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Celebrating the stars of the Scottish HR industry at the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023
Celebrating the STARS of the Scottish HR industry at the Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023
The winners of this year’s hugely exciting and much anticipated Hr NETWORK National Awards 2023 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute were announced at the ‘star-studded’ annual Gala Dinner, held at the impressive Hilton in Glasgow, last night.
Almost 700 guests came to recognise, acknowledge and reward the champions of the Scottish HR profession, at the glittering evening, which showcased the winners across 17 different categories including: Gleneagles Hotel (Leading with Kindness Award) Robertson Group (HR Team of the Year) and Scottish Water’s recently retired head of employee experience, Julia Stevenson, who was presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR.
The 16th annual gathering, which is the flagship event for HR professionals across Scotland, was hosted for the first time by radio broadcaster and Scott Wilson.
The coveted Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR award was presented to Julia Stevenson for her commitment and dedication the public and private sectors during a 40 year career, which included employers such as Scottish Water and Bank of Scotland (HBOS).
A full review of the evening including all the pics and highlights from the event will be published in the next issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine.
Category winners of the Hr NETWORK National Awards for 2023 are:
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Attraction & Resourcing Award of the Year, sponsored by Be-IT Resourcing – Multrees Investor Services
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HR Graduate of the Year – Rebecca MacKinnon, Strathclyde Business School
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Employee Engagement Award of the Year, sponsored by Multrees Investor Services – abrdn
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HR Assistant/Officer of the Year – Jennifer McIvor, Three UK
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ESG Award of the Year, sponsored by Robertson Group – ScottishPower
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HR Project of the Year – Turning Point Scotland
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HR Manager/Advisor of the Year, sponsored by AAB People – Stephanie Stewart, Three UK
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Health and Wellbeing Award of the Year – International Beverage
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Organisational Development Award of the Year, sponsored by Roffey Park Institute – Zero Waste Scotland
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HR Specialist of the Year – Kate Paterson, Morgan Stanley
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Learning & Development Award of the Year – NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
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Best Employer/Workplace of the Year, sponsored by Jobtrain –Skyscanner
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HR Business Partner of the Year, sponsored by Right Management – Jenny Asher, Aegon UK
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HR Team of the Year – Robertson Group
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Leading with Kindness Award of the Year, sponsored by Leading Kind – Gleneagles
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HR Director of the Year sponsored by LHH – Samantha Kirk, International Beverage
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Outstanding Contribution to Scottish HR – Julia Stevenson, Scottish Water (Retired)
Further information regarding the winners and the gala dinner, including all the photographs from the evening will be available in due course. For details regarding Nominations in 2024, Sponsorship and Table Hosting, please contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
OUT TODAY – November 2023 Issue – Menopause: There’s no need to suffer in silence
OUT TODAY – November 2023 Issue of Hr NETWORK Magazine
Hr NETWORK is ‘The Hub’ of Scottish HR and people development with an ‘Access All Areas’ pass to Scotland’s most influential human resource and business professionals across all sectors in Scotland. As well as readers from the world of HR, the magazine is also extremely popular within SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) organisations and is very useful for line managers, heads of department, senior management, managing directors and other professionals throughout the country who play a vital role in the development of people within all industry sectors in Scotland. Published bi-monthly, Hr NETWORK Magazine is informative and a ‘must have’ for its readers, and brings with it in every issue, great opportunities and benefits for advertisers and sponsors too.
Hr NETWORK Magazine November 2023
Menopause at Work: There’s no need to suffer in silence
Last month was World Menopause Awareness Month and with more women in work than ever before, are organisations being accommodating enough to put menopause higher on the agenda? Andy Moore discovers how HR can help ensure more supportive workplaces.
Also in the latest issue:
- The regular sections of the magazine include: Stats, EXTRA and The Bookshop
- The ‘Insights’ section features first class comment from those in the know on a range of subjects including: Hybrid Working; Networking
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue:
Hr NETWORK Magazine announced as media partner for Workplace Equality conference
Hr NETWORK Magazine announced as media partner for Workplace Equality conference
Hr NETWORK Magazine is very pleased to announce it is the media partner for the forthcoming Advice Direct Scotland ‘Workplace Equality Conference’ taking place at Strathclyde University Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow on Friday 10th November.
