Agile HR Newsletter January 2024

HR Trends for 2024

Since the pandemic started in 2020 there have been significant organisational changes required – remote working/ incredibly competitive talent market and new technologies associated with AI.

In 2024 these organisational themes are evolving – bringing people back to the office, focusing on retaining top talent, rather than just recruiting and how AI is quickly influencing work.

Retention of Talent

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures in December 2023, while still above pre-pandemic rates, the number of vacancies fell for 17 months running. Organisations now need to be more focused on retaining key talent in line with business strategy rather than just efforts to attract talent.

Ways to achieve this:

• Career Development Programmes that focus on leadership (motivation/engagement) and the skills needed to move forwards in 2024+
• Embracing Flexible Working options to attract and retain top talent (Flexible Working requests can now be made from day 1 of employment.)
• Encouraging a culture of delivery of mentoring from Team Lead level to Junior Level

Focus on Employee Experience

Employee Experience in a nutshell sums up the working environment and culture in an organisation.  A positive employee experience directly correlates to your business hitting its business strategy objectives through greater creativity/higher productivity.

Ways to achieve this;

• Appreciation of individual requirements to grow – career programmes/ flexibility/ employee benefits that are helpful/appreciated
• Ongoing physical and mental wellbeing support and understanding

Embracing New Technology (AI)

In 2023 AI really stepped forwards as a way to speed up and challenge/ change working practices.

Thoughts:

• Being mindful of using AI safety
• Content creation for training

Armed with significant amounts of experience within the people management arena, the Agile HR Team are on hand to support with any people challenges facing your organisation in 2024 onwards.  For an initial no obligations chat contact [email protected]

Nurturing Success: The Importance of Employee Wellbeing

What is employee wellbeing?

Employee wellbeing extends far beyond physical health. It encompasses mental, emotional, and social aspects, creating a picture of an individual’s overall health. Employee wellbeing is about creating an environment where employees feel supported, valued, and able to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Creating a supportive workplace

Creating a workplace that prioritises wellbeing involves more than just offering employee benefits. It’s about fostering a supportive culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their needs, any challenges they are facing, and seeking assistance when necessary. Open communication channels and accessible resources contribute significantly to building a supportive work environment.

Wellness V Productivity

A workforce that feels physically and mentally well is more likely to be engaged, focused, and resilient. Investing in employee wellbeing is, therefore, a beneficial move to enhance productivity and achieve sustainable success.

Mental Health Initiatives

Mental health is a critical component of employee wellbeing. Organisations can implement initiatives such as employee assistance programs, mental health awareness campaigns, and training for managers to recognise and address mental health concerns within their teams and the wider workforce.

Flexible Work Arrangements and Work-Life Balance:

Oganisations are increasingly embracing flexible work arrangements. Whether it’s remote working, compressed working weeks, or flexible hours, these approaches empower employees to manage their personal and professional lives effectively, reducing stress and promoting overall wellbeing.

Employee Recognition

Feeling valued and appreciated is fundamental to an employee’s wellbeing. Recognising and rewarding employees for their contributions not only boosts morale but also contributes to a positive work atmosphere. Simple gestures of appreciation, such as regular feedback and acknowledgment of achievements, can go a long way.

If you would like more information on employee wellbeing, please contact [email protected]

Employee Onboarding (Best Practice)

A well-designed onboarding programme is an important part of welcoming a new hire into your business. It will ensure your new employee understands the business, their role and how they fit within the organisation. This will support them to feel welcomed and be effective and more productive early on.

Here are our thoughts on what makes a good onboarding process to help your new hire be successful:

Prior to starting:

• Documents ensure your new hire has all the necessary paperwork and a welcome/onboarding plan with lots of useful info about the Company and its employees to set their expectations for the first few months
• Contact: reach out to your new hire beforetheir start date to answer any questions they may have & to help them understand what to expect in their first few days

Tech/equipment/tools – ensure all the relevant technology (email access/logins to relevant systems) is in place for the first day. Likewise, if the employee’s role requires certain equipment or tools, ensure these are set up from day 1.

Welcome – arrange some form of warm welcome on the first day – from introducing your new employee to the rest of the team & the wider business, schedule some initial/induction meetings/going for coffee/taking them out for lunch/team building activity.

Mentor/ Buddy/ Shadow system is a great way for a new employee to integrate in the business and feel part of the team. A mentor or buddy can provide further advice around company culture and answer any first few month questions. Shadowing employees either in their own team or a different team is a fantastic way to get up to speed with their department and understand how other teams operate and the impact their work shall have. This will also establish important connections with team members in the wider business.

Regular Check-ins throughout the probationary period from both the line manager and HR to ensure there are no initial concerns/ answer queries/ support and to provide an opportunity for feedback.

Performance expectations during probationary period – once your employee has settled in – setSMARTgoalsfor the probation period to help themunderstand what is expected tobe successful in the role. Help the employee understand the impact of the set targets on the department and how these feed into the business. Discuss how success is measured.

Psychometrics – we love psychometrics at Agile! We feel this can be a great way for a new hire to understand how they, and others in the team, are wired and therefore how to work more effectively together. If everyone in the business has already completed a psychometric questionnaire this builds a fantastic profile of the whole team or company and allows a new hire to get to know the team quickly, understand how the individual team members work best/communicate and essentially helps to fast track the team working phase.

Do reach out to the Agile team if you would like our support with any of the above [email protected]