In the Know - 23rd August 2023

Increase in employers prioritising skills over degrees

75% of recruiting professionals predict skills-first hiring will be a priority for their company in the next 18 months, according to a study by LinkedIn.

• The study found that in the UK, companies can expand their talent pools by nearly 10 times when adopting a skills-first approach and 77% of UK employers agree that as the world of work is changing so quickly, it is more important today to continually learn new skills than it was 20 years ago.
• It was also revealed that the number of job adverts that don’t require university degrees increased by 90% last year.
• With many young people currently making decisions about their future careers, this is a key time for employers to review their recruitment practices and consider what approach will help them attract the best candidates.
• Taking a skills-based approach can expand the talent pool so it is not limited to just those applicants with a degree, helping companies who may be struggling to fill vacancies. Having less focus on degrees is also likely to contribute to creating a more inclusive and diverse workforce, as it will encourage individuals from lower-income backgrounds to apply
• Individuals without a degree may have more life skills, practical knowledge, and experiences from which the company could benefit. Employers looking to take this approach will need to consider what criteria they will apply and what methods of selection they will use to ensure that the recruitment process remains fair.

Do you have night shift workers?

If you have night shift workers, you are required to consider the risks to their health and safety because of them working regularly outside of daylight hours. Risks to night workers include fatigue, sleep disruption, changes in appetite, and in some cases, an increase in weight and obesity.

It is recommended that employers carry out a risk assessment for regular night shift workers and ensure any measures are communicated to them.

Did you know?

As a business owner, know that workers should also be informed of the risks associated with regular night shift work and they should complete a health questionnaire on a regular basis (usually annually).

Don’t forget bank holiday Monday

With the late summer bank holiday approaching on Monday 28 August 2023, employers should remind staff that Monday is a bank holiday and confirm the working arrangements for the day.

There is no automatic right to time off on a bank holiday, but employers need to check individual contracts of employment to determine their employees’ entitlement to time off and pay. For those working, consider ways to keep morale high.

Did you know?

There have been calls from the TUC for the government to give all UK workers 12 days’ public holiday a year – 4 more than the current 8 days, however, this is unlikely to become a reality any time soon.

Employers turn to counter offers to keep key staff

A quarterly survey by the CIPD of UK employers’ hiring, pay and redundancy intentions has found that 40% have made a counter offer to keep staff in the past 12 months.

To tempt workers to stay, 38% of employers who made offers matched the salary of the new job offer, and 40% offered even higher sums. The CIPD is warning that a lack of a formal process could result in issues relating to pay gaps and pay fairness across similar roles.

Did you know?

The CIPD highlights that factors other than pay can make roles more attractive such as flexible working, additional paid holiday, opportunities for progression or better pension contributions.

Heated argument resulted in constructive dismissal

The claimant started working for the respondent because she was friendly with the manager who offered her a job. Their relationship went downhill and during an argument the manager shouted at her, “No wonder you have no friends”.

This led to the claimant resigning and bringing a claim for constructive unfair dismissal. The claimant was successful as the tribunal said that no employee should be spoken to in such a manner.

Did you know?

The tribunal found that the manager made a personal attack against the claimant which was a serious breach of the claimant’s employment contract that entitled her to resign as a result.

Skills-based hiring can help to attract the best candidates and make your business more competitive.

Contact our 24-hour Advisory Service for up-to-date guidance on this and more.

Please contact the 24 Hour Advice Service for advice on your specific situation before acting on the information in this publication.

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