The Basics of Recruiting

The landscape of recruitment has changed significantly over the last few years.  If you’re new to recruiting, perhaps making your first hire or maybe have a team member who would benefit from a refresher, our latest webinar could help.

In the webinar below we look at the basics of recruiting including types of workers, routes to market, selection methods, onboarding successfully and, of course, how part-time professionals can help your business grow.

Watch our webinar ‘The Basics of Recruiting’, with Ten2Two’s Jo Gregory and Jane O'Gorman linked below.

Transcript

Jane O’Gorman (01:44):

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for joining Ten2Two today for our business webinar. Today we'll be focusing on the basics of recruiting. Now as experts in flexible and part-time recruitment and consulting, we have a wealth of experience in this area. So we'd like to share some of this with you today. I'm Jane O’Gorman, Director of Ten2Two and your co-host for today. And I'll be keeping an eye out for any questions you may have over the course of the session. Now you can pop these in the q and a below and we will follow up with a link to the webinar and a recap on the questions. So no need to write too much down at the moment, so we only have 30 minutes for the webinar today, plus an amount of time for questions. So without further ado, I'd like to hand over to my lovely colleague Jo Gregory, who will lead the presentation today. Over to you Jo.

Jo Gregory (03:03):

Thanks Jane. I'm Jo. I recognize some of the names popping up in the attendee list, so hi, thank you to those who I do know and to those who I don't for joining us today. As Jane said, today is the basics of recruiting. So we've got a real mixed group joining. I know that some of you would've recruited before, some of you may not have recruited ever. So this webinar is really to give you the core basics of a recruitment process, with a little bit about how we might be able to help or other agencies might be able to help. But really just to give you a whistle stop tour of what a good recruitment process should look like. As Jane said, there is a q and a box. Please feel free to pop your questions in there. We will either come to them throughout the presentation or at the end. If we do run out of time, we will follow up in the coming days. And of course if any of you have got individual circumstances that you want to talk through, then Jane, I and the rest of the team are always available for a Teams conversation or a telephone call to go through these. So let's crack on.

Jo Gregory (04:12):

Oh no, my slides aren't working. That's not a good start. <laugh>, bear with me caller. Here we go <laugh>. So just a quick run through of what we're going to talk about today. Now, I know there looks like there's a lot. This is, as I said, a whistle stop tour. So if there are any particular areas that you do want to follow up on, then please don't hesitate to pop a question in or to come back to us at another time. So to start off with, we're just going to give you a quick rundown of some of the terminology. There are lots of different terms and phrases used in recruitment and employment. Some of them can get complicated, some of them can get confused. So just to give you a very, very basic top view of what some of those are. You are with Ten2Two, part-time experts.

Jo Gregory (04:54):

so we are going to talk a little bit about why part-time could be beneficial. We are then going to move on to the job description and the job design, routes to market, the interview process, securing the preferred candidate, onboarding and then a q and a. It's a lot. So hold on tight. Here we go. <laugh>, <laugh>. So terminology. People come to us for all different types of roles. We are multidisciplinary, multi-sector, and we also are able to help with different types of engagement, but often that can be a little bit confusing. So the four listed there, employed permanent, employed fixed term, freelance/ consultant or temporary are really the kind of key areas and they all differ ever so slightly. So the top two, employed permanent and employed fixed term, they are people who would come onto your business payroll. Permanent is a completely ongoing contract.

Jo Gregory (05:49):

Fixed term - there would be a fixed period that that contract was for that both employer and employee would agree to and unless extended, at that end date, the relationship would part. But they're both on the employer's payroll. Freelance/consultant - these are both terms used for people who would invoice you separately. So they wouldn't sit on your payroll, they would have a fixed hourly or daily or maybe even weekly rates and they would invoice you separately, taking care of their own payroll requirements including pension, holidays and so on. And then temporary. This is where a third party would become involved, such as Ten2Two, where the individual would be employed through the temporary agency but would be, I was going to say farmed out. That doesn't sound very professional to say <laugh>, would be, through an agreement working on behalf of your company.

Jo Gregory (06:50):

The agency would therefore take care of payroll, pension, holidays, so on and so forth. The other things to take into account with these different types of engagement are the how, the where and the when. Love a little emoji, or icon. There are control elements and differences with these different types of engagement. And the overarching rule is that the freelance consultant route would give you less control over the how, where and when the work was carried out. Now this is a bit of a grey area. There's always different ways that you can engage with and communicate with the individuals. But if you are looking to have complete control over the how, when and where, then employed permanent, fixed term or temporary is your best route forward.

