Eloise’s September 2021 News – Employee Support, Recruitment Changes, Menopause
Hello and welcome to September
September is always a catalyst for change. Schools go back after the summer break. The seasons change. Daylight hours get shorter. The coats come back out and soup is back on the lunchtime menu.
With this in mind, I want to focus on change this month. We are moving away from the restrictions we all lived with for so long, but as the economy bounces back are we as people all bouncing back?
Change triggers different things for different people. We’ve all had a lot of change imposed on us. Has this limited the amount of headspace we have left to cope with more change?
How do you cope with change? Do you deal with changes you’re leading better than when it’s imposed on you? Do you have any strategies you use to get you through or embrace change?
Are you able to spot behavioural changes in others that might be a warning sign of something underlying?
I guess my point in talking about this and posting questions to you, is that as we move into a new season, after a tricky summer where not everyone got to do what they normally would, some of your team/family/friends might not be feeling okay. We all need to look out for each other, check in on people and where possible, allow change to bed in.
Supporting your employees managing anxiety and/or depression
This can be extremely challenging. We all have a duty of care, and we should be looking out for our colleagues. Some people dealing with early levels of stress/anxiety or depression might just need a few days to help clear their heads, some might need to reduce their workload for a period to get back on track.
Where business allows there are ‘reasonable adjustments’ that can often be made to help ease some of the daily pressure. It might include a different home/office working pattern, different start/finish times. Or maybe a temporary micromanagement plan.
It’s important for all parties to be open and honest. And the needs of the team picking up any slack also need to be taken into consideration.
If a situation goes beyond this, it is a good idea to get an occupational health professional involved. They can suggest a plan to help support the employee and the interests of the business.
However, when there starts to be a longer-term issue a formal process might be needed.
In July, we welcomed Keeley Baigent from employment law specialist ksabLAW to the HR Huddle as our guest speaker. She talked us through a case study example where a business had made many reasonable adjustments for an employee struggling with their mental health before and during the pandemic. Unfortunately, the employee output wasn’t improving or hitting acceptable standards. The impact on the business and team was too much.
It’s an interesting watch about the processes and steps that everyone needed to go through.
Watch the full clip here: https://youtu.be/0LvckRWPApQ
The recruitment market
The main takeout from the July KPMG and REC, UK Report on Jobs, is also about change. Reporting that now is the best time for people to be looking for a new job. There has been a further sharp drop in candidate availability and starting salaries are at a 24 year high. Plus, there has been another surge in recruitment activity. It’s the perfect storm for job seekers.
But what does this mean for an employer? Large businesses are taking the opportunity to review their employee packages and employee engagement. The emphasis is on employee retention and upskilling. Keeping people fulfilled and valued.
Upping or adapting your offering to your existing employees could pay dividends. In this candidate-driven market, it’s going to be more cost-effective to invest and upskill your existing team than trying to recruit and train new employees.
Are you asking your team what they want? What their aspirations are? What they’d change? It’s all about listening and acting to retain your most important asset.
If you are recruiting, you need an attractive job package. Your role needs to be able to stand out and once you have applicants you need to act quickly before someone else snaps them up or makes them a better offer.
Changes at Vanilla
We have a very positive change here at Vanilla…
Our lovely Sarah Clarke has returned from maternity leave. We’re all delighted to have her back.
Sarah is going to be joining our Sales & Marketing recruitment team to work on permanent roles. This is great news for our clients and us as a team.
If you have any sales or marketing recruitment plans or roles you need support with, please get in touch with Sarah: [email protected]
‘The Change’ – menopause – the hot topic
In another of our HRHuddle sessions recently we were delighted to welcome Julie Dennis, a leading business menopause consultant: www.juliedennis.net/
She led a fantastic and hugely informative session about what menopause is and how managers and organisations can support employees experiencing symptoms.
Watch the whole session here: https://youtu.be/Tae5IJQOIh4
Julie encourages people in the workplace to have conversations about the menopause and to not let it continue to be a taboo topic. There are too many highly capable women who feel they must leave the workplace when their symptoms overwhelm them, this can be avoided with the right support.
As a woman, I am delighted that the world is changing on this subject, and it is in the spotlight with everyone having the opportunity to learn about it. It is so important for all people managers to have training on this topic.
If you are thinking about getting training for your team managers or whole business, do get in contact with Julie: https://juliedennis.net/menopauseatwork/
That’s it for another month
And that’s it for this month. September is great time for recruiting with the change from summer to autumn often triggering people to start looking for a new role. So do get in touch with me or anyone in my team if you’d like any support.
PS If you’ve not already done so check out the ‘The State Of Recruitment Report 2021’ to see what impact has COVID-19 had on the recruitment market in the East Midlands?
We recruit throughout the East Midlands covering Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Rutland and the surrounding areas, especially Market Harborough, Lutterworth, Leicester, Corby and Kettering. We help people find their perfect job and match suitable jobseekers with businesses looking to hire the best candidates across our five specialisms – Sales, Marketing, Accountancy & Finance, HR and Office
Gain a new skill in 2021
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