First Base team up with Forest Green Rovers

We have teamed up with Forest Green Rovers to support the great work they do throughout their community initiative with young people.

Every year, FGR recruit a team of new young ambassadors who promote the club and get the message out about all the things they do on and off the pitch. The young ambassadors get to see how sustainability works in practice at the stadium and learn how the players live and breathe their values. They then share their experiences with their families, friends and teachers.

At First Base, we firmly believe in our community and social responsibilities and have invested in helping young people into work since we started in business 22 years ago. In 2018 we launched the First Base Leadership Challenge, providing free world-class leadership coaching for young people in work with local SME’S. Teaming up with FGR and sponsoring a Match Day is a natural extension to our activities.

Employers and candidates tell us that First Base is their first choice for help with their recruitment requirements and their personal career progression. If you would like to know more about how the First Base team could help you, contact us on 01453 755330.

Working parents – how to avoid feeling overwhelmed

So how does your ‘master’ to do list look? Does it include a never-ending list of job deadlines, parenting responsibilities and domestic chores? The reality is that working parents have a seemingly endless and ever-growing to-do list or even multiple to-do lists. No wonder that research confirms that most working parents can end up feeling tired, in a constant hurry and stressed. For some, managing multiple priorities can seem overwhelming.

Technology has given us access to the tools we can use to organise our professional and personal lives but somehow these tools serve to remind us of the fact that we might not be getting enough done and may not be in control as we sit in bed scheduling meetings, phone calls, social media and business deadlines alongside school events, holiday activities and family commitments. We’ve all had that ‘stop the bus I want to get off” moment.

Our problem isn’t that we aren’t actually in control – it’s more about how the human brain functions. It is normal to feel overwhelmed when there seems to be so many multiple priorities to deal with.

The good news is that there are well established and simple techniques that every working parent can do to feel calmer and in control of those ever-present to do lists.

Begin with the end in mind

Good managers know that organisations work well when there are clear strategic, operational and tactical goals. There are targets that, when achieved, can be celebrated. Knowing where the organisation or team is headed they can be confident in decision making and enjoy the motivation that comes from working towards their destination.

Working parents don’t always do the same.

Too often we are working to get through what can often seem a daunting day ahead. Our heads go down as we ‘get on with it’ making our lives potentially seem relentless and stressful. It can feel as if those to do lists and schedules are in charge of your life rather than the other way around. Constantly feeling that we have too much to do can be exhausting.

If we take a leaf out of the good managers’ book and start thinking about the end results of being good parents and good in our professional lives you can put yourself back in charge. Knowing that your goals are to contribute to the success and growth of your organisation whilst raising healthy, independent, successful children provides a sense of confidence, motivation and self-determination. YOU decided on the goal and it is your goal you that you are getting closer to every day. And remember they are YOUR goals, not necessarily the goals of other parent’s. It’s achieving your own life and career goals that will motivate you when times seem tough. The more specific your goals are the more likely they are to motivate you.

With a clear view of what you are working towards you can rid your to-do list and schedules of anything that does not contribute to achieving your professional and family goals, focusing only on those things that matter, spending time and energy on those things driving you forward.

Keep an ‘it’s done’ list

It was when our very own David Tovey was speaking at a ‘Dealing with Multiple Priorities” event in Sydney that he was introduced to the work of Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik. The Zeigernic effect states that people tend to remember and over fixate on uncompleted or interrupted tasks significantly more than finished ones. Outstanding tasks take up a lot of mental space and create negative emotions that can leave us feeling anxious. As a working parent, the list of outstanding tasks can lead to a great deal of anxiety. Whilst that to do list is necessary, it only fuels any stress we feel.

In Sydney, David met one person actually putting completed tasks, not originally on her to do list, on to the list so that she could put a line through it, showing it as completed. Why? Because it gave her a positive feeling of closure. Capture all those completed projects and remind yourself of how far you’ve come, how much has been accomplished in your professional and family life. Look back on the list from time to time to remind yourself of your achievements. At the same time keep all those ‘well done’ and ‘thank you’ work-related messages as well as fathers, mother’s day, birthday etc cards (especially the handmade ones). They have the power to bring a smile, a warm glow and remind yourself why you do what you do.

Take a digital detox

Smart phones, apps, email and social media provide great tools BUT also can contribute to a feeling of never being off duty. Promise yourself that sometime in the next couple of days you will set aside a minimum of 30 minutes for a digital detox at home. With that time commit to focusing on yourself and/or your family. Have a ‘no phones’ at meal times rule when the kids are telling you about their day. You have work commitments, yes, but even the highest powered execs can switch off for 30 minutes without the world ending.