Jo Gregory (07:38):

Now being part-time specialists or flexible working specialists, there's a whole load more terminology to take into consideration. You would've heard in the news recently - hybrid, remote working. Lots of post pandemic specific conversations happening about the return to the office, part-time or reduced hours. This is where we really, really come into our own and we'll talk to you about in a minute. Job share. Some of you may have looked at one, two or more people sharing the responsibilities of a full-time role. That can be a brilliant, brilliant solution. Does take a little bit of juggling to make sure that it really works, but it can be an amazing solution for organizations. And a new term that we are hearing a lot - fractional. In its basic, this means part-time, but there are certain implications that people are still trying to figure out whether a fractional is indeed part-time employed or if it's more referring to freelance. Jane, I think you want to say something?

Jane O’Gorman (08:45):

That's got my little hand up. I just want to add something if that's all right Jo. Of course. Before we move on from slide two, just in terms of the terminology, because there's one other option that we often find when there's a little bit of uncertainty as to how a role's going to develop, which would be temp to perm. So in actual fact it’s a combination of those terms where you've initially start off in a temporary basis where it would be invoiced through the agency, but if things develop and, and everything's working tickety boo, that may well convert into a permanent role and that person could then go on to the employer's payroll. So temp to perm you may, some of you may be aware of that already and

Jo Gregory (09:25):

Really good point. Yeah, okay. A lovely solution as well if there is any kind of uncertainty about the role or even the individual. Yeah. So a little bit of a plug here for part-time. Not really a plug. It, it's a no-brainer in our minds. Flexible working, the real business benefits. So some of you will have engaged with flexible working before, some may not have, some may question why you would want to go down the flexible route. So the bullet points here are just some of the benefits that we at Ten2Two feel flexible working and part-time working can bring to you. So I'll run through them very quickly. Starting small - you might have a new position within the organization, a new function, a new offering. There could be some question mark over how much time really needs to be dedicated. So you can start small, maybe start with 20 hours a week and have an open dialogue with the candidate about the fact that it might grow.

Jo Gregory (10:20):

Controlling costs. This is something that so many of our employers are, are absolutely won over by when they work with us on a part-time vacancy. It can be very expensive going to market for a new employee. It can be very expensive bringing in exceptional talent to your business. A great example that we see over and over again is within a finance function. Businesses may need the expertise of a finance director or even a management accountant, but they might not need those expertise for 37 and a half hours, 40 hours, 35 hours a week. Really spend some time thinking about how much work there is at that level. because you may find that 15, 25, a lower number of hours, which will be substantial enough for that person to come in and make a difference. And obviously that will have an impact on the salary that you are therefore parting with to engage that person.

Jo Gregory (11:16):

That kind of covers the afford talent bullet point as well. You are able to afford a higher level of talent than if you were just looking at full-time roles and your budget just wouldn't give you that amount of stretch. Attracting talent - this is where we really come into our own here at Ten2Two. We have been in business for over 16 years and across those 16 years have managed to amass a database of exceptional candidates. Some are very actively looking on the market, however, the real magic happens with those candidates who aren't necessarily actively looking through any other route. They've stayed engaged with Ten2Two because of our niche, because of their interest in part-time working. And often we can reach talent who you just will not be able to reach through any other route. Even if you're not coming through us as an agency advertising part-time, or the option for part-time, will attract candidates who you will not reach if you are going to market with a standard full-time non flexible role.

Jo Gregory (12:15):

So really do have a think about how much talent you want to attract, and where you want to be flexible. Increasing diversity. Diversity is becoming more and more important, and offering part-time and flexible doesn't just increase your diversity in one area, but it has the possibility to increase your diversity across all different areas. Gender, disability. I had a whole list in my head before and they've disappeared. Age is a good one. The more flexible you can be, the wider range of individuals you have with differing needs. Improving retention - we have got anecdotal evidence that you can improve your retention significantly by being flexible with your employees and allowing them to work in a pattern that gives them the opportunity to address their other commitments. Be that childcare, be that elder care, be it horses, you know, who knows what their reasons for wanting to be able to work flexibly or part-time are. But if they are able to address those additional needs that they have within their life and have a fulfilling career, you are more likely to hold onto them longer and they'll be happier with you. And we all know happy employees are productive employees.

