Tag: Human Resources

69% of employees feel as though they have a good work/life balance

According to research from HR software company Personio, has found that HR teams are most at risk of budget cuts, with half (52%) of HR managers stating that their HR department often loses out most when budgets are trimmed, and a further 55% already having seen budgets cut, or expecting cuts, in the coming months.

As tougher economic conditions loom, contracting HR budgets could significantly limit UK businesses’ performance and their ability to remain resilient.

Also, despite much talked about concerns about staff retention, 50% of UK HR managers reported that their senior leadership team doesn’t prioritise their employees with 56% saying the business doesn’t place enough value on the HR function.

With the research revealing that only just under a quarter (24%) of UK HR managers feel that they are prepared to help their business remain resilient in an economic downturn. In its report Personio advised businesses to avoid sudden HR department budget cuts and short-term decision making that could potentially damage organisational competitiveness, employee morale and productivity, just when businesses need it most.

Ross Seychell, Chief People Officer at Personio, commented: “HR should be even more of a priority now, not less. Successful businesses put their people and culture as central to critical business operations, one that will protect their company, and their customers in tougher times.

“We’ve just come out of a period when many employers have thrown everything but the kitchen sink at their people in an attempt to hang onto them. If they are not thoughtful before they rush to scale back efforts now, their teams will realise it was never really about making their business a great place to work at all. Businesses need to foster a sustainable, long-term approach to looking after their talent, one that works in both good times and more challenging periods.

“But this more strategic HR role can only be achieved when organisations have the technology, data and systems in place that free HR managers up to focus on their people while providing them with the insights they need to be effective. Budgets may be under threat, but people strategy is an area that absolutely must remain a focus.”

The research, which surveyed 500 HR professionals and 1,000 workers across the UK and Republic of Ireland, found that as businesses have prioritised the employee experience during the recent pandemic, positive progress has clearly been made by HR teams with 69% of employees feeling as though they have a good work/life balance, and 73% rating their company culture as good.

Yet the research also highlighted the HR functions’ concerns that budget cuts will be detrimental to employee performance, with 61% of HR managers concerned that budget cuts will negatively affect employees’ motivation and productivity – putting HR’s valuable work and progress at risk.

And with HR managers citing a good company culture (38%), a sustainable, long-term approach to people strategy (37%), and efficient processes (37%) as the top three most important factors in navigating an economic downturn, it’s clearly never been more important that HR departments are equipped with the tools and financial support that they need.

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Employers will need to follow local, state and federal laws and regulations regarding abortion

Emily Dickens, Chief of Staff and Head of Government Affairs at Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) has stated that the US Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade will have an effect on the world of work. The organization said it will also provide up-to-date resources for employers without weighing in on whether abortion is right or wrong.

Dickens said employers will need to follow local, state and federal laws and regulations regarding abortion. However, she noted self-insured companies are subject to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act rather than state law, and that will provide broader flexibility in structuring health benefits.

She continued: “Some companies are announcing preemptive action to ensure workers have access to abortion services by increasing travel benefits to cover healthcare procedures. For example, new SHRM research shows that nearly a quarter of organizations agree that offering a health savings account to cover travel for reproductive care in another state will enhance their ability to compete for talent. But how these policies interact with state laws is unclear, and employers should be aware of the legal risks involved.”

SHRM also reported key findings from its research related to the topic:

  • 35% of organizations would not be more likely to provide travel expense benefits outside of a health savings account for employees to access reproductive services if it was tax deductible.
  • Knowing that employees can use HSA funds for travel-related expenses to receive reproductive care in another state, 87% of organizations still would not make any changes to the contributions they make to employees’ HSAs.
  • Paid time off was named the top resource currently provided to employees to better support reproductive care, cited by 32% of firms.
  • 29% of organizations said they would increase support within an employee assistance program for reproductive care in a post-Roe and Casey world.
  • 14% of organizations said they would include the topic of reproductive rights in their diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
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Recruitment sector among the fastest growing industries for entry-level roles

New data from LinkedIn has found that demand for recruiters is soaring in the UK. With the tightening labour market, LinkedIn’s data indicates that 2.9x more recruiter jobs were advertised on the professional networking site in April 2022 compared to January 2019.

The same trend has been noted across Europe during the same period with:

  • Germany (5.9x)
  • France (4.3x)
  • Spain (4.2x)

The recruitment industry is a great opportunity for entry-level talent. LinkedIn’s data regarding the fastest growing industries for career starters in the UK shows that the Staffing & Recruiting sector has grown by 65% year-on-year (2020-2021) for entry-level roles.

LinkedIn’s data showed that the fastest-growing entry-level roles in the UK were Recruitment Resourcer and Human Resources Administrator. Roles such as these require candidates with strong people skills, including sourcing, interviewing, and executive search.

Adam Hawkins, Head of Search and Staffing, EMEA & LATAM, at LinkedIn, commented: “It’s great to see that recruiters are in such high demand as the recruitment industry continues to play a vital role in helping businesses navigate a challenging economic and hiring environment. It’s a fantastic profession, particularly for those starting out in their careers, and presents endless opportunities for skills development.

In the UK, we’ve recently seen job adverts outnumber the amount of people unemployed for the first time since records began. As companies struggle to source the skills they need to succeed, recruiters will be more relied upon than ever to advise companies on how they can open up new talent pools and attract top talent.”

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