleagues and direct reports realise.

Of the 47% who admitted to dreading Mondays, 29% said they had experienced this feeling multiple times over the past year. A further 13% said the ‘Sunday scaries’ struck multiple times every month. For 5%, this experience happens every week.

Only 22% of the senior managers claimed not to have experienced the ‘Sunday blues’ while working at their current job or organisation.

The results also revealed that the bigger the workforce size, the greater the occurrence of the ‘Sunday scaries’, with senior leaders at bigger enterprises being more than twice as likely to experience the ‘Sunday scaries’ multiple times a month than those at SMEs (24% vs. 11%).

Survey results suggest that challenges relating to remote employment – and reduced social interaction exacerbate the stress of 18% of senior managers at remote-first organisations. However, with senior managers who have more in-person time in their role, the number falls to 10%.

Even if people don’t experience the ‘Sunday scaries’, they may still be stressed. Ciphr’s research found that 98% of people in senior management and leadership roles – regardless of whether they suffer from the ‘Sunday scaries’ or not feel stressed by at least one thing at work. Eighty-three percent could name three or more work-related stressors.

Interestingly, despite the stress, only 4% of senior managers said that they don’t like their jobs.

The top 15 causes of workplace stress for senior managers:

  • Cost of living crisis (30% of senior managers)
  • High inflation and rising prices (29%)
  • Exhaustion/burnout (22%)
  • Economic downturn (20%)
  • Workload and to-do lists (20%)
  • Unfinished work tasks (20%)
  • Employee retention and staff turnover (17%)
  • Rising interest rates (17%)
  • Business viability and profitability concerns (16%)
  • Wage inflation (16%)
  • Productivity problems (15%)
  • Pressure to perform well / expectations of others (15%)
  • Job security / losing my job (15%)
  • Growing the business / generating new revenue (15%)
  • Leadership responsibilities (14%)
  • Managing other people / the people I manage (14%)
  • Long working hours (14%)
  • Ongoing impact of Covid (14%)

Some common stressors noticeably affect the senior managers that frequently experience the ‘Sunday scaries’ compared to those who don’t:

  • Burnout (27% compared to 18%)
  • Pressure to perform well (20% compared to 10%)
  • Fear of losing their job (20% compared to 10%)
  • Long working hours (19% compared to 9%)
  • Their boss (16% compared to 7%)
  • Conflicts at work (15% compared to 8%)

Claire Williams, Chief People Officer at Ciphr, commented: “Since the pandemic, and with the ongoing impact of the cost-of-living crisis, there has been a lot of focus on the importance of alleviating workplace stress and what employers can do to safeguard their employees’ mental health. But less is said, perhaps, about the huge pressures that people in senior management and leadership roles feel and how stress impacts them.

 “The biggest stressors identified by the senior managers taking Ciphr’s survey can be grouped into three key themes, which orientate around workload, company performance, and their team. This is understandable, as it is expected, to a degree, that senior managers in any organisation will take on the ownership of those responsibilities in managing or leading an organisation. It shows they care, and that they care about the right things.

 “It is, however, important for organisations to be really mindful of the influence that work has on an individual’s stress levels – especially if they are senior management or the CEO – as they may be less likely to discuss how they are feeling. The best way to support them is for organisations to work proactively with their senior managers to either help relieve those stresses, where possible, or give them tools and strategies to cope with those stresses in a more targeted and positive way.

 “Stress, in general, doesn’t always need to be perceived as a negative – lots of people really thrive under stress and high-pressure situations – and produce some of their best work. But when high levels of stress cause anxiety or the Sunday scaries, that’s when increased risks to the business can start presenting themselves, through ill health, higher turnover of senior managers, ineffective leadership, or poor performance. It’s definitely in an employer’s interest to understand how their managers are feeling and what they can do to help, if there’s a problem, before it impacts the wider business.”

The full results are available at https://www.ciphr.com/causes-of-stress-at-work-2023-survey-results.

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Four-day work hailed a resounding success

  • UK

Or is it rather a four-day work gimmick?  

News agencies have reported on the results of the four-day work week trial and apparently it’s been a resounding success.  

A total of 61 British companies adopted a four-day week for the second half of 2022, with almost 3,000 staff involved and has been trialled for six months.  