Workplace Equality Conference
Advice Direct Scotland, in partnership with equality innovators, invites you to join them at the University of Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow to explore and share practical actions to build success, creating blueprints for equality, diversity and inclusion in the modern workplace. The conference will bring together a wide range of businesses, public bodies and expert organisations engaged in the journey to Fair Work across Scotland.
This full day event will feature a range of speakers, insightful workshops, an ‘EDI’ marketplace along with a panel session for questions.
Hosted by Sally Magnusson and with a keynote address by Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture the conference will offer:
- Access to resources, tools and expertise
- Partnership and business opportunities
- Approaches to attracting, recruiting and retaining staff
- Tips on encouraging returners and supporting diversity
- Fresh perspectives and customer insights
- Opportunities to maximise supply chain potential
Join employers, senior managers, frontline managers, HR, learning and development and EDI specialists. Your £65 ticket includes:
- Full day access to the talks
- Workshops in the morning and afternoon
- Panel discussion
- Marketplace offering specialist information
- Breakfast refreshments and lunch
- Drinks reception and networking
For more information and to book your place, please visit: ADVICE DIRECT CONFERENCE
Skills shortages and limited hiring budgets are top recruitment challenges for UK companies
Skills shortages and limited hiring budgets are top recruitment challenges for UK companies
A new survey revealed that 86% of organisations in the UK have found hiring ‘quite’ or ‘very’ competitive in 2023. 46% have lost out on hiring new talent in the last six months as they ‘can’t compete on salary and benefits’, and 40% expect ‘lack of skilled candidates available’ to be their greatest 2024 recruitment challenge.
Despite this, the research, conducted by global talent services company Morgan McKinley as part of its 2024 Salary Guide, found that over half (52%) of UK businesses still plan to hire in the next six months. As for professionals, 51% in the UK plan to actively look for new jobs in the next six months. The survey also revealed that British workers were not happy with the benefits they received: 59% being ‘neutral’, ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘highly dissatisfied’ with their packages. The top five desired benefits British workers look for in a job are: Work from home, bonus, pension, health insurance, and flexible working hours.
‘Higher salary’ remains the most valued reason for wanting to move jobs at 42%, followed by ‘meaningful and impactful work’ at 13%. 49% of professionals in the UK are optimistic that they will receive a salary increase in 2024 and 70% of employers plan to increase salary offers in 2024 for certain in-demand roles.
Contracting appears to be more attractive for many, as 48% of professionals currently employed in permanent roles would consider making the switch to contracting, with the main reasons given being ‘better rates of pay’, ‘greater opportunities to develop skills’, and ‘more flexibility’.
David Leithead, Chief Operations Officer of Morgan McKinley UK, commented: “The underlying economic gloom caused many employers to slow recruitment; the frenzy to secure new hires has been replaced by companies taking time and care to ensure the best hiring decisions are made. Despite this, the pressure to find new talent has remained, as companies look to drive ahead with change agendas, satisfy new regulatory and legal regimes, maximise commercial opportunities, and respond to turnover.”
“Many employers offered inflated salaries to secure talent throughout 2021 and 2022, so it’s unsurprising that salary offers have largely normalised with fewer opportunities available.”
Leithead concluded: “No matter the macro climate, it remains true always that the right talent – that can drive progress and improvement – will remain in demand and companies will pay well to secure them. With the shortage of skilled professionals available, take steps to keep your people engaged, supported and happy; offering benefits that are meaningful to the individual’s specific situation will help here. Benefits around wellbeing and flexibility remain top of the pile.”
The Morgan McKinley 2024 Salary Guide presents up-to-date and accurate salary data for a wide range of roles across the UK, providing hiring managers with industry benchmarks when they are working out what to pay employees and giving professionals more visibility over what they can earn.
Research from 650 businesses and 3,400 professionals was conducted to find out what companies’ hiring intentions are for 2024, what the key motivators are for changing jobs, and what the expectations are for movement on salaries.
