Emotional well-being, the pandemic and companies

Before 2020, workers’ concerns were largely shaped by situations arising within their working and personal environments, but now a new and viral external factor, SARS-CoV-2, has arrived on the scene. With the new virus bursting upon us, we have to add its consequences to the emotional burden we bear. Remote working, the difficult economic situation, social distancing and our uncertainty about the future have joined the long list of potential causes of stress and other emotional disorders. What effects does stress usually have? Headaches, breathing difficulties, chest pains, fatigue, stomach upsets and, in more severe cases, immune disorders and heart attacks. Companies have realised that stress is one of the main causes of psychological and physical discomfort among their employees and they’re looking for techniques and solutions to alleviate its effects and ensure that their teams don’t suffer from its consequences.

Let’s start at the beginning; what is stress? Basically it’s our body’s response when we have to mobilise ourselves in a situation that demands an answer, but we don’t think we’re capable of generating it. These are cognitive and physiological reactions that cease to have any effect once we’ve achieved the desired goal. Although stress may seem like a marginal ailment, according to data provided by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, 28% of Europeans suffer from it (no more and no less than 28% of the population). The same institution also calculates that the economic impact on companies totals 20 billion euros.

How can we improve our workers’ emotional well-being during the pandemic? An excellent question that has no single answer. Let’s take a look at what we can do to improve it.

• A 2nd-century Roman writer of comedies unwittingly hit upon one of the keys: Mens sana in corpore sano. A balance between our body and mind resolves many of the pains and worries that we express somatically. Many companies have applied the Roman adage and implemented health programmes for their workforces. These facilitate proper nutrition, promote physical exercise and, ultimately, foster a healthy lifestyle. Firstly, playing sport regularly increases our work performance and self-esteem, prevents certain cognitive diseases, increases brain performance, reduces anxiety and triggers the discharge of endorphins, known to be one of the four hormones of happiness. If we combine these benefits with those produced by a balanced diet, we have a highly powerful and effective cocktail to combat emotional discomfort at work and in life in general.

• Another key factor that companies take into account is our ability to separate our work and personal lives. In this regard, the situation caused by the current pandemic hasn’t helped to distance one area from the other, quite the contrary. With the advent of remote working, this boundary has become even more blurred, and companies require actions to help their employees to build borders between the two spheres. Some guidelines being followed that are getting results are based on a single concept: “divide and conquer”. Separating the times of one world and the other is vital in this respect; actions such as switching off your company smartphone or email during your free time, setting a time limit for each activity, promoting holiday schedules and extra days off are some of the ways companies have to ensure that their employees enjoy separate personal and professional lives.

• Finally, and perhaps most importantly, employees should be aware of the activities and services that the company provides to improve their emotional well-being. Clear communication is essential. However, workers must also know why these initiatives and programmes are beneficial to them. The benefits of all the measures we’ve discussed throughout the article: knowledge is power. The power of knowing how to improve our emotional well-being during the pandemic that we’re witnessing.

If you know of any other activities that could help us to improve our emotional well-being at work during the pandemic, don’t hesitate to post your proposals in the comments section.

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada How to promote emotional well-being during the pandemic aparece primero en People first.

Big Data Expert

One of the side effects of the age of information is the production of a huge amount of data; these sets of information can occupy up to several petabytes, in other words, several million gigabytes. This morass of data conceals patterns, behaviours, trends and other resources that enable experts to predict situations and thus anticipate future scenarios. Being able to manage and interpret Big Data is and will be one of the chief skills required by large companies. Information is power, as Francis Bacon said.

Nano-medic

Nanotechnology, although still in its infancy, is now a reality. What does this speciality consist of? Broadly speaking, nanotechnology is the study and handling of matter on a nanometric scale, namely, to give us an idea, the manufacture of objects 1,000 times smaller than the thickness of a sheet of paper. The applications of this technology are almost infinite, ranging from the creation of nanoparticles to eliminate contaminating materials and substances to the implementation of nanorobots for diagnosing and treating injuries and diseases. In the near future, nanomedicine will be a common technique that will require professionals and specialists who are able to apply it.

Tissue Engineer

Tissue culture is a technology that’s rapidly evolving. Although it’s true that the first artificial kidney was created in 1944, new biotechnology techniques are enabling us to begin dreaming of the opportunity to create organs à la carte. This is what tissue engineers are working on, but it’s still too early to imagine this technology. In the future, it will be possible to order a liver, a finger or another part of the body and incorporate it into our organism.

