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      How Supporting Diversity Gives Your Business a Head Start

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      Many organizations claim they support diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI). Some, however, have yet to grasp that ensuring DEI is part of the hiring process is one of the keys to success.
      What is DEI?
      Effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies involve taking active steps to ensure that people with different ethnicities, genders, abilities, cultures, and personalities have representation, opportunity, and support in the face of historical and structural bias. DEI isn’t about box-ticking.
      It’s about delivering transparent and meaningful change that embraces all workers and makes them feel they’re an essential part of an organization.
      The Skills Gap
      Back in April, we released part 1 of our multipart “Future of Work” survey into the growing challenge of finding the right candidates.  Undertaken in conjunction with independent research firm Dynata, the survey revealed that UK hiring plans are up while skill shortages are greater. 87% of UK companies said they’re finding it hard to fill positions, with a third believing that the skills gap is widening. Companies across the UK told us that recruiters have to search harder and wider for talent, unlocking the untapped potential to fill the skills gap.
      It makes good business sense, therefore, to ensure all candidates, irrespective of race, gender, or other characteristics are fully considered in the recruitment process. Today, DEI isn’t an optional extra but a crucial part of being a modern business. In the second part of our “Future of Work” survey, we asked over 3,000 recruitment, talent acquisition, and HR professionals about their views on the importance of embracing difference in order to attract talent.
      Embracing Difference
      40% of organizations who took part in the survey said that candidates expect more than ever to learn about a company’s plans to become more diverse, while 70% expect companies to be open about the diversity of their workforce. Recruiters increasingly recognize that DEI is a factor in attracting the right talent – and that the talent wants to know about a company’s DEI efforts. 45% of employers believe that building a diverse workforce is a priority to retain existing talent and attract new employees.  And perhaps surprisingly, we found that nearly two-thirds of employees (62%) would reject a job offer from an organization with a culture that didn’t support diversity.
      The world of recruitment, like the rest of society, has faced a reckoning in recent years with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) pushed to the fore. Our survey found that nearly a quarter of organizations already include diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment practices. In addition, 30% are seeking to encourage greater diversity in leadership positions.
      However, diversity isn’t what you say; it’s about what you do – so it’s encouraging to see that 40% of businesses are building DEI into recruitment processes and strategies. It isn’t just the right thing to do ethically – it benefits the company, the workforce, and the communities we operate in. It’s an ongoing task, and companies recognize they have more to do. it’s concerning, however,  that just 19% of employers have strategies to engage the neurodiverse. It’s an area that needs focus and action for employers, or they risk missing out on those with unique talents.
      Organizations are beginning to understand that differences are not necessarily negatives and are starting to value a diverse range of views and voices, from people with disabilities of whom only half are in work, including neurodiverse people (for example autism – only 22% of autistic adults in the UK are in any kind of employment), says the report.
      Good Communication is Vital
      Many organizations are now ensuring they communicate HR policies on inclusiveness so that applicants can understand the culture of a potential new workplace even before they consider applying for a role. According to the research, globally, 86% of employees consider diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) critically important. And employers are taking the hint, with 45% believing that building a diverse workforce is a priority to retain existing talent and attract new employees.
      The survey found that organizations that prioritize DEI use this as a mechanism to attract talent and fill the skills gap. However, only 8% of employers say DEI initiatives are in the top three changes they are making to attract new employees, although this may also reflect that they feel they already have robust processes in place.
      Recommendations based on the report
      Monster recommends that to create an open and welcoming workplace for neurodivergent workers organizations should:

      Take time to understand any specific needs. During your recruit’s induction week, take time to sit down and find out what their needs and difficulties are. Treat these as a benefit, not a burden.
      Apply to the “Access to Work” scheme. Employers can access grant funding to support disabled people starting or staying at work.
      Be flexible and ready to adapt. Employers who are flexible and prepared to adapt are more likely to experience the benefits of a neurodiverse workforce.

