IOD SCOTLAND WINTER 2022

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Technical briefing: HR To navigate the Great Resignation, business leaders must act now Gaynor Duthie, Managing Partner of Genoa Black, looks at the post-Covid phenomenon of the exodus of experienced personnel from the workplace A record number of employees are quitting or thinking about doing so. Businesses that take the time to learn why — and act considerately —will have an edge in attracting and retaining talent. The ‘Great Resignation’ has seen millions of workers globally leaving their jobs since early 2021 at a record pace, disrupting businesses everywhere. With the trend continuing throughout 2022, companies are currently struggling to address the problem, and many will continue to struggle for one simple reason: they don’t really understand why their employees are leaving in the first place. Rather than taking the time to understand, business leaders are quick to offer well-intentioned fixes that will have little impact. Increased financial reward, bonuses and offers of flexible working are, of course, important, but without making any effort to improve engagement and strengthen loyalty, these perks are time bound and unsustainable as a long-term strategy. If the past 18 months have taught business leaders anything, it’s that employees crave investment in the human aspects of work. Employees are tired and many are burnt-out. They want a renewed and revived sense of purpose in their work. They want social and personal connections with their colleagues and managers. They want to feel a sense of shared identity and feel truly valued. By not understanding what employees are running from, and what they might gravitate to, business leaders are putting their business at risk. So how do we as leaders move forward? You can’t fix what you don’t understand The first step is to engage and consult with your employees. Not just those you think are at risk of leaving, but your entire workforce. Whether it be by survey, focus groups, 1-2-1 consultations or a combination of all of these, gaining true insights into the current mindset of your workforce is key. It is important to create an environment where employees feel safe and able to tell their truth – consider using independent consultants for an independent, expert view. Use this understanding to articulate value Taking and reflecting on all the insights gained from the consultation, the next step is to begin considering your employee value proposition. For years the focus has been on the customer value proposition but now your employees are just as important, if not more so. Consider the type of individuals you want to be working in your business, what they will be looking for from you as an employer, what you can commit to offering them, and why as an employer you want to do this. Deliver value to your employees authentically The power of an employee value proposition lies in its day-to-day realisation in the working environment. When we as leaders do not deliver on our promises to employees, the impact can be culturally damaging. However, where we remain authentic and act with integrity and honesty, the power of our employee value proposition can be evidenced through our ability to attract new talent, and the retention and performance of our existing team. The Great Resignation is real, it’s still happening, and it is not going away. Yet this also represents a big opportunity. To realise it, you just need to change your perspective. Take a step back, listen, think, and make the changes employees want. 22 WINTER 2022
Charity volunteering can deliver so much more than putting cash in a tin Caroline McKenna from Social Good Connect asks whether it’s time to change the focus of our volunteering activities It’s well-documented that countless charities in our local communities folded during the pandemic, with donations plummeting and countless fundraising activities cancelled. Could your business be doing more to help those still on the brink? Maybe your teams already commit to the odd day-long volunteering project. Maybe you’ve increased donations to a couple of choice charities. But perhaps now, in light of the non-profits’ struggle to support people in dire need, it’s time to consider a more structured element to community giving. A growing movement of SMEs are starting to live and breathe giving back and get beyond ticking CSR/ ESG boxes. Our experience since Covid-19 hit shows that management-backed employee volunteering is a productive way to re-boost staff morale and purpose, bring company values to life and improve and enrich under-used employee skills. We’ve seen it happen in tech firms, law firms, sports education businesses, schools, data-crunching firms and more. Re-imagining volunteering’s potential We know from working with hundreds of Scottish charities that micro and one-off skills-based placements, like a week of social media support for a charity campaign or an hour’s help with a vital funding application, are as valuable as regular befriending, mentoring or caring roles. Helping charities to run their operations (offering finance, trustee, marketing or tech support) is an invaluable way to make a powerful difference. I’m also often approached by grass-roots charities WINTER 2022 and larger, established charities crying out for board members, PR advisors, SEO specialists and HR help. Are there tangible benefits? Employees bring back to your workplace a fresh perspective, improved, sometimes extended skills and have accessed a new opportunity for personal and professional development. After a mentoring placement for an education charity by one of his senior managers, Kevin Ord, COO at Broker Insights told me: “What we take from volunteering is at least as great as what we put in. Using skills in a different context or setting fine-tunes them. Interpersonal skills are improved, confidence in your ability is enhanced, and staff come away with a sense of pride and general well-being.” Alistair Booth, CEO of The HR Booth, told me: “There are so many benefits, such as increased employee engagement and loyalty, and an employer brand that’s attractive to potential joiners. Employees want to be part of something – it’s not just about the job any more.” How do you tackle company-wide roll-out? Join an organised scheme or platform and establish a supportive framework for employees to get involved on their terms. Or offer a work-time allowance for volunteering and write it into company policy. How do you encourage ongoing and wider take-up? Make it easy to choose a cause and commitment level, show senior support, communicate whole-self benefits and engage your comms team to share impact from recent placements if volunteers are willing. Has your business got time to invest in employee volunteering? I say this: imagine the impact of lending business skills to understaffed, under-promoted charity operations and literally helping them stay afloat. Imagine the impact on hospitals, care homes, food banks and children’s services of hundreds of skilled workers lending time and expertise. Imagine the impact on your business and your values-driven employees of having played a key part in that… • Caroline McKenna is a trustee at the new cost-of-living support charity The Squeeze and founder of Social Good Connect, a non-profit employee volunteering platform. “What we take from volunteering is at least as great as what we put in. Using skills in a different context or setting fine-tunes them. Interpersonal skills are improved, confidence in your ability is enhanced, and staff come away with a sense of pride and general well-being.” 23
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IOD SCOTLAND WINTER 2022

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