22 Tips To Help Attract The Best Talent For Your Company

After placing 14,000 people with 350 top organisations, we have learned a thing or two about how employers attract the best people – and why some companies struggle to recruit and retain good people. These days we find that the best candidates have a clear idea about the type of organisations they will and won’t work for – here are our 22 top tips to help you attract the right people.

1. Identify the requirement.

It sounds basic stuff but sadly too many organisations don’t accurately identify and share the requirements of the position they seek to fill. Everyone involved in the recruitment or interview process needs to be fully familiar with the needs and wants of the company.

Identify the qualities that the organisation seeks for in the candidate for a particular position and write it down. If there is no proper identification of requirements, then there’s a chance that candidates you select do not possess the required skills and aptitude.

2. Write a compelling and accurate job description.

There is an increased need to properly and accurately describe the actual role you are recruiting for to candidates. Outline the role as it really is today or you risk losing a new recruit in the first few months. Don’t just highlight the best parts of the job or how it might look in the future – and don’t hire for part-time when what you really have is a full-time job. A new recruit hired part-time being pressured to work extra hours isn’t a great motivator.

3. Have a reputation for being a great place to work.

Just as a company has a ‘brand’ designed to reflect what customers can expect of its products or services; a company has an employer brand that reflects what employees can expect of its employment practices. The best and most profitable customers are attracted by a brand that can be trusted to deliver on its marketing promises and the best talent is attracted by an employer that can be trusted to fulfill the promises made in a recruitment campaign or at interview.

Put simply, the businesses with the best employer brands attract more applications from the best candidates. Companies that appear in The Times Top 100 Best Companies for instance, enter the competition because they know that being recognized as a good employer has a direct effect on recruitment and ultimately bottom-line results.

4. Talent and skills over experience.

There are highly talented people out there who may be just perfect for the job you have within your company because of their set of skills, but who lack the years of experience you say you require in the job advert.

The fact that someone does not have previous experience in a particular position does not mean that they won’t be able to succeed. In fact, the contrary is proven every single day. Most people love challenges and are more than willing to work hard and strive to prove that they can be trusted to do a great job if you as an employer, give credit to their skills and strengths.

5. Big up your culture

If you are an SME, don’t worry about losing out on talent to bigger corporate firms. The entrepreneurial culture of a smaller business is a big selling point for attracting talent. Make sure this comes across in any job adverts you create.

6. Rewards and benefits

Make a good proposition for your candidates and let them know what you stand for as a company. How do you reward them and what’s their work-life balance like? Be clear about what your brand represents: this isn’t just what you tell your customers, but what you tell your staff. Benefits are about a lot more than the pay packet.

7. Network nous

The more of your people that network, the more your business’s reputation will be enhanced across your industry. Managers who are searching for new staff should always be making new connections and attending events. Offer referral incentives so that all your employees are encouraged to network.

8. Meet the team.

Try to avoid conducting all of the interview processes in a one-to-one meeting in private rooms. After all, your employment brand and culture should be a big selling point. Show candidates around the office and introduce them to potential team members – this way they’ll get a real feel for the business.

9. Be decisive.

Some businesses have a 30-day window for applications and then invite all the appropriate applicants in for interviews. The risk in this approach is that the best job seekers who applied very early on may have found somewhere else by that time. As soon as you see someone you like, get them in for a meeting.

10. Recruit first, job second.

If you are introduced to someone who is a ‘good fit’ for your company, create a role for them. Don’t get stuck in a routine and hire only when you have a vacancy. Keep the business fresh by doing things the other way around. The best businesses recruit people, rather than aiming to fill a specific post, create a position for talented potential employees whenever practical.

11. Offer the right rate for the job.

It’s a job seekers market right now and failing to offer at least the market rate is unlikely to attract the best candidates.

12. Provide personal development opportunities.

Every good candidate wants to know what opportunities there are for development. Failing to provide a personal development and progression plan is a big switch off for many good people.

