#Growthhacking – what is it and why do I need it in my business?

Test. Learn. Repeat. The life of a growth hacker.  But just what is growth hacking and should it form part of your marketing strategy?

The rise of the growth hacker

We recruit for a lot of marketing roles and have seen a real shift in the types of roles and skills that are now in demand.  For a long time, marketing was first and foremost about building a brand with big budgets to run offline and online campaigns.  Success was measured by the increase in sales but beyond that, marketers had little understanding of who their customer really was and what impact their marketing was really having.  Analytics and data were left to other departments and marketing focussed on creative ideas that they hoped would win customers over.

Jump to the present day and marketing has exploded into a diverse range of specialisms and niche roles – driven by increased competition, innovative and ambitious start-ups looking for cost-effective marketing solutions and the rise of technology and, more specifically, social media.

Growth hacking(sometimes called performance marketing) is one area that is shaking up the way marketing is done and, which as the name suggests, focuses on growth.  Borne out of the need for starts-ups with a high growth strategy to establish themselves in the market with minimal marketing budget, growth marketers are now in huge demand.

What do they do? 

Growth hacking takes advantage of the breadth of data all around us to analyse, experiment and optimise to build an in-depth understanding of who their customers are, what they want and increase engagement. Primarily associated with using social media and viral marketing, they are able to have an impact on a business quickly and efficiently.

The result is powerful insights that can help drive significant growth.  Growth hacking/Performance marketing has built a real momentum as it can be applied across any business size or sector.

Growth hackers/performance marketers don’t work in isolation – you need a solid product and some understanding of your target audience.  They work across marketing, sales and data insights to drive this growth.  Growth hacking compliments existing marketing and measures success at a much more granular level.  From click-through rates and average lead close rate to customer satisfaction and retention – growth hackers deliver specific measures of growth[1].

Does it replace more traditional marketing?

Growth hacking certainly sounds appealing delivering high growth with limited budgets and time.  But it doesn’t replace more traditional marketing all together.  Growth hacking focuses on the quick short term and experiments to test market response.  They key to successful growth/performance marketing is to focus on a breadth of marketing to deliver longer-term growth.

It is an exciting time to be in marketing – the diversification of this rapidly evolving field provides a whole range of different ways to engage with customers and help businesses to grow.  But they all work together and complement one another too.  There will always be a place for more traditional marketing together with exciting new areas as data becomes ever more available and valuable.

Is it only for B2C companies?

No! Growth hacking can be applied to both B2C and B2B organisations – from online start-ups to large corporates.  The driver will be different i.e. it may be about initiating a phone call rather than getting a customer to purchase from a website but the principles behind getting your intended client to take that action is the same.  Just as B2B companies need to market themselves, growth hacking can be used to better understand the target audience journey and how to maximise impact.

I’m convinced, how do I start?

There is a plethora of tools available to instantly implement hacks, but growth hacking is a specialist field.  It is not just about the implementation, but being able to analyse and refine to achieve the required growth.  A good place to start is reading articles on growth hacking and consider signing up to a crash course to understand the basics.  Beyond that, if you are looking to make growth hacking a key part of your marketing strategy, recruiting a growth hacker is the best way to achieve results quickly.

Want to understand the benefits a growth hacker could bring to your business, or are you a growth hacker looking for your next meaty role?  Why not give us a call to see how we can help.

[1] https://www.coxblue.com/the-top-7-metrics-a-growth-hacker-watches-and-you-should-too/

<p>The post Are you still wasting money on marketing agencies (without anything to show for it)? first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

We are in a new economic age.  Post global financial crisis and Brexit looming, austerity is not just a temporary fix, but here to stay for the foreseeable future.

As a result, public services and the not-for-profit organisations working alongside them, are under unprecedented pressure to develop new solutions, within tighter budgets and inside shifting frameworks.

These unprecedented challenges call for unprecedented solutions, and it’s only by challenging traditional ways of thinking that these fresh solutions can hope to be found.

“Diversity of thought stimulates innovation, creates learning opportunities and actively demonstrates respect.”
Talent Management

Organisations that champion diverse thinking have a competitive advantage in today’s economy.

Here’s why:

1. You’ll guard against groupthink

In 2011 human resources publication, Talent Management, warned that organisations that don’t value diversity of thought end up creating a culture where ideas that don’t fit with the predominant culture are silenced, perhaps publicly.