Jo Gregory (13:37):

So just a couple of stats. These were gathered in 2022 and 2023 through a Sodexo and a Timewise study. The two that I really, really want to bring to your attention here are 76% of employees are more likely to apply for a role if there are flexible hours, 76%. So if you don't advertise flexibility through whatever route you take your role to market, you are potentially missing out on three quarters of the potential candidates that you could be reaching. And then the other ones, 37% of full-time workers would consider working part-time in the future. Part-time is growing. It's not just about one demographic anymore. Lots and lots and lots of different people from different walks of life are considering part-time as something that will enhance their lives moving forward. Yes, Jane?

Jane O’Gorman (14:28):

Just to like, to add just another point on that as well, Jo, which we've found in terms of the important importance of flexibility or part-time, that it's not always necessarily long term, but at least embracing that and appreciating and understanding that someone may need part-time or in fact it might meet the business needs in the early stages, but very often we'll see candidates who we've placed, kickstart off with certain hours and then develop over time as they have more time and the business grows, the match becomes even greater. So it's just also another point that in terms of retaining and building for the future, it's another good way to look at things.

Jo Gregory (15:11):

Yeah, yeah, really good point Jane. Really, really good point. And we see that often within our clients. So now we're getting into the nitty gritty of actual recruitment process. The very first thing that you want to do is think about the job design. Now, you might have an opportunity within your business for a number of reasons. It could be a direct replacement for somebody, it could be a brand new role, but every time an opportunity comes up in the business, we would urge you to really reflect on that job description and that job design and make sure that it is accurate and representative of what it is that the business really needs. So don't necessarily just take the old job description and shove it out to market. Really have a look at what ideal looks like for your business at that time.

Jo Gregory (15:55):

Think about what your business's budget is and what you are able to achieve within that budget. Talk to other stakeholders within the business and figure out if that role is still required in its current shape and form. If it's a new role, obviously you have this amazing opportunity to craft something from scratch, make sure you are involving other stakeholders or if you don't have other stakeholders within the business, reach out to an expert and see what market conditions are saying at the moment about the discipline that you're looking to recruit into. This is a really great time to have a think about whether you do need somebody full-time, or whether you could look at flexibility or reduced hours within the role. Thinking about the level and making sure that the job description is really reflective of the level of individual that you're hoping to attract into the business.

Jo Gregory (16:42):

And then also that it's pitched right to attract the right candidate. So making sure that the words involved in your job description accurately represent the level of responsibility and involvement that that role will have. Now this can be quite a daunting prospect. It's almost like the company version of writing your CV. We find lots of people find this particular stage very, very difficult and often we'll have people come to us really not knowing where to start. And that's exactly what we're here for, is to hold your hand and help you create this role and make sure that it is appropriate and relevant and it gives you, you as a business, everything that you're looking for before we even take it to market is really worth investing at this stage because it means hopefully we'll only need to go to market once. Obviously things can change and we find that going through the recruitment process can sometimes allow you to reflect, and changes might need to be made to what it is that you're looking for. But ultimately the more thought you can give this upfront, the more successful your campaign is likely to be in bringing on the right talent for your business.

Jo Gregory (17:50):

So you've got your job description, you're ready to share it with the world, start looking for that perfect person. What do you do next? There are a number of different routes to market. Agency like Ten2Two. Now agency, we are well aware that not everybody wants to go through an agency. We're well aware that there is a cost element involved. However, please do always pick up the phone and ask the question. There's no harm in having a conversation and we may well be able to offer you guidance that you hadn't necessarily thought of or other agencies that you are involved with. The benefits of an agency, obviously we have very, very wide reach. We have access to tools and other routes to market that you might not have directly. And we can provide significant benefit and cost saving as the process goes on

Jo Gregory (18:37):

when it comes to the amount of time that you're investing. Job boards - I'm sure that all of you're aware of the kind of main job boards out there. Often offering very low cost solutions to advertising roles. They can be fantastic. You can reach a huge number of candidates, and obtain a very large response, which is great. But it gives you a lot of work to do then - filtering through those CVs, getting back to everybody, making sure that you're protecting your employer brand whilst also selecting the very best candidate from quite a large pool. So job boards definitely do have a place, and we think that for some roles they can be exceptionally useful. But please don't be fooled by the low cost upfront because there is an additional time cost moving forward. Online direct. So by this we mean sector or discipline specific publications.