Just 30 minutes can make a real difference. Stress ebes away and you are back in control having made the decision to detox and executed it. Those schedules and to do lists are there to help you achieve your career, life and family goals. They don’t rule you, you rule them.

How to answer the ‘tell me about yourself” question

The team at First Base undertake hundreds of recruitment interviews on behalf of employers every year. Well qualified people too often let themselves down by failing to prepare for the questions they should expect to be asked. Often the most stumbled over and feared question in the recruitment process comes right at the start with the classic ice breaker ”Tell me about yourself”; especially when asked to talk about what isn’t on your CV. Here are a few tips to help.

Getting personal

As well as an ice breaker, this question is a way for the interviewer to gain some insight into your personality. They also want to determine your fit for the job and the organisation. The interviewer doesn’t want to know everything about you – your answer needs to be a careful balance between declaring too much and making them wonder why you aren’t being more open with your answer. The interviewer wants to know that you have the sort of well-rounded personality and outlook that will fit well with their culture. Your research should, of course, include finding out about the culture of the organisation that you are hoping to join.

Remember that the early stages of a recruitment interview are about establishing rapport so avoid the temptation to start by giving a long list of qualifications for the job. You are being asked about the you beyond your career and work experience – so share something about what makes you tick and be authentic, don’t make things up or over exaggerate because you think it will impress – there will be follow up questions!

An option is to share some of your personal interests that don’t directly relate to your career but demonstrate your attitudes to life and work. For example, fitness related hobbies can help to emphasise a healthy energetic and positive outlook. If you mention more sedate pursuits such as reading or the theatre to demonstrate a thoughtful or creative edge, be prepared to be asked who your favourite author is or which genre’s you enjoy. Voluntary work you are involved in can demonstrate your community and social values as well as highlight any skills you use, such as communication, that are relevant to the job you are applying for. On the other hand, do take care not to sound so enthusiastic about interests that you might suggest they could interfere with your career.

From Personal to Professional

Once you have shared a few interesting aspects of your background you can transition to speaking about key professional skills that would benefit your potential employer if you were taken on. A good transition might be to say “As well as my outside passions, my career is very important to me” and then move on to speak about the positive attributes that you would bring to the job you are being interviewed for. Prepare to share a few of the personal qualities and areas of expertise that would help you to deliver high performance in the job. Over the course of the interview, you should build on these three of four areas to help reassure the interviewer that you are the right person for the job. Your advanced research into the organisation and the job description will help you to emphasise your relevant strengths and skills, without overwhelming the interviewer with too much information at the start.

When you answer the ‘Tell me about you” question you are providing a brief summary of evidence that supports your application. For instance, you might say how much you enjoy networking and getting to know people if the job you are applying for includes interacting with clients and customers. You don’t need to share information about your family, your partners, children or any other strictly personal information and we suggest avoiding potentially contentious subjects such as politics and religion unless you are absolutely sure that your personal opinions are being sought and will be well received.

Remember, the more you research the organisation and job role, the more you can prepare for the questions you are likely to be asked.

Recognising stress and how to help – a management guide

We get to hear a lot about the stress people experience at work. It is often the real reason they approach us to help them with a career change in the first place. By then stress has gone far beyond what is healthy.

Most people are all too familiar with workplace stress. The uneasy feeling and tension as a deadline approaches or the butterfly’s in the stomach as an important presentation or pitch looms. Some stress at work is good for you. It helps you to focus and prepares you for action. However, prolonged and sustained stress can lead to health issues, mental health problems and long term absence due to illness. That’s when it becomes a problem for individuals and the organisations they work for. Recognising and understanding how to tackle stress is something managers in all organisations, big or small, should prepare for.

In our blog ‘Start a conversation about mental health’ we explored the size of the problem and the negative effect on both an employee and their employer. Knowing what to do about stress at work is a key management skill that has important business, social and moral implications.

Causes of stress and recognising the signs

The top six causes of stress are:

specific demands of the job
the amount of control an employee has over their work
support received from managers and colleagues
workplace relationships
the employee’s role in the organisation
organisational change and how it’s managed

It is really important that employers are tuned in to how their employees are feeling. The symptoms of stress can appear in a number of ways and some of the typical signs are:

Emotional – An individual may seem sensitive to criticism, be irritable, have an uncharacteristic loss of confidence or self-esteem, and seem to be less engaged.

Cognitive – You may notice an individual is making more mistakes than usual, is having problems making decisions, or isn’t able to concentrate.

Behavioural – This could include things like consistently arriving late, not taking lunch breaks, taking unplanned time off, not joining in with the team or office banter, or maybe not meeting deadlines.