13. Make time for recruitment.

At First Base we can help and support organisations to save time and money. Never the less, there remains a requirement for the right amount of time and attention to be allocated internally to ensure interviews are effective and that candidates get the best impression.

14. Don’t procrastinate

Being decisive is becoming really important. Some organisations simply take too long to make a recruitment decision and then lose the candidate to a more switched on company.

15. Health and wellbeing.

It’s would be difficult to miss how big this is right now. Organisations need to be serious about wellbeing at work, not just because it is expected but because it is the right thing to do. The more an organisation shows it really cares, the more attractive it is an employer.

16. Know what’s great about you as an organisation to work for.

Every job and every company has things that are great about them. In order to stand out from other potential employer’s, an organisation needs to know who they are trying to attract and what will motivate them to want to work with them.

17. Company values.

There is a whole new generation of talent who want to be paid well for a job well done AND to know that their personal values are aligned with those of their employer. Social issues and community awareness are high on their agenda.

18. Explain the recruitment process to every candidate.

Candidates selected for interview should know exactly what to expect; when they will be interviewed, where they will be interviewed and who will be involved in the interview. Make sure there are no surprises, no bad practices, no uncertainties and no confusion.

If you don’t portray your organisation as a great employer from the very start, the best candidate may decide your company is not the right fit for them.

19. Prepare for the interview.

Too many managers glance at a CV a couple of minutes prior to the interview. Leaving to the last minute means being unlikely to be able to ask insightful and intelligent questions or hold a meaningful two-way conversation.

Use the candidate’s CV to prepare probing questions about accomplishments, work ethic and attitudes.

Do a quick LinkedIn and social media check to explore outside interests and who they network with.

20. Have a conversation, don’t interrogate.

You can’t have a conversation unless you do some preparation. You simply won’t know enough to do anything other than ask questions. When an interview is conversational (and you listen effectively) candidates relax, speak more freely and provide more detail. Have a grown-up, respectful conversation and don’t use tricks or techniques to put the candidate under pressure.

21. Outline the next steps.

At the end of the interview always describe the rest of the recruitment process. Explain what you will do and when you plan to do it. Don’t force the candidate to ask. Tell them and if there are any changes following the interview communicate with them.

22. Follow up – with everyone.

It’s a fundamental business courtesy that says lots about you as an employer. Failing to follow up is incredibly rude, will be remembered and broadcast widely by those who invested time in your recruitment process but received little courtesy in return.

The team at First Base can help you to recruit and retain great people. If you would like to know more about why candidates and employers tell us that First Base is their first choice call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

Supporting staff through the menopause

Acknowledging the menopause and understanding how to support colleagues is a critical management issue for organisations big and small.

Women aged 45 and over are one of the fastest growing groups of employees in the British economy. It also happens to be a time in their lives when women are reaching menopause and can experience a wide range of potentially debilitating symptoms. The menopause has health and wellbeing consequences for individuals and can impact their effectiveness at work.

My wife fortunately works for one of the more enlightened organisation where male and female managers attend training on menopause awareness. Being supported through the roller coaster of physical and emotional effects of menopause made a huge difference to her personal well-being, home life and effectiveness at work.

Understanding the menopause

The symptoms which accompany transition to menopause sometimes continue post-menopause and can continue for several years. They can be debilitating – for around a quarter of women, they are seriously debilitating. Symptoms can include hot flushes and night sweats, heavy and erratic periods, difficulties with focus and memory, irritability, mood swings and depression.

How an organisation deals with women’s transition through menopause impacts its reputation as an employer and ability to attract and retain the best people.

So what do managers need to know?

