Claire, Author at Realise HR

Don’t Burn Your Bridges

Claire on December 11, 2023

You’ve done it. You’ve been offered a brand-new job. Relief washes over you, finally free of the late nights surfing job boards and the blood, sweat and tears of hiring processes.

You’re elated, and rightly so. There’s a spring in your step as you walk into the office, no, waltz into the office, with a shiny new job offer under your belt. What could go wrong?

This is the danger zone, and the time when you need to be most alert. How you act in these final months, weeks and days is how you’ll be remembered. Did you casually brag about that new company car you’d landed? About how you couldn’t wait to get away from Maureen in Accounts (she always was a gossip), or about how your new employer really recognises your worth and is giving you a prestigious management title. Sounds nauseating, doesn’t it? And you’ll no doubt have seen it before. Those colleagues you’ve always thought so highly of quickly turning into those you’re quite happy to see the back of. It’s bridge burning and then some.

There’s a saying in the restaurant trade that “you’re only as good as your last meal” and the same applies in employment. Here are a few things to reflect on as you see out your final days with your current employer:

Review your contract

Make sure you’re providing the appropriate notice to your employer as stated in your contract. This might sound obvious, but it’s easy to forget that notice periods are legally binding and failure to provide notice or serve the notice period could result in breach of contract and a potential avenue for the innocent party to bring legal proceedings. Ok, so, you might think that your employer won’t care if you duck out early and this could very well be true. However, you signed a contract at the beginning of your employment and its only right that you follow this through to its end. If you really need to leave early, speak with your employer, you might be able to come to an agreement that works for you both.

Don’t get offended

As your time comes to an end, it’s likely that you’ll feel less in the loop. Emails will be sent without you cc’d, meetings will happen without you present and decisions might be made without your input. This isn’t the time to get offended or ‘act out’, its simply the natural order of things as colleagues transition into what work will be like without you. You can offer your continued support, but don’t force it. Be a team player and put the team’s needs before your own. If this means looking after some of the more transactional tasks (and maybe those that wouldn’t usually be your bag), so be it.

Downplay your future plans

You’re excited. Of course, you are. But let’s remember that it’s only you (and your family) that share in that excitement. This isn’t the time for bragging. You can politely acknowledge your changing circumstances to others but keep it to a minimum. Think of it more as a casual nod to where you’re going next; let’s keep the dance party to ourselves and the confines of our living rooms.

Remember the long game

Unless you have the luxury of early retirement, it’s likely that your career is going to span several decades. It’s quite possible that you’ll still operate in the same circle as former colleagues, and those relationships will either serve you positively or negatively depending on their impression of you. My advice is don’t burn your bridges. You never know when your paths will cross again, so keep that flame alive. Be that teammate who could always be relied on, even in the closing stages of the game.

Coms Engineering Case Study

Claire on November 14, 2023

COMS are specialist operations, maintenance and system engineers experienced in managing nuclear projects. They help businesses and organisations within regulated industries realise significant value from their assets, people and processes.

What were the challenges:

Ready for growth
Drive company performance
Outperform competition

What were the objectives:

Create a great employer brand
Implement a HR system
Design a recruitment process
Review staff benefits

What were the Solutions:

Be attractive
Be a great place to work
Provide employment opportunities to all
Do the right thing

Claire Mclean, CEO at Realise HR says“Partnering with an ambitious engineering solutions company from the beginning of their growth journey was critical for the success of the project. Supporting Cliff and the team to get ready for growth aligns with our company mission which is to boost company performance by focusing on people”.

Cliff Woodman, Managing Director at Comms Engineering says” Cumbria O&M Services, COMS, were in a period of significant growth and we realised support was required in a number of our business support functions. Human Resources was one of these functions where we had all the necessary processes and guidance from ACAS, but something was still missing. Along came Claire McLean and Realise HR and we soon realised it wasn’t just processes and procedures we required, but a People Vision to drive us to where we wanted to be. Over the following months the Realise HR team supported us in bringing this vision to life. We implemented an employer brand, employee benefits, performance management tools, recruitment processes and career pathways and are still supported by Claire’s team as these initiatives continue to develop and grow in line with our core activities. Without this support we would never have achieved our goals going it alone. I’d recommend to other likeminded organisations to have that first discussion to “realise” just what’s required.”

Supporting employees going through menopause

Claire on October 19, 2023

With 38% of female employees at menopausal age, we recognise the importance of breaking down barriers and supporting our workforce.

Supporting employees going through menopause is not only compassionate but also beneficial for businesses as it can lead to increased productivity, retention and overall employee wellbeing. Here are some tips for businesses to better support with menopause:

Education and awareness – Provide education and training for both managers and employees on menopause, it’s symptoms and its potential impact on work. This can help reduce misunderstandings and stigma.