The landmark research project run in by the University of Cambridge and Boston College has found that, on average, businesses adopting a four-day working pattern increased their revenues by more than a third. It’s also been said that it improved happiness and lower stress levels among the participating staff. 

 At least 56 businesses said they would continue with the programme, with 18 saying they will adopt the new policy permanently. Only three opted to scrap the scheme at the end of the pilot. 

 It comes amid a fierce debate about how to solve Britain’s long-running productivity crisis. 

Supporters of the four-day week have claimed that has incentivised staff to do more in a shorter period of time but a previous study has suggested that it can in fact make employees less productive and could tip staff towards burnout.  

 According to the Cambridge study, businesses generated 1.4pc more revenue at the end of a six-month trial than they did at the start. 

But when scientists compared the six-month window with a distinct and comparable half-year span they found the four-day work week saw an increase in revenue of 34.5pc. 

Campaigners and academics will present the findings to MPs at an event in the House of Commons today as they claim this is a “major breakthrough” for productivity and the way we work.  

The event is being chaired by Labour MP and former shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Peter Dowd, who introduced the 32-Hour Working Week Bill in October. 

The bill which would reduce the maximum working week from 48 hours to 32 hours, paving the way for a four-day week. 

Employers had to make sure there was no reduction in wages for staff who took part in trialling a 32-hour week. 

At least 56 out of the 61 firms which took part said they plan to continue with the four-day working week, including based in London. 

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The research carried out based on the trial has revealed that the number of sick days taken by the 2,900 staff fell by about two-thirds, with 39% of employees saying they were less stressed. 

Marcus Beaver, UKI Country Leader at Alight Solutions commented: “We knew that the four-day work week would increase employee happiness and reduce burnout – now we have the proof that it has tangible business benefits. It’s clear that it’s not about cramming more work in fewer days. It’s about producing better results with the days we’re given. Companies depend on their staff, and with boosted productivity and profits, the system clearly benefits employees and employers.  

“The workforce landscape is changing, and companies must now implement what works best moving forward, or risk being in the past.” 

 Laura Baldwin, President at O’Reilly commented: “When it comes to work schedules, what people really care about is flexibility. It’s not about four days or five. Either is still very prescriptive and doesn’t account for the varied reasons many employees want flexibility – for example, to manage five-day-a-week school pick up hours. For the burnt out, overworked employees who went above and beyond during the pandemic, fewer hours, worked flexibly across five days is likely to mean more than a four–day slog.  

“For businesses, the four–day week can also create complicated scheduling nightmares – especially for smaller organisations. There needs to be more effort invested in creating real cultures of flexibility, which can best serve employees without forgetting the needs of customers. 

“Quite simply, customers expect (at least) a five-day-a-week service and until every organisation moves to four days as standard there will be a very hard balancing act to cut to four. Dropping the ball on customer experience to pay lip service to flexibility is a losing strategy for all. 

“If you’re thinking about a four–day workweek, use it as a prompt to ask, what is it that you are really trying to solve? Are you trying to create a shortcut to flexibility? Will this rather drastic move really create the flexibility your employees want? Will it enable work-life balance, but also get the work done? Could it be you are looking for a sticking plaster to bigger issues? Rather than embracing trust and flexibility for your teams, are you just seeking another way to exert control behind a facade of a four–day gimmick?” 

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Increase in frequency and volume of absence and presenteeism

  • UK

Absence reported by employees has increased by 29% 

Fruitful Insights, a data and analytics business that quantifies the impact of wellbeing on workforce productivity, has announced the release of its latest research report entitled: Rethinking the future of workplace wellbeing – Managing change in the post-pandemic era. The data, which was collected in the period between May 2021 and November 2022, has shown that absence reported by employees has increased by 29% and presenteeism has increased by 18% during that period.  

The increased volume of absences highlights the uptick in episodes of COVID-19 and in short term illness such as coughs, colds and flu following the end of lockdown and a move back to onsite working, for at least some of the working week. The data also denotes a change in the type of illness being reported with the percentage of mental health issues decreasing slightly. 

These findings come against the backdrop of less than 0.9% improvement in productivity since 2020 and the highest sickness absence rate for a decade. The UK was also set to be the only industrialised country with employment below its pre-pandemic levels at the start of 2023, according to recent analysis by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES). 