Jo Gregory (19:32):

So it might be HR Direct for example, if you were looking for an HR person or if you are in the engineering sector, there might be a publication that is specific to your sector. These routes have a higher price point often to advertise in them, but they will be slightly more targeted at the exact kind of candidate that you're hoping to reach. Headhunting. If anyone's had the pleasure of being headhunted before, it's sometimes a lovely compliment, sometimes just gets in the way. It is a little bit more of a long game. But obviously if you are in a niche sector or you have a very specific need, headhunting yourself or engaging with an agency who can support you with headhunting is a great way to bring specific talent into your business. This isn't going to get you a bum on a seat within a month,

Jo Gregory (20:21):

so if you're trying to replace someone leaving the business, it is definitely a longer game. And then those are the external routes that you can consider. Internally you are likely to have a company website or socials. This is a brilliant place to advertise your role. And actually you can do this in partnership with any of the external routes that you're looking to take, but you will have a limited audience. You know, even the largest companies in the world, you're still going to have a limited audience and that audience aren't necessarily looking for a role. They might be connected with you because they're clients or they're just interested in the service that you provide rather than necessarily wanting to work for you. But it is a brilliant way to build on your employer branding. And then also your personal contacts. There's nothing like my next door neighbour's dog walkers’ friend knows of a job going somewhere.

Jo Gregory (21:11):

<laugh>. It's a great way to bring talent into your business. We always do try and remind people to make sure that you're bringing on what you need, not who you think you need or who, you know, I can't remember the exact terminology that we use <laugh>, but it's important to remember those core points of your job spec. It would be lovely to give a job to all of your friends and all of your family. Are they what you need in your business at that particular time? You know that's the difficult thing to remember.

Jane O’Gorman (21:41):

Just while we're on the topic here, Jo, of the job design, attracting talent and the roots to market, I thought there's a question that's come up that's fairly relevant in this instance, thinking about who you're attracting on your route. The question is around if in the job design you were to reach out on a fixed term or interim basis, am I likely to receive the same level of interest in the role?

Jo Gregory (22:07):

Absolutely. No matter what you're using. Really, really brilliant question and, and very topical at the moment because we're finding a lot of businesses are coming to us, looking for shorter term solutions or, or shorter term engagements. You will still get a strong level of interest if you go to market with an interim or, or temporary of some sort engagement. However, you're probably not going to attract candidates who are already in roles. So you are cutting off a large number of active candidates because there isn't that long-term security for them. So you really need to give some consideration as to what your reasons for it being an interim or a temporary engagement are. And whether that is something that is a non-negotiable, the temp to perm route that Jane identified earlier could be a solution. You know, if there is the potential opportunity that the role could go permanent in the future, then maybe share that with people. But again, don't over promise. Make sure that you're being really genuine with the candidates who are coming forward. But unfortunately, yes, you probably will slightly reduce your pool if you are looking at an interim or a fixed term solution into the business.

Jane O’Gorman (23:17):

Thanks, Jo.

Jo Gregory (23:20):

So you've got out to market, you've got a load of lovely candidates back in. You've done some filtering; you've used your job description to really identify those few candidates that you want to be able to meet with. Now what do you do? There is no kind of right or wrong here. There are all different sorts of ways that you can engage with candidates and there's a growing number of ways you can utilize AI. You can utilize external screening partners. If you come through an agency, then obviously you are getting a number of candidates who are pre-screened. What we would say is to make sure that you are giving this stage some consideration upfront rather than just jumping head on in. Think about the level of the role, think about what's appropriate for a candidate of that level, and make sure that you are communicating effectively.