1. The experience of menopause varies considerably from woman to woman, and there’s a long list of potential symptoms. Accordingly, it is important for workplaces to provide a variety of reasonable adjustments so that mid-life female workers can request the right options for them. Many of these such as providing desktop fans, cold drinking water and easy access sanitary protection, are cheap and easy to introduce. A flexible working pattern can also help women to manage their symptoms – if they have had a bad night’s sleep, for example and is already something all employees in the UK have the right to request. Other initiatives, like training for managers and HR an are excellent investment.

2. Sadly, some women report feeling as if their colleagues and managers treat them differently and unfairly due to the assumptions and stereotypes about the menopause. Unfortunately, in some organisations, there remains evidence of bullying, harassment and micro performance management because of a failure to properly understand the menopause. Compared with attitudes, policies and processes around pregnancy and maternity at work, the difference can become very obvious.

3. Organisations increasingly recognise the importance of social responsibility. The social responsibility case for employers to provide appropriate support for female staff experiencing menopause in the workplace is undeniable. There is ample evidence that work offers much more than just pay for older women. It is also a vital source of social support and self-esteem. Equally, it is clear that too many women do not feel able to speak up about any menopausal symptoms at work because they fear being judged, harassed or bullied.

The result is that they women manage their symptoms without any understanding or support which has negative connotations for both the individual and their employer.

4. Whilst providing support and understanding is simply the right thing to do for the individual and the business, there are also potential legal risks and financial costs associated with treating menopausal women unfairly.

5. There are other clear business reasons for making provision for women in menopause. The average cost of replacing an employee, for example, one who leaves because her symptoms make it too difficult to continue in her job without some reasonable adjustments, is £30,000. This includes the cost of lost output as well as the cost of recruiting. Less tangible costs, but just as important, include the loss of the departing individual’s expertise and experience.

Just like my wife’s enlightened organisation has found, introducing menopause in the workplace policies and other best practice is straightforward, makes business sense and is something all responsible companies should implement.

If you’d like to know more about how the team at First Base can help you with ideas about recruitment and retention of great people, call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

By David Tovey

Motivating staff after the summer holidays

We all know that it’s important for people to take holidays. Breaks allow people to recharge physically and emotionally, disconnecting from day-to-day concerns and return to work rested, refreshed and enthused.

However, keeping employees focused on work before and after their holiday can be a challenge. The key is to plan ahead. These tips can help ensure your employees not only feel comfortable taking time off from work, but that they are productive right up to the date they leave and are able to hit the ground running as soon as they return.

Be prepared

Motivating employees on their return from holiday starts before they leave. Have a plan in place so that projects and day to day activities run smoothly while they are away. Make sure you are aware of the busy periods in your department to determine the best and worst times for employees to take holidays. You might be surprised how many managers approve holiday requests only to find their department seriously understaffed at peak times.

Ask your team to organise their holiday schedules well in advance to avoid workload peaks, explain that everyone’s assistance is needed during those periods to ensure business objectives are met. Failing to plan for holidays often leaves a manager resenting the time their staff take off. Unless a manager is a trained actor, that resentment will show – not a great way to motivate any individual or team!

Above all don’t ask or expect people to take work with them on holiday. Encourage a culture where staff don’t feel that they should be checking or dealing with emails and work related issues when they are on holiday.

Identify potential issues

Some people will wait until the last minute to consider the projects or tasks that must be moved forward while they are away. It can be difficult to think weeks in advance, but putting off the task can cause important activities to be forgotten. This is one area where staff might need your help.

Meet with team members who have upcoming holidays well in advance of their holiday dates. Discuss tasks that will need to be accomplished while they are away and identify colleagues who can help out. Make sure everyone involved starts communicating immediately, don’t leave things until the last moment.

Make sure you stay in the loop so that you are aware of the tasks that the person going on leave is working on and who will cover for that person. This will allow you to help address any challenges that arise while your team member is away.

Take it slow

Don’t expect someone returning from a week or two’s break to launch in at full speed on their first day or back. As much as possible, give some leeway to allow the person to settle back into work. Don’t plan an important meeting the day they return or have a large project or task waiting for them that might overwhelm them on day one. In some circumstance, it may even be wise to organise a one day buffer to continue having the person’s backup provide support until the person returning from holiday can get back up to speed.