 Intention to quit suggests new ways of working might not be the employee wellbeing panacea 

Fruitful Insights said the research findings indicate that the new ways of working challenge for office-based employees is still a conundrum, with no clear picture as to preferred working patterns. The findings show that there has been a slight improvement in working relationships, which reflects a return to more normal working patterns, but this is accompanied by a slight increase in the intention to quit which, at 41% overall, remains stubbornly high; staff attrition representing a primary driver of impaired workplace wellbeing. The trend is apparently evident in the Generation X group; with 40% of the group indicating they are now very likely or definitely inclined to leave, compared with 34% previously. Gen X is a key cohort in the working population, representing some of the most experienced and highly skilled in the UK workforce and are costly to replace, says Fruitful. 

Mike Tyler, Chairman and Co-founder of Fruitful Insights, said: “These numbers should represent a wake-up call for employers. Despite everyone’s great sigh of relief as we returned to business as usual, there are still fundamental challenges around workplace wellbeing.”  

The report confirmed the increasing challenge of financial stresses, which was starting to increase at the time the data was collected in Q3, 2022. Again, this signifies another area that will impact on business performance and could be alleviated to some degree with help from employers, claimed Fruitful Insights. 

The determinants of employee wellbeing are complex and necessitate joined-up thinking and measures 

The study findings highlighted differences across the generations. A feeling of social disconnection was felt most keenly by Gen Z and Millennials, respectively. The data indicated they are less able to depend on friends and family, with Gen Zs indicating that they are feeling 17% more disconnected from their local communities than they did during the pandemic.  Respondents also indicated they felt local services (health, transport, social services) had declined. 

Dr Michelle O’Sullivan, Clinical Psychology Advisor at Fruitful Insights also commented: “Despite having been stuck in lockdown, often within their local communities, younger generations continue to show a worrying lack of connection to the people around them, and a reduced reliance on friends and families. Our increasing disconnection from the people we live with, work with, and connect with in our communities is not how we were designed to function as human beings. We are social animals and our mental wellbeing is strongly linked to the quality of our relationships. It’s critical that businesses support great social interactions as part of positive workplace environments and that we make spending time with friends and family easy.” 

 

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Driving sustained success with upskilling and internal mobility

  • UK

Rising global interest rates and talent shortages are driving a need for cost-savings and innovation

2023 will be a challenging year for HR and talent acquisition leaders as rising global interest rates and labour shortages across industries take their toll. To stay ahead of the game, organisations have begun to look at formal upskilling initiatives and internal mobility programmes as key strategies in solving employee retention issues, bridging skills gaps, and streamlining costs. Investing time into these measures could be the difference between success or failure when it comes to securing top performers this year.  

THE BENEFITS OF UPSKILLING AND INTERNAL MOBILITY FOR EMPLOYERS 

Access to a wider talent pool 

Talent mobility and upskilling programmes can uncover a wealth of previously untapped talent within the organisation. Leveraging this wider pool of candidates, employers can diversify job roles and benefit from an enriched workforce with wide-ranging skillset. Additionally, when employees move internally, they already have an understanding of the company’s culture, making it easier to transition into their new role and “hit the ground running.” At the same time, specialised training ensures employees stay ahead of industry trends while sharpening technical or soft skills—ensuring the business remains competitive as industry trends change over time.  

Drive cost savings 

Internal mobility and upskilling can have a significant effect on cost savings for organisations. By training existing employees, organisations save money on external recruiting efforts and onboarding and training a new hire. Furthermore, when staff are provided with opportunities to work faster and smarter due to training, they become valuable assets to the organisation by working more efficiently and driving down labour costs. This can be compounded over time as staff continuously upskill to take on tasks in new areas of expertise that traditionally cost more. 

Improve collaboration and knowledge-sharing  

Upskilling and talent mobility present unique opportunities for improved collaboration across departments. By giving employees the opportunity to gain experience in different areas of the business, they’ll have a better understanding of how different departments interact and work together towards common goals. In addition, upskilling your staff helps build sound processes that unite the entire organisation.  

Fuel employee retention and reduce turnover rates 

LinkedIn’s most recent Global Talent Trends Report finds that internal mobility is a powerful way to keep employees happy—with up to 87% of employees being more likely to stay at an organisation longer with an internal move. Further, seeking out upskilling opportunities has become increasingly important in candidates’ job searches as they look towards personal development within the workplace. 

