The Benefits of External Recruitment

The Benefits of External Recruitment

Top 5 advantages of getting an external professional

By Rose McCarter-Field

What are the benefits of external recruitment? And what can you expect from an external recruitment agency that you can’t get in-house?

Sometimes it is advantageous to seek specialist external resources to compliment your own. An external recruitment agency can provide an objective and impartial perspective on the recruitment process, allowing you to identify and target the right talent for your organisation.

So, what can an external recruitment specialist do for your team?

Time Saver

Your recruiter will run everything from job advert campaigns, to filtering candidates, to assisting with onboarding. This helps to streamline the recruitment process and ensure the right people are brought into your business.

Having external help can be a massive time saver for you and your HR team - freeing up more time for you to focus on the more important tasks. Not only that, but you can also take advantage of their expertise to ensure you get the most out of your recruitment process.

The important consideration here is that you choose a recruiter that will put the time in for you and work tenaciously to find the right candidate for you. Choose an external recruiter that takes the time to understand your needs from the outset. They will then save you time throughout the whole process because they already understand what you need from them.

Pre-filtered Candidate Network

Your dedicated external recruiter will already have a pre-filtered network of skilled individuals at their fingertips. By leveraging their existing network, you can reduce the amount of costly advertising involved and speed up the recruitment process.

In today’s competitive job market, having an experienced and knowledgeable recruiter on your team can make a big difference. A tenacious recruiter, like our Account Managers at Project Recruit, will have already taken the time to get to know skilled potential candidates. They may already have a few people in mind that turn out to be your next top team member.

Bring in Specialist Insights

Your external recruiter will utilise their specialist industry knowledge to provide bespoke job advertising campaigns to attract the right people, as well as a bespoke shortlisting procedure to provide you with the best candidates for your unique needs.

They will understand the terminology of your industry including the skills, the qualifications, and the experience required for different roles and tasks. A dedicated recruiter that specialises in your industry is essential for finding the right candidate. This is where bringing in specialist external recruitment assistance can be of great benefit to your current recruitment resources.

Do you have specialist roles to fill, such as cloud engineers, developers, or financial analysts? Or specialist skills you need to bring in, such as help desk support staff? Get in touch.

Get in touch to speak with a member of our specialist IT, data, and tech teams.

Remove the Hassle from Advertising to Onboarding

Want to remove the painful process and time it takes to get a new recruit started in their new role? At Project Recruit we also offer Global HR. In instances where you already have a candidate and want them to work on a contract basis, we can get them up and running as smoothly and quickly as possible. Almost instantaneously. So that their payroll, time, and expense management is all ready to go, by arranging their payroll through Project Recruit. Then your new top talent can get started right away, wherever they are based in the world.

It is important to find the right recruiter to suit your needs. Your external recruitment specialist is there to find you the candidate(s) you need, in the time frame you require. A recruiter that truly cares about finding you candidates that will thrive in their role with you, will take the time to understand your needs from the outset.

Want to discuss a present recruitment need? For contract or permanent roles? Individual or team placements? Get in touch

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February 27, 2023March 19, 2023

External Recruitment Methods

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External Recruitment Methods

How to find a recruitment company that puts you first.

By Rose McCarter-Field

Finding a recruitment company that puts you first can be difficult, but it’s worth the effort.

We know that recruiting the right people for your organisation can be challenging, especially when you don’t have the right resources. That’s why partnering with external recruitment experts can be so beneficial. You get access to the right people, processes and technologies to ensure you find the perfect fit.

But what can you expect from an external recruiter? What methods do they use? And are they worth the cost benefit for you?

There are many methods of external recruitment. Not every recruiter or recruitment agency will take the same approach. Though most recruiters help save time and money by doing the initial screening of candidates and pre-qualifying them for interviews. They can also help to widen the talent pool, by providing access to a much larger source of applicants that may not be available through traditional job postings.

Just as important as the recruitment methodology, is finding a recruiter that cares about and understands your goals. You need to find someone who will listen to your objectives and help you reach them. Taking the time to find a recruiter that is passionate about helping you achieve your goals can increase your chances of success.

