Welcome to the latest edition of our monthly Sparks newsletter! As always, we want to keep you up to speed with what we are doing, plus cover off a range of things that are going on in the industry. If there are any hot topics you’d like us to cover in the future please just let us know.
Happy reading!
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Cutting through the social stigma
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Diversity is a huge topic when it comes to recruitment, we all know that. But it’s not just about showing you’re an inclusive employer regardless of age, gender, and colour. It’s about creating an inclusive attraction strategy that gives every applicant a fair shot.
One of the areas we’ve been looking in to is social mobility, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to build a good life for themselves, no matter what their background. In a socially mobile society, every individual has a fair chance of reaching their potential. But in today’s Britain, where you start from has a big influence on where you end up.
Disadvantaged young people are almost twice as likely as better-off peers to be not in education, employment or training a year after completing their GCSEs. Furthermore, findings from Britain’s Labour Force Survey found even when people who are from working-class backgrounds are successful in entering high-status occupations, they earn 17 percent less, on average, than individuals from privileged backgrounds.
So, what can you do to address this as part of your diversity programme? Well, actually quite a lot.
Firstly, look at investment in outreach activities targeting young people from schools in disadvantaged areas, and
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schemes to bring those from poorer backgrounds into summer schools, internships, or work experience days for example.
Secondly, focus your attraction communications on key skills and the values, rather than minimum academic entry requirements. For example, by recruiting narrowly from universities, firms risk missing out on a wealth of talented individuals who do not have the traditional academic background associated with future success.
Next, think about moving away from competency-based recruitment models, to a strengths-based model that considers each individual’s skills and potential.
Finally, ensure mentoring is available through initial stages of employment, with new recruits from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds supported to help with their integration in to the business, and subsequent progression.
Is this the next step on your diversity agenda? Get in touch!
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ATS and GDPR
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Who doesn’t love an abbreviation.
Let’s face it – over the last few weeks we’ve all wanted to throw our phone across the room “if we get one more email about opting in!”
[We know you had to opt in to keep receiving this newsletter, and a quick thank you from all of us for that!]
Don’t worry though, this isn’t another GDPR article about what those letters mean, or the fines you’ll face if you don’t comply. This note, infact, relates to the features of your ATS, and how they’re ensuring you’re remaining GDPR compliant. You may have read recently about PageUp’s suspected data breach. The firm has two million active users across 190 countries, and a malware incident means that personal data including bank details could have been accessed.
We’ve had several conversations with clients recently regarding how their ATS fits in to their GDPR process, specifically how will they be changing their set up to ensure that candidates, with increased power over their data, registered in their system are managed effectively according to new GDPR rules.
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As with anything relating to GDPR, it’s complex, but the following gives you some top line info to help you get any necessary conversations with your ATS provider started.
Your ATS is a data processor, processing candidate data on your behalf, and candidates should be made aware that their data is being stored in such a system. Under GDPR, candidates have enhanced rights, including the right to request that their data is erased and updated. They also have the right to request access and make changes to their personal data. This could mean your ATS implementing new features to help you address these candidate requests or creating a self-service portal to allow candidates to log in and edit or erase their details as they wish.
It’s important that you can prove that you have fairly and lawfully collected your candidate data, so ask your provider how they will help you to record your legal basis in your ATS should you be audited or receive a candidate request for information.
So, you’ve gone to all the effort of managing your candidate data, and you have a great, opted-in talent pool in your ATS. The requirements to cleanse this data every six months means getting in touch regularly with these prospective candidates, so its important to think about the messages you want to send out. Ultimately you want to maintain your talent pipeline, and the delivery of engaging, on brand and informative content can help maximise this activity. Start thinking about how you can continue to sell yourself and keep that pool warm!
Want to opt in to a further chat? Give us a call.
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Another tasty campaign!
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Beth and Becky headed up to York this month for a catch up with the Academy team at Nestlé to reflect on their 2017/18 early careers campaign.
This activity saw us develop brand new creative concepts using some of their recognised names (KitKat, Quality Street), and perhaps less associated brands (Purina, Buxton, Maggi). Messaging was delivered via a range of channels to school leavers and graduates, as well as parents, teachers and careers advisors.
And the results were very scrummy indeed! Applications across the programme went up by 60% compared to the previous year, and assessment centre pass rates and offers also increased. 100% of hires were made, with some roles actually being over hired thanks to an improved calibre of candidates attracted.
There are big plans ahead for this year’s activity, and we’re excited to start planning soon!
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