Flexible working arrangements – Offer flexible work options such as adjusted work hours or remote working to accommodate employees who may be dealing with fatigue or other symptoms.

Adjust temperature and comfort – Maintain a comfortable working environment by allowing employees to control the temperature and providing access to fans, heaters or cooling devices so everyone in the office can be happy.

Wellness programmes – Include menopause-related health information in your wellness programmes. Promote exercise, nutrition and mental health strategies that can help alleviate symptoms.

Supportive policies – Review and update HR policies to accommodate employees who need adjustments due to menopause. This may include allowing more breaks, temporary job sharing or extended sick leave if necessary. Realise can help with these if you need support.

Open communication – Encourage open and confidential communication between employees and managers. Ensure employees feel comfortable discussing their needs and concerns.

Access to information: Provide easy access to resources and information about menopause through the company’s intranet, pamphlets or workshops.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can create a more inclusive and supportive work environment for employees going through menopause which in turn can lead to a happier healthier and more productive workforce.

If you need any further assistance with menopause policies or anything else, please feel free to reach out to us.

North-West HR consultancy working with Cumbria’s top colleges to help apprenticeship employment

Claire on September 28, 2023

Cumbria’s largest HR consultancy has launched a new service in collaboration with some of the region’s leading training providers to help businesses employ apprentices.

Supported by Kendal College, Lakes College and Gen2, Realise HR is working to address many of the challenges faced by apprenticeship employers including employment law, employee relations, and providing positive people experiences to help apprentices get the most from their learning and thrive.

The company is hoping that by providing important complimentary services to the support already received from education partners, they can help businesses better engage with apprenticeships as well as ensuring more apprentices manage to complete their training programmes.

Martin Norris, Head of Recruitment at Realise HR, said:

“According to a recent think tank, we know that almost half of apprentices (47%) drop out of their training programmes. When you look at the detail, a lot of the reasoning comes down to their experiences at work. For example, 41% of apprentices feel that their apprenticeship is poorly organised, and only 14% believe that their mentorship is appropriately managed. If you’re an SME or employing apprentices for the first time, it can be difficult to know the ins and outs of how to structure apprenticeships within your business and make sure they’re legally compliant. Through consultation with local training providers, we’ve been able to design structured resources to help make apprenticeship employment a much easier process.”

As part of the design phase, the firm brought together a steering group of leading apprenticeship stakeholders from across the county including representatives from Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership, All Together Cumbria, and the Construction Industry Training Board, as well as apprenticeship employers and training providers from across the county. Kelli Horner, Head of Business Engagement at Kendal College, said:

“Businesses are realising how valuable apprentices are to their sustainability and growth and want to know their approach is going to offer fantastic employment opportunities. Working with Realise HR and other training providers, we identified areas where employers are requesting more support, often in meeting necessary legal requirements and in structuring apprenticeship experiences within their respective businesses. Partnering with Realise HR, we are able to offer valuable support from an experience and reliable source to meet their individual needs.”

Realise HR is excited to be offering a way for businesses to easily get to grips with apprenticeships and enhance the experience of apprentices within the workplace. The resource suite is available for all apprenticeship employers and can be accessed by contacting Realise HR.

Do you need an AI Policy?

Claire on September 28, 2023

AI is a big deal. The global adoption rate of Artificial Intelligence now stands at 35%. And this is only set to grow, with IBM quoting that 44% of organisations are working to embed AI into their processes and applications. Whereas once the public’s interface with AI may have been largely restricted to search and recommendation engines, advanced AI tools are now becoming more widely accessible to the mass market. So, this begs the question, does your business need an AI policy?

If you joined us for our most recent event with in-Cumbria last month, you’ll know we took a deep dive into the ethical considerations of AI with thought leaders across the region. Of the topics explored, we spoke about how most companies understand the importance of responsible AI practices but that many organisations just don’t feel equipped to regulate how AI is used. If we think about the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, it seemingly came out of nowhere to the non-initiated, and the plethora of platforms following have left many of us struggling to keep up. Unsurprising then that two thirds of companies report that they lack the skills and knowledge to accountably manage the use and trustworthiness of AI within their business. For this reason alone, it seems the very least we can do is to implement an AI policy to mitigate some of the risks. Risks including:

Bias and Discrimination

AI can perpetuate human bias as it mirrors the leanings within the data it interrogates. What’s worse, it can sometimes intensify this bias with access to historical inequities and outdated modes thought. Essentially, rather than AI improving upon human decision making, it can scale-up some of the more problematic and discriminatory decisions that we’d rather weed out in 2023. For example, Reuters reported that Amazon scrapped its hiring algorithm after finding it was favouring applicants based on language predominantly found in male CVs. By observing patterns of bias, which in this instance was a precedent of men dominating the tech industry across the previous decade and consequently submitting the majority of job applications, it taught itself that male candidates were to be preferred over their female counterparts. It became inherently gender bias.