Build a culture of growth and learning  

Upskilling and internal mobility initiatives give your employees the tools they need to reach their full potential within the organisation. It sends a clear message that you value their growth and development—creating a culture of learning that will help attract top talent from outside sources as well as retain current talent from within the company. 

HOW ORGANISATIONS CAN SUPPORT INTERNAL MOBILITY IN THE WORKPLACE  

Managers may be reluctant to let go of their top performers, but, as explored above, talent mobility is proven to benefit both the organisation and its employees. Instead, organisations should strive to create an internal culture of trust and open communication, wherein everyone feels comfortable exploring new territory or roles within the company. 

Supporting internal mobility isn’t just up to managers; it also comes from peers who offer encouragement when someone is taking on a challenging project or exploring a new role. By creating an environment where everyone feels supported, organisations establish a culture of collaboration and innovation that encourages people to take risks without fear of failure. 

Companies need to have clear policies in place that encourage upskilling and talent mobility while allowing for flexibility in terms of job descriptions or career paths that might make sense for certain individuals. Moreover, open dialogue regarding potential opportunities within an organisation increases transparency so everyone knows what possibilities are available at any given time. 

Providing employees with the freedom to stretch their skills and discover new abilities is an invaluable asset for any workplace. 

Through a careful repositioning of their talent, organisations can open doors for employees to explore different career paths and enhance their leadership capabilities. Plus, proactively providing these opportunities creates an attractive ecosystem where people are driven not just to succeed, but also learn and develop in ways they never thought possible.                                                

LevelUP is inviting HR leaders to join them in London for a networking breakfast and seminar on building successful internal mobility plans. Through this opportunity, you will gain the tools necessary to effectively identify and nurture your current workforce while being able to strategically attract top talent into your business. Don’t miss out—register now at this link. 

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Solicitors welcome steps towards compassionate leave during divorce

  • UK

90% of respondents said separation affected their ability to work

Solicitors at Kent law firm Furley Page have welcomed a new initiative by the Positive Parenting Alliance that could see employees being offered compassionate leave from work to deal with the breakdown of their marriage or relationship.

The Positive Parenting Alliance (PPA) initiative urges employers to treat a separation as seriously as other major life events, and is encouraging employers to implement policies specifically aimed at supporting those going through divorce or separation. Asda, Metro Bank, NatWest, PwC, Tesco, Unilever and Vodafone are among a group of major businesses that have already signed up to offer more support.

Josie Triffitt, a Solicitor with Furley Page’s Family team, commented: “It is widely recognised that a separation or divorce can be akin to a bereavement, so the PPA’s new initiative is an important step towards getting employers to acknowledge the impact of relationship breakdown on their employees.

“Anyone who has gone through a separation or divorce will know that it is often a difficult, complex and stressful time and for many who are working during this period, it can understandably have an impact on their performance, especially when the parties are dealing with the settlement financial matters or arrangements for their children.”

In a recent survey by the Positive Parenting Alliance, 90% of respondents stated that separation affected their ability to work and 95% said that their mental health was adversely affected, while more than half of the workers feared they could lose their job or thought about resigning. However, only 9% of employees said that their employers had a specific policy for separation and divorce.

Solicitor Eleanor Rogers, from Furley Page’s Employment law team, said: “In the absence of any such policy, the way that a separating or divorcing individual is treated will depend on their line manager’s approach, which may mean that employees are not treated consistently. Furthermore, in this world of hybrid working, issues such as mental health and wellbeing can be harder to spot.

“Employers can have a huge influence by ensuring that their employees feel supported, which in turn supports productivity and staff retention. The PPA’s new initiative is a positive step in the right direction, and going forward it is going to become more important for employers to put meaningful policies in place to provide assistance and support to staff as they cope with the impact of issues like separation or divorce.”

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UK employers braced for talent exodus

  • UK

56% of employees in the UK are looking to move jobs for more money 

58% of employers in the UK believe that they will lose staff in the next six months as they seek to earn more by moving jobs, according to new research.