      Monster’s Top Tips for making DEI a priority in recruitment are:-

      Start by looking inward: listen to your staff and learn from their experiences. Use data to spot trends, but don’t stop there. Use the lived experience of colleagues to help you shape DEI policies and set priorities.
      Create more inclusive job descriptions: writing job adverts that focus on skills, attitude, and approach is critical to engaging talent. Don’t revert to cliché, but create job descriptions that engage and inspire applications from those with the skills to succeed.
      Highlight commitment to DEI: if you’re doing great things, let people know. Your stance on DEI is a source of competitive advantage, so use it. Publicize benefits, policies, and processes that show what you’re doing.
      Be transparent: employees want to know you’re making progress, so be transparent with successes and highlight challenges. Every organization can – and should – do more.
      Audit the hiring process: diversity isn’t what you say but what you do – so ensure inclusive hiring processes are embedded at every level. From the application to the interview, your staff should recognize and respect differences.
      Revitalize the talent pipeline: engage with new groups, advertise in new places, or work with experts to find candidates with the skills you need.
      Don’t stop at inclusive hiring: companies serious about DEI ensure there’s support at every step for new hires and existing staff. Leadership and development programs support underrepresented talent from early career entrants to the boardroom. Staff should be free to share their views, and employers must listen to their voices.

      Overall, we’re encouraged to see employers making changes to create a positive working environment that recognizes and rewards differences, because, in the end, we all benefit. Our survey shows that an open and accepting culture, and the policies to back it up, are critical to attracting the best talent.
      By Claire Barnes, Chief Human Capital Officer at Monster and Global HR Lead, Randstad Enterprise Group. 
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      6 Reasons Why You Need to Take a Workation

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      If you are a professional that works from your home office, you may need to spice things up a bit. Take a good look around your office and ask yourself if you need a change of scenery. Do you find the walls of your home office closing in on you as you repeat the same daily routine over and over again? It might be time to finally take a vacation.
      But what if you’re booked up for the foreseeable future and your company needs you for at least a few hours every day? Work-life balance issues aside, in order to work around it, you can go on a work vacation—or “workation”—to kill two birds with one stone.
      If you have the wanderlust and want to go out and explore the world while making some money in the meantime, take some time off for a workation. In this guide, we’ll give you six reasons why you should hop on a plane and spend your workation in an unfamiliar destination.
      How to Take a Workation
      Although a workation sounds like an immediate solution to a stagnant lifestyle, you can’t just drive to the airport tomorrow and get out of town without notice. It’s important that you always inform your manager that you plan to take a workation and see if that works with their schedule.
      Just like taking a normal vacation, you should always schedule your workation in advance and go through the proper channels to ensure that everybody is on the same page. Of course, workcations are also mostly compatible with work-from-home jobs.
      A workation is still a vacation, after all, so be sure to explain to your boss that, while you may be working, you still need to enjoy yourself and your vacation. To do this, ask your manager and other higher-ups if you can work half days for the duration of your trip. There’s no point in taking a workation if you’ll be cooped up in a hotel all day.
      Now that you know what a workation is and how to schedule one properly with your workplace, it’s time to dive into the benefits of workations and how they can change your life for the better. Here are our six reasons to take that workation:
      1. Can Increase Productivity
      Workations can greatly benefit your mental health and, in turn, increase your productivity at your workplace. By getting out of your house or apartment, you can explore new places and climates in your downtime. If you get bogged down by gray winters, then a workation in a subtropical climate may increase your capacity to work.
      2. Improves Creativity
      By visiting different cities, climates, landscapes, and cultures, you are opening the door to boost your creativity. Every employer should value encouraging creativity at work, and being able to explore some new places will definitely help you get a new worldview and inspire your work process.
      3. Explore New Places
      If you have a wandering heart, a workcation is the right option for you. Exploring new places isn’t just for digital nomads in 2022, it’s also ideal for the modern work-from-home professional.
      4. More Flexible Schedule
      Workcations can allow you to create your own schedule on your own time while you enjoy far-off destinations. Allow yourself time to relax every day of your trip and set core hours for yourself. Make sure that you are adamant about turning off your email and instant messages at the end of your workday so you can truly unplug.
      5. Support Local Businesses
      When you’re practicing flexible hours on your workation, why not branch out and get a taste of the local cuisine. Spend your mornings working from a local coffee shop or popular breakfast restaurant. Take a productive lunch break at a cafe in downtown Winter Park or stay in a Gulf Shores beach rental. The sky’s the limit when it comes to how you spend your days.
      6. Better Work-Life Balance
      By taking a workcation, you are sending a message to your employer that you cherish your work-life balance. This balance is essential to maintaining healthy relationships in both the personal and professional sectors of your life.
      Now that you know how to take a workation and the benefits of them, why not start planning? Treat yourself to the vacation you deserve so you can achieve a proper work-life balance.