The fact is, “innovation is often sparked by the clash of ideas created by diverse perspectives.”

Deloitte University Press notes research demonstrates that thought diversity can help organisations make better decisions because of the creative tension it triggers. As a result of that tension information is processed more carefully than when everyone on a team is part of the status quo.

Diverse ways of thinking, they say, bring in fresh information. Independence of thought keeps employees from being swayed by a single opinion leader.

1. You’ll increase employee engagement

Organisational development consultancy, Emergenetics International, has observed that when employees know their opinions and behavioural styles, no matter how diverse, are appreciated, engagement and willingness to contribute increases.

The return on investment in thought diversity can be found in increased performance of a highly engaged and motivated workforce who collaborate effectively and  inclusively.

1. You’ll gain a broader perspective on your customers (or service users)

As Alison Paul of Deloitte notes in the Talent Management article ‘Think about thought diversity’, organisations spend a small fortune on focus groups and surveys to find out what their customers think, when in fact they have people who fit the profile of the population they serve amongst their employees.

Rich feedback and understanding can be gained from within your organisation, if only you listen. It is your responsibility to make your organisation a place where expressing those ideas and points of view is welcomed and encouraged.

Inviting input from your internal team members who offer a different perspective on how you’re doing things, will help you make sure your services, and how you communicate about them, address your audiences effectively.

1. You’ll promote a better appreciation of all kinds of diversity

Individuals that challenge cultural norms stir up feelings of discomfort and fear, but a lack of openness will create tension where those who don’t fit the norms feel unappreciated and excluded.

When cognitive diversity is promoted and appreciated, employees not only feel more engaged but they also gain a better understanding of difference – beyond the obvious cultural, racial and gender differences – and the importance of valuing it.

So valuing thought diversity will encourage even more diversity and innovation by pushing employees out of their homogenous comfort zones.

1. You’ll speed up learning and proficiency

In a workplace where cognitive differences are encouraged and supported, employees can more easily build relationships. These connections will build on the strengths of each style of thinking, increasing learning opportunities and enabling individuals to become proficient in their roles more quickly.

So now you’re sold on the advantages of encouraging thought diversity, the next step is to consider how do you go about encouraging it and increasing it?

<p>The post 5 competitive advantages you gain by championing thought diversity first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

Creativity, persuasion and collaboration are the top three soft skills in demand by businesses[1].  Those skills that make us human are the ones in demand to enable businesses to future proof in the growing world of automation and artificial intelligence.  And this is only expected to rise as automation becomes more and more prominent.

But how can you assess soft skills during the recruitment process?

1. Understand what motivates candidates

In our initial conversations with clients, we establish the skills required for the role and for organisational fit.  When we speak with candidates, we ask them what good looks like for them, what do they want to achieve from their next role?  This helps us to identify the fit with an organisation on a cultural level and a wider understanding of who the candidate is and what they value.

2. Develop standard questions for the interview to identify soft skills

In our in-depth screening interviews with candidates, we identify standard questions that will assess their soft skills.  This typically uses scenarios and examples to show how they responded in a certain situation – at or outside of work e.g. ‘Tell me about a time..’.  This enables each candidate to be measured in the same way on their skills.  Scenario questions should be scored the same as any other question to enable effective comparison.

3. Don’t let unconscious bias creep in

We always advise our clients to have a panel interview to help remove bias from the interview process further with each one independently scoring the standard questions.

The aim is, as far as possible, to measure soft skills in a consistent way to avoid bias and effectively compare candidates’ skills.

4. Use psychometric tests

Psychometric testing can also be a powerful way of providing a non-biased assessment of a candidate’s soft skills.  We are accredited and certified to use two psychometric instruments which we find provides a high level of insight for our clients namely Hogan Assessments and GC Index.

Hogan Assessments: Hogan’s widely respected suite of assessment tools are designed to assess a candidate’s values and motivations, main personality characteristics, and potential ‘derailers’ – characteristics which emerge only under stress and which are unlikely to be exhibited through interview discussions. We recommend the use of these tools prior to the final interview, to guide discussions with short-listed candidates.

We also use the ‘The GC index®’ as a means of assessing a candidate’s likely impact within a project, role or organisation.  Launched in January 2016, The GC Index® is a scientific framework used to identify Game Changers and game-changing contributions.  It focuses on impact, allowing people to recognise how they can best make an impact and contribute both as an individual and as part of a team. By establishing the part that each person can play, it can help to create effective teams that will complement each other’s skills set and collectively be ‘game-changing’.

