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Diversity is a strategic priority for 6 in 10 start-ups
Diversity is a strategic priority for 6 in 10 start-ups
Nearly two thirds of start-ups (63%) say making their workforce more diverse is a strategic priority in the year ahead, according to research from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency. Innovate UK found a further fifth (22%) of start-ups say they have done some work to make their workforce more diverse but could do more, and only 16% say making their workforce more diverse is not a strategic priority.The research found that six in 10 (62%) start-ups are currently recruiting and of these 77% are actively recruiting diverse candidates. Across all start-ups, nearly three quarters (71%) have diversity targets, regardless of whether they are currently recruiting or not.
Despite the demand for diverse talent, Innovate UK found that more than half (57%) of companies say it is difficult to find and recruit diverse talent and three quarters (74%) cite a barrier that can prevent them hiring more diverse talent. The biggest barriers start-ups face are a lack of applications (not enough opportunities to interview diverse talent – 24%) followed by a lack of candidates with experience in similar roles (13%).
Start-ups believe the greatest actions that could encourage more diverse talent to enter their sector are education-linked. The top solutions – both cited by a third (34%) of start-ups – are incentives to study STEM subjects at schools and universities, and publicly funded apprenticeships, work placements and secondments.
Start-ups are extremely positive about the tangible business advantages that a diverse workforce brings. Nearly three quarters (73%) say it improves their ability to innovate, two thirds (66%) say it’s an important part of the company’s ethos, and more than half say it improves the ability to attract talented candidates (58%) and commercial performance (56%).
Surprisingly, two thirds (66%) of start-ups say a diverse workforce is not more attractive to investors, highlighting the work to be done to showcase the positive benefits of diversity in early-stage businesses to the people that help fund their growth.
Jonny Voon, Head of the Sustainable Innovation Fund at Innovate UK, says: “It’s no surprise that start-ups are choosing to prioritise diversity. Our research shows that a diverse workforce brings immense benefits to start-up life, boosting everything from workplace culture to R&D and business performance. But while start-ups are keen to expand the diversity of their workforces, it’s clear that finding the right talent remains challenging.
“Some of the key barriers centre around access to the education and work experience opportunities that help diverse candidates gain entry to key innovation sectors. There is clearly more work that can be done to expand education and career pathways, but also to demonstrate the power of diverse teams to investors so that the best businesses get the funding they deserve. This can help deliver game-changing companies led by a range of diverse talent who, through their success, can inspire the next generation.”
Amanda Miller appointed Head of HR at Startline Motor Finance
Amanda Miller appointed Head of HR at Startline Motor Finance
Amanda Miller has been appointed as the new Head of HR at Glasgow-based Startline Motor Finance, tasked with making the company, described as ‘one of the most attractive employers in Scotland’. As Startline has grown significantly in recent years, Amanda will be responsible for all people management and development initiatives for the company, which employs around 170 members of staff.
Commenting on her appointment Mandy said: “Startline now has a sizeable workforce for a business of its kind and has ambitious plans for further expansion, with a stated aim to taking 3% of the overall used car motor finance market in the medium term. In support of this growth, the business needs to attract and retain the highest calibre people and already much effort has been put into key initiatives to build and maintain a high level of engagement.
“The Startline Academy was launched in July 2021 with the aim of training, developing and growing our highly performing teams and identifying high potential individuals for further development.
“Also, the last two years have been tough for businesses and employees in all sectors and Startline has been no different. To offset the impact of this, we have invested significantly in providing mental health support to staff – including establishing a partnership with Sanctus to deliver personal training and coaching for the mental health of our employees, as well as offering a comprehensive, app-based meditation programme through Calm.
“Additionally, this year, we continue to further drive our focus on employee engagement through a programme of diversity and inclusion training, working with Vercida, who are leading specialists in this area.
“My job will be to maximise the effectiveness of these existing projects and ultimately, to make Startline one of the most attractive, inclusive and diverse employers in both Scotland and the motor finance industry. That’s quite a big statement but there is massive potential here, as well as great people and very strong foundations already in place.”
For the last two years, Mandy has managed her own successful human resources consultancy business which undertook several projects for Startline. Previously, she has held a number of senior roles including Head of HR at BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions and Human Resources Director at Energetics Networked Energy.
She added: “One of my first jobs at Startline will be the creation of a complete HR team. We have already appointed a new HR Adviser and are looking to recruit a Learning and Development Specialist. Strengthening the team will help to create an HR infrastructure that will support the company through its expansion plans.”
Paul Burgess, CEO, added: “Head of HR is a crucial role for Startline as we embark on our latest growth phase and we are very pleased to welcome Mandy to the business. As well as working previously with the company on several HR projects, she has an impeccable track record and has already made a positive impact since joining.”
OUT TODAY! – Burnout: Ensuring employees are distinguished, not extinguished
OUT TODAY! – Burnout: Ensuring employees are distinguished, not extinguished
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 Issue: March 2022
In the latest issue:
Burnout: Ensuring employees are distinguished, not extinguished
Many employees have gone above and beyond the call of duty in Scottish workplaces during the pandemic. So what can HR do to address burnout? Andy Moore examines how practitioners can help colleagues to be distinguished in their roles, and not extinguished with burnout.