      David Timm is a copy editor at Siege Media. He currently lives in Omaha, Nebraska with his partner, two cats, one dog, and eleven fish.
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      How to Amplify Your DEI Initiatives in 2022

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      Talent acquisition teams are no stranger to the importance of creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive (DEI) workplace for all employees. According to the newly-released 2022 Job Seeker Nation Report, 38% of workers would turn down a job offer if the company lacked diversity in its workforce or had no clear goals for improving diversity in hiring. Below are ways companies can amplify DEI initiatives in 2022.
      Take Meaningful First Steps
      Many talent teams are dedicating considerable time and resources to DEI, including increasing investing budget resources to expand their efforts. In fact, 68% of recruiters reported that they believe improving DEI in their organization will be a top priority in the next year.
      Teams can take small steps by measuring key recruiting metrics in the process and continuing to analyze areas of improvement as changes are made. Here’s how:

      Understand the current workforce: This is a crucial step to help measure diversity of representation among an existing employee base. Evaluate the demographics across the organization, and within departments.
      Create a more diverse candidate pool: You’ve got to start somewhere, and there are several free tools and resources that can help you make sure you, and your company, are putting your best foot forward. Make small improvements to be more inclusive in recruiting practices by using free tools to help write more inclusive job descriptions and attract a wider variety of candidates.
      Develop inclusive content: Use existing social media channels and the company’s career website to tell employee stories within the organization. By leveraging this original content, your team can further convey how employees of differing backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, and abilities feel a sense of belonging. This is also a great medium to share current efforts and commitments for improving DEI. Think like a marketer – track the data related to interactions with your posts, understand what messages perform well, and determine what messages your audience wants to hear more about.

      Align Hiring Teams on Candidate Requirements
      Hiring team members can get stuck on the notion of the “ideal candidate.” This mindset can limit the diversity of talent pools by having too many requirements listed when they may not all be necessary. In today’s competitive labor market, this will cost your organization time, which inevitably will cost you top candidates.
      Grow a Diverse Talent Pipeline
      Today’s labor market is incredibly tight, and candidates expect a culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. Avoid limiting the talent pool by requiring specific skills and experience that are not dealbreakers. Build programs to attract, engage, and hire historically marginalized communities through strategic audience planning and develop programs to make everyone feel welcome.
      Talent teams must work hard to expand their talent networks and source diverse candidates, which can be done in the following ways:

      Interact on social media: Keep in touch with potential applicants, passive talent, and past candidates on social media. Share what’s going on in the company, tell employee stories, answer questions, post job openings, and give info on referral programs to the network.
      Attend recruiting events: Virtual and in-person recruiting events can be great places to help you build your talent network. Focus on hiring events that bring together a niche audience that is centered around diversity. These events are a great way to connect with job seekers and broadcast the message that the company is hiring.
      Work with local organizations: Find local diversity groups and work with them to source candidates for open positions. Building a relationship with these organizations can help long-term network growth.

      Leverage tools needed to enhance DEI initiatives
      Automation and AI tools can help further supplement DEI initiatives, streamline hiring  processes, and eliminate manual tasks in the following ways:

      Automated intelligent sourcing: Sourcing candidates can be the most time-consuming process in recruiting. Automated intelligent sourcing can help find candidates that fit open roles and invite them to apply. It can also reach top candidates while keeping the pool diverse.
      AI candidate skill-matching: Skill matching automatically screens applicants for role requirements, which is helpful for specialized roles that benefit from diverse candidates, such as engineers, healthcare workers, or machine operators. Integrating automated skill-matching tools with applicant tracking systems (ATS) eliminates the strain of managing multiple candidate databases in different places and helps find qualified talent more quickly. Leveraging technology to screen for skills can also help reduce bias in your hiring processes.