Touch base right away

Getting back to work on day one can feel like the same old routine. After the ecstasy of an amazing holiday, the first day back can feel like a real downer when it’s straight in at the deep end.

Organise an informal meeting, maybe over a coffee, to touch base with the employee soon after their return to work. Show genuine interest in their holiday. You might be surprised to find they come back brimming with positive and useful new ideas – don’t kill their enthusiasm with a negative atmosphere. Try not to hit them with everything that might have gone wrong whilst they were away, find something positive to say before mentioning any challenges.

If appropriate, invite the people who covered for them so that they can provide updates on tasks and projects they dealt with while the person was away. Help them to refocus and prioritise their efforts so that the most important or pressing tasks are completed first.

With the proper planning, you can ensure your staff not only feel comfortable taking time off but are also able to return to work fully recharged and ready to go!

If you’d like to know more about how the team at First Base can help you with ideas about how to motivate your team, call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

Avoiding those back to work blues

When you have experienced the ecstasy of switching on your ‘Out of Office’ notice – thoughts of what will be waiting for you when you return after that long awaited holiday seem a long way off.

Hopefully, as you switched on the out of office, you also switched off your business email and social media accounts and committed to taking a proper break from all work related activities. You’ve made sure you are not joining the two in three people who report that they worked whilst on holiday!

With proper preparation you can set off on you holiday, recharge your batteries and avoid those back to work blues and worries of mounting emails, incomplete tasks or important meetings scheduled for when you return. Here’s some tips that might help.

1. Start with a positive mind-set

Holidays give us time to think about issues that we often put to the back of our minds when we are at work. Careers, relationships, workload and other deep seated issues come to the surface when are away from the day to day hustle and bustle. After the dream of taking early retirement, not going back or a finding a new job on some exotic island gives way to reality, some people will start to dread the thought of going back to work. This can lead to a spiral of negativity which can cancel out all the benefits of the amazing holiday you had and will inevitably be noticed by colleagues. Moods are contagious, so don’t take a bad one into work!

When you are thinking about your first day back at work, instead of focusing on the negative (your full inbox or a daunting customer meeting), think about those elements within your role that you enjoy. Focus your mind on the things you are looking forward to about returning to work.

Take time on holiday to read a book or listen to a podcast about the advantages of a positive mind-set. You might find you learn new life skills that make a big difference.

2. Accept that you will return to a full inbox

Before you return to work, accept that your email inbox will be bulging and there will be lots to catch up on. However, you can reduce the immediate pressure by setting your email expectations within your “Out of Office” message. Make it clear when you will be returning to the office and maybe think about adding an extra day to give you a buffer on day one of your return.
On day one, avoid scheduling lots of meetings and calls, instead, schedule time in your calendar to work through your inbox. Start by focusing on the emails which you know are a priority or have been sent by key colleagues and clients.

3. Help yourself to quickly re-adjust back to work

The steps above will improve your mood as you prepare to return to work after your break. However, there are also some more practical steps which you can take to help you get ready for the first day back. Before you leave for your holiday, make sure you have everything in place that you will need for work when you return. Clothes, uniform, work bag and even ingredients for lunches can be pre-prepared to avoid any last minute panics. A little advance organisation will help ease you into you work routine.

4. Personalise your workspace

According to the Association for Psychological Science, creating a tidy and more personal workspace can improve your mood. Try adding simple touches such as a treasured photograph (maybe a snap of your recent holiday) or plants which will give you an instant lift.

5. Think about how you can make useful changes

Holidays give you time to think and sometimes thoughts can turn to everything that you would like to change about your job. Rather than dwelling on everything you feel is wrong about the organisation, spend some time working out how you could improve things for yourself and your employer.

