IT Solutions Blog

It’s been almost a year and a half since we unknowingly packed our desk up for a spot of homeworking. Since then, we have wrestled with the tech, discovered some huge business advantages, but began to miss the ‘water cooler moments.’ One thing is for sure, ‘Microsoft Teams / Zoom fatigue’ is real.

Research by Harvard Business school found that although our meetings are shorter, employees now have more meetings. Otter Ai notes that middle managers spend 35 percent of their time in meetings, and 92 percent of employees they asked said they multitask during meetings. On average, UK and USA professionals lose around four days per month, thanks to ineffective meetings.

Microsoft Teams has introduced settings that recommend meeting breaks, and astute managers are reducing the number of meetings in favour of ‘quiet days.’ However, how about when we need to present? How do we delight viewers and keep them from checking their emails?

We have put together some top tips to help you and your audience enjoy a virtual presentation.

Don’t worry. We won’t be asking you to ‘check the tech’ and blur your background; that’s yesterday’s news. Instead, we will take you through some new techniques and encourage you to ask yourself what you could do differently?

Nobody wants their approach to feel dated, employers are looking for authentic, creative, changemakers and you can stand out by adopting a few of these tips

Over the last few years, the factors that attract people to companies – or make them stay at their current company – have changed. Loyalty, consistency, and routine used to be common reasons why someone would stay in their job for years, even decades, but frequent job changes are becoming increasingly popular. 

Many organisations ramped up their employee engagement strategy during the pandemic. However, according to HR software firm Personio, four in ten employees (38 percent) of UK employees are still planning to quit their job in the next six to twelve months. A whopping 58 percent of the tech workers are considering a career change. The truth is that remote working has left workers pondering new job opportunities that align with their beliefs rather than their commute. Therefore, employers must get a handle on employee satisfaction.

In a recent survey by The Hub Events, 85 percent of one thousand people described themselves as incompetent at work. Shockingly many of us believe we're not good enough at our jobs despite our achievements. Out of the 85 percent, only 25 percent were aware of something called imposter syndrome.

Neurodiversity refers to the natural differences within human brain function. Depending on our thinking style, our brain will process information differently. Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Autism, and ADHD are just a few examples of alternative thinking styles. Around 1 in 7 of us are neurodivergent, meaning we have some unique strengths such as processing information quickly, spotting patterns and Lateral thinking. Shockingly, approximately 84 percent of adults with autism suffer from unemployment. Many individuals are not diagnosed until adulthood which means there could be people within your organisation that want support from their employer.

Workplaces are typically designed for neurotypicals. When thinking about attracting and retaining a diverse talent pool, we need to understand what adjustments we can make in areas such as candidate selection and within the working environment. We’re not talking about radical changes; there are simple, cost-effective solutions that benefit all employees. Besides helping neurodivergent individuals thrive, inclusive employers will also benefit from increased employee engagement, job satisfaction, and overall success brought on by a team with different viewpoints and approaches to solving a problem.

Neurodiverse teams are at least 30 percent more productive. However, 9 out of 10 organisations do not have plans that support variation in neurocognitive functioning. Early adopters such as Microsoft and Dell have autism hiring programmes that enable them to nurture an untapped talent pool.

However, one in three people say they’re disappointed with how their employer approached their neurological condition, so what can we do to ensure we attract and retain neurodivergents?

Watch the video about Neurodiversity from HSBC.

According to CV-Library, the average time-to-hire (advert to offer) an IT professional is around 41 days. In comparison, 27.5 days is the median across all industries, according to Glassdoor. The larger the company, the quicker the recruitment process, and if you use a recruitment agency like Crimson, you are more likely to reduce your time-to-hire and the average cost-to-hire.

CV-Library research also indicates that over 80 percent of recruitment professionals do not recommend application forms; instead, CV’s and quick apply buttons are favoured. Advertising in the right place and the strength of your advert will help you attract more candidates. Advertisements that fail to pinpoint salaries and convey the company culture will not attract as much attention.

Similarly, a lengthy hiring process will also deter candidates. CV-Library state that over 49 percent of candidates believe there should be no more than two stages in the hiring process. A recent poll by Crimson’s Senior Appointments Practice revealed that over 90 percent of applicants for a senior IT role would not expect any more than two to three interviews. CV-Library also found that 71 percent of candidates will turn down a job offer if they have a bad interview experience.

Introducing video screening into the hiring process can drastically improve the candidate's experience and reduce the time-to-hire. Crimson recommends using video after you have shortlisted candidates via their CV and before their face-to-face interview.

Over the years, the Employee Value Proposition or (EVP) has evolved and grown in importance. An organisation's EVP comprises several factors: compensation, benefits, career opportunities, the working environment, and culture. COVID-19 has enabled many companies to pilot working from home and introduce flexible working. Crimson's report on the pandemic's impact revealed that over 70 percent of IT leaders said their team is now more likely to work from home and they’re more likely to hire remote workers.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 1.8 million UK women (and 0.2 million men) are not in paid employment because they are looking after a relative. Family is just one of the many reasons why we take a career break. Research by Aviva suggests that 29 percent of employees expect to leave work to care for children, grandchildren, or loved ones. One in six of us take a career break due to stress. What about those that want to travel the world or explore a new passion? It’s not surprising that more organisations are introducing sabbaticals as an employee benefit, but the stigma around career breaks hasn’t diminished entirely. According to research by PricewaterhouseCoopers three in five women return to a lower-paid job or take a position with less seniority after taking a career break.