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8 ways to boost employee wellbeing

Workplace absence is costing the United Kingdom’s economy £18 billion pounds each year – and is predicted to rise to £21 billion by 2020 according to research by the Centre of Economic and Business Research. HR professionals across the UK are reporting that a focus on employee wellbeing can play a significant role in reducing the cost to your organisation.

Absenteeism is not the only problem, according to the Office for National Statistics the output per hour worked in the UK in 2015 was 16.6% lower than that of other G7 nations. Focusing on employee wellbeing is likely to increase productivity, the NHS Health and Wellbeing report shows NHS Trusts with higher wellbeing scores perform better financially, have higher patient satisfaction and registers fewer acute infections among staff.

With that in mind, we’ve listed 8 simple things you can start doing to boost employee wellbeing:

Natural light

Natural light has the power to boost mood, energy levels and productivity. A study by World Green Building Council shows workers that are exposed to natural light sleep on average 46 minutes more than those who are not, and that translates into a 18% increase in productivity.

Time to open those blinds!

A splash of colour

Dull grey offices are a thing of the past – or at least they should be. University of Texas researchershave found that bland grey, beige and white offices induced feelings of sadness and depression.

On the other hand, scientific studies have shown how colours can profoundly impact our productivity. Green and blue can improve efficiency and focus. Red increases the heart rate and blood flow, making people more alert. Yellow triggers creativity and innovation.

You are what you eat

If your employees eat healthy food, all the evidence is that they will be healthier, feel better, be more productive and take less sick days.

A few of the things you can do to stimulate healthy eating is offering free fruit, having healthy options in the cafeteria where you have one, at vending machines and by providing a space where staff can prepare healthy food.

Be flexible

Implementing a flexible working policy reduces stress and enhances your employees’ work-life balance. Many companies who adopted telecommuting have seen their productivity levels through the roof – Best Buy, British T4 Telecom, Dow Chemical show that teleworkers are 35-40% more productive, and American Express employees who worked from home were 43 percent more productive than workers in the office.

You don’t need to go fully remote to see the benefits – allowing your employees to choose when to come to the office or to split time between remote and office based work brings benefits too.

Your staff can avoid rush hour commute by comping to the office later – in 2016, the Royal Society for Public Health published a report suggesting commuting can negatively impact both physical and mental health; and they can work when they feel more productive and arrange their work schedule so that they can attend doctor appointments, for example.

Support fitness

Contribute to gym memberships, create running or walking clubs, stimulate workers to take part in sporting events by sponsoring them, stimulate cycle or walk/run commutes by having cycle racks and showers available – do whatever is within your reach to promote exercise and fitness among your employees.

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, increasing alertness. Endorphins released after exercise improve mental health, and energy levels go up too because exercise intensifies your body’s ability to transfer glucose and oxygen throughout your brain and body. Being active also means an overall better physical health and boosts the immune system.

Taking breaks to win

Do you have a break room where workers can chill out, relax and take their mind off work? If not, it might be time to think about one. Recent studieshave found that a break once an hour increases work productivity.

It is important to encourage employees to take their full lunch break too and avoid eating at their desk. Taking a proper break is a proven way to sustain concentration and enhance creativity. People have the chance to socialise with members of other teams when spending some time at the break areas too, enhancing the potential for collaboration.

Say “Thank you”

From simply saying ‘thank you’ to developing an employee reward programme, there is a range of ways to make your staff felt valued and appreciated. At First Base for instance, our employees and temp staff enjoy benefits like shopping, leisure and dining discounts.

Counselling

A CIPD report shows mental health and stress related absences are the second biggest cause of absences in the UK, only losing to minor illnesses such as cold, headaches and stomach upsets. Making a counselling service available to your employees could be the support they need to go through a time of stress or poor mental health, reducing recovery times and making them feel worthwhile and appreciated.

Again, at First Base, we offer access to professional counsellors to help with a range of mental health issues via a smartphone app.

How seriously organisations take employee well-being is having a significant effect on not only absenteeism but recruitment and retention of talented people.

Adapted from an article supplied by our payroll partner, Hive360. 

First Base Clients and Candidates tell us we are their first choice because we are reliable, responsive and well connected. If you would like to know more about how our team can help your organistion with your recruitment requirements or with your next career move, contact us on 01453 755330.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employee engagement – beyond the pay packet

Employee engagement was considered the biggest challenge of 2018 by 41% of 447 HR Directors in the UK interviewed for an annual survey*. But, what exactly is employee engagement?

The CIPD defines employee engagement in three aspects:

Putting it into more concise and practical terms:

“Employee engagement is the extent to which people are personally involved in the success of a business.”

