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Productivity & Flexibility

The Future of Recruitment.. is it in Productivity & Flexibility?

Flexible working is something that empowers you to work where and when you feel you can be most productive. Yet a report recently published by Forbes stated that although 58% of workers are offered flexible working, 24% of workers don’t take it.

Why?

Is it just introduced as an amendment to policies that employees aren’t aware of? Are employers being proactive at letting their staff know of it? Maybe businesses or line managers are reluctant to make it common knowledge because they are unsure of how to implement flexibility in to their teams working days? Or are we as workers scared of the impact that taking Flexible working may have on our career trajectory…

Flexibility in the workplace has become a hot topic recently for many reasons, including (but not limited to), the many of us who are now caring for older parents, various mental health issues, as well as parents fighting for their right to get back to work – normally after years of working for a business who are not able to be flexible around them when they really need them to be. (Should this loyalty that employers look for in staff, not go both ways?)

“From accommodating religious commitments to managing long-term medical conditions such as anxiety and depression, there are many reasons why people need to work flexibly, but many employers still view this as a privilege just for parents with young children,” says Kate Headley, Director of consulting at The Clear Company, which helps organisations recruit staff from a more diverse base. There is and always has been an air of uncertainty about part-timers and even freelancers, due to senior staff worrying about that person’s dedication to the company – something that completely disregards their skills and expertise.

Some sectors are adapting, becoming more open to remote-workers and flexible hours. So I guess the next question is, what’s changed?

Gooliswari Seeburn, a Recruitment Consultant from Crone Corkill says that her company is one of many consultancies that are adapting to the change. ‘Many Flexible roles are urgent, which benefit us financially, but most importantly benefit our clients by being able to keep things running when somebody is on maternity leave, sick leave or even somewhere on holiday.’

Flexible workers are go getters, they’ve got dynamic experience and drive but also adhere to deadlines extremely well and that’s because they are used to a certain pressure.

‘Time equals money and money increases profit, doing the math is easy when you look at it like that’, she commented.

On the other hand, when we discussed how she would feel if her flexible workers decided to work with multiple clients, she did raise concerns; ‘if somebody was working with three brands, I’d be concerned about them being overstretched and limited with time on each project. There would be the worry that they struggle to understand the ‘normal’ day to day work and instead end up working at 10pm at night – I know my client wouldn’t be happy receiving work this late because a flexible worker has put them at the bottom of the agenda over their other two clients’.

Before diving in headfirst into a mad mix of opportunities, it’s worth considering whether it will bring you the tangible results you need. Unless you’re James Bond, a Super Villain or just a multi-tasking HERO – it is almost impossible to deliver all of your workload at the same time without compromising the quality.

I’m sure that there are many Freelancers out there that would disagree with that sentiment and we are certainly of the school of thought that Productivity is key to the future of flexible working, and that our Millennials will almost certainly be more likely to do the same job for multiple contractors. Mainly because their childhood has most certainly taught them to multi-task and their need for upward mobility will certainly give them the drive to handle the additional learning and pro-activity that working 2 or 3 jobs may bring! But what do you think? Is your energy best spent tackling a job at a time, achieving the best results possible or does it depend on the individual?

And if we want to be more productive society now – not just in future generations, shouldn’t we be leading the way like Scandinavia by supporting 6 hour days? Results there show that people can be just as productive working less hours over our current average of 10?

At mummyjobs we think that we should lead by example for the next generation.

Share your thoughts with us below – what’s the future of productivity and flexible working?

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Flexible Industries Mums Returning To Work

Taking office…

Do you fancy a career in admin? Or maybe you’re looking to restart your career after time out to raise your kids. Whatever your motivation, we have hundreds of admin vacancies across the country here on MummyJobs, and we’d like to help you bag one of them.

Let’s face it – as a mummy, you’ve plenty of experience organising everyone’s calendars and thinking on your feet, so make sure you think outside the box and sell these skills.