Contact us to find out more about how Talent Gateway can help you assess soft skills on 0203 034 0420 or email us at hmarsh@talentgateway.net.

[1] 2019 Global Talent Trends, LinkedIn Talent Solutions

<p>The post 4 ways to determine the soft skills of candidates when recruiting first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

The classic interview question: What are your strengths and weaknesses?  Like most, I have always been able to provide an answer to this question, but did I really know what my strengths were?  Did I really know how I respond under pressure and when my strengths might in fact become my weaknesses?

When I joined Talent Gateway, I had the opportunity to undertake a Hogan Assessment.  All employees are encouraged to take the psychometric test to build our self-awareness and understand what the process is like for our candidates.

After answering a series of multiple-choice questions about a range of work-related and non-work-related scenarios, a report was generated that summarised me.  This has to be interpreted by a Hogan Assessor to fully understand what the results are telling you.

I sat down with my manager and awaited the results.  Interestingly the first thing I was told was that the report highlighted I was likely to focus on my weaknesses rather than celebrate my strengths so extra care should be taken when sharing the results. And true to form I did!  But having this raised to me at the beginning enabled me to review the reports again and actually pick out some of my strengths – eager to learn, hardworking, detail orientated and self-disciplined.

So what did I learn from the process? 

Hogan looks at what you value, what motivates you, but also crucially potential ‘derailers’ – characteristics that emerge only under stress.  The last was particularly useful for me.  My strengths in diligence and evaluating risk become weaknesses for me when I am stressed or fatigued.  Diligence changes to perfectionism and micro-managing and I become too conservative and risk-averse under pressure – significantly more so than the average person.

This was a genuine moment of self-awareness for me and it was only later when I contemplated this in more detail that I could see how it could have impacted former business decisions or the way I responded to a situation both at work and in my personal life.

Has it made me more self-aware?

Change doesn’t happen overnight, but I am finding even over a year after completing the Hogan assessments, I am still using it as an internal check.  If I am averse to something, I know to double-check it – is it because I genuinely think the risk is too high or is this exaggerated because I’m tired after my toddler kept me awake all night!  I recognise when my diligence becomes perfectionism – and work hard to prevent myself from spending an extra two hours formatting a document that is already good to go.

I do also try to recognise my strengths more and when I am given feedback, ensure I listen to all the positives which can really help build confidence.

Being open with colleagues continues that self-awareness

As a member of a small team, we openly discuss our own strengths and weaknesses and recognise when they are coming into play.  It is a really helpful way to keep that self-evaluation and awareness going and acknowledge when your interaction may be affected in the workplace.

Being self-aware in the workplace can make you a happier employee and a better leader.  Self-evaluating can boost confidence.  Not only can you better understand your strengths and weaknesses but how this may impact your colleagues.  If you are interested in having a Hogan Assessment completed, contact Talent Gateway on 0203 034 0420 or email rob@talentgateway.net.

<p>The post I am a perfectionist! My experience of Hogan Assessments first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

Flat structures have received increasing attention and interest over the past years as startups have spoken about the benefits of such a structure.

First, let’s look at the two main types of organisational structures in more detail.

Hierarchical or tall structures are often used by large organisations.  Like a pyramid, the CEO is right at the top.  Below is senior management, followed by levels of middle management with the bottom tier of the pyramid comprising the remaining employees.  Everyone reports into a higher tier, with the exception of the CEO with a top-down approach to communication.  One challenge with this approach is that is can demotivate employees lower in the pyramid structure as they have less opportunity to drive change.  Furthermore, it can restrict creativity and flexibility.  New innovations and ideas have to go through many layers of bureaucracy before even being considered[1].

The cost of multiple layers of management together with inaction that can come from a hierarchical structure has resulted in many start-ups and forward-thinking companies to adopt a flat structure.

Flat organisations have little to no middle management.  There are very few levels between employees and top management.  Many smaller businesses with fewer employees adopt this structure.  The flat structure enables free communication between all employees and makes senior management more accessible.  Decisions can be made quickly, and everyone can see their contribution to the growth of the company.  A study of over 300 executives from across the globe demonstrated that the greater the number of organisational layers, the slower the organisation reached customers with new products and services[2].