A recruiter that cares about you and the success of your team, will take the time to get to know you and your needs. They will utilise their specialist industry knowledge to provide bespoke advertising campaigns to attract the right people, and a bespoke shortlisting procedure to provide you with the best candidates for your unique needs.

There is a big difference between recruiters that are working hard to fill seats and working hard to find the right candidates. With the right recruiter, it is possible to find the type of talent to upskill your team and your company. The right recruiter can find the right talent, fast. They will already have a large network of potential candidates that they can tap into. They will also be happy to head hunt for very specific skills and characteristics.

At Project Recruit, we tailor our job advertising campaigns to suit you. This can include a range of job boards and social media approaches. We then help to shortlist what can often be a large number of applicants. We tap into our large network of pre-filtered candidates. And only provide the candidates that best suit you, your team, and your company. But, most importantly, we take the time to develop an understanding of your needs and help you to reach your growth goals.

As a boutique recruitment agency, we offer full service recruitment and onboarding. Do you need for example a specialist recruiter in IT and cloud engineering? Or technology, business and data analytics? Someone that can work fast? Someone that will get to know each candidate well, before deciding who to recommend? If so, please get in touch and we’d be happy to help .

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February 17, 2023March 19, 2023

Internal and External Recruitment

When should I get an external recruiter to help?

By Rose McCarter-Field

If you’re a business owner, hiring manager, or other decision-maker looking to fill a position, you might be considering whether it’s time to bring in an external recruiter. You may be wondering if the cost of doing so is worth it.

External recruiters can be helpful if you’re in need of specialised skills or if you don’t have the time or resources to handle the recruitment process yourself. They can also offer a valuable third-party perspective on job candidates, as well as a larger pool of potential candidates to choose from. Additionally, they often bring a wealth of industry knowledge and insights that can be invaluable to your hiring strategy.

Ultimately, the decision to work with an external recruiter should depend on a number of factors. The size of the company, the number of positions you need to fill, and the complexity of the positions. It may be worth considering if you’re looking to fill a role quickly, or if you have a need for more specialised skills.

One of the main advantages of external recruitment is that you instantly get access to professional recruitment services. Your dedicated recruiter will already have a network of relevant candidates that they can put forward. They likely will specialise in the area you are looking to recruit in. For example, if you want a cloud software engineer or business analyst, they will have a list of pre-filtered candidates to tap into. This is a massive time saver.

An external recruiter can also save time for you and your colleagues by advertising for and filtering through candidates on your behalf. If you want a team already set up to provide job advertising campaigns, to seek out and filter the candidates so that you only receive CV’s for the best in the market, an external recruiter can be a huge benefit.

If your recruiter is a specialist in the sector, you benefit from them having a comprehensive understanding of the lingo, terms, qualifications, and relevant experience required for the role you want to fill. Be sure to seek help from a recruiter who has plenty of experience in the relevant sector, so they can be more effective at finding you the best and most appropriate candidates out there.

It’s also worth considering using a recruiter for contract roles, managing payroll and easily scaling up and down resources. This is another advantage of working with an external recruiter, they can assist with managing the easy scaling up and down of staffing for projects. They can help to find the best contractors fast, set up their contract and manage their onboarding exceptionally quickly.

One disadvantage of external recruitment is of course the cost. They are saving you time, bringing in their expertise and likely finding high quality candidates, faster. However there is of course a cost to this. A good external recruiter will already understand the industry specific nuances of the role you are looking to fill and they will take the time to understand your unique company needs. This is the type of external recruiter you want to find. It is important that they take the time to understand which candidates are best suited to you, the role, and your company. So be sure to get a recruiter that is a good listener.

If you want to understand more about the advantages and disadvantages of external recruitment do get in touch. If you have a specific recruitment need, for individual or team placements, we may be able to help.

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December 31, 2022March 19, 2023

External Recruitment Advantages and Methods

When and why to use an agency

By Rose McCarter-Field

Need to find top talent for your contract, temp or perm role?

