Whilst the outlook is still bleak for job-seekers and recruitment figures still remain low, Mike Stevenson believes organisations should look at existing staff development before recruiting again.
The outlook is still bleak for job-seekers, with recent figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) (6 October 2010) indicating that company appointments hit a one-year low in the last month.
In response, REC have urged the government to work to boost recruitment levels, but this plea comes at a time when businesses are still feeling recession after-effects and recruitment costs are rising (Onrec global recruitment service, 24 June 2010). Can UK companies really afford to kick-start a mass recruitment campaign?
Organisations should start with reviewing their existing human capital. People around us have almost an endless capacity to contribute energy and ideas, but in many work cultures these are expressed as complaints whispered in corridors because, as a nation, we can be too quick to dismiss new ideas.
Looking positively on the imagination of the workforce could mean enormous returns on investment. What if a company with 500 staff were to add even just 5% to each individual’s performance? That’s the equivalent of 25 new recruits.
Case Study 1: British Gas
In 2008 British Gas, part of Centrica plc with around 15,000 employees wanted to bring its talent development programme to life, igniting a passion for learning. Although staff had been responsive to the company’s efforts to broaden the appeal of their training programmes, British Gas wanted to create a more distinctive offering. They wanted more lateral learning opportunities and an opportunity to establish a corporate culture that has an appetite for continuous development.
Exploratory discussions were mainly with the management team but what stood out was the energy surrounding the brand. This meant a move from corporate speak and imagery to ‘Brilliant Me,’ centring the brand around individual employees, their dreams and ambitions. This idea was completely different from what British Gas had expected, but there was gradual acceptance and, two days later, people were enthused.
As a result, the brand was focused on personal ambition and enjoyment of the workplace. Corporate brand messages became 'What will I achieve?' and illustrations featured people in a fun way, as opposed to the clichéd images of people involved in training. When the brand was launched, an imaginative range of media was used in and around the company’s offices and motivational speaking breakfasts became a regular fixture.
www.britishgas.co.uk
Case Study 2: BSkyB
BSkyB employs 16,500 people and had a call centre workforce which felt detached from the glamour, energy and excitement of the entertainment industry. When the 8,000 call centre staff in Dunfermline and Livingstone told people they worked for BSkyB, the typical reaction was: "that must be an exciting place to work," but they were far removed from the buzz of a TV studio.
Aiming to attract new employees and nurture the current workforce, it was decided that a fun and empowering campaign was needed. Staff were interviewed at all levels, work patterns were studied, internal staff dynamics and traffic flow around the offices was looked at, as well as an audit of existing and past communications.
The interviews showed a sense of disconnect between the personal and corporate ambition of the staff. To combat this the brand ‘Performance Unlimited’ was created and, with the endorsement of Scottish sports champions, it represented the scope of progress within the company. A further brand ‘Sky Stars’ followed to introduce weekly, monthly and annual performance incentives for individuals and teams. Then came ‘Sky Achievers,’ the company’s first performance appraisal system. Each staff member was given a personalised action plan and performance measurement tools, encouraging progress.
To encourage the feeling of positivity and an attachment to the excitement of the entertainment industry, giant billboards were introduced into the call centres and a staff magazine, In The Picture, celebrated staff. It was sent to their home address to encourage employees to share their work life with their family. Within six months the magazine was shortlisted in the Scottish Communicators in Business Awards.
These tactics worked in the way that BSkyB had hoped. A feeling of excitement was created within staff and they were fully on-side. Sales targets were exceeded, absenteeism dropped by 2.5% and staff turnover was dramatically reduced. Most importantly, it created an attractive proposition for prospective staff. Recruitment costs for the company were reduced and increased staff satisfaction improved business performance which, in turn, created a demand for new recruits.
www.sky.com
Case Study 3: University of Leeds
Recruitment was directly tackled at the University of Leeds in a format that directly translates to the commercial world. Just as companies seek the highest standard of employees, an easy transition into the workplace and little turnover, the University wanted to attract the target calibre of student, make students’ arrivals stress free and reduce attrition rates.
One of the major problems was miscommunication. University materials were directed toward the parents as opposed to the students themselves. They were over-formal and safety focused, as opposed to promoting the city and its student culture. This created, rather than relieved anxieties, which led to higher costs down the line.
This can happen in business too. A survey by the International Association of Business Communicators indicated that 64% of employees believe that organisational leadership fails to understand the communication preferences and perspectives of ‘Generation Y’ and, as a result, more than 75% report that current communication methods were ineffective or only slightly effective in connecting with young professionals. It stresses the importance of conversing with this generation in ways they understand.
To counteract this image Leeds Living was established a student website with a life, language and identity of its own. It connected students to real life images and dialogue from other applicants and the existing student population, as opposed to the generic photographs of the University recruitment team.
To begin with, the University saw their greatest risk as using new dialogue. But in doing so they generated happier arrivals and reduced attrition rates. Similarly, organisations may be hesitant to step out of their comfort zone but the recession makes radical new ways of working imperative. Business success can be found in surprising and unusual places.
www.leeds.ac.uk
See also: 'Positive psychology pays' by Sarah Lewis in The People Bulletin, 6 October 2010
See also: 'Show me the people' by Philip Whiteley in The People Bulletin, 3 December 2009