But for a flat structure to be successful, it requires a certain type of leader.  There are some well-known examples of companies that implemented a flat structure only to find that as they grew, it was no longer tangible including Zappos, Medium and Buffer.  The result? The flat structure ended up hindering their growth and causing confusion and added complexity in decision making.

So is a flat structure only for small companies?

Flat structures have certainly been shown to be successful for smaller businesses but there are some examples of larger companies retaining – or moving to – a flat structure.  These include Google, Netflix, Spotify and Patagonia.  What has made these companies successful is a clear organisational culture coupled with a transparent flat structure.

Here we list the top three leadership skills that have helped to make these flat structures thrive[3].

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Trust: Let your employees do what they do best

A flat structure provides far more independence and autonomy for employees to just get the work done.  They have more freedom in how they deliver a project with less direct supervision.

Patagonia is renowned as a market leader and has excellent employee retention.  They adopt a relatively flat structure with limited managers that are seen more as mentors rather than supervisors.  Dean Carter, Vice President of Human Resources and Shared Services at Patagonia explains:

“The leader picks the right manager and team, and sets the right vision. They pick the mountain, involving a healthy debate with the crowd about it. If that’s done right, your biggest job as a leader is to get out of the way. The manager addresses how we’re climbing the mountain, keeping everyone directed at the goal, and then giving people autonomy to do their work”[4].

For this approach to be successful, leadership has to actively encourage, and be comfortable with, this increased level of trust in the employees to get the job done.  A leader can go directly to whichever employee is best placed to complete a task, discuss the brief and then leave that employee to deliver.

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Transparency: Be accessible and open

Leaders need to be comfortable with a transparent mentality where all employees can access all content.  Meetings are held openly and all employees are aware of what others are working on – able to contribute where they can.  This needs to be lived by leaders, talking openly with all employees, enabling documents to be accessible and a collective will to work together.

A flat structure doesn’t mean no structure.  Employees still need to understand how the flat structure operates and is the job of the leader to be upfront about this.  Chris Savage, CEO of Wistia, spoke of why their flat structure did not flourish as they grew:

“Every company has a structure. If you don’t explicitly define your structure, then you are left with an implicit one, and that can stifle productivity. We had hoped that being flat would let us move faster and be more creative, but as we grew, we ended up with an unspoken hierarchy that actually slowed down our ability to execute”[5].

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Communication: Open lines of communication at all levels

Communication is paramount to the success of a flat structure and goes hand in hand with transparency.  One of the greatest challenges with open lines of communication and fewer reporting lines is the potential for decision making to become complicated and ineffective.  A leader needs to clearly communicate the vision of the company and overall mission and ensure that employees understand how things get done.  Communicating the latest projects and thoughts as early in the process as possible engages employees and allows for input at the beginning.

How can you assess those leadership skills?

Recruiting for a leader that is attracted to, and will excel in, a flat structure is no easy feat.  Psychometric testing can be a good way to help assess that they have the right cultural fit and skills needed.  These assessments can be broader than personality questionnaires.  They can explore a person’s behaviours, what they value and their response under stress.  They have been shown to provide a good indicator of performance and the cultural fit within the organisation.  There is not a right or wrong answer, but different ‘profiles’ can be better suited to different roles and organisational structures.

At Talent Gateway, we use Hogan assessments as a powerful way of providing a non-biased assessment of a candidate’s soft skills.  Hogan’s widely respected suite of assessment tools are designed to assess a candidate’s values and motivations, main personality characteristics, and potential ‘derailers’ – characteristics which emerge only under stress and which are unlikely to be exhibited through interview discussions. Unlike simple skills tests, the assessment can provide actionable insight into the candidate’s likely behaviour in a specific work environment. This is essential if you share our view that the ‘fit’ between the candidate’s motivations and values, and your organisation, has a huge impact both on their success and their performance in the role.

Finally, it should be worth adding that flat structures don’t work for everyone and every organisation but they are not reserved for startups and market disrupters.  With the right leadership skills, a flat structure can be implemented and maintained as the business grows to continue to support innovation.