Looking at it like that, it does make a lot of sense to invest in employee engagement, ensuring your employees are invested in the success of your business. And data backs that up too:

However, engaging employees goes way beyond having a casual dress code and offering free snacks at work. Here are some powerful ways to motivate and engage your employees:

Empowerment

Do your workers feel comfortable to challenge superiors and suggest alternative strategies and solutions to problems? If the answer is no, it might be time to empower them to do so. Not only can your business benefit from different perspectives and potentially more efficient solutions, your workers will feel they have a voice and are valued in the company.

Communication

Internal communication strategy should be focused on informing employees of decisions being taken, changes and achievements in the company. But communication goes beyond that. It is also key to ensure workers are clear about what their roles entail, what is expected of them, what are their KPI’s and so on, preventing uncertainty on all levels.

Decision Making

Involve workers on the decisions that will directly affect their role. This goes hand in hand with empowering employees, valuing them and giving them a voice. But besides that, it also improves morale and motivation and gives workers a sense of responsibility over the decision made, focusing more on problem solving.

Measuring Output 

Your employee’s efficiency should be judged by results, not hours. Expecting workers to sit on their desks even when they have already finished their tasks and are delivering what is expected of them and more creates a culture of ‘presenteeism’ disengagement and boredom. Measuring output, rather than input, makes for a much more engaging and productive work environment, where employees are happier and more able to manage work-life balance.

What can First Base help with?

Our temporary staff are provided with perks including NHS approved 24h GP phone service, 1000’s of shopping and dining discounts and specialised counselling service. All of that in the palm of their hands, with our ground breaking mobile portal where they also have access to fully GDPR compliant payslips, insurance discounts and training by market leaders, plus much more.

If you would like to know more about how the First Base team can help you with your organistions recruitment requirements or your next career move contact us on 01453 755 330.

*source: Cascade HR

Adapted from an article provided by our payroll partner Hive 360.

Why use a recruitment agency?

With record numbers of people in work (32.54m and rising according to the Office of National Statistics in January 2019), it is not surprising that employers are increasingly turning to trusted Recruitment Agencies to find the talent they need.  How clients work with their Recruitment Consultants has changed and there are more reasons than ever for businesses large and small to use a reputable agency. We have certainly seen clients now spreading the net to find the candidates they need.

 

Advantages of using a Recruitment Agency:

Candidates, not applicants

It takes effort and time to attract applicants whether they are responding to your advert, applying on spec or through your website. Inevitably a lot of time will be invested in filtering, assessing, matching and communicating with people who apply for the roles you have available. It’s at this time that the best talent is often lost due to delays and a poor applicant ‘experience’.

A good Recruitment Agency will only present you with candidates – job seekers that have already been screened and selected because they match the criteria you are looking for and are worthy of interviewing.

Save time

Recruitment is a time consuming activity. By using a Recruitment Agency you save time dealing with the application process, screening CV’s and avoiding initial interviews with people who turn out to be unsuitable. You and your own team save time on dealing with the whole recruitment process as they deal with everything from application through to providing feedback to candidates on your behalf.

Reach and Connections 

Hard pressed HR or in house teams benefit from the long established reach and networks of a trusted recruitment partner. A good Recruitment Agency can generate a shortlist for interview faster than an in house resource because they working full time on building the networks and connections where high quality candidates can be found. Recruitment Agency web sites attract people seeking a career change every day, this provides a data base of talented people that can be matched with the employment opportunities you have

Fast access to key skills

At the top of the list of reasons for using a Recruitment Agency for many companies, is short term access to the key skills they need to cover leave and demand peaks. With high employment it’s not surprising that there is pressure on recruiting temporary staff as well a permanent staff. A good Recruitment Agency will have great relationships with their bank of workers, will track their availability and be able to place them in short term roles very quickly.

Promote your employer brand 

A Recruitment Agency will position your company and promote your business to appropriate candidates. Whatever the size of your organisation, it is always helpful to have someone who understands your business, can answer questions that may arise and who is on your side to sell your company at a time when there are many more employment opportunities for good candidates.

Expert Knowledge 

With consultants that specialise in specific sectors, a Recruitment Agency provides a wealth of knowledge that helps them to understand the skills and characteristics required of a specific role. This helps them to refine their search and put forward the most appropriate candidates. Sector specialists can advise on how to attract the right candidate and what salary range is considered competitive in the local area.

Long term relationships 

A good Recruitment Agency is interested in building long term relationships with their clients. They develop a deep understanding of how you work and become a part of your team, available when you need them and ready to find the people you need to achieve your organisations goals and objectives.

Why First Base?

With a reputation for being reliable, responsive and well connected, the First Base team has matched hundreds of businesses with thousands of candidates since 1997. Do get in touch if you would like to find out more about how we can help you.

David Tovey and Tricia Hay

 

What happens to employment rights with a ‘no deal’ Brexit?

 

In a recent technical update, the Government has stated that there will be no change to worker’s rights and protections in the event of a no deal Brexit.