Fix a meeting with your line manager and make positive suggestions about your own area of work (not what you would do to change everything about the place!) and how it would help you to be even more productive. You might be surprised about the influence you gain on wider issues when you suggest changes you can personally make that affect your own role.

Do you have deeper issues? – make a plan

The steps above can be quick solutions to ensure your return to work is more bearable in the short-term. However, they are unlikely to solve bigger issues that might cause you to dread going back to work. During your holiday, try to establish exactly what it is which is making you feel so down about returning to work. By identifying the bigger problems, it will make it much easier to create a plan of action to solve them. What parts of your job are making you dread going back to work? Maybe you no longer feel challenged and don’t feel valued. Perhaps a lack of support from your boss has seen you turned down for a promotion. Maybe you can’t see a clear career path with your current employer. Perhaps you are struggling with an increasing workload that causes a high levels of stress.

If you haven’t previously made your manager aware of the problems, they can’t know that you need help. They won’t be able to put measures in place to help put things right. The first step is to have an open and honest conversation with your manager. When you meet, discuss the ways in which you can work together to address the issues you are struggling with. Resolve to deal with things when you get back from your holiday and you can spend the rest of your time away knowing you have a plan. Then you can get on with your your well-deserved break!

Is it time to look for a new job?

Have already tried talking to your boss about the issues you’re facing but feel as if nothing will change? Perhaps it might be time to follow your instincts and consider finding a new position.
Spend some time during your holiday thinking about the type of job you would like to find and your career goals. Think about the network of contacts you already have that could help you – this will give you something positive to focus on and a plan of action for kicking off your job search when you return.

It’s important to remember that most people will experience some degree of back-to-work blues as they think about returning to work after a great holiday. These feelings can creep in before they’ve even packed their suitcase. Resolve to take some practical steps, make a plan and enjoy your break!

If you’d like to know more about how the team at First Base can help you when you are considering your next career move, call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

5 ways to stay motivated during your job search

You’ve researched endless job listings, tailored your CV and personal profile, attended career fairs, updated your LinkedIn profile, sent in your job applications and met with a few potential employers. When you are searching for the right job, there can be good days and not so good days. Sometimes it can seem as if you are not making much progress. Maybe the job offers you have received are not quite right for you, maybe you are still waiting to get some feedback following an interview or you might have just missed out on a job offer after being shortlisted.

How do you stay positive and focussed on your end goal of finding the right job for you? We got the First Base team together and came up with 5 things you can do to stay motivated while you search for your dream job.

Remember that the situation you are in is temporary, it won’t last forever and soon enough you’ll find the role you’ve been searching for. It can sometimes seem as if you’ll always be in this situation, but this isn’t the case, you will find something.

1. Start your day off on the right note

The way that you start your day often defines how the rest of it will go. After a good night’s rest to recharge your batteries, set an alarm so that you can make the most of the higher levels of productivity that you will have in the mornings. Try to establish a daily routine including start times, job search sessions and breaks so that you can quickly settle into a routine. Make sure you prepare well for interviews and keep up to date with what employers are really looking for.

2. Set yourself some daily goals

Every morning, think about what you want to achieve that day and list your goals and actions in a ‘To do’ list on paper or using the reminder feature on a smart phone These can then be checked off and provides you with a structure to keep you on track towards your end goal of securing your job. Remember, you don’t need to stick to these slavishly, if something isn’t working then adapt it and reprioritise the actions you need to take.

3. Stay Positive

If you encounter a setback, remember that some of the reasons could be beyond your control. You are not alone, a lot of people are seeking new job opportunities and there will inevitably be some rejections. If you get a rejection it is often because someone else that applied is considered to be a better fit. Keep in mind that when you do get the job offer you want, someone else will have received a rejection.

If you receive a rejection try to turn this situation to your advantage by asking for feedback. This will help you to identify the things that you need to work on in time for your next application. If you are having a particularly quiet day in terms of positive responses, it could be that you need to alter your strategy. Think back to your most recent successes and ultimately remember that the right job is out there for you and keep going.