Two thirds of fathers in HR feel as though paternity leave had a negative impact on their career
Two thirds of fathers in HR feel as though paternity leave had a negative impact on their career
New research indicates that UK fathers who work within the recruitment and HR profession could be getting shortchanged when it comes to the early weeks of raising their children. Life insurance broker, Reassured, has investigated the need for a parental leave offering within the HR and recruitment sector. The experts spoke with UK fathers to determine their stance on the parental options they’re given.
According to the research, there are significant disparities in parental leave experiences with over one in six (17.1%) fathers being granted 5-6 weeks of paid parental leave, whilst 20% were allowed 1-2 weeks. Although 36% of those polled within HR and recruitment were given 5 to 6 weeks of paternity leave, two thirds of those did not feel as though they had enough time to bond with their child, and further stated they felt as though their career had been impacted from taking the leave.
Worryingly, 67% admitted that they felt pressure to return to work prematurely, and the same number of fathers added they were denied additional leave from their employers. Delving further into the topic, Reassured spoke to Danielle Baron to offer tips on what employers can do to make paternity leave more accessible to new parents:
- Flexible Policies: Offer parental leave policies that are flexible and inclusive of diverse family structures, including same-sex couples and adoptive parents.
- Inclusive Communication: Ensure that all communication related to parental leave is inclusive and avoids gender stereotypes. Use the term “parental leave” rather than “maternity leave”.
- Equal Opportunities: Encourage all employees, regardless of gender, to take leave. Promote shared parental leave and strive for equal opportunities.
- Return-to-Work Support: Comprehensive support for employees returning to work is essential. This support can include phased returns, flexible work arrangements, and access to counselling services when necessary.
- Mentorship and Training: Offer mentorship and training programmes to help parents smoothly reintegrate into the workplace.
A spokesperson at Reassured comments further: “Our study highlights the need for continued efforts to improve parental leave policies. With life being filled with unforeseen twists and turns it’s crucial to ensure your family is protected should the worst happen.”
Menopause Awareness Month: UK leads the way in offering menopause policies
Menopause Awareness Month: UK leads the way in offering menopause policies
As we enter Menopause Awareness Month for October, feel-good PR agency Lem-uhn, has revealed that there has been a 51% increase in searches for ‘menopause policy’ in the UK in the last year. The rise in searches is illustrative of menopausal employees seeking additional support, as well as shifting attitudes in the workplace.
The data, compiled by Lem-uhn using Google Trends, found that there was a noticeable uptake in UK searches for ‘menopause policy’ shortly after Davina McCall’s book Menopausing was published in September 2022. Lem-uhn also identified another spike in March 2023 when the UK government appointed its first Menopause Employment Champion in an effort to improve workplace support for menopausal employees. This comes after a UK survey conducted in 2019 showed that 90% of women reported that their workplace did not offer support for menopause, with only 5% mentioning that their employer offered advice.
This lack of support is likely driving the increase in searches, as people seek out information and resources on how to manage menopause at their places of employment. On the other hand, companies are also increasingly aware of the need to revise their policies to best support menopausal employees, as they recognise the benefits of creating a more inclusive and supportive workplace for all.
The top countries searching for ‘menopause and work’:
| Rank | The top countries searching for ’menopause and work’ |
| 1 | United Kingdom |
| 2 | Ireland |
| 3 | South Africa |
| 4 | United States |
| 5 | Canada |
| 6 | Australia |
| 7 | India |
Lem-uhn also unveils that the UK is the number one country searching for “menopause and work”, with searches for these terms 31% more popular than in Ireland, and 69% higher than in South Africa, the second and third most popular countries on the list.
In line with shifting attitudes in the workplace, Lem-uhn announced its Menstrual Policy allowing employees up to ten days’ leave for debilitating periods and menopause symptoms and following pregnancy loss.
Riannon Palmer, founder and managing director of Lem-uhn, said: “Menopause currently is or will in the future affect half of the world. Workplaces must provide better support to ensure that talented women are able to remain in the workplace. We hope that policies like ours will make life easier for women and be part of the change to normalise the conversation about a natural and inevitable part of life for half of the population.”