Physical – Employees who are stressed sometimes exhibit physical symptoms such as having a constant cold, being overtired at work, making less effort with their appearance, rapid weight loss or gain.

Managers have a massive and potentially difficult role to play.

Acknowledging that there is a problem is the first step. Understandably, many managers are worried about approaching the subject of stress, being wrong or causing offence. If the manager is part of the problem, then a neutral third party will be needed. Where there is one, a company’s HR department or outside provider can be an informal and independent sounding board.

Ask the employee for a quiet word somewhere private and then let them know that it’s been noticed they’ve not been themselves and ask if they’d like to talk about it. Any meeting should be confidential, non-threatening, open and provide an opportunity for the individual concerned, their line manager and any HR professional to discuss and identify what support the business can offer to better help the employee to cope.

Here are a number of short-term tactics that you can implement that can go a long way in helping you to tackle workplace stress:

reminding managers that a genuine ‘thank you’ goes a long way in helping people feel valued
being aware of workloads and providing support if unreasonable demands are being made
being aware of a repeated stressful situation related to an individuals’ job role
making sure staff take their full holiday entitlement
providing a stress management workshop for all employees to ensure no one feels they have been singled out

Management style

Managers come in all shapes and sizes with a range of management styles. Some may be uncaring, inflexible or unsure. Others are nurturing, empathic and supportive. Either way, management style, good or bad, has a direct effect on staff wellbeing and morale.

Training managers in leadership skills can help. Key management behaviours to consider include:

always showing respect and managing personal emotions in all interactions with people
letting the team know what is coming up so that they can better manage their workloads
taking a collaborative approach that empowers individuals to take charge of their work
treating people as individuals, being approachable, showing empathy and taking responsibility to help people manage their work / life balance better
helping individuals to deal with difficult situations, proving support and helping to resolve conflicts

How an organisation deals with workplace stress reflects massively on its reputation as an employer. For the sake of the health of individuals and the business, taking the issues seriously is good for everyone.

If you want that job – be on time!

Question: When is punctuality important at a job interview?

Answer: Always!

If you want to get off to a good start and earn some positive points at an interview, being punctual is absolutely vital.

“Punctuality is a fundamental business courtesy that demonstrates you can be trusted to deliver as promised” – David Tovey

First Impressions

It should go without saying, but it is never acceptable to be late to an interview. This is such a common standard that some employers will refuse to interview a candidate if they are late. Sadly some candidates still fail to realise that there is a basic requirement to be on time.

Look at it from the potential employers point of view. If the person who apparently is really keen to work for you walks in for an interview 10 minutes late, would you trust them to be on time and be organized throughout their employment with you? The recruitment process also takes up a lot of time for both employment agencies and employers – being late suggests that you are indifferent about the effort they are taking to help you find the job you want.

Have no doubt that potential employers have heard all the excuses:

Sorry I’m late..

“The traffic was terrible”

“The trains were running late”

“I had problems finding your offices”

Use these excuses (or the many similar ones) and all that the interviewer will be thinking is that you are not organised enough to plan your journey. They know what the traffic is like around Gloucestershire, on the roads and motorways. They know how the trains run, they also know about Google Maps and Sat Nav. Remember that they travel the same routes themselves.

“People don’t arrive late, they set out late” – David Tovey

But don’t arrive early

Arriving late is clearly not going to help you get the job you want – but being too early isn’t going to help your cause either. There are people who turn up 30 – 40 minutes early for a job interview and waltz in thinking it’s ok.

Just like when you turn up late, the recruitment manager is thinking.

You can’t (or don’t) follow instructions.
You don’t respect the recruitment managers time pressures.

Late or early – if they are thinking that about you before you have even introduced yourself – what do you think that does to your chances of getting the job offer?

Turning up too early for an interview can also make it awkward for your potential employer. The organisation might only have one meeting room, so if you turn up too early you’ll have to be seated in reception – sometimes next to another person also waiting to go into the interview for the same role as you. That can be uncomfortable for everyone.

A job interview provides the opportunity for you to shine, it’s your chance to make the right impression and the impression you make starts the moment you arrive. Those extra 30-40 minutes will count towards what the potential employer thinks of you.

What should you do?

Plan to arrive around 5 minutes early, not earlier and not later.

If you turn up too early:

Go to a local coffee shop. You get time to collect your thoughts and relax.
Wait in your car. As above; you get time to read any notes you have made and use your smart phone to check out the latest news about the organisation you are about to meet with.
Go for a walk. Take in the sights of the local area.