      Start Investing in DEI Today
      The time to prioritize DEI is now. In today’s challenging labor market, those who prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion will find more qualified candidates, which can turn into new hires. Talent teams can improve the diversity of their candidate slates by taking charge and applying the right strategies throughout the hiring process, including sourcing, relationship management, workforce planning, and audience planning.
      The investment in DEI goes far beyond cash – employers can invest time in telling the organization’s story, setting expectations, and aligning teams, which often yields the highest return on investment. It’s critical to lead DEI initiatives with empathy, compassion, and dedication, and to be relentless in driving change.
      By: Corey Berkey, Senior Vice President, People & Talent, Employ Inc. 
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      Small Steps with Big Outcomes — Supporting Parents in the Workplace

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      From sleep deprivation to financial cost, parenthood certainly comes with an emotional and physical toll. Although this opener sounds negative, it is important to recognize the difficulties accompanying being a parent alongside the overwhelmingly positive experiences.
      This can’t be overlooked in the workplace after parenthood, where often there is renewed vigor over a return to work. However, expectations and realities can sometimes be harsh between both the worker and manager.
      Research from SkillsNow surveying 500 working moms offers us vital insight into working during and after parenthood. One in six working moms (60%) say they have more patience and empathy in the workplace, after becoming a parent. In fact, many moms actually feel their performance and job satisfaction at work have increased – but only if they were given the right working conditions.
      Unfortunately, almost half of working moms (43%) feel they have experienced discrimination in the workplace, after becoming a parent. Whilst 39% say they are not being offered the skills development they need to progress.
      Considering this, businesses must introduce provisions to support new parents in the workplace, ensuring both parties are satisfied and ultimately benefiting from the outlook parents can bring.
      Ensuring development
      With two out of three women wanting more training and development following their parental leave, it is clear that further provision is required to suit these needs. In fact, many are simply not being offered the necessary training. Any desire to learn and progress from returning workers should be met with similar positivity from managers, particularly given how fast developments occur in the workplace and previous methods become outdated.
      Training should be viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury. To ensure parents feel valued, flexible means of training including VR and digital options must be provided, only then can inclusive development schemes be created for those who wish to progress beyond their current position.
      Combatting workplace discrimination
      Nearly half of all working moms (43%) feel they have experienced discrimination in the workplace, after becoming a parent. This combined with 37% of women reporting a mental health condition diagnosis after parenthood, creates a significant problem to address. Both are damning statistics considering the percentage size and the extremity of discrimination, therefore action must be taken to combat this.
      One means to do so is to raise awareness of the needs and the value of working moms within the workplace, offering various support options to help each employee.
      Making use of productivity
      With six in ten moms (60%) believing they have more patience and empathy in the workplace after becoming a parent, many moms actually feel their performance and job satisfaction at work can increase – but only given the right working conditions. Any improvement in outlook and productivity is significant for your business and a very helpful means by which to achieve goals ahead of schedule and increase workforce morale. Therefore it is also necessary to acknowledge these increases by showing your appreciation; small shifts in ways of working can mean a lot when utilized in the right manner or context.
      Discussing and providing flexible working hours is now commonplace, and shows support and willingness from your business – particularly in adapting to the needs of new moms. Showing flexibility around office hours is a great start but furthering this thinking would be possible through introducing a benefits package, offering subsidies on childcare and healthcare provision; alleviating more potential financial or care issues.
      It is apparent that parenthood can enable parents, in particular working moms, to add more perceived value to their work, revolutionizing their approach and ensuring productivity. However, discrimination and mental health issues arising from parenthood remain a threat in damaging their relationship with the workplace. As a result, the provision of flexible working hours, adequate continuous professional development opportunities, and other schemes can enable parents to feel adequately supported as they navigate the most significant months and years of their lives.
      By Kat Jackman, CMO of SkillsNow.
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      How Can Job Seekers Make Themselves More Attractive to Recruiters?