3D Printing Chef

The world of 3D printing is undergoing significant expansion and development and we can currently see constructions such as houses made using this technology, but one of the segments in which it’s expected to leave its mark is gastronomy. Back in 2011, two engineers at MIT presented a food printer concept known as Cornucopia. This printer, in simple terms, worked by printing and cooking food by layers. We don’t know whether the chefs of the future will be robots or androids, but what we do know is that food printing will be one of the main ways of cooking in the 21st century.

Renewable Energy Farmer

If there’s one thing that a large part of humanity agrees on, it’s the need to commit to sustainable energy sources. The time when oil was the chief economic indicator isn’t over yet, but its days are numbered. Large sectors such as the car industry are taking giant steps to replace fossil fuels with electricity, measures that will lead to an increase in the demand for this kind of energy. The advances in technology will bring about the large-scale production of renewable energies such as wind and photovoltaic power for small investors. All we will need is a favourable climate, which won’t be a problem in our country, and sufficient land for the installation of windmills and photovoltaic panels. It’s quite possible that in the future we’ll see another kind of farmer who’ll shift from tonnes of production to kilowatts of electricity.

Extinct Species Ressurector

One of the most worrying trends that’s confirmed with the passing of each year is the extinction of animal and plant species. There are currently around 5,200 species that are in danger of disappearing, an alarming prospect that seems unlikely to improve in the future. To alleviate this situation and to attempt to reverse it, there are various initiatives seeking to create a kind of genetic Noah’s Ark to preserve the DNA of species that have become extinct or that are on the verge of doing so. With the evolution of genetic technologies, it will be possible to bring these animals and plants back to life. Directly or indirectly recovering the biological diversity that has been exterminated stands a good chance of success within a few decades.

Quantum Specialist

One of the numerous revolutions we’re still on the verge of is the one that quantum mechanics will bring. This new paradigm, which is now beginning to develop in quantum computing, for example, focuses on the atomic and sub-atomic states of matter, seeking to understand the physical laws that govern them. Understanding these new rules of the game will lead to the creation of computers with an infinitely greater capacity for calculation. To put it simply, today’s computing is based on a flow of bits, binary pulses that can only be 1 or 0. Quantum computing uses qubits or sub-atomic particles that can be 1, 0 or 1 and 0 at the same time. This feature is called quantum superposition and it enables us to simultaneously generate large computational power. The implementation of this new technology will require professionals specialising in quantum mechanics and its applications in people’s daily lives.

These are just some of the professions that will triumph in the not too distant future; although it all seems like something out of a science fiction film, it’s the future that awaits us. If you know of any more, feel free to add them in the comments section.

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada 7 professions and occupations of the future aparece primero en People first.

Working in the cloud

Are you one of the people who work with shared files via the cloud? Working in cloud environments greatly facilitates the mobility of the HR team and allows access to files and tools regardless of their location. To put it simply, the cloud is a set of remote servers that host the information and data that we find on the internet. With it, we can gain remote access to all the features managed by human resources. This technology, which is already being implemented in most companies in the sector, means the concept of working on site or face to face can be put to one side. A concept that will gradually become obsolete.

Remote leadership

Going back to the concept of on-site and face-to-face, remote leadership will also increasingly take over from physical leadership. But how can a person be a good leader remotely? This kind of leadership will have to adapt to the “new normal” and advocate different characteristics. Advanced knowledge of virtual tools, trust in the team, full transparency, streamlined replies and clear expectations and orders are some of the chief features that a remote leader must promote to ensure the involvement of his or her team and employees.

Consolidation of employee branding

A happy and motivated worker is a productive worker who’s involved and committed to the company. Employee branding is an excellent resource that enables companies to communicate their culture and values through their employees, who become brand ambassadors in a natural and voluntary manner, thus facilitating the attraction of the talent best suited to each organisation. The distancing that we’re seeing during the pandemic is leading to increased use of social media, which is where your workers can play a vital role. They’ll share the company’s messages and campaigns and, above all, speak positively about their working environment, thus leading to extra credibility and trust on the user’s part. Speaking well about yourself isn’t the same as someone else doing so. Does your company include employee branding in its communication and talent attraction strategy?

Digital onboarding

Companies’ induction processes are highly important moments for their workers. An effective adaptation process to ensure that their employees don’t feel out of place and understand the processes and obligations of their positions can make the difference between success or failure. In the current reality, these processes have migrated to the digital sphere and the on-site processes that were in place until now have been abandoned. Techniques such as gamification with specialised tools and apps, checklists and the online availability of documents and the necessary materials are some of the measures to ensure successful digital onboarding. The key is to create a rewarding and enriching experience for the workers and make them feel comfortable and safe.