The update confirmed that after March 29th 2019, regardless of whether a deal is reached between the UK and the EU, workers will continue to be covered by The EU Withdrawal Act 2018 which translates EU legislation into UK Law.

In the technical update (Workplace rights if there is no Brexit deal) published on the .Gov website, the Government stated that domestic legislation already exceeds the level of employment protection under EU law. Although there may be minor amendments to reflect the fact that the UK is no longer a member of the EU, there will be no policy changes.

Secretary for exiting the European Union Dominic Raab said: “The technical notice on workplace rights explains the steps we are taking to transfer all EU legislation into UK law in time for exit, so workers will continue to be entitled to the rights they have now, such as flexible working or parental leave. In many areas we already go much further than the EU.”

The government has noted that there might be some implications to workers’ rights in the event of employer insolvency. In particular, employees that work in an EU country for a UK-based employer might not always be protected under the national guarantee established in that country, which could affect their ability to bring a wage claim.

European works councils, bodies representing European employees in an organisation, might also be affected. UK regulations will be amended so that no new requests to set up a European works council can be made and provisions are put in place to allow existing councils to continue.

It said organisations with European works councils might need to review any agreements made if there are no reciprocal arrangements between the UK and EU.

Whilst this means no changes in the short term, there is of course no guarantee that a future Parliament might not enact changes to the current legislation.

If you want to work with a local recruitment agency with roots in the local community, a passion for people, a commitment to excellence, and you know where to find them, you can contact First Base.

Tricia Hay, Director

Industrial team joined by Nathan Hughes

The week has started well. Nathan, Mags and Andy are ready to take your call and have many temp to perm job roles to fill. They’re looking rather bright and bushy tailed ! Call 01453 755330 for more information and a start date.

So here’s why you didn’t get the job.

We had to pass on bad news recently to a candidate well qualified for the job they had been interviewed for. It’s never a pleasant task to have tell someone they won’t be going forward to a second interview.

We’d asked for feedback from our client of course and it was disappointing to hear that someone we thought to be a switched on, intelligent and capable individual had made one of the most basic mistakes when applying for a job.

They had failed to research the company and didn’t ask any insightful questions. It turned out they hadn’t even bothered to follow the link we’d provided to the company web site.

Show genuine interest

It’s fair to assume that when you are invited to an interview, the employer has shown interest in you. They will already have read your CV carefully and prepared questions based upon it to find out if you are the talented person they need for their team. They may even have carried out some internet research.

Put yourself in the employers shoes for a moment. How would you feel if the person you were interviewing didn’t even know what products or services you provided… let alone any current news that was available and in the public domain? The right candidate will do at least basic interview research.

It’s not as if researching a potential employer should be a surprise to a candidate. Many of us are old enough to remember visiting the local library, reading business newspapers, or visiting Companies House to do our research. Today it’s really easy to research an organisation (even MI5 and GCHQ provide plenty of information) and if you don’t demonstrate a genuine interest, don’t expect as good response from the employer!

Ask insightful questions

“Judge a person by the quality of their questions rather than their answers” – Voltaire

One way to impress a potential employer and demonstrate you have done your homework is to prepare a few insightful questions. An insightful question is one related to the research you have done and is by far the best way to demonstrate you have done some research without actually having to say you have.

“Has the new product launch recently announced been well received by customers?”

“Will the contract the company recently won in China mean you will be recruiting more staff?”

“I understand that the company recently merged with a competitor, has this changed the business strategy”

Today’s employers are unlikely to make an offer to someone who hasn’t bothered do some interview research. When you are competing with others who understand this, it can be the quality of your research and questions that can be a major differentiator.

If you’d like to know more about researching an potential employer or about asking great questions or any other aspect of how to impress at interviews; register as a candidate, contact us or call Tricia Hay on 01453 755330.

By Tricia Hay and David Tovey

Beyond Millennials – Recruiting Generation Z

At a recent recruitment event for students, the guest speaker (a manager from a local company) publicly berated one of the students for texting on her mobile phone whilst he was presenting. “You will need to learn to pay attention if you want a good job’ the speaker said. She responded “What you were saying was so interesting that I was taking notes on my phone”. Just one more mismatch between the norms and expectations of different generations.

Recently we wrote a blog about the expectations of millennials and how employers might need to rethink their approach to recruiting the brightest talent. If there is confusion about what millennials expect, then be prepared for more potential confusion when you’re managing and recruiting Generation Z (18 – 20 years), who didn’t have to learn about new technologies and social media – they were born into it. They have grown up with a constant proliferation of information on a fully mobile internet.

With Generation Z making up an increasingly significant part of the available workforce by 2020 you have to ask yourself are you ready?


In general

We meet a lot of ‘Gen Z’  and our experience of recruiting them indicates that they are Millennials+!

