Recruitment specialist Foyne Jones is urging businesses within the sector to prepare for more change as hybrid working and ‘the Great Resignation’ is set to continue into 2022.
Founder and MD Peter Jones said: “The pandemic has touched every aspect of our lives and accelerated existing trends in the recruitment community. With a 4.2% drop in unemployment there are 1.2 million jobs available in the UK and no employer can afford to be complacent as hybrid working is set to stay with us into 2022.
“The future is not something ‘out there’, it is already here so job seekers and employers alike need to be open-minded and creative to ensure a solid platform for success. The past 18 months have shown us how important collaboration is and I have no doubt that the most foresighted companies will be investing in tailored training and development for their people going forward to 2025 and 2030 helping them to retain staff and enjoy increased loyalty.”
As a recruitment specialist committed to delivering ‘life-changing results’ and a desire to ‘tell it like it is’, Peter outlines what he feels every business owner needs to know to be ahead of the game in 2022 to ensure that they are “on-boarding and retaining the best talent to smash your business goals to 2025-30 and beyond!”
PERSONALISATION & EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING: Career happiness is always individual and today’s employers need to offer a wide range of packages and benefits to attract and retain their staff as people are motivated by so many different things. Peter comments: “The days of the corporate clone and the ‘one size fits all’ package are long gone so businesses need to take a more pick and mix approach. This includes factoring-in extra provision for staff in high-pressure situations to ensure that they have the support available.
“Team leaders, managers and supervisors are not just responsible for results and employee engagement. As the latest Employee Experience report from Qualitrics highlights, today’s managers and leaders are also expected to be driving diversity and equitable outcomes for all at work, fostering a sense of belonging, supporting social justice issues as well as understanding and supporting employees’ mental health. So as employees’ expectations rise, employers need to guard against middle-management burn out and fatigue.”
He adds: “I urge employers to remember that staff who are mid-career can sometimes be overlooked in the workforce as their managers can assume that they are ‘happy ticking over’ but without clear career paths and opportunities for progression and skills building, this valuable group who understand the intricacies of your business or industry may feel undervalued and inclined to vote with their feet. Make sure this doesn’t happen to you – as a great deal of irreplacable work/life experience will be walking out of your door.”
EFFECTIVE & FLEXIBLE CHANGE MANAGEMENT: Managing change effectively has always been a a key part of high-performance organisations and the past two years have been challanging for us all. With that in mind, future-focussed businesses need to have the flexibility and leadership to anticipate the unexpected.
Peter explains: “In my opinion, the pandemic has accelerated a lot of trends which were already bubbling under, such as a desire for flexible working and working from home. Patching up antiquated business models is no longer an option, and frankly I think employers need to see that their workforce is as vital as their customers. We have seen how discerning and eco-conscious consumers in general have become, when it comes to spending their money and it makes sense to apply these findings to the workplace.
“Like it or not, climate change is a reality with changing weather patterns and extreme temperatures becoming increasingly normalised so employers need to highlight planet-friendly initiatives and genuintely live their values as a way to connect with Generation Z as well as more established millenials. Corporate social responsibility is set to evolve in all sorts of directions as employers tap into eco-friendly and sustainable projects to support.”
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT: The rapid pace of change and the explosion in online learning means that employers need to promote clear and attractive career paths and upskilling opportunities as a bare minimum. On the other side of the fence, employees need to show commitment to life-long learning and be prepared get outside their comfort zones by learning about new technologies.
Just as FMCG brands diversify their assortments as well as stretching their core offers, we are seeing this transfering into the KBB and Builing Sector in terms of products and services. Both depth and breadth of knowledge are increasingly important, for companies and for candidates.
Peter says: “I feel very privileged that I get to see both sides of the coin as a premier recruitment specialist. I believe that we are now in an ‘experience economy’ in which people are seeking more from all aspects of their lives, including their careers. With this in mind, we stand ready to assist jobseekers and businesses with a range of tailored packages from CV makeovers and advanced interview coaching to precision – targetted campaigns for specific teams and positions.
“We understand that standing at a career crossroads or reconfiguring your business involve making big decisions so reaching out to a specialist in confidence can help give you more clarity when making the next step. I promise each and everyone of you work doesn’t have to be hard work! Together we’ve got this!”