When it comes to choosing between two good candidates, it can be the smallest of things that make all the difference. Don’t miss out on your finding your ideal job just because you didn’t turn up on time, it’s totally under your control. Check out our blog “Why didn’t I get the job”.

Start a conversation about mental health

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Businesses rely on having a healthy and productive workforce. Conditions like anxiety, depression and long term excessive stress are experienced by one in six British workers each year. Over the past five years, employers have repeatedly cited stress as the number one reason given by employees who take time off work.

Research by Mind, the mental health charity, recently confirmed that a culture of fear and silence around mental health can be costly to employers:

More than one in five (21 per cent) agreed that they had called in sick to avoid work when asked how workplace stress had affected them
14 per cent agreed that they had resigned and 42 per cent had considered resigning when asked how workplace stress had affected them
30 per cent of staff disagreed with the statement ‘I would feel able to talk openly with my line manager if I was feeling stressed’
56 per cent of employers said they would like to do more to improve staff wellbeing but don’t feel they have the right training or guidance

What does mental distress look like?

Although it can still be a taboo subject, mental distress is very common, with one in four people experiencing a mental health problem in any one year. Mental distress can affect how people think, feel and act and as a result, people may behave, communicate or respond in ways that give rise to concern.

In some cases, individuals may not disclose a mental health condition, but the Mind organisation suggests several behaviours to look out for that may indicate they are experiencing distress:

Does the individual appear overly stressed, disturbed or distracted?
Do they appear withdrawn, dazed or shutdown?
Are they fidgety or jumpy?
Are they speaking incoherently or laughing incongruously?
Do they seem over excited, euphoric, irritable or aggressive?
Do they appear to have illogical or irrational thoughts?
Do they keep repeating themselves or obsessing?
Do they appear to not be taking information in?
Do they seem to over respond t experiences, sensations or people not observable by others?

If you suspect an employee may be experiencing mental distress, it’s important not to make assumptions, consult them first about any impact this may or may not be having.

What can a business do?

Tackle the causes

Make sure that work the environment is suitable. Noise, temperature and light levels can all have an impact on wellbeing. Where possible and suitable to the business consider workspace dividers and quiet spaces to help improve the work environment. For staff working in isolation, ensure there are clear and regular lines of communication. This can be as simple as a regular phone catch-up.Consider introducing an informal mentoring scheme where suitable to help new staff members understand the business faster and to support them in their role.

The job

Set reasonable and agreed deadlines for work completion.
Provide a suitable working environment.
Define the work role and responsibilities as much as is possible.
Involve employees in the planning of their workload where possible.

The business

Encourage and promote an open environment at work. Employees need to feel confident and supported if they choose to discuss their mental health issues. Remember, it is their choice whether to disclose any issues and sensitive personal information should always remain confidential. Keep records of sickness absence and use them to analyse the causes of absence Promote a supportive working environment with regular catch-ups.

Career and personal development

Create clear management and appraisal structures involving the employee and take into account the views of employees with respect to job satisfaction and career development.

Support your people

If you become aware of a staff member experiencing mental distress the first step is to establish honest and open communication with them:

Focus on the person not the problem. Talk to the employee and ask if they need any short-term adjustments to their working environment.
They are the expert on their own mental health, so they are best placed to know what they need.

Sometimes staff may need to take some time off as sick leave due to mental ill health. If this becomes the case remember to:

Keep in contact
Explore adjustments to working conditions or to the working environment to aid their return such as flexible hours or changes to their responsibilities
Develop a recovery action plan with them to identify the signs of mental distress, who you may need to contact, and what support would help

Personal issues affecting staff

Try to stay aware of relevant personal issues affecting staff such as illness, bereavement and other stress related factors that may contribute to an employee struggling to cope in the workplace. This is easier to do when carried out informally such as a catch-up over coffee or lunch.

How a business deals with mental health issues reflects massively on their reputation as an employer. For the sake of the health of individual and the business, taking mental health issues seriously is good for everyone.

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Employee engagement: a key tool to grow your business

It is clear from our own experience of placing thousands of individuals into jobs with hundreds of organisations, that employee engagement has a major influence on business success. Today, the challenge is twofold:

Attracting the right people:

UK unemployment rates are at lowest since 1975 at 4%
UK workforce is shrinking at the same time as vacancies are rising
Job seekers are becoming more discerning and engage with employer ‘brands’

Retaining and engaging the right people:

Today’s work force is more fluid and more likely to ‘job hop’ to build their career portfolio
Almost three quarters (73%) of millennials agreed they would be more motivated to work if it was recognised by personalised benefits in addition to salary – the same goes for 65% of Gen X and 57% of baby boomers.

Why does engagement matter?