You run a tight ship
Nothing goes on in your family without you knowing. You have everyone’s daily routines mapped out like a military exercise, and you’re the one they all count on to make sure everything runs smoothly.
You know where everybody is at any given time, how they’re getting there and what they’ll need. Parents’ evening, doctor’s appointment, football training – no matter the occasion, you’ve got it covered.
What’s more, you’re an expert at multi-tasking – organising everyone else’s lives while trying to live your own is no mean feat, and rare is the time when you’re focusing on one job and one job only.
And as for paperwork – surely no office can generate more letters that need immediate attention that one household with a couple of kids? Bills, bank statement, letters from school… you’ve seen it all and have the colour-coded filing system to prove it.

Communication is key
Any parent knows that dealing with children is all about communication – whether it’s homework, chores or persuading a reluctant toddler to put their shoes on, you are a mistress of talking people round.
You’re an excellent listener too and have become adept at filtering out the relevant pieces of information from the daily deluge of general wittering any parent is familiar with.
On top of this, all those mornings at toddler group and afternoons at the school gate mean you’re well equipped with the art of small talk – vital skills if you’re in a customer-facing admin role.

Timing is everything
Every second counts when you’re a mummy, and you can manage your workload like a pro. After all, there’s no better training than knowing you need to fit two lots of washing and a shower in before the baby wakes up, and there’s no procrastinating when the shopping needs to be done before the school run.
And if the unexpected happens? Well, you just work round it – ask any parent who’s received a text telling them school is shut five minutes before they leave the house.

All the mod cons
You might not describe yourself as such, but you’re probably pretty technologically-savvy. After all, it’s you who’s set up the parental controls on the iPad and knows how to disable the Wifi.
You can change the batteries in any given toy in under three minutes (less if you’re using a screwdriver as opposed to whichever piece of cutlery you have to hand) and you’ve become a prolific Facebook user – even if it is largely to stalk your kids.
What’s more, you’re a quick learner – when your toddler wants to play with that toy five minutes ago, there’s no time to fish out the instructions, you just have to wing it.

These are all amazing transferable skills that should impress any boss, so don’t sell yourself short – you may not feel you have the relevant experience, but it’s all about making the most of what you have. Make sure you check out our latest courses if you do need a refresh!

And once you’ve bagged that interview, check out our tips on giving it your best.

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High Profile Returners Mums Returning To Work Professional Mums

A friendly request from some Mums returning to work – by Lianne Baker

Dear Recruiter or Hiring Manager

Following maternity leave, us Mums are feeling a bit vulnerable. We have been out of the workplace for about a year, going through pretty much the most life changing experience we could ever go through. We have gone from a career where we felt in control and like we knew what we were doing to a world of nappies, feeding, sleepless nights, late night Googling of unknown reasons why a baby might cry and we have had whole days where we didn’t speak to a single adult.

We were feeling nervous about what life would be like as a working Mum so we were hoping to go back to the familiarity of the job we already knew and were good at. We were hoping to work slightly adjusted hours to give us a chance of being able to put our own baby to bed, whilst still doing a good job. Our employers were so excited to meet our babies and cooed over them but then they asked us to fill out a huge form and then in a meeting that lasted less than 10 minutes, they firmly said no. Just like that, our years of service and hard work came to nothing.

Feeling at our most rejected and vulnerable we are applying to the very few flexible roles that exist. We are sending out our CV’s and meeting all the recruitment agencies. We are squeezing into old suits that don’t really fit anymore whilst connecting with hundreds of people on LinkedIn. We are applying for jobs and preparing for job interviews whilst feeding our babies.