4. Make the most of your support networks

If the search becomes slightly overwhelming, take some time off with your family and friends who will be able to support you and offer advice on how to move forward. Friends who are also going through the same thing will also be able to share tips with you or could perhaps put in a word for you if their organisation is hiring. If you are working with a recruitment consultant, ask for their honest feedback and advice.

Check out our advice on building your personal network to boost your career opportunities.

5. Work smarter!

Register with a recruitment agency and take advantage of all the help and advice available to you from your consultant. We can help you with your CV and put you forward for opportunities where we feel there would be a good fit. When we introduce you to an employer there is much higher chance that they will interview you. Call us, register on line or pop in to meet us, you can be sure of a warm welcome!

Remember starting the search is a challenge but maintaining a high level of motivation throughout the search will mean the difference between securing a job sooner rather than later. Staying positive and motivated are the best qualities to keep you going and it will be worth it once you come to start your first day in your new job!

Check out our website for current job listings and resources to help you with your job search, call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk.

Attending a careers fair over Summer? Make sure you follow up

Going along to a careers fair can be a great way to meet and get introduced to businesses and recruiters that may be able to help in your job search. They just give you a job, right ?

Wrong. Having ran and taken part in many events over the past 22 years I can count on two hands the number of people that made a (really good) lasting impression.

While career fairs serve up great introductions to companies, recruiters, and career paths you may choose to follow, it’s still up to you to create the right first impression which could take you closer to landing that dream job.

Whether you’re looking for your first job, to change career or develop your network in your current role, being prepared and asking the right questions is key.

Make sure you take along your cv and or/business cards and show genuine interest in the people in attendance. You cannot learn about a business or engage with someone that may be able to help you if you don’t fully engage with them. I see so many people who are brazen about continuing to look around the room for more interesting people – whilst still in conversation ! …….and we all know those who rush in, survey the room, barge in to conversations, take a call and rush out.

Put some real time aside and be present. Make eye contact and ask questions. Ask what the business does, what their ambitions for the future are or who their competitors are. No one expects you know all of this.. but they will appreciate your wanting to learn.

Then, follow up.

After the event, take time to connect with people online and to drop them a quick note to say thank you for their time.

So what do you say to make yourself memorable? Use these super easy tips to craft a perfect career fair follow up email.

Open your message in a courteous and professional manner: For example “Dear… “ or “Hi… “ If you felt you got on particularly well with your new contact. You don’t want to sound flippant or too casual by using “Hey….” Or “Yo….” (Is that old hat?)

At this stage you are trying to impress and show you have taken on advice or gained some really useful insight into what they do and how they could help you. If in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of formality. “Dear Ms./Mrs/Mr…..”.

Be professional and keep it simple.

Try this template to follow up with anyone you’d like to show interest in and remember that you should follow up quickly. It’ll take a little time for recruiters to go through their email when they get back from an event but make sure you’re top of mind and in their in box waiting for them (send a follow up within 24 hours). I promise this set you apart from a high percentage of attendees who just went along for the freebies.

“Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs Green” / “Hi Lucy”

“Thank you so much for your time at [name of event, and location] this morning/this afternoon/yesterday/last week”.

“I was really interested to hear more about the work you do/marketing/sales/your new product [make it personal where you can] and would highly appreciate it if you’d think of me when you’re next looking to recruit/meet with candidates/hold an open day” [again, make this relevant to the conversation you had on the day].

“I’d love to stay in touch and would be really interested in talking more about the opportunities you have/may have on offer in the future”.

Thank you again for your time.

Kind regards/Yours sincerely

Tricia Hay

Keep it light and remind them that you were present and interested.

No need for war and peace here. Keep it simple and to the point (recruiters whether internal or external have very busy in boxes). Thank the recruiter for their time and express an interest in keeping in contact with them. As a final tip, don’t forget to attach your cv if you didn’t give them a copy at the career fair.