Jo Gregory (24:08):

How many stages do you want to have in the recruitment process? Again, there's no right or wrong answer necessarily, but make sure that you're giving it some thought upfront. Is it a one stage we are going to squeeze in lots and lots of questions and make sure we come away and can definitely make a decision? Or will you be having a number of stages? If you haven't gone through an agency, do you want to implement some sort of pre-screening? Do you want an initial telephone call? Do you want them to write a cover letter that you can use to further filter down the number of candidates who you're meeting with? Number of people involved in the interview process? Are you going to be meeting with individuals on your own? Are you going to be involving colleagues? The format of the interview, there's a number of different formats that you can use for an interview process -

Jo Gregory (24:55):

competency based and CV based, do stand the test of time and they continue to be the most popular ways of interviewing. And again, if anyone out there wants more information on that, then please do feel free to get in touch and we can share some more. We do also have a separate webinar if you wanted to search for that on our website. And then testing. So testing, people have got very different opinions on testing. Some people think it's cruel and uncomfortable. I personally think it's a really, really valuable tool. So if you want to bring in some sort of testing into the interview process, again, make sure it's appropriate and make sure it's going to be giving you information that you can then use to support your decision making process.

Jane O’Gorman (25:38):

Just a quick question on that, Jo. In terms of the interview, you touched on it slightly with interviews, but who do you think should be involved in the interview process? We talked about involving some people, but typically what do we see?

Jo Gregory (25:51):

Great question. Really great question. And it's obviously going to differ from company to company and from role to role. The general guidance that we would give is that you shouldn't necessarily interview alone. It would be great if you can interview with somebody, whether that is a colleague, a trusted partner to the business, even if it's an external stakeholder who you can bring in whose opinion you really trust. That just makes sure there's no, ‘he said she said’ going on. You know, you could have one person taking notes while the other's asking questions. Bringing in a second point of view or a second person into the decision-making process can be really, really valuable. When it comes to the number of people across the entire interview process, I would think about making sure that you're not overwhelming the candidate by bringing in too many at any one time.

Jo Gregory (26:43):

You don't necessarily want them to feel as though they're being judged by an entire panel unless that is your company process and that is something that you, you know, choose to do across the board. One of the reasons that people have multiple stage interviews is to make sure that additional stakeholders can come in at relevant points of the interview process. So, a good example would be at the first interview you might have a conversation with HR and the line manager. At the second interview, the head of the department may come in and join that interview process to try and add a slightly wider reaching view of the company's overall goals and how that person might fit in and contribute to those. So again, it is something that is a little bit up for interpretation depending on the organization, but it is definitely worth giving some consideration to.

Jo Gregory (27:36):

So the interview itself, some people are very, very experienced at interviewing. Some people have never done it before and sometimes it can be just as scary for the person interviewing as it can be for the interviewee coming for the role. So just to give you a really, really basic snapshot of how an interview can be carried out, we would always suggest that you start off describing and explaining the company and the role. This gives the candidate an opportunity to sit and relax and listen before they're asked to contribute. It also makes sure that you are reiterating or confirming exactly who you are as a company and what it is that you are looking for. Sometimes that message hasn't got across in the job description or might have been interpreted differently by the person reading it. Now obviously if you're going through an agency and you've established a really good working relationship with that agency, hopefully there'll be no surprises in this part, but it is still worth going over.

Jo Gregory (28:33):

The next stage, the meat of the interview is to ask, probe and listen. So make sure that you've got set questions that ideally you're asking the same questions for every candidate. Ask those questions, give the candidate a chance to respond and make sure you've got some follow up questions that then probe a little bit deeper in case you're not getting the depth of answer that you're hoping for. Listening and measuring. Again, this is where another person could come in very handy. Sometimes it's difficult to listen, ask questions and take notes all at the same time. So maybe have a designated note taker, but make sure you do take notes because trust me, after you've met with five people in one day, you are not necessarily going to remember who said what. Um, so those notes can be really, really valuable to reflect on the interview process.

Jo Gregory (29:21):

Measuring. Obviously it's very difficult when you're seeing a number of people, if you don't have some sort of measuring tool in place to compare one against the other. So we would strongly advise creating some sort of measurement tool that you can then use to help you in your decision making process. Now, Ten2Two can help you with this. If it's something that you are not familiar with, we've got a number of, of different solutions that we could talk you through. Or there are ones online, or you may have standards within your organization. Take notes we've already talked about. And then before you say goodbye, make sure that you give the candidate the floor. This has a number of benefits. First of all, it means that they, the candidate isn't going away with lots of unanswered questions.

