Why Employers Should Look to Soft Skills Over Technical Skills

Research has revealed that almost half of UK companies are finding it a challenge to source skilled workers. Because of this, just over 20 per cent are seeking out candidates with outstanding soft skills so they can work on honing the necessary technical skills on the job.

The research, conducted by Robert Half, shows the soft skills that UK business leaders are willing to prioritise. These include openness to new ideas, willingness to accept change and good communication abilities. Team spirit and flexibility also rank as important to employers.

It is vital in this fast-moving digital-led age of work that employees have the skills to adapt to change. Employers are therefore keen to source workers with the ability to keep pace.

Matt Weston is UK managing director of Robert Half. He says, ‘It’s no longer enough to simply execute on the day-to-day tasks. Being adaptable, collaborative and open to innovation and change are vital employee characteristics for modern organisations. As the skills shortage continues to tighten, businesses looking to tap into a wider talent pool need to consider the long-term value a candidate’s attitude and soft skills can bring to a role.’

Matt says that this means employers need to look beyond the qualifications listed on a CV. Candidates who make a point of showcasing their soft skills on paper should be put at the top of the pile.

Why are soft skills important in the workplace?

Soft skills are sometimes referred to as transferable skills. They are not specialised or technical but more in line with the personality of an employee. Soft skills include teamwork, problem solving and communication.

Soft skills hinge on attitude and are personality-driven. For this reason it is vital to consider soft skills when taking on a new member of staff. Even the skill of being able to demonstrate soft skills is something important to look for.

Soft skills are important because your staff represent you in front of your clients. Communication and attitude are therefore vital. In addition to this, soft skills are important when it comes to interactions between colleagues. How do your people work together? What’s their approach to teamwork? To sharing knowledge? A healthy and productive working environment hinges on soft skills.

So, if you are finding it a challenge to source new talent with the right technical skills, instead look more to their soft skills. Because if you can bag a great attitude and approach, making up the technical skills with training should come easy.

Five Days Paid Leave for Working Carers Could be on the Cards

The case for five day’s statutory paid leave for carers is being discussed by the government. This is good news for everyone, including employees and employers.

The government has set up a working group comprised of representatives from various departments and the Treasury to look into the implications of giving carers certain employment rights.

Around one in nine UK workers find themselves juggling caring responsibilities with paid work and a third of working age carers hold down full time jobs. One in six carers had at some point given up their jobs in favour of dedicating their time to their caring duties, and almost three million reduced their working hours to allow sufficient time for caring responsibilities. These are significant figures.

Recommendation to revise the Flexible Working Regulations

It has been recommended that the Flexible Working Regulations 2014 should be revised so that the right to flexible working is in place starting from an employee’s first day in the job. This right currently only applies to those with 26 weeks’ of continuous employment.

The government has set up a taskforce to investigate how flexible working could be promoted, taking into consideration the Prime Minister’s call for businesses to advertise all jobs as flexible from the outset, unless genuine commercial reasons exist not to. This would mean a shift of responsibility from the employee requesting flexible working, to the business offering it as standard.

Raman Sankaran is chief commercial officer at health insurance provider Simplyhealth. He has said that there is a strong business, economic and social imperative to get support for working carers right.

“The government has identified the need to increase the status of carers, sharing its vision for them to receive the same recognition in the workforce as parents.

However, for any attempt to raise awareness of the challenges facing working carers to initiate a permanent change in workplace culture, this must be underpinned by the introduction of practical measures and working practices that can help alleviate the pressures they face on a daily basis,” he said.

As an employer, you may be waiting with anticipation to learn whether there will be any new legislation introduced covering flexible working for carers. You may however decide that your workers are too valuable to you to wait, and perhaps consider offering flexibility to those members of staff who have caring responsibilities. It is of course currently up to you, but in the name of goodwill and staff morale, it may be something to think about. You could always discuss it with your local bookkeepers if you have any concerns.

How to Deal with a Summer Heatwave

The summer heatwave of 2018 has hit the headlines for so many reasons. It is perhaps the fact that is has been so prolonged that has taken us all by surprise, not least employers who have to deal with cries of ‘it’s too hot to work’ from their staff.

So, is there actually a temperature limit when it comes to working conditions? And can employees officially cry off when the mercury rises to a certain point? A summer heatwave can be a bone of contention for any employer, so let’s take a look at some of the most common issues that arise when things really start to hot up in the workplace.

Is there a maximum working temperature?

There is a benchmark that suggests people work best in a temperature range of between 16 and 24 degrees Celsius. It may however come as a surprise to many employees that there is in actual fact no fixed minimum or maximum temperature limit for the workplace. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does state that the working temperature should be ‘reasonable’ depending on the type of work and the workplace.

The Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers recommends temperatures for a range of working environments. These include 20 degrees Celsius for offices and dining rooms; 18 degrees for shops and hospital wards; 16 degrees for factories where light work is involved, and 13 degrees for heavy work in factories. However, there is no set legal limit.

Employers should therefore observe the guidelines, and be reasonable in their approach. Remember that morale is important, but there should of course be limits to your reasonableness. For example, if your office is air-conditioned, the temperature outside should not really factor.

The daily commute

There is no real excuse for staff to avoid travelling to work during hot weather. Public transport does of course hit challenges when extremes of weather come into play, so if your employees genuinely cannot make it into work because of cancelled trains or issues on the roads, you will need to be prepared with a policy on commute-related absence.

Promote well-being

Taking care of your workforce during a heatwave is the responsible thing to do as an employer. Ensure there is access to plenty of cool drinking water and encourage staff to drink clear fluids in place of coffee and other caffeine-containing drinks. Bear in mind that the average recommended daily water intake increases during hot weather. Remind everyone to steer clear of heavier meals and stick to lighter snacks, and of the merits of staying in the shade rather than using a lunchbreak to top up the tan. There is no harm either in swapping the cake run for an ice-lolly run!

Special consideration

If you have employees who may be particularly susceptible to the heat then you’ll need to take special measures. Anyone suffering from medical conditions, who is pregnant or who is taking medication may require rest breaks more frequently. You may need to provide personal fans if there is no air conditioning, or relocate affected staff to cooler areas if they are situated in especially warm spots such as close to windows. If your workforce has to wear personal protective clothing that may be difficult to work in under high temperatures, you’ll need to give that consideration too, as you would any personnel who work outdoors and may be exposed to the risks of skin cancer, sunburn and sunstroke.

Dress Code

If you operate a strict dress code, you may consider a dress-down period during the hot weather to make things more comfortable for your staff. Clients and visitors will no doubt understand your decision, and your people will thank you for the temporary relief.

Introduce a heatwave policy

If you do not have a clear policy in place concerning extreme weather, it’s time to draw one up. Cover everything from heatwaves to blizzards and you’ll be prepared for everything. It is important that employees are aware of protocol in such situations, and it will assist with consistency too. Once a policy is in place and there are set rules, no one can claim unfair treatment.

If you are unsure how to deal with heatwave related situations arising this summer, why not talk to your local bookkeepers? They will help you work out whether your staff should be paid for any unplanned leave taken related to the weather and should be able to steer you in the right direction in creating a heatwave and weather policy.