As part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, you will be well aware that the government has introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. This allows all UK employers to furlough staff who are on the PAYE scheme.

Glen Callum Associates has answered a range of questions regularly asked on how to support your staff throughout the furlough period.

If you have furloughed your staff, what next?

The government has provided financial security for your staff but how can we, the employers, provide support?

Glen Callum Associates have seen a surge in candidates asking to register for job opportunities who have been in stable employment for a number of years.  The consensus is that they are feeling disgruntled with their employers, the reasons are numerous, include the following:

“Nobody is communicating with me”

“I don’t know what the future holds for the company”

“Most of our staff aren’t furloughed so why me, am I not valued?”

“It’s given me the opportunity to re-think my career”

“I feel left out and in the dark”

How are your staff feeling?

It seems that a number of employers, who have been good employers, on the whole, are totally misjudging the mood of their staff and this could potentially lead to the loss of loyal and valued employees.

As recruiters, we welcome the opportunity to assist skilled, talented and loyal job seekers, however, they also have a duty to ensure that employers are aware that their staff are feeling this way. There will be many of you who are hard-working Managers and Directors, busy striving to ensure that your business is commercially viable, but have you potentially taken your focus away from the staff?  It’s important to ensure your staff have a business to return to, it’s equally important that you retain your staff to ensure the future for you all.

Health and well-being via contact

We have all seen an increase in articles about mental health, well-being, health & safety, and ensuring that staff are looked after from a health perspective.   Understanding all of the above is essential, and there are specialists versed in providing detailed advice on the above, however, as an addition, we suggest simply picking up the phone or dropping your staff an email, or even setting up a video call to say hi as a quick, efficient and personable resolve to ensuring your staff feel valued.

Be encouraging

Your staff are human and the pandemic is affecting everyone differently.   Keeping your furloughed staff updated is key to helping them stay motivated and feeling important.   We also suggest you encourage your staff to keep busy, this can be socially or by providing them with learning and training opportunities.

So can we use this as a training opportunity?

The staff that feel forgotten, or undervalued, or are unsure of their future are likely to feel more secure if they can see that you are supporting them to train.  It could be that you invest in a course, or that you simply encourage your staff to take part in online courses or webinars.   There are plenty of training providers and material out there, to suit all budgets.  Make the training more engaging for your staff by using group feedback sessions.  You could even incorporate an element of competition between the staff to encourage continued integration with one another.  Put them into teams or ask them to share ideas.

Look to the future

Employers that engage their staff, whether it be ordinary or during this pandemic, will gain trust and support.   Employee engagement, onboarding, strategy and advice on hiring are key to ensuring a stable and motivated workforce.

For further advice and support for employers during the pandemic get in touch with the Glen Callum Team. We are here not only to support employers and jobseekers with hiring but also to ensure strong and successful teams for the future. Our philosophy is to hire by encouraging growth within companies, to work with our partners and to assist them with success.

Glen Callum Associates has been effectively working with companies to assist them with their recruitment and hiring strategies over the past 22 years. We enjoy repeat business with our clients because we assist them to recruit the right person first-time. For free no-obligation advice on hiring, strategy and employee engagement don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team 01384 485274 or jobs@glencallum.co.uk