If you’d like further help in putting a follow up together, please feel free to contact my team and I at enquiries@first-base.co.uk

What do employers want?

We have worked with clients ranging from SME’s to Partnerships, Global Corporations, Charities and the Public Sector.

We’ve spent time with recruiting managers, HR directors, CEO’s and business owners. We’ve recruited for short term temporary contracts, part time admin roles to senior management position. When it comes to the people organisations want to hire, the story tends to be the same. All employers want the same things. They all want the ‘best’ candidates to apply, they all want to attract ‘great’ people. Good people shouldn’t be hard to find but you might be surprised how rare it is for candidates to see things from the employers point of view.

Initiative

You see this in job specifications all the time – we want people who can use their initiative.

It’s reasonable to expect some good induction and training when you’re new. That doesn’t mean you can’t be considering early on how you can do things a bit better, do a bit of creative problem solving or deal with unusual situations on your own initiative. Don’t overdo it and take care about going beyond your authority, however, most employers would love to have people turn up the initiative dial a bit.

Ownership

Employers and managers are looking for people with a can-do attitude, who can be relied on to get the job done. They want people who will take ownership of their work. In all sectors, managers are busy and have conflicting multiple priorities to deal with. Having employees they can trust is really important.

If you want to stand out, make sure you can demonstrate that you take ownership of a job and that you are the one who gets things done.

Communication

Another thing you’ll see on most job specs is the requirement for good communications skills. It’s not just about speaking clearly or good grammar – it’s about communicating appropriately for the situation. Understanding which communication channel is the right one for the situation is increasingly important in a technological, social media-driven world.

Energy

Most people want to come to work to be energised by the people around them. Managers avoid negative people because they know that over time it drains everyone around them and it reflects poorly on their company brand. Don’t be the person who people avoid!

The fundamentals

Turn up on time, be courteous, say ‘thank you’ and ‘please’. Don’t be a moaner, present yourself well, respect colleagues, be trustworthy and be authentic. Everybody can spot a colleague who goes a bit overboard with initiative, ownership, communication and energy!

If you’d like to know more about how the team at First Base can help you with your next career move call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

Let your best people know you appreciate them

Which members of your team do you spend most of your time with?

For many managers, the natural thing to do is to delegate tasks to the best people and let them get on with the job. The perceived wisdom is that this frees up time to spend more time with the poorer performers who need the most help and support. This might seem to be the obvious approach, but it can also be the wrong thing to do.

Often the only time a manger realises there is something wrong is when one of their best people comes in with their resignation and says that they have accepted a senior role with another company. We get to hear many reasons from employees about why they want to resign from their current job. Most often they tell us that they liked working at their present company but never felt appreciated or involved. They will say that they were left to get on with their job, seldom told they were valued and never asked their opinions about decisions being made about their department.

Encourage people doing the right things

Some managers think their job is to be on the lookout for employees making mistakes. In reality, business performance improves when you catch people doing the right things and praise them for it.

It’s no secret that genuine praise makes people feel good. Pride, pleasure and increased feelings of self-esteem are all common reactions to being paid a compliment or receiving positive feedback. This is because being praised triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps control the reward and pleasure centres of the brain. As well as making us feel good, dopamine can also contribute to innovative thinking and creative problem-solving at work.

These positive effects, however, are relatively short-lived, and for praise to have an enduring impact on employee engagement, it needs to be offered regularly.

Freedom and involvement

Top performers do want the freedom to get on with their job and definitely don’t want to be micro-managed; but that doesn’t mean they should be taken for granted or ignored.

Do delegate responsibility to your best people and give them the freedom to accomplish their tasks, but don’t ignore them. Meet them one to one regularly to discuss progress, their ideas, their issues and their plans, and help them to overcome any difficulties that get in the way of them from achieving even more. Share some of the bigger business or departmental challenges with them and ask their opinions.

