Search Results for: retention

SMEs must offer flexible work or face recruitment and retention challenge

SMEs must offer flexible work or face recruitment and retention challenge 0

Flexible workSMEs that neglect to offer flexible work options may find their employees decide to switch to somewhere that does, according to a survey from Regus. Over 3,000 professionals across a variety of sectors were quizzed on the importance of flexibility in their working life. SME respondents left very little doubt about the value of a flexible approach, with 92 percent of workers in SMEs saying that, faced with a choice of two similar jobs, they would choose the one that offered flexible work. A third of respondents (33 percent) also stated that they would have stayed longer in their previous jobs if flexibility had been offered. According to Richard Morris, UK CEO, Regus, SMEs should think long and hard about the type of roles that they are offering to today’s professionals. He argues that the days of the fixed hours, fixed location job are becoming as outdated as the office fax machine. Flexibility is no longer seen as a perk, it is now a key differentiator for talented individuals.

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Employers’ attraction and retention rates rise with flexible working offer

Employers’ attraction and retention rates rise with flexible working offer 0

Flexible workingAlthough a quarter of UK workers now regularly work out of the office, there is a still a significant number (39 percent) who don’t know they have the right to request flexible working. Yet according to new research from UC EXPO, conducted amongst 1,000 UK office workers, job roles offering flexible working are more likely to attract a better candidate, with 82 percent of workers saying they would be more likely to take a job that offered flexible working benefits. An additional 71 percent said that the offer of flexible working would help businesses to attract a greater international talent pool. The research finds that the benefits of flexible working are more widely recognised than a year ago, with a fifth (22 percent) of those surveyed having worked at home or remotely more throughout 2015 than in 2014. Productivity concerns around employees working from home is decreasing, with over two-thirds (67 percent) believing that productivity levels either increase or stay the same when they work remotely.

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Collaborative work goes hand in hand with better talent retention

Collaborative work goes hand in hand with better talent retention 0

Companies are rethinking the tools they use to keep employees engaged and loyal – especially at a time when flexibility and choice are increasingly important to an workforce that craves mobility and choice. A newly released survey from Jive Software claims that as the workforce continues to evolve and new future of work trends emerge, seven out of ten (72 percent) employees want to use more technology in the workplace that enables them to work from anywhere. Furthermore, the same percentage state that the freedom to try tools make them more effective in their job, with 43 percent finding it a powerful loyalty driver. According to the study of 1,000 US based employees, firms are also catching on to future of work trends and the impact that technology can have for employee retention. Eighty-four percent of employers want to implement technology that enable workplace flexibility.

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Unconscious bias can adversely affect recruitment and retention says CIPD

Unconscious bias can adversely affect recruitment and retention says CIPD 0

Employers' unconscious biasNew research from the CIPD has revealed that both male and female managers tend to favour men over women in hiring decisions; while there is an unconscious tendency to hire people like ourselves. The report A Head for Hiring: The Behavioural Science of Recruitment shows that initial perceptions of whether a person will be a good fit can be determined by factors which have no real impact on performance, including visual, cultural, demographic and situational factors. Worryingly, identical CVs seem to get more call-backs when the applicant is typically deemed to have a ‘white’ name as opposed to one that can obviously be associated with an ethnic minority. The report makes a number of recommendations to ensure that employers have consistent hiring practices.  Meanwhile, Acas has also published two new free practical guides for employers and managers on how to recruit and settle in staff.

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Better talent attraction and retention strategies needed as recruitment soars

Talent attraction and retention strategies needed as recruitment needs soarEmployers are increasing their permanent headcount at their fastest rate since before the recession. Consistently positive GDP results, coupled with reports that business optimism is at its highest level since 1998, has driven impressive growth across the entire professional jobs market, according to the latest data from the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). It reports that the placement of professional talent increased by 29 per cent compared to the same time last year, with particularly strong growth in sectors such as accounting and finance. This mirrors plans by the Big Four accounting firms to substantially increase their graduate level recruitment this year; with KPMG and PwC, for example, both planning to hire 30 per cent more candidates than last year. Although it’s good news for the jobs market – analysts warn that managers must plan ahead to ensure they retain and attract the right talent. (more…)