According to the research by global talent services company, Morgan McKinley for its 2023 Salary Guide, 56% of employees in the UK are looking to move jobs in the first half of the year, with 49% selecting ‘higher salary’ as the primary reason, followed by ‘better career growth and development opportunities’ (17%).

The survey revealed that 72% of employers had to offer higher than anticipated salaries to attract new employees over the last year. Furthermore, 74% of employers in the UK think that salaries in their specific sector will rise in 2023, with over half (56%) planning on increasing base salaries across all teams.

55% of employees in the UK are expecting their salaries to increase this year, with 59% also expecting some form of bonus payout.

More than half (56%) of businesses plan to hire new permanent or contract employees in the next six months.

David Leithead, Chief Operating Officer of Morgan McKinley UK, commented: “Generally speaking, there was strong wage inflation associated with moving jobs in 2022. Many companies tore up the rule book, ignored salary guides, and simply pulled out all the stops to secure talent. The sense of competitive bidding was exacerbated by the determination of the hirer being matched by the current employer not wanting to lose their employee. We don’t expect to see such widespread increases this year, but they are likely to recur in areas where the shortage of skills is acute.”

“Despite companies looking cautiously to the future, pressure remains to find new talent in response to staff turnover, driving ahead with change agendas, satisfying new regulatory and legal regimes, and maximising the commercial opportunities that continue to exist. Employers need to ensure what they are offering is aligned to expectations, encompassing salaries and benefits. This is even more crucial considering the skills shortage that remains across many industries. Top talent will always be in demand, and 2023 will be no different in that regard.”

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Apprenticeship programs becoming more popular alternative to college

Young adults are rethinking the value of college 

Amid the heightened demand for workers, rising cost of tuition and growing student loan burden, more would-be students are choosing career-connected pathways over four-year colleges, according to recent reports. 

As enrollment falls, alternatives such as apprenticeship programs are quietly gaining steam, particularly for families anticipating the sticker shock of a college education, which currently averages around $53,430, including tuition, fees and room and board, at private colleges and $40,550 at public colleges for the 2022-23 school year, according to the College Board. 

Hafeez Lakhani, Founder and President of Lakhani Coaching in New York commented: “We are a societal turning point. People at the margin are saying ‘I don’t know if I can wait four years to make a living.’” 

Some experts say the value of a bachelor’s degree is fading and more emphasis should be directed toward career training. A growing number of companies, including many in tech, are also dropping degree requirements for many middle-skill and even higher-skill roles. 

However, earning a degree is almost always worthwhile, according to “The College Payoff,” a report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. 

Bachelor’s degree holders generally earn 84% more than those with just a high school diploma, the report said — and the higher the level of educational attainment, the larger the payoff. 

Apprenticeships are on the rise 

In an apprenticeship program, a company generally trains a student in one skill for a specific field. That often leads to a job, sidestepping the traditional college path — and costs. 

Over a decade, the number of registered apprentices rose 64%, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

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Number of payrolled employees up by 102, 000 according to ONS

  • UK

UK narrowly avoids recession again

According to the ONS latest labour market report, the UK employment rate was estimated at 75.6% in October to December 2022. That equates to increase in employment of 0.2%. The increase in employment over the latest three-month period is said to have been driven by part-time workers.

The report has revealed that the number of payrolled employees for January 2023 has also increased. It’s up 102,000 on the revised December 2022 figures, to 30 million.

The unemployment rate for October to December 2022 has however, increased by 0.1% on the quarter, to 3.7%. This figure is driven by people aged 16 to 24 years. Those unemployed for over six, and up to 12, months also increased, while those unemployed for over 12 months decreased in the recent period.

Talk of a recession has dominated the news but the latest figures show that the economic inactivity rate decreased by 0.3% on the quarter, to 21.4% in October to December 2022.

The ONS has stated that flows estimates between July to September 2022 and October to December 2022 show that there was a record-high net flow out of economic inactivity, driven by people moving from economic inactivity to employment. This is great news for the labour market as job posts, although decreasing online, remain at record highs.

In November 2022 to January 2023, the estimated number of vacancies fell by 76,000 on the quarter to 1,134,000, the seventh consecutive quarterly fall since May to July 2022. The fall in the number of vacancies reflects uncertainty across industries, as survey respondents continue to cite economic pressures as a factor in holding back on recruitment.