Finding the perfect candidate can take a lot of time, effort, and money. Especially in a sector where you may be overrun with choice and inundated with CV’s. Or on the other end of the spectrum, struggling to find any qualified match.

Posting an open role onto a job board is not enough. To attract the best candidates, you need to create a great candidate experience. You need:

A job campaign that stands out and attracts the type of candidates you want.
Promote your job on job boards, social media, and your career site.
Filter through the applications to find qualified candidates.
Get to know the candidates to find the best matches.
Be attractive to your shortlisted candidate(s) so they chose to work with you.
Onboard the new candidate(s), get their payroll, time and expense management set up.

Internal and External Recruitment

It can work very well to recruit new talent using your in-house resources. There are situations where the additional workload is not suitable for your business. You might find it difficult to attract and filter the right candidates, even with an experienced recruitment team.

The resources of your recruitment team may not be as extensive as those you can access with a recruitment agency. You may not have the time required to truly find the best person for the role. You may need to recruit someone fast, and benefit from someone who already has a database of relevant contacts.

When using a recruitment agency for contract or temporary assignments they will pay the candidates on your behalf (PAYE, Umbrella, or Limited Company). Which will help to speed up the onboarding process.

And for specialist roles, bringing in a recruiter with industry specific knowledge can help to find and filter the appropriately qualified and experienced candidates.

Get in touch to speak with a member of our specialist IT, data, and tech teams.
+44(0) 20 3551 5300

What is external recruitment?

A recruitment agency is there to help you, as an employer, find and hire top talent for your company. The right recruitment agency will take the time to get to know clients and candidates alike, to find the best match.

They are there to support you through the whole process. From targeted advertising campaigns, to shortlisting and ultimately working tenaciously to find you the best talent out there. A person or team that will bring in valuable skills to your company, someone who fits in with your company culture and ethos.

At Project Recruit we also offer Global HR Solutions, to make the step from finding your candidate, to getting them started run smoothly and quickly. So that their payroll, time, and expense management can be set up almost instantaneously. So that your new top talent can get started right away.

Your recruitment agency is there to work to your needs. Whatever they may be. If you have very specific unique requests, your allocated recruiter is there to find that unique person for you. If you need to work to a tight time frame, your recruiter is there to help you find the best candidate out there within that timeframe.

Be sure to find the right agency for you. Some recruiters get paid commission, so you want a recruiter that carers about finding the RIGHT person, not just filling seats. The best way to asses if your recruiter is going to put the effort into finding the right person, is how they communicate with you. Do they take the time to understand your needs?

It is important to have an agency that takes the time to understand your company, your team and your needs. These types of recruiters are more dedicated to finding the right candidates for your unique situation.

It is also important to find an agency that is suitable for your industry and the roles you need to fill. Sector specialist recruitment agencies already have industry insight. They are better suited to find the best candidates for your needs. They even have ready-made networks of potential candidates relevant to the sector.

Want to speak to one of our team?
Specialist IT, data, and tech recruitment.

+44(0) 20 3551 5300

Advantages of External Recruitment

FULL SUPPORT

As an employer, a recruitment agency will help to ease your recruitment problems. Whether you need to fill a position urgently, or you need to hire a whole team on mass, the agency will work to your requirements. Your allocated recruiter will only provide you with the best CV’s.

Candidates benefit from feedback from recruitment agencies on their application and how to improve themselves. Their allocated recruiter wants to see them succeed in getting the right job, and thriving in that role. They are there to help with any queries, whether it’s about the application or interview questions, their recruiter is there to guide them.

FASTER HIRING PROCESS

Need to get new hires in fast? A recruitment agency can often be a time saver for you. You can stipulate the requirements for your role, as well as the hiring time. Your allocated recruiter will then work to your needs. Whether this is days, weeks, or months. The right agency will find you the best candidates in any time frame given by you.

How do they find quality candidates so fast? A recruitment agency is already set up, you won’t need to attract and shortlist candidates. The whole process is handled by the recruitment agency and this saves you a lot of hassle. Once you have explained what you need, the recruiter will provide only the best candidates for your consideration. These agencies already have a vast database of talent. So you get access to their entire network of skilled potential contractors and staff.