Jo Gregory (30:07):

They're having an opportunity to ask the questions. Also, we find that actually the questions that candidates ask can really give you a clue as to what their motivations are, what's important to them, how much research they've done into you. It can be really, really valuable to give them a chance to ask you some questions. And then again, before you say goodbye, make sure you cover what the next steps will be. You can only do this if you've given it thought upfront, otherwise you're not going to know what the next steps are going to be. If there's likely to be another interview, let them know that you'll be in touch about potentially a follow-up interview. We would encourage not making any firm commitments at this stage, but making sure they understand what the next steps would be, should they be successful. Again, if you're going through an agency or a third party, then these messages can be relayed by the agency, but it is nice for the candidate to walk out of the room or to close down their screen however you are conducting the interview with a sense of understanding as to what's going to happen next.

Jo Gregory (31:07):

So something that we're finding is on the increase, is getting that candidate, deciding who you want, really excited getting this contract back with a signature on it and you know they're coming on board and you've got their start date. And then something happens during their notice period and all of a sudden they've got another offer and they've gone somewhere else. It is a tough market out there. There is no getting away from that, but there are things that you can do to prevent that from happening. So we would strongly encourage, once you have that ideal candidate, once you've secured their engagement with you, don't think that you can then stop talking to them until they walk in your front door when they start or log onto your intranet or whatever it's that they're doing with you. Please do make sure that you stay in touch with them.

Jo Gregory (31:56):

You know, that engagement process is really important while they're working out their notice or while they're arranging their childcare before they can start with you, whatever the situation might be. And it doesn't have to be that you're on the phone to them all the time. It could be a card welcoming them to the team. It could be getting their email address set up so that you can start populating their email with newsletters or internal comms. It could be inviting them for a team get together if you happen to be having something in the time before they're joining you. Don't make the assumption that these things are scary for the onboarding employee. They are going to be delighted to be invited even if they can't make it. You are engaging them, you're making sure they feel part of the team before they've even joined you and that we hope and we have seen, gives you more chance of them engaging and more chance of them actually joining you.

Jo Gregory (32:55):

So please, please, please don't think that them signing on the dotted line, although it's brilliant, don't think that it's your job over, you know, you do still need to keep that engagement going. And then you've got even more work when they come on board <laugh>, we're not making it easy for you. Onboarding. There is a lovely coach who we work with, and she is seeing a growing pattern of people leaving jobs within the first 90 days, which is really sad. You wouldn't want to put in all this work that we've just talked about finding your ideal candidate and then for them to leave within 90 days. That is just heartbreaking. So think about that onboarding process and how important that first period of time is with you as a business. Successful onboarding is vital to short-term and long-term productivity and satisfaction.

Jo Gregory (33:46):

Make sure that you're creating an exceptional initial period with face-to-face meetings. This doesn't have to be in person with face-to-face now, kind of, it can be remotely, if that suits your business better. But make sure you've planned for these things. It can get a little bit complicated if you are operating a part-time workforce, making sure that diaries match up. But it is worth the effort to make sure that that person feels as though you've really given some thought to them coming on board and you've got some activities planned for them. Consider the needs of the business and the team. As we just said, working patterns and practices need to be taken into consideration. You might want to involve external stakeholders as well. Maybe there's a particular client or a particular provider who would be really key for them to meet as early on as possible. Make sure that you've put those meetings in the diary for them in advance. And none of this is going to be possible if they don't have the technology to work with. So make sure they've got that laptop or PC or whatever it is on the first day. We have a lot of people who say, yeah, the first day was great but I didn't have a laptop so I couldn't get anything done. So don't let that be you.

Jo Gregory (34:56):

And we're coming to the end now, so we just thought we'd share some of the hundreds of clients that we've worked with. We've got numerous success stories. If you want to go to the website and have a look through any of these, feel free to, and the information and expertise that our experience has allowed us to amass is huge. So please don't feel worried about coming to us with any questions at all. We would be more than happy to guide you through the process wherever you are in that process. I'm going to stop talking now and get a drink. Jane <laugh>

Jane O’Gorman (35:28):

Have a sip of water.

Jo Gregory (35:28):

Have you got any questions?

Jane O’Gorman (35:30):

We have. Obviously we've covered a couple of questions as we've gone through, which I think was valuable. A couple of others we can squeeze in now. It's come back a couple of times, around psychometric testing, personality profiling and how valuable that can be in the interview process. Any thoughts on that?