[1] The difference between flat vs. hierarchical organisational structure, Hierarchy Structure, https://www.hierarchystructure.com/flat-vs-hierarchical-organizational-structure/

[2] The nature of leadership in a flat organisation, Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamcraig/2018/10/23/the-nature-of-leadership-in-a-flat-organization/#4d4992a75fe1

[3] Leadership attitudes from flat organisations, Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/rawnshah/2015/11/05/5-leadership-attitudes-from-flat-organizations/#25d1819b4fa6

[4] How Patagonia’s unique leadership structure enabled them to thrive, Katya Margolin, Virgin, 25^th April 2017 https://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/how-patagonias-unique-leadership-structure-enabled-them-thrive

[5] Nails in the Coffin: Why a Flat Organisational Structure Fails, Lighthouse, https://getlighthouse.com/blog/flat-organizational-structure-fails/

<p>The post Stop your organisation falling flat: Ensure you have the right leadership skills to implement a flat structure in your organisation first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

Are you looking to build a career in a fast-growing technology company?

Do you have great communication skills, and experience of dealing with business customers? Are you passionate about technology and love solving technical challenges?

This Junior Sales Engineer role could provide a great step up for your career.

You’ll be supporting our client’s business customers – which include global firms, and well known brands – as they consider switching to your service. You’ll answer technical questions, set-up and run demonstrations (in person, and via webinars) and will create technical solutions to address your clients needs.

This company really believe in promoting from within, and the role could take you to Sydney or the USA (previous team members are currently working there!)

A degree isn’t essential – your attitude and approach are more important – but you’ll need to have achieved good results for the qualifications you’ve taken. You’ll also be keen to continue learning.

As well as an interest in technology, ideally you will have worked in a technology based role before. You need experience of dealing with customers (some sales experience, perhaps in telesales would be an advantage).

You will also have strong attention to detail and a professional telephone manner.

Our client are led by a passionate and accomplished management team with many years of experience in the tech market and running ambitious rapidly growing businesses. They have a clear vision for the future and are looking for talented, high energy, like-minded individuals who share their passion to change the world.

Apply asap if you want to be considered!

We are an equal opportunities employment business and agency working on behalf of our clients and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.

<p>The post Junior Customer Support Engineer first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

When meeting with a client recently, I was asked about whether testing candidates was worth it.  And the answer is yes and no, depending on the type of test and the context.

Pre-employment testing has the potential to provide valuable insight on a candidate, but if used incorrectly can damage the relationship between candidate and employer, or lead to poor hiring decisions.

From the onset, you need to be clear about exactly what you aim to achieve from the test, and at what stage of the recruitment process you’ll use it.  This needs to be communicated to candidates so they understand the purpose of such tests.  Equally tests should never be considered in isolation – they are part of the process and can help to inform a decision rather than determine it.

If you do a quick google of the type of tests, you will see a whole raft; from aptitude tests and ability tests to personality questionnaires and skills tests.  The category is not important but what is important is what you want to know about the candidate from the test and how it applies to the role.  Below we explore a few of the outcomes from the tests and how it can help you in finding your next candidate.

Screening candidates early on to reduce the long list

Tests can be used early on in the recruitment process to rule out those candidates that don’t meet a certain level.  This can often be a short numerical or verbal reasoning test taken at home with a minimum threshold that candidates have to meet.  This can help to save time in the recruitment process but at this early stage should be short and simple to avoid putting off potential candidates.

Testing the candidate’s raw intelligence

Numerical, verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests can also be used later in the recruitment process to determine a candidate’s general intelligence.  This can be an indicator of job performance but is not a direct correlation.  General intelligence will not identify a candidates capacity for learning or whether there is a cultural fit.  For example, a highly capable candidate may perform well on an ability test but lack the right behaviours to fit well into your business.

Enabling the candidate to demonstrate their specific skills[1]

Skills-based tests measure candidates skills, for example; problem-solving, analytical skills, numerical skills, presentation skills, or anything else which is essential within that particular role.  These practical skills-based tests require investment from the candidate and employer.  Candidates may need time to prepare and each will need to be scored in a fair and transparent way by the recruiting manager, with specific feedback offered to both successful and unsuccessful candidates.  Therefore this kind of test is always better later in the recruitment process.

Seeing how a candidate would respond in a real job role scenario[2]

This can be used to test how a candidate would respond in certain situations.  The scenario is presented to the candidate either written or visually and they must choose how they would resolve or deal with the situation.  Scenario-based tests can be specific to the role and can give an indication of their leadership skills or behaviour in difficult situations.

Understanding what motivates and drives a candidate

These assessments can be broader than personality questionnaires.  They can explore a person’s behaviours, what they value and their response under stress.  They have been shown to provide a good indicator of performance and the cultural fit within the organisation.  There is not a right or wrong answer, but different ‘profiles’ can be better suited to different roles.