The most meticulous external recruiters may already have specific individuals in mind from their network, that could turn out to be the top talent you need. Because these recruiters have taken the time to get to know the people in their network, their skills, experience, and character.

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HIGHER QUALITY CANDIDATES

It’s not easy to find candidates, especially the top talent you require. The right external recruiter will bring professional experience. Through tenacious searching and filtering, they will improve the quality of your candidates. Your recruiter will bring a vast pool of talent with them. So you gain access to already vetted candidates.

Your external recruiter will already be an expert in candidate selection, in your sector. They are trained to assess candidates and experienced in finding the right fit for your company. Your external recruiter will seek out someone that will thrive in their new role.

SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE

A specialist recruitment agency will understand the outlook of the current job market. They can provide advice on the best way to approach recruiting for your unique role(s) in the current market.

It sectors such as IT, data analytics and technology, getting a sector specialist recruiter that understands the terminology, qualifications, and the context of candidate experience, is essential for filtering the right candidates. If you need to recruit for roles such as business analysts and developers, for example, a recruiter that doesn’t have experience in a range of these tyres of roles, will likely struggle to filter out the best CV’s.

And they have their vast networks of specialists already in this field, which you gain access to.

FASTER ONBOARDING WITH GLOBAL HR SOLUTIONS

At Project Recruit, we also offer Global HR Solutions for faster and smoother onboarding. We are an external recruitment resource that can get your payroll, time, and expense management set up fast and reliably. Allowing for almost instantaneous placement following candidate selection.

External Recruitment Methods

The right external recruitment agency will have honed in their methods to find the best candidates. They will have years of experience in finding, vetting, and selecting people that are the right fit for your role and your company.

These methods will start from advertising. At Project Recruit we offer advertising campaigns, that include social media, job boards, and our extensive network of talented professionals. We actively seek out the best candidates for the role, a person that will work well in your team, and sit well within your company culture. We also help to diversify team for those specifically seeking to create a more diverse team.

To ensure that a candidate will thrive in the role, it is important to get to know both you as a client, and the candidates. As recruiters, we take the time to find the best match for everyone. We filter only the best potential contractors and staff for your needs.

We provide full support through the interview, selection and onboarding process. This takes the time pressure off you. It enables fast and successful recruitment of the right people.

If you want to find out more about our recruitment methods, get in touch.

Get in touch to speak with a member of our specialist IT, data, and tech teams.
+44(0) 20 3551 5300

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August 10, 2022March 19, 2023

How to support mothers returning to work (part3)

How to Support Mothers Returning to Work

Part 3:
6 Things you can do as an employer.

By Rose McCarter-Field

Want to know how companies such as Google have reduced the number of new mothers leaving by half?

Women represent half of the workforce. How can you as an employer best support women through maternity and beyond?

Here are our 6 top tips for employers supporting returning mums.

Focus on their return to work. Planning their return should start from before they go on maternity leave. Before they leave, establish a plan of gradual reintegration. This plan can be flexible and change on their return. This way, they know that there are plans in place to assist them in successful reintegration. This provides them with confidence that their needs will be supported on their return.

The transition back into work can bring on physical and emotional rollercoasters for mothers (and fathers). To know that an employer is understanding can reduce concerns and allow for open communications about the needs of your employees.

One rarely discussed subject is miscarriage and still births. 10-20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage and 1 in 160 end in failed births. A member of staff returning from maternity in the case of a miscarriage or failed birth, will still have gone through significant physical and psychological changes. A supportive and structured reintegration is just as important as it is to new mothers.

In the following weeks and months after their return, arrange scheduled discussions about what their needs are, how progress is going, and how the company can support them in being the best in their role. These discussions should be part of a planned reorientation programme.

What flexibility do they need at work? Do they need a condensed work week? Part-time hours? Or flexible hours? Where possible, ensure the return to work process supports the new needs in their life. They will still be accountable for delivering on their job responsibilities. Flexibility in certain areas may help them to achieve this.