Jo Gregory (35:50):

What a brilliant question and actually something that we probably should have put into the presentation. So thank you for bringing that up, whoever brought that one up. Psychometric testing can be an exceptionally valuable tool. For those of you who don’t know psychometric testing, there are a number of different tests that you can use, but it helps to establish some basic personality traits or communication styles or engagement styles. So I would say that they are really, really, really great as additional supportive tools. They will not make a decision for you, but they will support you in your decision making. The key things to consider are what it is that you are hoping for that assessment tool to bring to life for you. You know, do you want to know how to communicate with that person or how that person prefers being communicated with?

Jo Gregory (36:44):

Do you want to know that the core competencies and traits of that person? We at Ten2Two use a system called DISC. And we've got a fantastic consultant who is able to provide that to our clients on our behalf. We find it incredibly valuable. And the most valuable thing, and I will stop talking about this, I get very excited, is understanding how your team come together. So we have got a very eclectic mix of people across the disc spectrum, but we all compliment each other brilliantly. So again, give some consideration to actually what is it that that psychometric assessment is going to bring you value-wise and how are you going to use it to help you in your decision-making process? There is a cost element to it that does need to be factored in, no matter which route you go to market. If you're going to use it to compliment your decision making, factor that cost in. But I would say if you can, and you've got the understanding to be able to make good use of it, then definitely, definitely research psychometrics.

Jane O’Gorman (37:46):

Thanks Jo. I think we could squeeze another one in - we've touched a lot on part-time in our area of expertise, but what's the most popular working pattern for people who work part-time?

Jo Gregory (38:00):

A really good question and it's one we hear a lot. We do. We have a lot of employers come to us asking us to make the decision really, about what the pattern should be. That's not something that we can do, I'm afraid. If you think about it from a candidate point of view, candidates are going to be coming to us from all different walks of life for all different reasons and they're all going to have slightly different patterns that work best for them. So we can't necessarily say that one pattern is going to fit all because it just doesn't. The thing that we would say to any employer is to try and work out what pattern actually works best for you as an employer in the first instance. So a good example of this would be, a marketing function, for example.

Jo Gregory (38:42):

If you're thinking about somebody who is quite operational on digital marketing, there may be a benefit in them being around for a shorter number of hours, but a larger number of days. So say four hours a day across five days to keep that content moving, to keep communications up throughout your social channels. However, somebody at a marketing director level who's talking about your strategy, who's talking about, you know, some of the more, planning elements of where you're going in the future, they may not necessarily want to work shorter hours across more days. It might be more valuable for you as a business to have them for two solid days per week, to really contribute to that strategy. So give some consideration as to what works best for you, for the role, for the level, for the other people within your business. Team meetings need to be taken into consideration, if somebody has to be available for them. Well, once you've got that in mind, you can go to market with what your ideal would be. And then if you are able to layer in some flexibility to that, so that you are not alienating any candidates and you're considering the best talent available, then that's fantastic. But I would say that there isn't one size fits all, one more practical pattern than another.

Jane O’Gorman (40:02):

Mm. Can I just add a little bit to that Jo as well? Just in a sense, and we've talked about reaching out, how to attract a wider talent pool. If the role is flexible and it's part-time, but there is no required fixed pattern, so it could be three full days or five short days. We'd often say go with either or, because ultimately we'll have some candidates who prefer full days, others who prefer to spread over the week. Absolutely. And that way again, it widens your talent pool. But always keep in mind if there are ‘anchor days’, as we often hear for businesses, it's always worth mentioning if there's an anchor day and it's important for that person to be there, then work around that.

Jo Gregory (40:45):

Absolutely. Very, very valid points. Thanks for that, Jane.

Jane O’Gorman (40:48):

You're welcome. I'm afraid I think <laugh> we could go on, but I think that's all we have time for just now. So, thanks everyone, for joining Jo and myself today and thanks Jo for a great presentation. We hope you find it useful. As I mentioned, we'll follow up with a link to the webinar which you can watch at your leisure, and do please allow a couple of days for this to come through. There will be a brief survey to gather your feedback. We always very much value your input, so please let us know your thoughts. You'll also have a link to my video calendar, Jo's video calendar, so please do block some time if you want to have a chat with either of us to discuss anything further. And that's it for now from us. We do hope to see you on another Ten2Two webinar very soon. Have a good afternoon, everyone. Thanks so much for your time everybody. Bye bye.