Daily Archives: February 20, 2020

Engagement, HR News

Employee experience crash: A quarter of UK workers set to quit their jobs in 2020

Almost a quarter (23%) of UK workers plan to quit their jobs in 2020, with the UK ranking second in the world for employee attrition risk. That’s according to new research from experience management company Qualtrics.

The research, which comes from Qualtrics’ annual Global Employee Experience Trends report, incorporates data from over 13,000 employees across 12 countries.

Qualtrics’ analysis found that workers in the retail sector are at the highest risk of quitting, with 26% saying they plan to leave their jobs in 2020. This was followed by employees in healthcare (20%), telecoms (20%) and travel (20%). Those working in the technology sector pose the lowest attrition risk, with only 14% planning to leave in the next 12 months.

The research identifies five factors that encourage employees to stay in their jobs long term:
1. Opportunities for learning and development
2. Confidence in senior leadership
3. Managers who support career development
4. A visible link between personal contribution and the company’s goals
5. Managers who are effective at resolving work-related issues

Commenting on these findings, Laura Harding, employee experience consultant at Qualtrics said,

“With almost a quarter of the workforce considering leaving their jobs in the next year, it is critical to focus on building engagement to reduce the risk of employees quitting. Given the investment of training new staff — and the wealth of knowledge employees take with them when they leave — this trend could become an issue for UK businesses, impacting productivity of staff and overall business performance.”

“Leaders and managers need to realise that an employee’s experience is just as important as a customer’s experience. Employee expectations are changing faster than ever, but many companies don’t even have basic feedback mechanisms in place. With the combination of experience data and increasingly advanced analysis tools, organizations should implement the right listening tools in place to connect more deeply and personally with their employees.”

To find out more, download Qualtrics’ 2020 Global Employee Experience Trends report: https://www.qualtrics.com/research-center/employee-experience-trends/

Brexit, News, South East

UK says goodbye to Europe, Bedfont says hello

Just as the UK exits the EU, scientific company Bedfont Scientific Ltd.  this week announced it has acquired its’ first overseas office in Austria

Bedfont, based in Kent, has purchased its first European office in Salzburg, Austria from Dr. Lahner GmbH, who was its first distributor when Bedfont began exporting in 1988. Bedfont has been in talks with Dr. Lahner for several months and is pleased to announce that the deal completed on Friday 31st January 2020.

Bedfont is confident this move will only strengthen its presence in Europe by increasing both brand and product awareness, helping them to gain access to new markets, including, Germany.

Jason Smith, Managing Director, comments,

“The plan has always been to branch out with additional offices strategically located across the globe but Brexit has expedited this process to a small extent – regardless, I am very happy to announce that we have acquired our first European office and we’re excited to work alongside Dorothea.”

Dr. Dorothea Lahner says,

“As a Managing Director, I have always believed customer satisfaction is the key to success. As a customer of Bedfont since 1988, the dedication that Bedfont shows me as a customer is unfaltering. I look forward to helping Bedfont with the transition to establish their new European office and wish them all the success in the future.”

Education, International News

Over the course of two days, students from ESCP Business School will take on the different roles that exist in the European Parliament

For the 11th edition of the Designing Europe seminar, the 1000 students of the Master in Management (MiM), from all campuses in Europe, will meet in Brussels at the European Parliament on 26 and 27 February to work on the European Green Pact and the future of Europe.

Over the course of two days, students will take on the different roles that exist in the European Parliament and participate in the legislative process. Whether they are MEPs, members of the Commission or the Council, students can get to know the European institutions while working on a topical issue on the European parliamentary agenda: the European Green Pact.

Michel Barnier, Chief Negotiator of the working group for the preparation and conduct of negotiations with the United Kingdom and graduate of the School (MiM Class of 1972), will speak alongside parliamentarians and professionals from the European institutions. Yves Bertoncini, consultant and professor in European affairs and expert ESCP professors will coordinate the seminar activities..

The Dean and Executive president of the School, Prof. Frank Bournois, states:

“It is part of the school’s mission to accompany our students on this theme and to encourage them to develop several points of reflection: economic, institutional, legal and political. Giving them the tools to learn how to make the right choices is all the more important at a time of major change, that they will continue to experience throughout their careers as decision-makers”.