Flexible work has been linked to reduced stress levels as well as attracting and retaining talented staff. Parents have circumstances that arise that they didn’t anticipate. Such as a sick child, a spouse’s work needs, and the emotional or physical pain after maternity.

Workplaces can be supportive of the needs of new parents, after maternity or adoption. And flexibility can be built into post maternity reintegration.

Breastfeeding for the first 6 – 12 months has a multitude of health benefits for the mother and the baby.

Nursing mothers need a private place in which to express breastmilk. And ideally access to a fridge where this milk can be stored.

Having a breastfeeding policy in the office (physical or virtual) supports mothers in balancing their home and work life. These policies go a long way to show your female employees that their needs are understood and welcomed.

Affordable childcare is a pain point for many parents.

Are you able to provide on-site access to day-care? This can go a long way to supporting work life balance. It reduces additional stops on the route to and from work. Having their baby cared for near the office removes the guilt of being away from their child which also allows them to remain engaged as they transition back to work.

Or can you subsidise childcare costs to make childcare more accessible to parents? And make the financial decisions around work vs childcare costs easier? It also shows that you as an employer are supportive of employees that are parents.

Returning mothers have most likely been away from work for 10 to 12 months or more. They may feel out of touch from the workplace. They may benefit from being kept up to date with important milestones and changes, to keep them in the loop. Make good use of your Keeping in Touch (KIT) days, they are important.

Or if they prefer not to have this communication while they are on maternity leave, you can record milestones for them to see on their return. Make a list of events and activities that you feel are important and relevant to them. You can provide this list on their return. This will reduce the amount of catching up they have to do and ensure they are in touch with current agendas.

Who are the new employees in the team? What changes have there been in processes, communications, or software? Have they missed any training that they would benefit from, and is there a chance for them to do this training now they have returned? This list could go as far as to include notable happenings, lessons learned, challenges met, and team wins.

Companies including Netflix, Microsoft, and Google now offer extended maternity leave. The reasons for this are primarily to retain and attract top talent. When Google increased its maternity leave from 12 to 18 weeks, they saw a 50% reduction in new mothers leaving work.

It may be tempting to get your talented staff back fast, but it might harm the company in the long run.

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August 3, 2022March 19, 2023

How to support mothers returning to work (part2)

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How to Support Mothers Returning to Work

Part 2:
What employers are doing in 2022

By Rose McCarter-Field

In 2018, PwC carried out research with 3,627 professional women, to understand what was important to them when returning to work after maternity. 95% of the women that took part in the survey felt that a greater degree of work flexibility on their return would assist them in operating at their best in their roles. This included flexible work practices such as movable start and stop times and flexi-time.

But what are forward thinking employers doing presently about their maternity policies? Which companies are changing their outlook on supporting staff in their return to work? And how is it effecting their companies? Here are a few examples from some global technology companies.

Vodafone

This UK based employer now offers reduced hours, such as a 30 hour week, during the first three to six months following return after maternity leave. Their revised maternity policy was implemented to allow mothers in tech, IT, sales and data roles the flexibility to return in a way that enables them to be the best in their role as they experience significant life changes.

Netflix and Microsoft

Netflix and Microsoft are among a number of Technology companies who have revamped their maternity policy to support mothers returning to their jobs. They have extended the length of their parental leave policies from 12 to 16 weeks. The aim of this change is to retain and attract the best talent to their companies. As a result they have seen an increase in staff retention following maternity leave.

Google

Google increased its maternity leave policy from 12 to 18 weeks. This was implemented across the board from their London based IT staff to their Germany based data analysts. Following this change of policy, the rate at which new mothers left the company was halved, an incredible statistic.

A number of other global companies, many in the IT, finance, and data analytics sectors, have reported that doubling their leave from 8 to 16 weeks has resulted in their turnover rate for new mothers falling by 40%. It can be tempting to encourage staff to return to work quickly. However, this is not always beneficial to the company in the longer term.