Growth in average total pay (including bonuses) was 5.9% and growth in regular pay (excluding bonuses) was 6.7% among employees in October to December 2022. For regular pay, this is the strongest growth rate seen outside of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic period. Average regular pay growth for the private sector was 7.3% in October to December 2022, and 4.2% for the public sector; outside of the height of the coronavirus pandemic period, this is the largest growth rate seen for the private sector.

In real terms (adjusted for inflation), growth in total and regular pay fell on the year in October to December 2022, by 3.1% for total pay and by 2.5 for regular pay. This is smaller than the record fall in real total pay seen in February to April 2009 (4.5%), but remains among the largest falls in growth since comparable records began in 2001.

James Reed, Chairman, Reed.co.uk, commented: “The job market remains healthy despite talk of Britain only narrowly avoiding a recession. A key factor driving the boost in job applications that we are seeing is the cost-of-living crisis. People are recognising that one way in which they can secure a pay rise is to move jobs.

“Interestingly, while wage growth remains stable across the jobs market, it is blue-collar roles; jobs that cannot afford such flexibility with remote working, that are seeing the biggest growth in pay. This January, comparing year-on-year, it is customer service and engineering roles that have experienced the most significant pay hikes – up 9.8% and 7.8%, respectively.

“This trend suggests an ‘in-person premium’ when it comes to pay – with organisations having to boost salaries to attract people to roles that cannot provide the flexibility now associated with the white-collar market.”

 Chris Gray, ManpowerGroup UK Director, said: “The UK labour market continues to be very tight and also very resilient. Employers are for now shrugging off the concerns of an economic slowdown but for those looking to hire it remains very tough. Job vacancy levels remain high at around 1.1 million although having reduced a little over the month which points to a slight cooling in demand.

“Pressures on household spending show little sign of easing up – regular pay has fallen by 2.5% when taking inflation into account returning a wage growth average of 6.7% and will be front of mind for both employers and workers alike.

“We’ve heard The Chancellor already outline plans to encourage more over 50s back into the workforce. Money and costs may be a motivator for some over 50s but social stigma also presents a challenge for many within this age group. We have to create the right working environment to overcome some of these issues with more flexibility offered and ensure that employers are listened to, and better accommodate, the needs of this demographic in the workplace. It’s a particularly complex area and there is no silver bullet, but employers and government must work closely together to find the best solutions.”

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HR teams should promote whistleblowing policies; research suggests

  • UK

Low awareness and trust of processes in the majority of businesses

Results from a new survey have highlighted that a majority of HR professionals (57%) in the private and public sectors believe their employees are actively encouraged to speak up about wrongdoing. A further 36% said that employees know they can report wrongdoing.

In contrast, the survey findings also suggest that a large proportion of employees are unaware of what to do if they witness or discover wrongdoing in the workplace.

The findings showed that there appears to be a low investment in the training and promotion of whistleblowing processes and policies, even when such processes and policies exist.

The whistleblowing survey, commissioned by UK-based Safecall, found that the majority of respondents – some 83% – have a whistleblowing policy in place.

There is no legal requirement for an organisation to have a whistleblowing policy; however, under the Corporate Governance Code, if a listed company does not have one, senior management must be able to explain why they don’t.

The survey revealed that HR managers are overwhelmingly aware of the EU Whistleblowing Directive. However, just over 20% admitted that they were unaware of the Directive and its possible impact on their business.

These findings suggest that nearly two years of awareness activity have largely worked. However, the findings revealed that 43.5% of organisations have not bought into or are completely unaware of the benefits of actively promoting whistleblowing.

Most respondents said whistleblowing training is not mandatory in their workplace. In addition, over 61% of organisations do not do any promotion and education within the workforce.

Where companies provide internal whistleblowing services, only 58% of their investigators have been formally trained, indicating that the balance of investigators (42%) are conducted by employees who have either learned through experience, are self-taught, or have no experience at all.

The risks of this lack of training may be huge for an organisation. The main reason organizations lose tribunals is failing to follow legislative and tribunal processes.

Joanna Lewis, MD at Safecall, commented: “Awareness and adoption of whistleblowing processes and policies seem fairly high, which is great to see. However, it’s when you start delving into the mechanics and trust of such processes that we see some worrying trends.