Deal with under performers effectively

You do have to spend time with the junior members and weaker performers in your team. They need coaching and support, but don’t let this get out of balance. Devote time and support to a poor performer, agree on an improvement plan with them, and monitor their progress. Discuss the plan and their performance with your line manager and / or HR manager, and if they fail to improve or consistently under perform, then they should go. No manager can afford to have consistent under performers draining their time and pulling down the team’s performance.

Aim for a balanced approach. Spend time with every member of the team, get to know their interests, frustrations, ambitions and job-related issues. A good manager understands their team both as a group and as individuals. Every employee has different motivations, likes, dislikes, hopes and fears, and as a manager, you should know what motivates every person in your office. Why do they come to work? Every individual wants to be listened to and appreciated.

Praise and encouragement are great for weaker staff when they make improvements, but they are also important for the top performers who can often say they feel taken for granted and unappreciated. Make sure that your best people know how much you value them.

Why good candidates turn down your job offer

The UK’s unemployment rate edged lower to 3.9% in first quarter of 2019. The employment rate hit a record high – and it is creating issues for employers seeking to recruit good people.

We have experienced some great companies having their job offers turned down by exceptional candidates in recent months. Good candidates are getting multiple job offers and we notice more and more are being given a counter offer when they announce to their current employer that they are leaving.

So why are some companies struggling to recruit?

The role is not well defined

There is an increased need to properly and accurately describe the actual role you are recruiting for to candidates. Outline the role as it really is today or you risk losing a new recruit in the first few months. Don’t just highlight the best parts of the job or how it might look in the future – and don’t hire for part time when what you really have is a full time job. A new recruit hired part time being pressured to work extra hours isn’t a great motivator.

Offering the right rate for the job

It’s a job seekers market right now and failing to offer at least the market rate is unlikely to attract the best candidates.

Providing personal development opportunities

Every good candidate wants to know what opportunities there are for development. Failing to provide a personal development and progression plan is a big switch off for many good people.

Company values

Making time for recruitment

At First Base we can help and support organisations to save time and money, Never the less, there remains a requirement for the right amount of time and attention to be allocated internally to ensure interviews are effective and that candidates get the best impression.

A long recruitment process

Being decisive is becoming really important. Some organisations simply take too long to make a recruitment decision and then lose the candidate to a more switched on company.

Health and wellbeing

Knowing what’s great about you as an organisation to work for

We work closely with our clients to make sure they are in the best position to recruit. Working with hundreds of top employer has given us a lot of experience about what attracts (or turns off) good people. If you would like to know more about we can help you to find the right people call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

First Base continues to support the Red Box initiative

The Government will launch its scheme enabling schools to order free period product for students in January 2020. Until then (and for as long as it takes for the Gov’t to get it right) we will continue to support the Red Box initiative and there will be a Red Box at First Base for as long as needed.

What is Red Box?

The Red Box Project is a community-based, not-for-profit initiative, which aims to support young people throughout their periods by providing red boxes filled with free period products to local schools.

The Red Box Project was founded in March 2017 by three friends who wanted to give young people in their local area access to sanitary products. After reading about ‘Period Poverty‘ in the news, they were angered at the idea that young people were missing out on their education because they couldn’t afford the products they needed during their period.

They decided to take action and contacted several secondary schools in Portsmouth to ask if a constantly stocked box of menstrual products would be welcomed. The feedback from teachers was that the issue was real and the resource was needed.

Recognising that the need was nationwide, they invited individuals from across the country to be a part of this movement and the response was overwhelming. From Scotland to Cornwall as well as overseas, people began to group together, set up Red Boxes filled with tampons, pads, tights and underwear which were then delivered into local schools. They fundraised, collected, had craft sales and donations drives, all to make sure their boxes never became empty.

You can read more about the Red Box initiative and how you can help on their website.