Transparency and the Bottom Line

Of the IT professionals polled by IBM, 85% agreed that consumers were more likely to choose/purchase from a company transparent about its AI technology. However, 61% of organisations stated that at present they wouldn’t be able to fully explain AI-powered decisions. If you can’t translate and understand the decisions your AI is making, not only is it difficult to be sure that it’s making the correct call (AI will sometimes get it wrong, don’t forget) but it’s directly impacting consumer trust and ultimately damaging your bottom line.

Privacy and Confidentiality

AI databases are often filled with confidential employee and/or customer data. You need to know that this data is secure and that it won’t be inappropriately leaked by an AI algorithm. Moreover, there’s also ethical considerations attached as to how appropriate it is for AI to use personal information and where we draw the line in terms of intrusion of privacy. In 2019, several states across the US banned the use of facial recognition software and biometric surveillance technology in law enforcement body cameras. The law, partly intended to prevent ‘police states’, was also informed by the number of misidentifications made by the software, particularly in correctly identifying women or those of ethnic minority. Experimentation with comparable software by police in the UK has been subject to similar scrutiny, with reports by the University of Cambridge declaring that in sample studies, deployments failed to meet minimum ethical and legal standards. Like all technology, the question is about appropriateness without slowing development and its benefits to society.

Values & Culture

Does AI generated content truly reflect your company’s values? It might sound a lot like you, but is it you or just a poor copy? We all bang on about company culture, how important it is to us, our businesses, and our colleagues, but could all our hard work be undone in our reliance on AI? AI produced material can lack authenticity, it can feel robotic and impersonal, and this is a major turn off for customers, internal and external.

So, do you need an AI policy? In short, yes. Absolutely. But it’s sometimes difficult to know where to start. If you need the fundamentals, we can send you our AI policy for free, just drop us a message in the usual places.

Realise HR Bring New Training Facility to Carlisle

Claire on September 20, 2023

Realise HR are proud to announce the opening of Cumbria’s newest Training facility, ‘The Learning Pod’. Designed with versatility in mind, Realise have created a bespoke, flexible space where people can deliver training or hire the pod out as a meeting facility.

Situated in North Carlisle at Kingmoor Park’s Mod Village, The Learning Pod is not your traditional training facility. It represents a new way of learning with bespoke furniture, writable walls, multiple collaborative spaces which creates an engaging, captivating environment where people can grow, develop and drive innovation back in the workplace.

Realise HR , a multi-disciplinary HR and Recruitment Consultancy, has been a pioneer in the learning and training sector for several years. Their mission is to empower individuals and organisations with a training facility and tools necessary to excel in today’s evolving world.

Claire Mclean, CEO at Realise says “The Learning Pod embodies our commitment to fostering continuous learning and development in Cumbria. Here at Realise, we’re bringing a series of training courses such as Managing People Programmes and HR Business Partner courses to name a few, along with welcoming training providers to host their training programmes in The Learning Pod. We believe that investing in development is investing in one’s future, and our facility is tailored to empower individuals and organisations on their learning journey. We can’t wait to welcome you!”

Helen Askew, Head of Learning at Realise HR adds “As Head of Learning, this is a dream come true! Our passion is to work with other businesses to bring together a learning environment which is inclusive, informal and collaborative. I am incredibly proud to be part of this exciting new venture and bring a new approach to all things people training in Cumbria.”

To learn more about our upcoming courses, please visit our events page.

Mastering Management: The Key to Business Success in a Competitive Market

Claire on August 23, 2023

Managers play a crucial role in any business and have a significant impact on its success. They serve as a bridge between the organisation’s leadership and its employees, helping to translate strategic goals into actionable plans. Managers also have a key part to play in employee engagement, and if they don’t have the right skills to be able to motivate, communicate, give direction, support and develop their own teams, this will have an impact on your overall business performance.

So, where and how do you start to change some of this? This is a multi-faceted challenge; there are many places to look, analyse and change, however, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Our advice would be to start having open and honest conversations with your managers to truly understand and assess their situation to help them on the road to being a great manager.

Ask some questions:

Do they fully understand their role and responsibilities as being a manager?
Do they have the tools and resources to perform their jobs effectively?
Do they need support and development?