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July 28, 2022March 19, 2023

How to support mothers returning to work (part 1)

How to Support Mothers Returning to Work

Part 1:
Supporting new mums returning to work

By Rose McCarter-Field

Did you know, nearly half the workforce are female? Maternity and motherhood is a significant event that changes the lives of a large percentage of our staff. As employers, we need to be supportive of such an important event. Let’s take a look at how we can best enable our staff during such a time.

Are doing enough? Take a look at the below feedback from recent research on mothers returning to work.

1 in 9 returning mothers report feeling forced to leave their job.
1 in 5 mothers said they experienced harassment related to pregnancy.
Google halved the amount of women leaving work following maternity by increasing their maternity leave .

So what can we do to enable half our workforce at such a time? During maternity leave, a mother will have gone through significant physical and emotional changes and strains. Whatever the situation – her life has just changed monumentally. Employers should consider what they can do to help returning mums get back up and running after maternity leave, and how they can support them at work whilst they settle into their changed lives at home.

We’re currently researching how other companies have seen positive change through improving their return to work policies and ethos. Watch this space for our next article with more detail on how to support mothers returning to work.

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July 7, 2022March 19, 2023

Real Life Examples of Flexible Working

A New Way of Life?

By Rose McCarter-Field

How can a new model of working impact the lives of your staff? How are companies implementing new working practices? What’s working for them? And their staff?

Here are 5 case studies from companies at the forefront of implementing a new way of working. These companies share how their new policies are having a positive impact on their staff, and their company.

American Express

American Express is one of the largest credit card companies in the world, with over 50,000 employees globally including IT staff; programmers; data analysts; software engineers; and a range of technical roles. They offer contract, part-time, full-time, and remote working.

The financial firm have adapted to a more flexible scheduling model. This model includes the ability to work from home. This flexibility has opened up opportunities for parents as well as those living a long distance from their offices.

They allow for short notice changes to accommodate of unforeseen life events. Allowing for people to continue their roles and work flexibly around unexpected life events.

Dell

Dell is one of the largest technology and computer firms in the world. They have implemented a connected workplace programme to enable effective flexible working. They utilise virtual communication tool such as Slack and Microsoft Team to support effective remote working.

Presently 60% of their global IT and tech workforce is on a flexible working arrangement. Workers chose their hours and their location. Some work remotely full-time and others have a balance between home and office working arrangements. Dell encourage workers to get the work done, in whatever way suits the employee.

As a result the company have also saved $12 million a year in overheads, primarily from reduced office space.

DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo is an innovator in online technologies. This young search engine and privacy company has seen rapid growth over the past few years. Attracting some of the best and brightest of the new generation coming into the job market.

Their international workforce is encouraged to “work wherever, whenever” to get the job done.

As a result, their staff live flexible lives. Work is carried out around family schedules, caring responsibilities, and hobbies. They use digital tools to ensure effective communication and connectivity between their teams. To ensure everyone stays in the loop and works collaboratively.

Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies supports analytical scientists and clinical researchers to fulfil complex laboratory demands. Of their 12,000 employees, 15% don’t work a typical Monday to Friday.

The tech company offer flexible working arrangements to enable carers and parents to fit their work around their home lives. Including flexible working hours across the week, part time working, and job share. They allow for flexible time off and flexible working arrangements such as remote working.

They provide additional flexibility for specific life events, and provide access to support for events such as parental leave and adoption assistance.

Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank is a global financial services provider that drastically changed its working practices as a response to the pandemic.

They utilised virtual tools to enable effective global communications between staff. They found that staff working remotely were more available for meetings, as location was no longer a limiting factor.

They have put in place virtual induction and mentoring programmes. With an understanding that the nature of mentoring and sharing information had to evolve fast, they placed an emphasis on virtual support for staff. Staff can access one-to-one virtual mentoring and training to support them in carrying out their roles remotely.

Want to be an employer of choice? Want help attracting the best and brightest from the global talent pool? Get in touch with Project Recruit for boutique recruitment and payroll management services.

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June 24, 2022March 19, 2023

The Flexible Working Employment Bill.
How will it affect your company?

The Flexible Working Employment Bill

How will it affect your company?

By Rose McCarter-Field

How would the proposed new flexible working legislation affect your company? Do you welcome the change? Does your workplace suit flexible working? Have you already made this change? Or are you concerned about business impact?