Big Data

Big Data is here to stay. In fact, it’s nothing new. The management and analysis of large amounts of data enables companies to better understand their environment and understand themselves better. Thus, Big Data allows us to improve our people management by understanding the state of the team, optimising talent selection and evaluating our employees’ performance and productivity. Big Data is still a developing technology, but it promises to offer a wide range of solutions and information in the very near future.

Workers’ emotional well-being

The last year has been a period of great stress and exhaustion throughout all the tiers of the company and the emotional pressure caused by the pandemic has forced us to bring out the very best in ourselves and overcome it. While it’s true that taking care of the emotional well-being of our employees was already a growing trend, it has become much stronger and more important with the current situation. Practices such as mindfulness, emotion control workshops and talks on stress management will become much more common and necessary.

Collaborative social networks

Collaborative networks are environments made up of people who share an online space in which they strive to achieve a common goal. They do so by exchanging ideas and information. The mandatory distancing has led to an increase in these types of synergies. Collaborative work stimulates aspects such as creativity, transparency during work and honesty. It’s a way of replacing physical group work that’s suited to the new times. It’s highly likely that these ways of working will expand and evolve to offer more and more features and options to optimise the collaborative social networks, which are only just beginning to take off.

Encouraging in-house career development

Another trend that we’ll see in 2021 is upskilling, or the professional upgrading of employees. Companies will increasingly implement processes to stimulate training within the team. Ensuring that committed and motivated workers learn new knowledge that they can use in their tasks is a very positive factor, not only in terms of having a workforce with more services and capabilities, but also for the workers’ morale and spirit. Feeling that one is an important part of the group and seeing how one grows professionally.

These are some of the trends in HR that we’re already witnessing and their implementation is sure to increase considerably as the months go by. You’re sure to have a new trend in mind, so don’t hesitate to tell us about it in the comments section.

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada 8 trends in people management in 2021 aparece primero en People first.

5 new challenges in human resources

Adapting to the new situation is a challenge for people management, so maintaining committed and empathetic leadership that seeks the well-being of the team will be critical to its success. How will labour relations evolve from now on? Let’s look at the 5 management challenges you are currently facing:

• To ensure the health and safety of all the people who are part of the team. Over the past few months, health has been at the center of practically all decisions. How can spaces be adapted so that people can work safely? What protective measures will be part of our routine from now on? And what about telework? How do you define which people should telework and how many days a week? In any case, beyond the actions that ensure the health of the employees, the Human Resources departments have to adapt to the new ways of working, looking for the well-being of the employees

• Develop an internal communication plan. If there is one thing that has become clear to us during these months, it is that keeping the entire team informed is essential to building trust. This is the opinion of 49% of the people since this has been the greatest learning of the situation lived, according to a study carried out by Eurofirms Group. Giving visibility to the collaboration and generosity between people in the team will be two axes around which the internal communication strategy should revolve.
• Anticipate changes. What strategy to establish in a situation of uncertainty? Not knowing what is to come can generate insecurity, but it is time to establish a plan of action and anticipate possible circumstances in order to be prepared. Targets will change as events unfold over the next few months.
• Involve the team in the performances. What better way to implement changes than by involving the team? Involving people will help us overcome any challenges, forge new bonds and be a positive reference in times of uncertainty.

• Defining the leadership style of organizations. That people feel that their team leader is willing to help them in any way is synonymous with team well-being. . But what is the best kind of leadership? There are no better leaders than others, but the most appropriate one for each project. In times of uncertainty, a committed leader builds credibility and trust.

Facing these challenges will allow for more cohesive and committed teams and, as a consequence, positive results will come. Are you ready to face the challenges in people management posed by the new reality?

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada 5 challenges in managing people arriving with the new reality aparece primero en People first.

The digital transformation in human resources.

If until now the digitalization was essential for the human resources department, this last months it has converted into something even more essential. The day by day has forced us to adapt ourselves to the new technologies and to change our routines for transform them into something more digital. These are the 4 challenges that we have to face the next months.

• Some persons of your organization are still teleworking? Though the preferent option will be the on-site, some enterprises are offering now the chance of teleworking one day per week, in order to ease the conciliation of the professional and personal life.

But, how to determine which profiles can telework and how many hours or days per week? To ease this kind of choices exists many tools of comprehensive approach to human resources management such as the Blockchain, which allows access to thw whole information of the aspirant and to do an exhaustive tracking of the worker from a same place. This platform even allows to make intelligent contracts that avoid bureaucracy and to ease the sign process.