You can’t over-communicate with your managers, and this must be two-way thing. Taking the time to have a meaningful conversation, answer their questions, and allow them to suggest ideas, will definitely increase their workplace happiness which hand in hand helps them succeed at being a great manager and your business to continue with its success.

With that being said… we have an amazing People Management Programme coming up this October, which has been designed to help you develop your people management skills and learn new techniques.

You can find more information on that HERE or if you’d like to chat further on any of the above, please email hello@realisehr.co.uk

How to guide on: Legally employing an apprentice

Claire on July 24, 2023

Are you thinking about employing an apprentice or do you already employ an apprentice? Then this one’s for you!

Having worked with some of the region’s leading training providers, we’re aware that employing an apprentice isn’t always easy and it can be a bit of a minefield making sure that you legally employ apprentices and do everything by the book.

With this in mind, we’ve created a support package (the first of its kind in the UK) on how to legally employ an apprentice and how to get the best from the experience. With the average employment tribunal costing £8,500, we wanted to make sure that employers avoid any costly mistakes, so our package includes everything you need to know such as: how to manage contracts including templates, disciplinaries, grievances, one to ones, absence and more.

If you’re registering your apprentice with one of the local collages this year, you’ll likely hear more about us during the sign up of your apprentice.

Please check out our information booklet here, or if you have any questions or would like to chat further, please email hannah@realisehr.co.uk

Why is Employee Happiness so important?

Claire on July 19, 2023

Health and Wellbeing: Employee happiness is closely linked to their overall wellbeing and mental health. When employees feel satisfied and fulfilled in their work, it can positively impact their mental and physical health

Retention and Loyalty: When employees are happy, they are more likely to stay with an organisation for a longer duration. High employee turnover can be costly and disruptive to businesses, resulting in the loss of valuable talent

Collaboration and Teamwork: Happy employees are more likely to collaborate effectively and work well in teams. They tend to have better relationships with their colleagues, communicate more openly, and contribute positively to a cooperative work environment

Stay Engaged: Happy employees are more likely to engage in the wider business and not just within their silo which benefits both the employee and the business

Customer Satisfaction: Being happy at work will have a direct impact on customer satisfaction. When employees are happy and engaged, they are more likely to provide exceptional customer service, go the extra mile, and build positive relationships with customers. Satisfied customers, in turn, lead to customer loyalty, repeat business, and positive word-of-mouth referrals

By prioritising employee happiness, organisations create a virtuous cycle that benefits both employees and the overall success of the business. It fosters a positive work environment, enhances wellbeing, and contributes to performance and growth. And lets not forget… what’s more infectious than a smiley happy face?!

If you’d like to learn more about how you can create a happier workforce, pop us an email at hello@realisehr.co.uk

Employment Law Update – How to make reasonable adjustments for mental health conditions in the workplace

Claire on July 12, 2023

The latest Employment Law Update by ACAS looks at new guidance on how to make reasonable adjustments for mental health conditions in the workplace.

Studies show approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year and is an increasingly recognised issue. Why does this matter in the workplace? Data shows that 17.5 million working days were lost last year in the UK due to mental health related absences.

ACAS has published guidance on making reasonable adjustments in aims to foster a more inclusive and supportive work environment and help combat the huge rise in sick days due to poor mental health. Making mental health adjustments at work involves creating a supportive environment that accommodates the needs of employees with mental health conditions. Some key considerations for implementing such adjustments are:

Raise awareness and reduce Stigma: Promote awareness and education about mental health conditions in the workplace to foster understanding and reduce stigma. Encourage open conversations and create a culture of acceptance and support.
Flexible working arrangements. Allow for flexible schedules, part-time work, remote work or adjustments to start and finish time where you can.
Modifications to work environment: Create a calm space, adjust lighting or noise levels during periods of increased stress.
Communication and confidentiality: Establish clear channels of communication for employees to discuss their mental health needs in a confidential and supportive manner. Ensure that managers and supervisors are trained to handle these conversations with sensitivity.
Return to work support: When an employee is returning to work after a mental health related absence, provide a supportive transition plan. This could involve gradually reintegrating the employee, providing additional support and considering their workload.
Promote a balance: Encourage a healthy work life balance by promoting boundaries, discouraging excessive overtime and fostering a culture that values employee wellbeing.
Monitor and review: Regularly monitor the effectiveness of the mental health adjustments implemented and make adjustments as needed. Seek feedback from employees to ensure the accommodations are meeting their needs.

Remember! Everyone’s needs may vary, and it is essential to approach mental health adjustments on a case-by-case basis. Consulting with a company like ourselves can provide further guidance tailored to your specific workplace and needs.

Pop us an email at hello@realisehr.co.uk to chat further.