Not just about the money. Higher wages do not improve employee retention

Money not the motivator, as higher wages does not improve employee retention

Employers that take a broader view of the employee experience beyond pay are more likely to retain talented employees. new research suggests. In a study of European economies by Towers Watson, countries with higher GDP growth tend also to have higher levels of employee attrition, The General Industry Compensation Survey Report findings also show little evidence to suggest that countries with high real-wage growth (i.e. salary increases minus inflation) are able to use that to secure higher levels of employee retention. The research proves that with the emergence of a strengthening employment market means employers will have to work harder to ensure that non-pay related benefits such as an attractive working environment and plenty of opportunities for career advancement are available to attract and retain talent. (more…)

Flexible work is not a location policy. It is a test of organisational trust

Flexible work is not a location policy. It is a test of organisational trust

The argument about flexible work is often staged as a fight over place: office or home, three days or five, freedom or control.The argument about flexible work is often staged as a fight over place: office or home, three days or five, freedom or control. That framing is convenient because location is visible. Trust is harder to measure. Yet the more revealing question is not where people work. It is whether an organisation has enough clarity, managerial capability and confidence in its own systems to tolerate different ways of working without falling back on visibility as a proxy for contribution. (more…)

Four in five people say a lack of flexible working could be a deal breaker when going for a job

Four in five people say a lack of flexible working could be a deal breaker when going for a job

Nearly eight in ten employees say flexible working is important when considering a job, according to new research from workplace advisory body Acas.The vast majority of employees say flexible working is important when considering a job, according to new research from workplace advisory body Acas. The YouGov survey found that 78 percent of employees considered flexible working important, compared with 20 percent who said it was not. The findings come ahead of changes to flexible working rules under the Employment Rights Act 2025. Under the new provisions, employers considering turning down a flexible working request will be required to consult the employee before reaching a decision, and will only be able to reject the request where it is reasonable to do so. (more…)

AI skills divide risks leaving majority of workers behind, PwC finds

AI skills divide risks leaving majority of workers behind, PwC finds

A widening divide between workers who are benefiting from artificial intelligence and those being left behind is emerging as AI use acceleratesA widening divide between workers who are benefiting from artificial intelligence and those being left behind is emerging as AI use accelerates, according to a global study by PwC. The consultancy’s 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey found that 64 percent of workers had used AI at work during the previous 12 months, up 10 percentage points from last year. Daily use of generative AI increased from 14 percent to 22 percent, while 59 percent expect their use of AI tools to increase over the coming year. (more…)

The workplace metric that creates false confidence

The workplace metric that creates false confidence

A learning dashboard showing 96 per cent completion feels reassuring. It is precise, comparable and easy to report. But it may be answering the least useful question: who reached the end of the material? Completion can confirm attendance or fulfil an administrative requirement. It cannot, on its own, show what people understood, what they still remember or what they can do differently at work. That distinction matters as organisations ask employees to adapt to new systems, regulation and AI-enabled work. (more…)

Why the organisations seeing real returns from agentic AI are empowering employees, not cutting jobs

Why the organisations seeing real returns from agentic AI are empowering employees, not cutting jobs

The launch of the UK Government’s AI Skills Compact reflects an important shift in how policymakers and businesses are thinking about artificial intelligence. Rather than viewing AI simply as a route to greater efficiency or reduced headcount, leaders are starting to recognise that long-term competitiveness will depend just as much on equipping people with the skills to work alongside AI as investing in the technology itself. (more…)

The best building access control systems for offices

The best building access control systems for offices

As the use of office space has grown more complex and smart buildings have emerged, access control protocols need to adapt to meet new challengesA locked door is a foundational image in security. Though the methods of securing an entryway have changed over the millennia, from intricate slabs of intertwining wood to industrial steel padlocks and digital readers, the basic idea has remained largely the same, until now. As the use of office space has grown more complex and smart buildings have emerged, access control protocols need to adapt to meet new challenges. Hybrid work patterns cause daily fluctuations in occupancy, flexible work schedules mean employees enter and exit outside of the traditional 9-5 window and temporary personnel, be they part-time staff, contractors or cleaners, all now factor into how offices must manage their access control systems. (more…)