Anais Ravet, Director of the MiM says:

“We want to bring the European experience to our students who represent over 50 nationalities. By immersing them in the reality of European parliamentarians through meetings and negotiation simulations, they experience the major challenges of Europe today and in the coming years, which will be at the heart of their challenges as future leaders.

Pr. Cécile Kharoubi, Academic Director of the Master in Management adds:

“As part of the 2019-2020 academic year, ESCP innovated by creating a mandatory seminar for all first-year students on climate issues and the transformations in which companies are engaged. We show here, with this mandatory seminar in the second year, that we take these issues seriously”.

Professor Aurélien Acquier, Head of sustainability transition notes

“Over the last ten years or so, we have seen a rise in concerns related to the consideration of social responsibility, societal innovation and sustainable development. The new generation that we are teaching is pushing us to link performance and meaning by taking into account these issues. I am delighted that they are today at the heart of ESCP’s emblematic educational event”.

It all starts here.

HR News, Recruitment

3D diversity is the key to winning top Gen Z talent

According to the latest whitepaper from global talent acquisition and management firm, Alexander Mann Solutions, to truly make strides towards a more desirable Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) state, businesses must adopt a three dimensional perspective towards diversity.

In the whitepaper, “Early careers recruitment: What are the opportunities from digitalisation, STEM and Diversity & Inclusion?”, Alexander Mann Solutions goes into detail on the generational perception on Diversity. Previous generations saw diversity as race, gender and religion, however emerging talent now view diversity as three dimensional. This encompasses true cognitive diversity – differences in lifestyle, culture, political beliefs and thinking.

The report also explains how a real commitment to change, which may mean shifting the company culture, is crucial to firmly embed D&I into organisational strategies. For global MNEs, regional nuances must also be factored in.

Diversity quotas may also be ineffective as a long-term sustainable solution to creating three-dimensional D&I workforces. While they can be a quick fix to boost numbers for under-represented groups, targets are more suitable for achieving lasting success. That’s because targets send out a positive signal that diversity is a business imperative.

Commenting on the importance of taking a 3D approach to diversity, Global Head of Emerging Talent Consulting at Alexander Mann Solutions, Jane Clark, said:

“Where once diversity was seen purely in 2D terms – age, ethnicity, disability, gender, religion, sexual orientation, the definition of diversity to the new generation of workers goes much further and incorporates other facets of a person’s makeup, their different experiences, knowledge and opinions. Often referred to as ‘cognitive’ diversity, it is this mix of different perspectives, ways of thinking and information processing styles that allows teams to solve problems faster. Embracing true cognitive diversity won’t just be beneficial in attracting and retaining top graduates but will also help create more productive and creative workforces.”

Commenting on the emphasis of D&I during training, especially during the induction period, when new joiners can choose to attend workshops on topics of interest, such as LGBT or women’s leadership, Louis Ng, Senior Manager for Early Careers Talent Acquisition at Fidelity International, said:

“I can tell you, it’s something most of the graduate and intern population – more than 78% – is interested in. If you invite them, they will definitely join in, feel a part of the community and want to contribute. So, we encourage those graduates to play an active role in those diverse and inclusive networks.”

Manufacturing, News, Sport

Levitex reaching for new heights with High Jump star Morgan Lake

British high jump star Morgan Lake has thrown her weight behind a specialist sleep company, which produces mattresses and pillows made from a new innovation in foam technology.

The 22-year-old – who has been touted as one of Britain’s top prospects in 2020 – is already boosting her recovery regime after switching her old mattress and pillow for Levitex‘s range of clinically tested products, offering ‘gravity-defying’ sleep surfaces.

Lake has developed into one of Britain’s outstanding young talents, breaking a number of world youth records in recent years and becoming the only British athlete to win double gold, in the heptathlon and high jump, at the World Junior Championships in 2015.

Morgan picked up a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, has competed in the Finals of every Major Championships and has a personal best of 1.97m.

Despite her success and obvious potential, she admits her progress has been hampered by lingering niggles over the years – something she hopes to put behind her with the help of Levitex.

She said:

“I’m feeling really good at the moment and working hard to make sure I’m in the best possible condition for what I hope will be an amazing 2020. I always like to do a couple of indoor competitions every season, which helps me fine-tune so that I am ready for the outdoor season and the hectic schedule that comes with it.