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      Just as the labor market changes quickly and unexpectedly, so too does the recruiting industry. As the workforce rebounds from COVID-19 and unemployment rates continue to drop, job seekers have more options from which to choose, making hiring increasingly difficult for employers, and sourcing top talent more challenging for recruiters.
      Though job seekers may have more options than in the past two years, this doesn’t mean they will all be viable. The Great Resignation has made qualified candidates a rare commodity, making it even more important for both active and passive job seekers to showcase themselves in ways that make them attractive to recruiters when their skills are a match for open positions. Let’s look at some areas job seekers should focus on in order to ensure they appear on recruiters’ radars.
      Prioritize Personal Brand
      A strong personal brand is always an asset to a job search, and for some jobs, it’s essential. Recruiters want to see that candidates maintain a professional online persona. While most job seekers know to optimize their LinkedIn page for their search, if their other social media pages are filled with self-indulgent photos or negative or offensive content, this could be a red flag for recruiters who may be hesitant to submit such candidates to their clients. Similarly, it could be a turn-off to employers who may feel such online behavior shows immaturity or irresponsibility and doesn’t match their values. Despite the common belief that everyone should be free to express themselves, particularly on non-business-related sites like Facebook and Instagram, job seekers should take extra care to send a message of professionalism across all social media platforms.
      Focus Efforts
      It’s not uncommon for recruiters to receive dozens, if not hundreds, of applications for each of their open positions. Job seekers should be sure to only target those positions for which they’re qualified, and not inundate recruiters or employers with resumes for any and all positions to try to gain their attention. This approach may attract the wrong kind of attention, causing the candidate’s name to be remembered for always being unqualified. Instead, job seekers should focus on positions that relate to their skills and experience, and customize their resume for each position they apply to by including relevant keywords from the job description and supporting numbers and accomplishments. Also, candidates who don’t hear back from recruiters after applying should limit their follow-up to one time to avoid coming across as too persistent or aggressive.
      Demonstrate Knowledge
      Job seekers who use their spare time to share news, information, and knowledge with their networks will automatically have an edge over their competition. As recruiters scour the internet and resume databases for top talent, the more choices there are, the more they look for something in candidates’ profiles that makes them stand out. Those who write blogs, share articles, are active in LinkedIn groups, or network and interact with others in the industry make a far better impression than those who only appear interested in having fun online. While not all online activity has to be work-related, job seekers should try to maintain a healthy balance in order to send the right message to recruiters and potential employers.
      Stay Up to Date
      Few things are as frustrating to a recruiter as an interested candidate who has neglected to update his or her contact info. Depending upon whether there are ample qualified candidates to choose from, recruiters will either take time out of their busy schedule to source the candidate’s contact info online or just move on to the next qualified individual. Passive candidates with rare and in-demand skill sets may be indifferent to losing out on an opportunity or creating extra work for recruiters. But for job seekers with a greater sense of urgency, should ensure their contact info is updated and they are easily reachable and quick to respond.
      Continue Learning
      One sure way job seekers can endear themselves to recruiters and prospective employers is through a record of continuous learning. In addition to hiring for education, skills, and experience, most employers also want to hire candidates who are always looking to acquire knowledge. This may be more difficult for those currently employed in a demanding field. However, for job seekers needing to break up the monotony of a full-time search, taking a class or working toward a certification could give them an edge when competing with a number of other qualified candidates.
      Volunteer
      Regardless of industry, every recruiter and employer looks favorably upon volunteerism. During the hiring process, recruiters often take note of what candidates do in their spare time in order to determine how they may fit with a company’s culture. Those who donate their time to charitable causes while listing their volunteer activities on their resume or sharing them on social media show recruiters that they share values with employers committed to community involvement and that they’re interested in helping others and working for something greater than just a paycheck.
      The recruiting industry is constantly evolving. As decreasing unemployment rates have made sourcing top talent more difficult, applicant tracking systems, big data, and artificial intelligence have attempted to streamline talent identification, while also causing recruiters’ roles to change in the hiring process. In response, job seekers must ensure they remain adaptable as well. Though knowledge and experience will always be in demand, candidates must focus on those skills and attributes that will make them stand out among others with similar backgrounds, and how to showcase these to recruiters. Regardless of changes to the job market or recruiting technology, job seekers who do this will have the greatest success transitioning into the workforce.
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      5 Tips to Remote Cross-Border Hiring Post-Brexit