With that in mind we just have a few friendly requests;

● Please take us seriously. We haven’t had our brains sucked out, we have just been busy learning new things.
● Please do your best to stick to telephone call times or be understanding about re-arranging for another day. We have carefully planned these calls around nap times and childcare so if you are 25 minutes late, we might not be able to take your call quite so easily.
● Please don’t ask us to take dramatic pay cuts. Childcare is really expensive and we need every penny we are worth.
● Please don’t pull apart our CV’s and question all of our career choices. Now is not the time to make us feel worthless. Instead give us constructive advice about how to make our CV or application really stand out or ask questions to gather information that brings out the best from us.
● Please don’t force us to take a job that we don’t want. We may be keen to find a new job, but that doesn’t mean we have to take something that won’t work for us.
● Please don’t suggest we change our career path. We have spent years getting to where we were because we enjoy it and want to do it. Having a child doesn’t mean that our ambitions have changed.
● Please don’t ask us (or anyone) to fill out lengthy application forms if our CV isn’t right for your role. What a waste of everyone’s time.
● Please don’t treat us like we are a risky hire. You won’t find someone harder working and more focused than a parent who has to leave on time to do the nursery or school pick up.
● Please spare some time to give us feedback. We have spent valuable time applying for your job, the least you can do is give us some considered and constructive feedback.
● Please consider the hours of your role and whether there is some flexibility around your office hours. Even your ‘flexible’ hours might not be suitable for as many people as you think.
● Please treat us like you would want your own mother to be treated if she was applying for your job. This probably was her a few years ago.

Thanks, from some hardworking professional women who are also Mothers

Categories
High Profile Returners Professional Mums

Flexibility is not just a job benefit, it gets better business outcomes

At the beginning of 2018, commuters received their annual shock.

The holidays are over, you’re having a dry month, you promised yourself you’d exercise, and just when life can’t feel any harder going – oh, UK rail fares have jumped 3.4% on average!

Travel costs account for 13% of a person’s salary for the average Chelmsford to London commuter – in fact, much of the pain of these increases is felt by people who need to make their way into London from elsewhere to work.

It begs the question: why, in this world of flexible working, is commerce still so obsessed with working out of offices in London? According to Instant Offices, the average desk space in the West End now costs £732 per month. Multiplied by a workforce, this can be a serious expense. If you’ve got 100 employees you’re close to £1m a year before you even furnish the place.

So why are so many businesses still insisting on doing it?

When I joined TMP in 2013, the behaviours that drive the workplace looked very different than they do today. Physically, it was a huge space, spread over four floors on Tottenham Court Road. Its ‘commercial’ drivers equated to lots of hours, a culture on the serious side, and an expectation of punctuality and presence in the office.

Just five years later, most of my colleagues work flexibly, and that’s allowed us to shrink to just a single floor, with a rotating cast of people from day-to-day on hot desks. It’s buzzy yet relaxed, with a variety of collaboration spaces. People come and go, and we rate each other on our outcomes rather than our facetime.

It works for everyone. The workforce is happy to be trusted and carry out their jobs in a way that fits what they need to deliver as whole people – at work and at home.

The client service leads are happy that their people are out meeting clients and getting into their businesses, instead of taking up desk space and drinking all our coffee.

And the CFO and the rest of the leadership can certainly see the benefit of reducing expensive real estate costs, in a way that is win-win for everybody else concerned: by being flexible.

Not just cost saving or beneficial to clients, this can also attract top talent. A few years back, we had a talented candidate decline an offer from us, because at the time we were less enlightened and required a Monday to Friday, 9-5.30 commitment. As he had a choice where he worked, he chose a firm more willing to trust people to produce results.
Lesson learned, and luckily we’ve changed.

Flexibility also brings inclusion benefits. Forcing everyone to conform to establishment working structures will get you establishment people. A bit of flexibility might open up your business to candidates who think differently and construct their lives in a way that doesn’t follow the average.

Attracting cognitive diversity to your workforce means being open-minded about ways of working.

Being more flexible about where, when and how we work won’t solve our season ticket problems today. But as more businesses learn to focus more on outcomes than processes, we will see benefits to inclusion, less wasted time, and more people who are happy at work.

Heather DeLand is executive creative director of TMP Worldwide

This article was originally published in Recruiter Magazine and on Recruiter.co.uk

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Flexible Industries Mums Returning To Work Work Journeys

Aviva : A return to work special…

Hi, my name is Gemma and I recently returned back to work from maternity leave.

My partner and I decided to take advantage of the shared maternity/ paternity scheme that Aviva offered last year. I took the first 6 months off, whilst then my husband took the following 4 months off on paternity leave to be with our daughter.