At Talent Gateway, we use Hogan assessments as a powerful way of providing a non-biased assessment of a candidate’s soft skills.  Hogan’s widely respected suite of assessment tools are designed to assess a candidate’s values and motivations, main personality characteristics, and potential ‘derailers’ – characteristics which emerge only under stress and which are unlikely to be exhibited through interview discussions. Unlike simple skills tests, the assessment can provide actionable insight into the candidate’s likely behaviour in a specific work environment. This is essential if you share our view that the ‘fit’ between the candidate’s motivations and values, and your organisation, has a huge impact both on their success and their performance in the role.

We recommend the use of these tools prior to final interview, to guide discussions with short-listed candidates.

Are they worth the investment?

Tests can be a useful indicator as to how a candidate will perform in a role or as screening questions early on and a combination of different tests can be used.  However, you must ensure you consider the candidate journey, and at which point you want them to complete a test.  Furthermore, the limitations of any test must be understood.

If you are clear on what you want to achieve, tests can be an accurate predicator of performance and help guide your discussions with candidates.

[1] Pre-employment testing, Workable, https://resources.workable.com/tutorial/pre-employment-tests

[2] Assessment Methods, SHL, https://www.shldirect.com/en/assessment-advice/assessment-methods/

<p>The post Pre-employment testing: what is it and can it really help you in recruiting the right candidate for your business? first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

Love it or hate it, in the past year microlearning has shaken up how professionals are learning and developing.  With our busy lifestyles, microlearning enables us to take on new information whether you’re travelling home from work or on your lunch break.  With this emerging trend, we thought we would share some of the benefits of microlearning and want to hear from you about your approach to learning.

So just what is Microlearning?

Microlearning provides a way to digest intensive learning into manageable bite-size chunks.  Microlearning is tailored and responsive to the learner’s needs fulfilling the desire of many for ‘personalised, timely, quality content’[1].   It breaks down ‘lengthy learning content to smaller learning units with individual and definite learning objectives’.  Examples of microlearning include listening to podcast, playing e-learning games and using interactive pdfs[2].

The way people learn is changing, they are ‘keen to develop skills and want to be empowered to take learning into their own hands’.

The top 3 benefits of microlearning:

Benefit 1 – Microlearning empowers you to resolve issues yourself

If you need to learn something in order to finish a task or solve an issue, microlearning provides that short, specific training to empower you to be able to do so.  It provides instant learning at ‘the point of need.’

Benefit 2 – Microlearning anytime, anywhere

Microlearning provides an accessible way to learn at any time and anywhere to suit your needs.  And with it available on smartphones, tablets and laptops, you don’t have to be in the office to access learning.  This accessibility also promotes flexibility enabling you to learn as much or as little as you choose, whenever you want.

Benefit 3 – Provides the latest learning[3]

By providing the information in small modules, it can easily be updated to reflect the latest innovations, changes and legislation so you always are provided with up to date content.

Create your own user feedback survey

[1] Profile of a modern learner, Kirstie Greany, Elucidat, 15^th August 2018 https://www.elucidat.com/blog/modern-learner-profile-infographic/

[2] Top 5 Microlearning  https://playxlpro.com/top-microlearning-trends-for-2019/

[3] The Benefits Of Microlearning: Win-Win For Employees And Organizations, Ayesha Habeeb Omer, July 12^th 2017, https://elearningindustry.com/benefits-of-microlearning-win-win-employees-organizations

<p>The post Are you ahead of the game? 20 minutes a week microlearning can boost your professional development first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

Employee engagement might be one of those great business buzz words but if you want your business to grow, it is vital to your success.

So just what do we mean by employee engagement? 

Employee engagement goes well beyond the percentage of employees that tell you they are satisfied on your annual survey.  When an employee is engaged, they are motivated by their role.  They go above and beyond what is required because they believe in the business, what is trying to be achieved and see themselves as part of something greater.

And its not hard to see how employee engagement is intrinsically linked to purpose and culture.

A business with a clear purpose gives each employee meaning – they can see how their role contributes to the broader mission of the business.   Add the right culture and an employee can flourish in an environment that supports them.

That’s not to say every culture is right for every employee. 

You have to get the right ‘fit’ between the employee, the purpose and the culture.  This is a critical step in any recruitment process and articulating your culture clearly can help to attract the right talent.  And when the fit is right, employee engagement is high, as is productivity and growth.