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      The last three years will go down in history as some of the most unusual and unexpected years in recent times. The exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union and an unforeseen global pandemic has undoubtedly shaken the recruitment landscape, but have these seismic events changed the market beyond recognition?
      What has changed?
      In a time of absolute upheaval, high-flying talent in successful tenures have held on to the permanence of their roles. We live in a time of fiercely competitive working markets as a result, particularly in the high-octane legal recruitment market. Each recent socio-political occurrence has also had a lasting impact on mobility. The restrictions on movement posed by Brexit conflict with the increased flexibility and remoteness of the working world brought about by COVID. Consistently since 2020, however, companies have had no option but to build first-class legal teams that can face and mitigate risk for these competing forces.
      How, then, do companies continue to hire the best talent despite challenging border requirements and in a way that still cultivates a connected team? The legal industry, which traditionally relies on cross-border moves, can provide a useful example of the challenges, and opportunities, of post-pandemic and post-Brexit moves. The way in which companies are navigating this landscape can provide employers with some top tips on grappling with this unique tension.
      1. Stay flexible
      Firstly, make the most of the flexibility opened up by remote working. Candidates in the Swiss life science market, the robust regulatory legal talent in Belgium, the French-speaking skills of Parisian lawyers, and tech-savvy counsel in Berlin, amongst others, have long attracted UK employers. To continue to hire such talent post-Brexit, UK headquartered companies have increasingly opted to hire a remote workforce. After all, a contemporary workforce is a remote one in a post-pandemic world. Employing the use of affiliates for the domicile of employment contracts has served as one option to facilitate foreign hiring in recent months. Not all companies have the luxury of this network, however, so what other options are there?
      2. Harness rotations and short-term placements
      The UK has set a limit of 180 days that can be spent in the UK in a given tax year. In excess of this, the individual is considered to be domiciled in the UK and is subject to UK tax regulation. Companies are availing of this to have lawyers who are based remotely spend significant time in the UK, and yearly secondments or team rotations are becoming more commonplace. The agility of such hiring strategies is an appealing tactic for employers looking to attract and retain the top talent in a post-pandemic world.
      3. Go global
      Employers should make the most of the rich diversity of an international talent pool where possible. For instance, the pedigree of UK-trained lawyers will remain coveted across different markets, despite the socio-political changes of our time. Particularly in global roles, UK-qualified candidates, experienced in a common law system, can offer input on US, Canadian and Australian matters. International and particularly American headquartered companies seeking to hire UK talent are showing increasing comfort with senior lawyers retaining a UK base so long as they are amenable to frequent travel, which often equates to as much as 50% of their role. For both employers and candidates, being prepared to look across borders could create a rich seam of opportunities.
      4. For smaller companies, it’s time to get creative
      It is unfortunate, however, that most viable options fail smaller start-up or less established organizations that do not have affiliates or sub-entities based in markets outside the UK, or who are based in geographies that do not boast a wealth of UK-qualified candidates.
      In every circumstance, but particularly for smaller companies, negating the restrictions imposed by new immigration regulations and the hiring of the right candidate (rather than the available talent) is down to a company’s ability to creatively motivate candidates to relocate.
      However, no matter what your size as a company, those with robust and inventive HR teams, who collaborate with tax and legal stakeholders to create opportunity, have thrived in their recent hiring strategies. Top talent feels valued, rewarded, and motivated when given the opportunity and when remunerated generously to relocate.
      5. Tailor your strategy to suit your employee’s needs
      When it comes to relocating no judgment can be held against individuals who are unable to move due to family or other personal reasons. Companies often find the willingness of candidates to change geography, despite political and social landscapes, to be an encouraging demonstration of commitment to the role, but other options such as weekly commuting are no longer as accessible. Employers and employees should be open to short-term rotations or a hybrid system in a more meaningful way than before.
      In short, employers looking to stay ahead in the post-Brexit European talent race should: stay flexible by leveraging the best aspects of hybrid working, look far and wide, get creative with relocation strategies, and be understanding of a candidate’s working preferences, including their location. These strategies will allow employers to reap dividends with a committed, loyal workforce. After all, “all mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move”, as Benjamin Franklin once said.
      By Elena Bajada, Managing Director at Major, Lindsey & Africa. 
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      How Experienced Remote Workers Bring Value to New Ways of Working