It is a well established fact that engaged employees drive more business growth. Companies with strong employee engagement rates experience 87% higher staff retention, 17% higher productivity levels, 20% higher sales and 19% increase in revenue.

Engagement goes way beyond a casual dress code. Companies gaining recognition as Best Places to Work For are working hard on many levels to engage their people. According to the Sunday Times Best Small Companies to work, the right things to on focus are:

Personal growth
Giving something back
Remuneration & Reward
Leadership
Benefits
Wellbeing

How First Base helps SME’s with engagement

For SME’s, the challenges of engaging and retaining talent can be exacerbated by limited resources, cost pressures, competition and lack of specific knowledge of HR and legal matters. Offering a package of perks, particularly to part time and temporray staff, can be a challenge.

To help our SME clients, First Base took a cold hard look at what is working regarding employee engagement around the world and came across a model that has been successful in the US for over 25 years.

The PEO (Professional Employment Organisation) model, which has recently been adapted to UK needs by our payroll partner, Hive360, is based on ‘co-employment’ and group buying power. In America, where 3.4mi workers are employed through this model, companies using PEO grow up to 9% faster, have up to 14% less staff turnover, are 50% less likely to go out of business and reduce admin costs significantly per employee.

Through our partnership with Hive 360, we offer our temporary staff a pay & perks portal which gives them access to services such as 24h NHS approved telephone GP service, specialised phone counselling, health and wellbeing advice and thousands of shopping and lifestyle discounts. Through the portal they also receive payslips in a GDPR compliant way and be able to see their pensions performance in real time. This adds value to our relationship with temporary staff and in turn helps the employers we work with.

(This blog was adapted from an article provided by our payroll partner, Hive 360).

Giving 75% effort but expecting 100% pay?

No candidate would get very far in the recruitment process if on their CV or during interview they suggested they would give 100% in a new role based on that old employee ‘joke’ –

I give 100% at work… 12% on Monday, 23% on Tuesday, 40% on Wednesday, 20% on Thursday and 5% on Friday.

A joke maybe, but if you are an employer, it’s certainly not funny if you are paying people their full salary for anything less than 100% effort. Whatever your job, the amount of effort you put into it will play a significant part in your potential progression, your career path and future prospects. Even if the job is something you don’t like very much, there are still benefits to giving it all you’ve got. While we might day-dream of just simply not showing up for work one day and moving on, burning bridges can easily hurt chances of future employment or opportunities. You want to give every job you do the most positive effort you can. Even if you leave an employer it’s much better that you leave with everyone wishing you’d stayed rather than happy that you departed!

Job Security

Employers are more likely to keep on individuals that show dedication even in a down time. Someone who puts 100% in their daily lives can secure their position within nearly any company regardless of the organisations situation.

Promotion and pay

Employers are more likely to provide more opportunities to those who do a little more than they are paid to in order to help to benefit the organization. If more work is being completed than expected, good employers will often offer better pay in order to keep you motivated.

Re-hire value

Leaving at the end of a temporary contract or after a period of permanent work with a positive reputation as a hard worker, dramatically increases your chances of being re-hired. On the other hand, leave with a less than favourable reputation and you may find doors permanently closed.

Job references

Even if you didn’t like your previous job, by giving it 100% of your skills and effort you help your position elsewhere if the prospective new employer calls your previous one for references. You want to create good word-of-mouth advertising for yourself and giving your best could go a long way to doing that.

Be respected by the team

Having a reputation as a shirker, getting away with doing as little as possible will not help your reputation with colleagues. As long as you are not always self- promoting, other people on the team will look up to you as someone who sets a good example.

Managers listen

Have a good work ethic and your ideas for improvements or efficiencies are more likely to be listened to by management.

Self-respect

Even in a job that you don’t much like. Nothing is better for your self-respect than knowing you are doing your personal your best.

Whether you are in your dream job or not, putting effort into your work can benefit you on multiple levels. When you are looking to progress in your career, or simply secure your position, putting 100% of what you’ve got into the task can secure your future in a variety of ways.

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:

Intellectual engagement – employees think hard about the job and how to do it better
Affective engagement – employees feel positively about doing a good job
Social engagement – employees take opportunities to discuss work-related improvements with others at work

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:

Engaged employees take less than half the amount of sick days of disengaged employees (CBI)
Disengaged organisations have 62% more accidents (Gallup)
Engaged organisations give 22% higher returns to shareholders (Aon Hewitt)
Increased engagement could add £26B to UK GDP (Kenexa)
Engaged companies experience 17% higher productivity, 20% higher sales and 21% higher profitability (Gallup)

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.