It was a great opportunity as we both got the chance to spend quality time with her as we knew we would never get this time back!

When I came back to work I mentioned that I wanted some flexibility with the hours I worked, as I wanted to spend at least one day every fortnight being actively present in the development of my daughter.

Aviva were very supportive of this request and with the support of my team and manager we made this happen.

I consider that having my husband off whilst I came back to work, took a considerable amount of worry and stress away from me, as I was able to fully focus on my job and get used to work life again.

Since the announcement last November from Aviva on the increase of time for the shared maternity/ paternity policy agreement, it has made me think how else could Aviva support staff in the transition back to work, as we should be able to offer so much more than just an amended policy.

I have since started a working group with the coaching and people function to try and set up a maternity/ paternity transition coaching service for staff going off and coming back to the workplace. Offering support and guidance back into the world of work.

This not allows us to support our people from a policy perspective but from a human/ family perspective too. The aim of the coaching program is to help employees handle the practical and emotional aspects of a parent transition, regardless if this is your first, second or third child in a way it also enables the parent to develop in their careers post maternity or paternity.

You can find out more about our roles and benefits by clicking HERE

Categories
Mums Returning To Work

How to ace that interview before you’ve even started…

Congratulations! You’ve been applying for some of the brilliant flexible roles on MummyJobs.co.uk and you’ve bagged an interview for your dream job.
Now you’ve got your foot in the door, it’s time to really sell yourself – and, as Benjamin Franklin said, by failing to prepare you are preparing to fail, so make sure you do your homework.

Research the company
It sounds obvious, but interviewers will expect you to know the company, and we don’t just mean the name and address. How many people does it employ? What exactly does the firm do? What are its current projects and past highlights?
Remember, don’t just look at its website – stalk its social media channels too. This can give you a vital insight into how the firm sees itself – and how it engages with its audience. Is it playful? Quirky? Corporate? Does it interact with its audience or retain a sense of distance? Once you know this, you can adjust your interview technique accordingly.

Read the job description
We assume you gave it more than a cursory glance when you sent in your application, but now you need to get to grips with every single aspect. Why? So you can come up with examples of how to demonstrate you are the candidate the interviewer is looking for.
Feel you don’t have all the skills required? Think outside the box – what life experience do you have that could help? Are you willing to undertake extra training? Whatever you do, don’t focus on the negative – it will only encourage the interviewer to do the same.

Plan your journey
Make sure you know exactly where you’re going and how to get there. While being late for an interview is not the end of the world, it’s less than ideal and will create a pretty poor first impression.
Research your route, and how long it will take – consider a test run the day before, and make sure you have a back-up plan.
If the worst comes to the worst and you are running late, don’t panic! Ring the firm, explain the situation and give them an ETA.

Prepare your outfit
Ok, so we’re assuming you know the basics – no flipflops or swimwear, no visible underwear and no ‘comedy’ T-shirts – but in the modern world, it’s not all about power dressing.
If you’ve done your research (see point one) you may have come across staff profiles – try to emulate the style other people have gone for. You want to give the subliminal message that you will fit in, in more ways than one.
A good start is to keep it simple and make sure you’re comfortable – you don’t want to be jangling with jewellery every time you move or panting as your new shirt is restricting your airflow.

First impressions
There’s some doubt over who said, ‘You only get one chance to make a first impression’, but there’s no doubt that they were right.
And it was probably your mum who said, ‘Manners don’t cost anything’, and guess what? She was right too.
A positive, polite demeanour will take you a long way, but don’t save the charm for your interview. Be courteous to the people on reception and any other members of staff – the interviewer may be in charge today, but these are the people you’ll work with if you’re successful. You don’t know the structure of the company, or who talks to who, so be on your best behaviour with a smile on your face from the moment you walk through the door.

The big day
If you’ve followed all these tips, you’re in the right place, at the right time and wearing the right outfit.
All you need to do now is run a brush through your hair, check your teeth for spinach and smile – you’ve got this!

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