“I’ve worked a lot with my team recently to make sure that every aspect of my training has been thought about and sleep quality was one area I was keen to address.

“Competing at the top-level means that recovery and rest are so important, but I’d not really paid a great deal of attention to what I’ve been lying on and how it can impact my sleep until I started to look into Levitex.

“I’ve been using the Levitex mattress and pillow for a few months now and it’s already opened my eyes to the benefits of a quality lying surface. A lot of science and evidence has gone into the products, which impressed me and my coaching team.

“Where possible, I take the pillow away with me when I’m competing or training away to make sure I’m consistent with my rest and recovery.”

Levitex launched in 2019 and ran a successful Kickstarter campaign in October, which saw the company raise its £10,000 target in just four days. The project finished 334% over target with people all over the world backing the products and the innovative polyurethane foam technology used in them.

Levitex has already attracted the attention of some big-name athletes and high-profile sports teams in the UK, including Premiership Rugby teams Sale Sharks and Harlequins; players, medical and performance staff at Preston North End FC; Chelsea F.C. Women; cyclist Katy Marchant; swimmer Tom Hamer and Adam Bishop, who was recently crowned as Britain’s Strongest Man 2020.

James Leinhardt, a posture expert and the CEO and Founder of Levitex, said:

“We’ve been up and down the country as part of our ‘Sleep-for-Sport’ programme, helping to educate athletes, sports stars and coaches about the link between sleep and athletic performance, promoting a better understanding of how what you lie on affects rehabilitation.

“From medallists to World Cup winners, we are yet to come across a professional athlete that has fully considered the benefits of recovery through sleep and how it correlates with improved performance. The reality is it should absolutely be at the top of their agenda.

“Morgan has been using our mattress and pillow for a while now and we’re delighted to have someone as high-profile as her endorse the benefits of our products.

“We’re in conversations with some big-name retailers about stocking our products and Morgan is a fantastic personality to have behind our brand. It’s clear she has a great future ahead of her and we’re very proud to be such an important part of her training in such a big year for her.

“At an elite level, sport is all about marginal gains and more and more athletes are seeing how our products offer the right combination of pressure, posture and proprioception, to help aid recovery through restful sleep.”

Bristol, News

Mobius Works announces “10 for £10k” charity challenge

2020 will see  Mobius Works, the integrated services contractor, committing to 10 different charity challenges throughout the year, in a bid to raise £10,000 for Bristol youth charity, Empire Fighting Chance. The charity, which was visited by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle last year, was born on Bristol’s streets to tackle the impact of poverty on young lives.

The whole of Mobius Works – currently 49 people – have volunteered to join in during the year, with the 10 events being:

April – Gloves are off Quiz Night
May – Bristol 10k
May – Mobius Golf Day
June – Cotswold Challenge
July – sponsored skydive
September – Bristol Half Marathon
September – charity team building day
October – Keynsham 10K
November – Mobius Quiz
December – Christmas fundraiser

Lee Bignell, Founder and MD, commented:

“The work of Empire Fighting Chance has captured all of our imaginations, as they work so hard to inspire young people who have already faced so many challenges in their lives, to realise their own potential. They use a mix of non-contact boxing and intensive personal support and the results are incredible.

“There’s something for everyone in our list of 10 charity challenges and I’m so pleased and grateful the whole team have given their time and commitment. 2020 is about giving back and as many of us are born and bred in Bristol we were keen to try and contribute locally. It’s an ambitious target but we are all up for getting stuck in.”

Mobius Works has strong Bristol connections as the company behind the design and fit-out of many of the shipping containers in Bristol’s innovative Cargo development at Wapping Wharf, Bristol. It also operates nationally with notable projects including new Yeo Valley Cafe in London’s Kensington and The Loungers Group of cafes and hotels. It also counts Premium Country Pubs, Vintage Inns and Harvester under the operator, Mitchell & Butlers, as clients.

Sophie Birch, Fundraising Manager at Empire Fighting Chance, added: “Mobius has been an amazing support to us in recent years. We greatly value their ongoing contribution which has gone above and beyond being a purely financial commitment”.

Since launch in 2017, Mobius Works’ staff numbers have grown 900%, from three founders to 49 permanent employees, and each year the company employs a number of apprentices.