• If there is something that has been clear this last months is that the internal communication plays ans essential role in any organization. And what will be the next challenge? Offer a personal treatment to every employee that focus their welfare. Feeling well informated and cared is essential to achieve a good experience and this is the key for strategies in personal management.

What tools can we use to achieve a better communication? Hipchat and Podio are some of them. This applications allow to transfer documents, create chat halls and share screens on videocallings and some other functions.

• How can achieve be more effectives in the processes and meetings? With the rise of the telework some enterprises have been forced to stablish a maximum duration of the meetings to achieve a higher effectiveness, though if there is something that is essential to achieve higher effectivenes is to foster a compromised leadership, so it will help us to obtain the best version of every person and to generate a higher compromise in the team.

What can help us to make efficient meetings? Platforms such as Microsoft Teams allows videocallings, share files and work in team on an online way, which ease the management day by day.

• The formation has been so present in the enterprises during the last months, in which many courses and webinars. But, how to create an attractive formative plan? The digital transformation has allowed gamefy some courses for employees, so many formative plans seems like a game. Learn and have fun can go together and for it exists platforms such as Kahoot or Mentimeter which makes the activity more amused.

The changes we have experimented has surged even more the digital transformation of the human resources, so to keep up with it it will be essential to be updated. Is your organization prepared to face the challenges that this digitalization involves?

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada 4 challenges of the digital transformation in the persons management aparece primero en People first.

Transformation of the selection process

• Digital recruitment. What have been the most significant changes in your day-to-day life? Has your way of selecting candidates changed? Video interviews and teleworking are here to stay, and with them, the borders are widening.

With teleworking, the search for candidates has become global and, from now on, some companies will value attracting talent regardless of their residence.

Having people from different countries will bring greater diversity and new perspectives.

What are the advantages of this digitalization? Better results, reduced recruitment costs and greater attraction of talent.

However, this new situation raises questions such as the implementation of new strategies related to the welfare of the remote employee. How can we make people feel well taken care of, despite the distance? Having a telework policy is essential to implement digitalization in the best possible way. We will have to establish some principles and identify those crucial moments to take care of the employees in all the stages.

We should not forget either the incorporation of the person to the team, since this is a crucial moment and it is part of the employee’s experience.

• Maintain the interest of the candidates. If this situation has led to a break in the recruitment of a candidate you considered interesting, don’t let it get away. But how do you keep him waiting? Spend a few minutes every few minutes, keep careful communication and show your interest in becoming part of your team.

But if you want it to really work, it will be essential to have a brand strategy that publicizes your company and helps you spread the benefits that your employees have. Candidates will evaluate several options and stay with the one they find most interesting, so publicizing the advantages of being part of the team is key to attracting them.

• Adapt to the current situation to attract talent. What benefits did you offer your team 3 months ago? Advantages such as paying the gym fee or organizing special lunches and meetings with the whole team are not possible at this time, so you will have to renew and adapt to the new situation. The ease of implementing teleworking is usually what people value most because it makes it easier to reconcile professional and personal life. But we should go a little further and think about new benefits adapted to the present moment. What proposals do you have in mind to attract talent?
• Increased webinars and seminars. In March only, the number of digital events available on the ON24 platform increased by 330%. Has your company already joined this new trend? If not, keep this in mind, as they are a good alternative to face-to-face events in the industry. Not only will they help you to make yourself known, but you will also be able to position yourself as an expert in those issues that are current and of greatest concern at the moment. This is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss.

How do you deal with changes in people management to adapt to the new reality? These are 4 trends in personnel selection based on the current situation, but we must not forget that the new reality is very changeable, so stay tuned and adapt to the moment. Are you ready for it?

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada 4 Recruitment trends that come with the new situation aparece primero en People first.

At this stage of the century, no professional can be asked to be objective, as it has been demonstrated that we are more subjective than we think, that there is no a purely rational mind. This recognition questions in some way one of the pillars of Human Resources: the job interview.

In the methods traditionally used to select a candidate, the interviewer may be driven more than he  thinks by subjective impressions and personal preferences. Also, they are conducted in a forced manner, as if it were an exam to which, of course, the candidates are more than prepared.

The need to hire staff with new skills and specific preparation for the new digital times is leading companies to renovate this bastion, with more effective means of selecting candidates who are this interesting:

The automated selection

Business LinkedIn mentions the case of Unilever, a company that faced 250,000 job applications. It designed an automated process that started with a mobile form self-filled with the LinkedIn profile. The selected candidates were then submitted to an aptitude test that, through technological games, chose the best candidates, who were then submitted to the video interview. This was recorded and an algorithm made a final selection of candidates, who arrived at the last test: a real day’s work in the company, evaluated by the managers.