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      Despite their mass roll-out during the pandemic, remote and hybrid working are not a new phenomenon for many. Some people have worked for years in remote teams spanning different continents. Others may have worked in virtual companies or may have had regular home working during the working week.
      Many parents or carers have requested remote working over the years in order to manage their caring responsibilities better, although there are a range of reasons someone may need or want to work remotely. Technology has been the big enabler for many.
      In most cases, these workers have been left to ‘make it work’. And it is often the case that they have not been asked how they have done so or been invited into discussions about how to make mass remote or hybrid working better. This is despite the fact that different ways of working can be challenging and many employers are still in the early stages of adapting to change or may still be resisting it.
      “Too often remote workers have been left to their own devices to make the best of remote working, but this one-sided approach means neither the employee nor the employer overcomes the biggest challenges or reaps the full benefits,” says Gillian Nissim, founder of WM People.
      WorkingMums and The Changing Work Company have recently collaborated on a qualitative survey of regular remote or hybrid workers, half of whom have been working that way for more than three years and a quarter for more than five years. The majority work for SMEs.
      The survey revealed some interesting findings. Over two-thirds of respondents [68%] had not been asked about their experience of working from home to help others who switched during Covid.
      There was also a distinct sense of having been sidelined as a result of working remotely. 80% said they had not been promoted since working in this way and 44% had not had access to training. Moreover, 30% had found it hard or very hard to negotiate remote working. The sense of having been sidelined was further evidenced by respondents’ feelings about missing out on information. Nearly a third felt they had missed out on crucial information and most of those who hadn’t said this was because of their own efforts to find out what was going on, rather than their employer’s. 36% felt they were not included in decision-making due to being remote.
      Two-thirds [66%] of respondents were offered resources such as laptops by their employers, but 71% said their employer did not pay for things like work-based calls. A third [33%] didn’t have access to technical support.
      Respondents were also asked what helped them when it came to isolation at home. Keeping in touch, planning social interactions outside work, and keeping to a routine were popular choices. To keep in touch one respondent had started a virtual lunch chat. Others had created Teams chats and other forums for communication.
      Asked what skills they think are needed to work remotely – something that might be useful for recruiters and HR managers – 85% said self-motivation was a vital skill; 68% said independent thinking, and 58% said resilience. 74% said they had honed these skills through remote working and 22% had developed them due to homeworking. When it came to management of remote workers, the ability to communicate was by far the most popular skill they felt managers needed.
      So it was no surprise that, when asked what would improve their situation, remote workers said better communication and appreciation of what they do. While 58% felt as valued and listened to as office-based people, the rest mostly didn’t or were unsure.
      Yet respondents felt they had developed greater skills as a result of their experience, including more discipline and a greater awareness of their own capability and resilience. Their advice to other remote workers included organizing and planning, having a structure, sticking to your working hours, and thinking about alternative forms of social interaction.
      Bridget Workman of The Changing Work Company, who has advised Government departments on flexible culture change and is a big advocate of employee engagement, said: “These workers know the pitfalls and have learned the necessary skills and tricks through their own resourcefulness and resilience.” She would like to see more employers tapping to the wealth of experience that may be sitting right under their noses.
      Mandy Garner is the Managing Editor of WM People.
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      5 Ways to Help Employees Manage the Psychological Stress of Hybrid Burnout

