It was great to get the opportunity to return to the alma mater recently and join a full house at the Mid-West CIPD Event - Recruit, Retain, Reset.
Talent Management will be a top priority for organisations over the coming years, and in what was an extremely engaging discussion, there were a considerable amount of practical takeaways. With this in mind, I want to provide a brief snapshot of some of the key points discussed, which will hopefully benefit those tackling these challenges head-on.
Emma Parry - Cranfield School of Management (Changing World of Work)
1) It is vitally important to keep having conversations around the changing world of work and to concentrate on evidence-based content rather than sensational headings (e.g. quiet quitting!) 3 years ago, discussions centred around topics such as technology and the ageing workforce. How that has changed since Covid!
2) Hybrid Working – the emphasis should be on offering choice and control (58% will seek new work if not allowed to work remotely (#UK figures)).
3) Pilots of 4-day week = positive results but bear in mind the challenges (e.g. increased cost to the business). There is a need to remove the focus on visibility and presenteeism, remove unnecessary meetings, and consider technology (again, choice and control).
4) Evidence is not definitive on generational differences, and Emma herself does not believe there are significant differences (e.g. Generation X vs Z vs Millennials).
5) Future proofing the employee experience = employee wellbeing, inclusion and supportive culture, meaningful work, work/life balance, career development, sustainability and responsibility, equitable pay, trust-based leadership, and employee voice.
Mary Lynch – HR Manager Element 6 (Some Practical Takeaways)
1) Compete on giving your employees the freedom/autonomy to satisfy their career aspirations.
2) Focus on the employer brand and increase social media presence.
3) People Value Proposition - explore why people stay and what they love about the organisation and communicate it.
4) Go offsite for goal setting/strategy sessions – creates more energy and buy-in amongst the group.
5) Share knowledge and document it to alleviate potential knowledge loss with attrition
Gillian Horan – The Pudding (Building and Communicating your Employer Brand internally and externally)
1) There needs to be a mindset shift: profit > purpose, hierarchies > networks, controlling > empowering, planning > experimentation, privacy > transparency.
2) Great employee experience drives an even better customer experience.
3) Strong employer brand - evidence shows that you will hire three times faster.
4) Employee Value Proposition = culture, compensation and benefits, environmental, career development – how you portray this will not only improve talent attraction but also aid in talent retention.
5) Where is your target audience hanging out – should you consider the likes of TikTok? Thanks to Gillian for some highly entertaining examples of how TikTok works!
It was a pleasure for Collins McNicholas to sponsor this event. Thank you to Lavinia and the Mid-West CIPD committee for piecing it all together and to Emma Parry, Mary Lynch and Gillian Horan for delivering outstanding presentations.
On a personal level, it was great to catch up with some old classmates and lecturers from UL and to see the outstanding developments across the campus – a lot has changed in over 15 years!
If you have the need for support on upcoming recruitment campaigns or simply have queries on talent management and market conditions, feel free to reach out to me directly on 021-49110626 and I would be happy to help.