 “There are organisations that have put whistleblowing reporting systems in place but are not bought into actively encouraging reports. A minority of organisations – even if they do have whistleblowing reporting channels in place – see whistleblowing as a tick-box exercise with no benefits to the revenue, morale or profit of the organisation.”

 “While progress is being made, more needs to be done to persuade some HR management teams that whistleblowing has multiple lasting benefits to both themselves and their organisation.”

 “If there is little or no training on what whistleblowing is about, then employees will revert to their ingrained upbringing, which tends to result in not informing on colleagues. Wrongdoing will go unreported and potentially continue.”

 “The fact that 42.6% of respondents felt employees ‘generally feel safe’ in reporting concerns of wrongdoing is actually pretty damning. It doesn’t sound overly confident.”

 “One of the hardest things any employee can do is to become a whistleblower – only a relatively small proportion will ever do so. Any hint that an employee will suffer reprisals if they report wrongdoing will actively reduce the possibility of uncovering problems in an organisation.

 “These survey findings highlight a real opportunity for companies and organisations to review their whistleblowing processes, promote better to their employees and ensure there are robust independent whistleblower hotlines and reporting procedures.”

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Talent Solutions

TALiNT Partners and Stratigens Join Forces to Revolutionize Talent Intelligence Solutions

TALiNT Partners and Stratigens are proud to announce a strategic partnership which will provide an unparalleled range of talent intelligence solutions to the needs of our members, partners and clients.

Alison Ettridge, CEO of Stratigens said “Companies do research on their customers, their markets and their competitors to inform decisions all the time. With Stratigens, they can now do research on the greatest asset –access to the workforce and people they need to deliver their strategy. Our partnership with TALiNT Partners will support our mission of putting human capital at the heart of business decision making. We are really excited about working with the team to overlay the insight that TALiNT Partners’ network brings with labour market data to empower HR, TA and business leaders to make critical strategic decisions.”

Ken Brotherston, CEO of TALiNT Partners added “for some time we have been looking for a partner to support the insight generated by our network with global workplace data to bring a unique offering to the market. Stratigens is the perfect partner to help us achieve this and together we look forward to continuing to help raise capability in how employers find and keep the people they need, and how staffing and talent solutions providers can better support their clients.”

About Stratigens

Stratigens software is helping the world’s best companies make smarter decisions about where to grow, who to hire from and the diversity of their workforce. We join the dots between the labour market, economics and locations. Putting human capital intelligence at the heart of decision making.

We live in a world rich with skills and geo economic data, but the data is messy, unstructured, big and in thousands of places. Stratigens uses the latest in machine learning and big data to gather, extract, categorise and label the data, and put it into a format that’s easy to digest. So our clients can make smarter, faster, more informed decisions.

Stratigens – https://www.stratigens.com

About TALiNT Partners

TALiNT Partners connects the talent ecosystem. We bring together a global network of leading employers and solution providers to make better talent and technology decisions. Providing intelligence, insight and peer-to-peer networking that drives quality, innovation and improves inclusion across the talent ecosystem

TALiNT Partners – https://talintpartners.com/

 

If you would like to know more about the partnership, please contact Ken Brotherston, CEO of TALiNT Partners, ken@talintpartners.com

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Nash Squared acquires Het Flexhuis

Acquisition strengthens Nash Squared as a major MSP

Nash Squared, a provider of talent and technology solutions, has become a major force in Managed Service Provision with its recent acquisition of Het Flexhuis – a Managed Service Provider (MSP) of talent and recruitment services based in The Netherlands.

Het Flexhuis has a strong track record in delivering outsourced recruitment services for government, public services, and commercial organisations and will operate as an independent brand within Nash Squared’s recruitment business Harvey Nash.

Bev White, CEO of Nash Squared, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Het Flexhuis into the Nash Squared family. It is our vision to help our clients access talent and technology in every way possible, and offering a high quality MSP solution is an important next step for us. Het Flexhuis brings enormous experience and expertise with them, and I am excited by the potential.”

Occo Lijding, MD of Harvey Nash The Netherlands, commented: “This represents a step change in how we can help and support our clients in talent and technology. I have long admired the team at Het Flexhuis, and when we met I was struck by how similar our values and ambitions were. They are the perfect fit for us, and I look forward to working with them.”