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      COVID-19 changed many employees’ work routines, both in positive and negative ways.
      As a result of long-term remote working, many companies are considering introducing hybrid working models, giving staff the option of combining working from home with going into the office.
      However, hybrid working could also have a significant impact on employee mental health with many reporting symptoms of ‘hybrid burnout’.
      Burnout is defined as a phenomenon ‘resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.’ In 2020 it became a recognized condition by the WHO.
      Hybrid burnout is the result of juggling long hours working from home with commutes to offices, which can not only be physically exhausting but also take a considerable toll on employee stress levels.
      But what can businesses do to help employees manage the physical and mental health implications of a hybrid working environment?
      1. Recognize the signs
      Individuals in management should become aware of the signs and symptoms caused by hybrid burnout, as well as what they can do to prevent or respond to it.
      Staff may become fatigued, forgetful, and struggle to concentrate, with so much going on around them. Early on, this may make people feel worried, irritable, on edge, or tense.
      Further down the line, this anxiety – caused by juggling multiple work environments- may become so severe that it affects professionals’ ability to work productively (or at all).
      There are also potential physical symptoms to consider, like heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, and headaches.
      2. Assess company culture
      A Gallup study revealed the main causes of burnout are not the nature of the work itself, rather, how a person is treated and managed while they are working.
      Consider how different leadership approaches might impact employees. For example, behaviors like bias or unfair corporate policies can cause stress and lead to overworking, with staff feeling a need to ‘prove their worth’.
      Make certain that healthy work behaviors are modeled from the top. Help employees understand their value to the company and their contributions to the organization’s goals. Employees feel more valued, and display more motivation in the workplace if, and when, they understand their exact role in the greater purpose.
      Take a few minutes each week to update employees on company news and how your team’s actions are contributing to the company’s overall success.
      Also, make time to tell staff specifically what you value about their contributions. Try to build this into your regular routines, perhaps by starting your team meetings with shout-outs acknowledging the accomplishments of individual team members.
      3. Encourage conversations
      As well as ensuring all staff feels appreciated and comfortable in their roles, managers need to ensure they demonstrate to their teams that the business has an open, supportive and welcoming approach when staff are distressed or finding it difficult to cope.
      Employees need to feel conversations about difficulties surrounding work are both welcomed and expected.
      This requires employers to feel empowered to enable better conversations about mental health in the workplace. At Nuffield Health, we introduced Emotional Literacy training for all staff.
      92 percent of whom took the training stated they felt able to support a colleague in distress. Initiatives like this build an open community, and a common language, encouraging more people to say “I’m not OK” and ask others “Are you OK?”.
      Employees should also be signposted to any other designated people, like, mental health champions for additional support.
      4. Communicate set policies
      It’s important company policies that promote good work/life balance are widely communicated. With hybrid working, this means using multiple channels to ensure you reach all employees, whether it’s through company social media platforms, emails, or even by text alerts.
      Actively nurturing and promoting reasonable work hours, including, if necessary, encouraging employees to go home, when in the office late, or messaging them to ‘go offline’, at the end of their regular workday if you recognize a pattern of unhealthy overworking.
      Help assess workloads for those who feel pressured to remain working beyond normal business hours and let them know there is always support available and additional resources to help them manage mounting projects or multiple deadlines.
      Sometimes employees simply don’t realize these are things they are welcome to ask for.
      5. Provide professional emotional wellbeing support
      A recent Nuffield Health whitepaper revealed spending more than 2.5 days a week working away from the office can be associated with deterioration in co-worker relationships and job satisfaction.
      For those having difficulty with the balance between remote and office life, consider introducing professional wellbeing support like Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) and timely access to effective psychological therapy (such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy).
      These interventions can be delivered remotely or face to face and give individuals access to a specialist who can help them understand and break unhelpful thinking patterns and “what if” thinking that may exacerbate stress and burnout in uncertain times.
      By Gosia Bowling, National Lead for Emotional Wellbeing, Nuffield Health.
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