And the stats don’t lie.. 

Great Place to Work and HR Zone have shown that employees who rate their employer as a great place to work have significantly higher engagement rates, lower voluntary turnover rates and fewer absence days.

Furthermore, it was shown by Human Capital Management Institute that for every 1% increase an organisation had in the Trust Index© (Great Place to Work’s measure of employees perception of an organisation), there was a corresponding ROI increase of between £75,000 and £1,000,000.

Ok the return is very broad dependent on the level of investment and size of organisation, but it shows that investing in your culture absolutely delivers financial return.

At Talent Gateway, we believe that people are the key to success and work with organisations that share that value.  Investing in your culture and ensuring the wellbeing of your employees is the right thing to do.  But it also makes good business sense.  Happy employees are productive ones and becomes advocates for your business so you can continue to attract and retain the right talent for your business.

Want to learn more?

Join us on Tuesday 21^st May 2019 to gain practical advice on how purpose and culture can help you to attract and retain talent.  Hear from successful companies that have used purpose and culture to address business issues, aims and objectives.  Click below for you free ticket.

Book your free place here

Find out more and view agenda here

Business Trends 2020 – How companies are using Purpose & Culture as growth drivers

9:00am – 13:00pm

Tuesday 21st May 2019

Robert Denholm House, Nutfield, RH1 4HW

<p>The post The foundations of employee engagement: how purpose and culture are a vital ingredient to success first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>

We know that recruiting digital talent is becoming increasingly important for charities in order to maximise the use of digital channels to increase their reach.  In fact, 65% of charities are worried they will miss out on opportunities for digital funding with a lack of skills.  A further 51% say a lack of skills is the biggest barrier to getting the most from digital[1].    But how can charities compete for digital skills in this highly competitive market?

Here we give some tips on how to ensure you can attract the right digital talent:

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Tip 1: Attract digital talent by being clear on who you are

Be clear on who you are and what you stand for.  We frequently speak to candidates who are looking for something more from their career.  They want to have the ability to make a difference and a sense of purpose from their role.  Charities are well placed to deliver this for candidates.  This should be central to your recruitment campaign.

This is not just in a one off recruitment process activity.  You need to always be thinking about communicating your mission and values.  What is your employer value proposition for prospective and current employees?  Define who you are and tell your story early on in the recruitment process.  That way, you will attract the right talent that will ‘fit’ within your charity from a cultural perspective as well as have the skills.

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Tip 2: Create a supportive working culture

When you aren’t as well-known or have the best salaries out there, culture and purpose become even more important.  But this is not something that can simply be stated in a job description.  It is a commitment to create an environment that actively promotes a positive and supportive working culture.  All employees working there must feel it.  It must be communicated externally and lived by all levels of management.  This all links back to clarity – being able to demonstrate the culture of your charity to attract talent with the desired digital skills.  We have worked with a number of candidates who have chosen to move from higher paid roles to a not for profit because they believe in the core aims of the organisation.

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Tip 3: Identify other benefits that will attract digital talent

Charities will always struggle to compete on salary against larger and private organisations but there are many broader benefits that candidates equally value. This all flows from culture but offering flexible working and other non-financial benefits can go a long way.  Candidates looking to achieve a better work life balance will be incentivised to move – something we have seen often with our candidates.

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Tip 4: Work quickly to ensure you don’t lose candidates

The digital recruitment market is fast moving and charities need to respond to that.  The recruitment process needs to be simple and efficient.  Don’t wait for a deadline before reviewing your applications – shortlist as you go and get in touch with strong candidates.  Ensure your interview process isn’t too onerous either, if a candidate has to attend a multitude of interviews they will quickly be offered another role elsewhere.  We always qualify candidates over the phone first to check the essentials are right (location etc) before holding a one to one virtual meeting to check cultural fit ahead of their interview with an employer.  This ensures they are the right fit without wasting time.

By telling your story, who you are as a charity, what you represent and the wider benefits and culture of your organisation, you can compete to attract the right digital talent to maximise your impact.

[1] Why the charity sector needs digital skills: infographic, Charity Digital News, 14^th December 2018, https://www.charitydigitalnews.co.uk/2018/12/14/digital-skills-in-the-charity-sector-the-facts/

<p>The post Struggling to attract digital talent to your charity? Time to read our top tips for success! first appeared on Talent Gateway.</p>