Also in the latest issue:
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- 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: Carbon Footprint; Mental Health Crisis; Pleasanteeism; Employee Relations
Click the front cover below to read the latest issue
IMPORTANT SURVEY REMINDER: Employee Benefits Survey 2022
This is your chance to take part in the 2022 Employee Benefits Survey
Hr NETWORK is working with our partners Love Your Employees to gather the opinions of the HR & business community on employee wellbeing and employee benefits. The findings of the survey, which will help HR practitioners and people managers make strategic decisions around mental health in the workplace, will be published in Hr NETWORK Magazine later in the year.
Taking part in the research connects companies and strategy and your opinions are extremely valuable. By taking part you will help in the development of initiatives and strategy that shape the health & wellbeing agenda for employees across all sectors.
Love Your Employees is the company behind the free innovative employee benefits matching platform which brings together many providers in one marketplace. They provide tools, reports and thought leadership on a range of initiatives for leading and rewarding people, in today’s diverse workplace.
Part of what they do is commission independent research, sharing insight from the research across the people management & development landscape, in the form of articles and reports.
Love Your Employees has put together two surveys which are available to take part in below. Each survey only takes a few minutes and your opinion is extremely important. Your views will NOT be attributed to you and are completely confidential.
Executive Burnout Survey
This particular pulse research we are interested in is how executives and senior managers are feeling at the moment. The pandemic has been a massive disrupter to work and also personal lives, and leaders have been required to make rapid change decisions, and support their workforce through worrying times. We are interested to know how you are coping and what you are doing to navigate these difficult times. Our research is anonymised, your answers are not linked or attributed to you personally.
Five Pillars of Employee Happiness Survey
This year’s annual research, will again include 300 interviews with senior business leaders throughout the UK and will focus on the 5 pillars of employee happiness at work which we use as the parameters for our online Healthcheck – Financial Health, Physical Health, Mental Health, Career, Community and Social.
Start the survey’s below…
NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN: The search is on for Scotland’s HR Superstars 2022
NOMINATIONS OPEN: The search is on Scotland’s HR Superstars for 2022
Nominations for this years Hr NETWORK National Awards 2022 in partnership with Roffey Park Institute have opened TODAY and this is your chance to RECOGNISE, ACKNOWLEDGE and REWARD your HR Superstars in 2022. Over the past 2 years, we have seen the incredible and heroic contribution that HR and people professionals have made as they continue to try to manage the effects of the Pandemic.
With 18 awards categories, which are FREE to enter, the awards will determine the top performing HR people, teams, projects and organisations in the Scottish people development and management industry. The ‘Nominations Intention’ scheme captures early interest from those intending to nominate and provides support and ongoing updates on all the categories during the nominations process, running from 1st March to 31st May 2022.
Table sales for this year’s awards will be in extremely high demand and organisations wishing to host a table of 10, are strongly advised to secure their table as soon as possible. The winners will be announced at the annual Hr NETWORK Awards Gala Dinner taking place at the hugely impressive Glasgow Hilton on Thursday 10th November 2022.
The awards categories are judged in two sections, People categories and Project categories:
People
These categories focus on individuals (except for the HR Team category). Judges are looking for exceptional individuals who MUST demonstrate that they are at the top in their respective role.
Projects
These categories focus on projects/specific initiatives that have had a measurable impact in the organisation.
To register your interest in the 2021 nominations process, please email the awards planning team: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
For information relating to the Gala Dinner which takes place at the Hilton Glasgow on Thursday 10th November 2022, including Table Hosting and Sponsorship, please contact the Awards Planning Team on Tel: 0131 625 3267 or Email: awards@hrnetworkscotland.co.uk
For a full list categories, please visit:
Hr NETWORK AWARDS 2022 CATEGORIES
The rise and fall of employee loyalty
The rise and fall of employee loyalty
Global feedback company Netigate has released the findings from a large-scale study into how employee loyalty has developed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is based on a dataset of 200,000 eNPS responses from 274 different companies and spans three years from 2019 to 2021.
In the original version of the report released last summer, Netigate derived the average eNPS value for 2021 from responses provided between January 1 and May 31, 2021. Based on this data, the average eNPS value was 18, which remained at a stable level compared to the previous year.
Netigate has now analysed the data for the whole of 2021, and the results show that employee loyalty decreased in 2021, with the average eNPS falling from 18 to 13. This drop coincides with the global discussions of a Great Resignation that began in the second half of last year. The findings indicate that while employees may have remained loyal to their employees early in the pandemic, this began to change as it progressed.
Commenting on the findings, Netigate CEO Mikkel Drucker says: “The Great Resignation discussions that came out of 2021 are an indication that employees around the world want more from their employers. It seems that the pandemic has given people a new perspective on working life, and many are now looking for employment that meets their evolving needs.”
“Is an employer open to remote working? How flexible is a company with regards to when and where people work? Can a good work-life balance be attained with this employer? These are some of the questions that people are now asking themselves, and businesses are going to need to adapt if they want to keep hold of their talent,” Mikkel concludes.