Despite delays in passing the updated Employment Bill, flexible working is set to be made an everyday right for employees. It enables employees to request flexible working from the first day of their employment.

Flexible Working Example: Deutsche Bank

At Deutsche Bank many employees have requested 1-2 days working remotely. To better suit their lives.

The firm have found that staff have more time to work instead of travel. Staff became more purposeful in their communication.

Staff became more available for virtual meetings as location was less inhibitive. Communication in teams and across hierarchies was no longer constrained by their geographically separated offices.

Presently employees have the right to request flexible working after 26 weeks of employment, but employers are allowed to refuse these requests without providing a reason.

Once the bill is passed, employees will be able to take legal cases against their employers if their requests are refused. The new legislation is designed to support a new work-life balance. It is intended to enable staff to work where possible, in a manner that enables a reasonable quality of life. The Financial Times describes it as a ‘new work-life balance law’.

The new bill would support parents, carers, and pregnant women in the workplace, among others. For example, any employee with a child under the age of 12, or an employee caring for a relative will have the right to request reduced or flexible working hours.

Balancing Parenting and Work Example: Zurich

Companies including Zurich have reported instances of new fathers and mothers balancing their working arrangements with their family needs.

Examples include flexible hours to allow for childcare and helping children with their homework. This can include compressed hours, where parents go home early on certain days whilst working late on other days.

Since its announcement 3 years ago in the Queens Speech, global approaches to flexible working practices have changed following the pandemic. The bill was originally proposed in the UK due to concerns over working conditions in factories and warehouses. The context of the bill has evolved following changing views on working practices. The proposed changes would most notably open up more work opportunities for parents, carers, and people with disabilities. The government estimates that 2.2 million people will gain access to different working arrangements as a result of this bill.

Ann Francke, head of the Chartered Management Institute, an industry body, said that “Many parts of the bill have risen to even greater prominence in the pandemic, making the rights to a modern workplace more important for marginalised groups such as women, and those from poorer backgrounds and ethnic minorities,” she said. “This is exactly the sort of legislation we need to build back better and level up the UK.”

1) Financial Times, 2022 https://www.ft.com/content/5d7d164b-71c0-47e9-ba3c-350d07317e89
2) Independent, 2022 https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/workers-will-be-able-to-take-case-against-employers-who-refuse-reduced-or-flexible-hours-requests-under-new-legislation-41572285.html

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May 19, 2022May 19, 2022

Want more female leaders in your company?

Find Out How

By Rose McCarter-Field

Do you look around and see only or mostly men on your board? On your leadership team? Do you ask yourself, why? Maybe you have already searched for the right women for these positions and just haven’t found the right people yet?

What do you think would inspire women to join your leadership team? To join your company? So that you become the employer of choice for talented female leaders.

Perhaps you are finding it difficult to find women in your industry with previous leadership experience? This is a vicious cycle. Some companies have taken on an apprenticeship approach to find skilled women and build up their leadership skills prior to them fully taking on a new role. In the same way that some governments such as Saudi Arabia are funding female run start-ups, companies are investing in training and apprenticeship programmes to tackle the challenge of equality in leadership. These women can then become figureheads for your company, in turn attracting more women to your company and helping you to equal out the gender balance.

How do you choose your shortlisting criteria for jobs and promotions? Are they written by men? Could they contain unintentional biases? One way round this is to get a diverse group of people involved in writing job descriptions and involved in the shortlisting. This helps to provide a wider perspective on the skills, experiences, and personality types appropriate for a role.

You could even specifically target women in your internal and external job advertising. Simple factors such as the imagery and wording that you use, can make a job advert appear less bias towards men. For help on this, ask us how!

If you want to become an employer of choice for women in your industry, you need to visibly be attracting them. The talent is out there. You need to position yourself in such a manner that draws them to your company. Visible female leaders will help, so will reflecting on the unintentional internal biases that are likely to be present in your workplace. For more information on this see our article on 3 Tell Tale Signs of Unintentional Gender Bias.

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