Agile HR Newsletter May 2022

Keys to being a Great People Manager

‘Managing people is the toughest part of my job’

‘People are unpredictable’

‘There is nothing more rewarding than watching people flourish in their careers’

Whilst some people managers will receive formal training many are appointed because there is a gap/ obvious next step for their technical growth.  The reality is that the key to success is understanding that everyone is different and different keeps evolving further.

Remember People Leave Managers, Not Companies.  Business is all about people and businesses that recognise this will see this reflected in their business success.

Most candidates will enquire about your business culture – what is it like to work for x?  Can you truly answer that your management approach is people centric?

On very careful reflection and through years of coaching people management I have pulled together my top tips to ensure you are delivering a people centric management approach:

• Be open to new ways of looking at things 
• Expect excellence and acknowledge and reward it
• Make sure your employees know – clearly – where they need to focus 
• Protect your time as if it were gold (or perhaps Bitcoins?)
• Communicate regularly by providing meaningful feedback in real time 
• Don’t duck conflict, but deal with it directly and fairly 

As a great people manager you are always learning –  

• it is ok to show vulnerability to your team
• you can’t flourish on your own without your team on board
• you must be a role model ‘on and off the pitch’

If you would like to discuss this further please contact [email protected]

Employee Development – Internal Recruitment

It is no secret that the recruitment market place is currently highly competitive, with factors such as COVID-19 and Brexit having a significant impact on businesses’ ability to secure the right talent. Recruiting, onboarding and training new hires is an expensive and time consuming process and can leave the business exposed for periods of time where lack of manpower or required skills are missing. With this in mind, one option may be recruiting internally. There are advantages and disadvantages to this strategy.

Advantages

• Saves time and money – Recruiting externally is time consuming. Scouring through CVs, arranging calls and interviews is not quick or easy. Likewise, in a competitive marketplace, using expensive recruitment agencies can have a significant impact on the businesses bottom line!

• Company culture and familiarity – Sourcing talent from the existing workforce may ensure you can be less concerned if the person will fit in with the company culture. They will also be familiar with the business processes and procedures.

• Improved employee engagement – There are benefits to morale and motivation when employees see that there are opportunities to grow and advance within the business.

Disadvantages

• Lack of suitable candidates – it goes without saying that in some circumstances there won’t be a suitable candidate already within the business. The position you are hiring for may require specific experience or qualifications.

• Workforce gaps – In smaller organisations, promoting from within could mean you leave a gap in capability lower down the line, and you still need to recruit externally!

• Upsetting balance within the company – Although not a reason to discount promoting from within, it should be remembered that promotions can cause conflict with employees who feel overlooked or more deserving. This can be minimised by ensuring a fair and transparent interview and selection process.

The importance of a well-designed Learning and Development strategy

A learning and development (L&D) strategy sets out the workforce capabilities, skills and competencies the organisation needs, and how they can be developed to ensure a sustainable, successful organization (CIPD, 2021). What this means in practice, is for a business to operate a successful and beneficial internal recruitment process, they must implement an L&D programme that identifies what skills and experience the business requires now, and in the future so that employees are given the training and guidance to develop and attain promotion.  In practice, it may focus on those identified as high-performing or high-potential individuals (‘talent’), who are critical to long-term success. This can typically include mentoring programmes with senior leaders, in-house development programmes and project-based learning.

Agile HR Consulting are able to assist with the implementation of an efficient internal recruitment process, L&D strategy design and implementation and talent identifying processes, such as appraisals and assessments.

For further information on the above, please contact [email protected]

Mental Health Awareness Week – What Can I Do?

Mental Health Awareness Week is 9^th – 15^th May.  The aim is to promote good mental health for all and the theme this year is loneliness.

We all appreciate the past few years have been challenging and employee wellbeing and mental health is a growing concern.  We would like to share our suggestions for the workplace to help support the wellbeing journey of your employees.

Company Ethos

• Acknowledge as a business that mental health has the same importance as physical health
• Embrace Mental Health Awareness Week (and beyond!) – show your employees you take mental health seriously – use your intranet, social media, email, company workshops to convey this message
• Provide an environment where employees are comfortable asking for help

Connecting

• Have regular 1:1 meetings with your employees – encourage those conversations around wellbeing and the contributing factors. Discussing how employees are feeling and what is currently affecting their work can help to avoid future burnout. Ensure you have these conversations in a private space and in an environment where the employee feels comfortable sharing
• Provide opportunities for group wellbeing discussions – hearing how others are feeling/dealing with situations/sharing with a group can be beneficial
• Provide a buddy system. This support system can be invaluable for new and existing employees
• Create a wellbeing/engagement survey to sense check how your employees are feeling about themselves/their work/the business
• Social events – create an informal space for employees to engage with each other
• Organise a volunteering day – encourage your team to connect for a good cause
• Encourage a physical challenge within the office e.g. counting steps at the office and at home, combine the results to reach a weekly team target.  As the definition of exercise differs for each person keep the challenge within the capabilities of all staff to create inclusivity and encourage participation

Empowering

• Empower managers to spot early signs of wellbeing concerns with their employees by providing training/guidance
• Support your workforce by appointing a Mental Health First Aider – an employee who is trained to identify mental health concerns and provide guidance/support to colleagues.

Signposting

• Ensure your employees are aware of all their company benefits, as many have an impact on wellbeing.  Employee Assistance Programmes allow employees to use a counselling service on a range of topics (financial/legal/personal).  Your medical cover may have a counselling option.  Cycle to work schemes and discounted gym membership help to maintain physical health, which can have a huge impact on mental health. Speak to your employees to ascertain whether the current benefits package offered is right for them; would an alternative benefits package help to positively impact their wellbeing?
• Signpost local and national mental health support; this could be on your intranet/via email/on a noticeboard.  Local support comes in many forms e.g. a wellbeing centre, support café, helpline or exercise group.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask someone is how are you?

For further information on the above, please contact your Agile HR Consultant [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]