Frederieke Schmidt Crans, Managing Director, Het Flexhuis commented: “We are thrilled and excited to become part of Nash Squared. Our company was established ten years ago with a mission to create a world-class MSP with great people and processes at its core. We see joining Nash Squared as the natural next chapter in that success story.”

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Adzuna acquires job search engine Getwork

Search engines combine forces to accelerate Adzuna’s growth in the US

On Tuesday, 14 June, Adzuna announced their acquisition of the US job search engine Getwork.

The Getwork team, under the leadership of Brad Squibb, will be working alongside the Adzuna team, intending to accelerate Adzuna’s growth in North America.

Getwork links job seekers with vacant roles at North American companies by indexing millions of verified jobs daily directly from tens of thousands of employer career sites.

Adzuna, with headquarters in London, UK, Indianapolis, IN, and Sydney, AU, uses AI-powered technology to match people to jobs. The company has recently launched in Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and Mexico. Their operations now cover 20 markets globally.

The two companies will operate as independent brands with their own established communities.

Doug Monro, CEO, and Co-founder of Adzuna, comments: “Adzuna acquiring Getwork will help us supercharge our growth in North America. The Getwork team’s stellar reputation for great service and delivery has led them to be trusted by an impressive roster of household name companies in the US. It’s also a great fit as their team and mission are so aligned with ours. The US enterprise market is crying out for strong alternatives to existing offerings and we’re looking forward to combining Adzuna’s marketing expertise, global footprint and programmatic job matching technology with Getwork’s deep industry knowledge and reputation to deliver even better for our customers. The US is the fastest-growing part of our business and this acquisition will accelerate our profitable growth trajectory.”

Brad Squibb, President of Getwork, comments: “Adzuna is a truly global business, operating across 20 countries, which creates an exciting opportunity for us to scale into new markets with the help of a brand that has already paved the way for international expansion. We can’t wait to join Doug and the team on this journey.”

 

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UK companies lack focus on diversity, survey reveals

Despite efforts there is still massive room for improvement in UK management and reporting

In research released today, findings reveal a lack of focus on progressing diversity in the workplace. In the study conducted by SD Worx, it was found that while 68% of UK companies are committed to removing unconscious bias in the recruitment process, many have failed to implement a reporting system to track progress on meeting ED&I objectives.

The survey revealed that only 26% of UK companies evaluate managerial commitment to achieving ED&I-related objectives. A further 32% admitted having no systems allowing employees to report discrimination.

The UK ranked third in its commitment to removing unconscious bias at 68% when it comes to ranking. Ireland ranked first at 74%, with Belgium coming in second, at 69%.

As far as rankings for equal access to training, the UK is slightly lower than other countries, with 64% of companies investing in equal access to training and development. Ireland (72%), Belgium (71%), and Poland (69%) topped the list.

While 64% of UK companies include transparency about ED&I goals and actions to attract a diverse workforce in their mission statement and corporate values, only 60% of the UK companies surveyed said that they promote ED&I in job advertisements, social media, and their websites.

The survey also revealed that countries vary in their level of focus concerning educating and involving managers in their ED&I policies. For example, in the UK, 60% of companies stated that they actively involve their managers in ED&I policies, and 60% provide internal training on the topic.

Colette Philp, UK HR Country Lead at SD Worx commented: “It’s no longer enough for businesses to say they prioritise diversity and inclusion. Instead, they must prove their commitment to achieving a more diverse workforce, both internally within their business and externally to attract talent.”

“There is more awareness than ever before regarding diversity in the workplace and it’s a deciding factor for many when it comes to searching for a role or staying with a business. A diverse workforce brings new experiences and perspectives and an inclusive environment allows individuals to thrive. If businesses aren’t already putting ED&I as a top priority, it’s essential they act now to do so.”

Jurgen Dejonghe, Portfolio Manager SD Worx Insights, added: “It’s important that companies start investing in an active reporting system about their actions concerning diversity, equality and inclusion. On the one hand, that data offers a strong basis for optimising the diversity policy with concrete and consciously controlled actions. On the other hand, such a system also provides clear evidence whether companies are effectively putting their money where their mouth is and not making false promises to (future) employees.”

For ED&I initiatives to be successful, change needs to come from the top, with proper rollouts and reporting system to track their progress.

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