In general, we find them ambitious, dedicated and ready to work. They expect that they will have to work harder than previous generations to have the career they aspire to. Contrary to popular belief that don’t expect to be job hoppers and want stability in jobs they enjoy – but they will not hesitate to move on to find the employer they enjoy working for. They are not impressed by hierarchical management styles and expect to advance on merit, not ‘time served’.

When looking for a job, Generation Z’s biggest priorities tend to be:

The good news for smaller employers who’ll be recruiting Generation Z is that they like to work in a collaborative small team environment where they can make an impact and (despite digital communication being second nature) they enjoy face to face communication. Whilst they like the perceived financial stability of larger businesses they will often trade pay for interesting and engaging work where there is a greater opportunity to shine and make a difference. Many actively seek employers who have a reputation for making a positive contribution to society.

Don’t expect 24/7 commitment

No matter how much they care, Generation Z won’t devote their lives to your business 24/7. Work-life balance is important to them. They want to know how working at your business will fit into their lives and their personal goals. Be honest about what the job is like, this is a generation that can smell a lack of authenticity a mile away.

The type of managers Generation Z report to is very important to them. They want honest bosses with integrity and who mentor them. With a lifelong access to information, they are accustomed to constant learning and want managers who can coach and teach them.

Recruiting Generation Z

Generation Z employees can bring a lot to employers and the best way we find to recruit them includes;

If you already have great Generation Z people on your team remember to keep them engaged and provide opportunities for them to advance. If you don’t, they won’t hesitate to seek new pastures!

If you’d like to know more about recruiting and leading Generation Z, contact us online or call Tricia Hay on 01453 755330

By Tricia Hay and David Tovey

 

 

Network to boost your career

You can be the most talented person around, but if you are not well connected through your professional network you can easily miss out on rewarding and exciting career opportunities. Invest some time in networking.

Building an effective professional network should really start as soon as you are considering embarking on your chosen career – even if you are still in full time education. Don’t be put off by the thought of it. Networking is easier and more fun than you might think!

 

I don’t know what to say

The most basic mistake even seasoned business networkers make is thinking that it’s all about being a great talker, having the ability to have interesting things to say. In reality, the greatest networking skill is listening – demonstrating genuine interest in other people.

The most boring people in social situations are the people who talk about themselves all the time. It’s no different with your professional connections. You will soon find, on and off line, that you make more friends by being interested in other people. Sure there is a time when you will need to tell your story, but by demonstrating interest in other people first you will earn the right to be listened to. Listening to your network will inform you about what they are interested in, meaning you can tailor what you say about yourself in a way that adds value.

Networking is a pro-social behaviour that works on the principle of reciprocity. Other people feel more inclined to invest time and effort in you if you invest time and effort in them first.

 

What – not engaging on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is by far the most important on line business networking tool. Don’t treat it just as a static place to store you CV though – be proactive. Post updates that your target connections (potential employers, influencers and recruitment consultants) will find interesting. Set yourself apart by demonstrating your credibility and knowledge by sharing or writing interesting content.  Follow people that you would like to connect with. Engage with their posts, make comments and request a connection – don’t just send your CV.

Don’t forget to connect with your recruitment consultants on line too. That way you stay ‘top of mind’ when they have opportunities you might be interested in.

If you are interested in a particular industry or profession, check out the places people in that industry hang out on line. Most have forums and discussion groups that you can participate in in order to get known and build your reputation.

 

It’s not all on line

There are numerous local, regional and national industry and business events that you can attend and many have networking sessions as part of the event. The rules are the same – ask questions and show interest in other people. Listen to what they say and you might just find they are people you need in your network.

 

When it’s your turn to talk

Learn how to sum up your story and ‘position’ yourself in less than two minutes. In business it’s sometimes called your ‘elevator pitch’. Can you say something interesting enough in a two-minute elevator ride that will engage other people?

If you have listened effectively you will soon be able adapt what you say to the individual or group that you are speaking with.

 

Network with colleagues

We often find that candidates know little or nothing about other parts of the business they already work for. Build internal networks, show interest in other parts of the company and you might just find that the connections you need are right on your door step!

If you’d like to know more about how networking can give you career a boost contact us, or call Tricia Hay on 01453 755330.

By Tricia Hay and David Tovey.

Feedback from a happy client – Thank you Matt

Great feedback from a happy client this morning concerning one of our temp team. Makes our team happy too.
“Lovely kid, speaks to everyone and stayed on to until 5pm to meet the lads he’ll be working with on the late shift. One of the lads on that shift just said ‘best one we’ve had yet’, and they are not an easy lot to make happy!”

Recruiting for senior roles throughout the South West

Join us in our mission to find the best in the County. http://bit.ly/SeniorAppts #Careers #Recruitment #Growth