This impressive automatic process not only reduced the time spent on selection by 75%, but also considerably increased the diversity of candidates in terms of gender, ethnic origin and socio-economic status, which is so necessary to encourage innovation in the company.

Real tests

In some companies, therefore, it is opted to ask candidates to work (a few hours, a day) in the company to really get to know their skills. While others entertain themselves by designing auditions in which candidates have to compete and demonstrate their skills, as if they were in a television game or competing for a role in a play.

Informal interviews

There are more and more cases of interviews outside the company, in informal spaces, where the candidate can be better known.

Or absurd or stressful situations are created that test the candidate. Like asking hypothetical questions, simulating an accident in the company, causing an error in the restaurant where the interview is held… It is an excellent way to see how the candidate reacts to unexpected events and to get to know his personality better.

Virtual Reality

Some companies are already daring to create capacity tests using virtual reality, in which the way they work and solve problems are evaluated. This is an ideal format for young candidates, who are used to interacting with screens.

The selected ones are placed in virtual reality appliances and face situations in which they must react in the way that the company values the most.

Video interviews

Video interviews are indispensable in a global selection process and ideal for evaluating the ability to transmit and the empathy of candidates for customer service jobs.

A video interview does not have to be in real time. The candidate can be asked to introduce themselves and record answers to questions.

Each company must evaluate which method is most useful to them, or design a process with which they are comfortable. An automated preselection, for example, that ends in a one-on-one interview or a day’s work at the company. These innovative techniques allow you to get to know the candidate better and ensure that they fit the job.

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada Effective Recruitment Processes aparece primero en People first.

Maite Poyos is Human Resources Director at Deloitte and she converse to us in this interview about various actions they conduct at the company.

Deloitte is talking about an institution and a great brand. But is the brand itself enough to attract new talent?

The brand is important but not enough. Among other things because the brand is built day by day by our professionals. The current Deloitte was formed in 2001, as a result of the integration of the extinct company Arthur Andersen and Deloitte. At that time we had to build a brand, because the leading consulting organization in Spain disappeared, with a consolidated brand in the market recognized by both talent and our clients, and we had to rebuild brand leadership from both points of view. From a talent perspective, building a brand meant making ourselves known in universities and business schools, explaining who we were, where we came from and what we could offer to talent. We can continue working, of course, but the real construction of the brand is done by our people, every day, with every act… It is not only the branding that we do institutionally, but it is the same branding that our professionals do. The brand is made by them and it is a brand made with passion and enthusiasm, a brand built every day, from the heart. In addition, today information is transmitted very quickly through social networks and the like, in this sense, we have to be attentive to the opinion of everyone and improve with contributions, working every day. The brand is built with actions, every day, is that a brand? Probably yes, it is the brand that will have the most consistency over time.

Is the social challenge part of a new way to attract talent from universities?

Not quite. We undertake many actions to attract talent, but in this case, the talent is for the NGO ExE (Empieza por Educar), with which we collaborate. One aspect that we are very aware of is that it is important to give back to society part of what it gives us, for this reason, we collaborate very actively with NGOs and other foundations. In this case, ExE is a foundation that aims to change and transform society through education, so it goes to universities, recent graduates and incorporates them into its organization. They have schools where they offer training to people who cannot access it, with the aim of changing society through training. When they presented it to us, it seemed to us a purpose very in line with our philosophy. We are not used to collaborating financially with NGOs, but we do it through the participation of our people, in this case, we participate with ExE, in addition to giving them spaces when they need it, going together to universities, and providing them with our help and contact in order to access a greater number of candidates.

At the internal level, what responsibilities do you have?

We participate in very varying projects. Each line of business or work group decides which foundations it wants to participate in, and what it does is to give up part of the hours of its people to be able to participate in volunteering, which can be punctual or periodic, depending on the agreement reached.

Another project, for example, is the “solidarity vacation”, which consists of some employees going to different NGOs, which we know and who know they have a good purpose, during their vacation and we finance everything: the plane ticket, the stay there, if they have to pay anything … And, in addition, they have our support if they need anything.

We have different activities throughout the year. At Christmas, we have an event called “The Solidarity Toy”, in which we organize a day in some special place and as “entrance fee” our professionals bring a toy that we donate to an NGO. We also organize “The Solidarity Cinema”, which is a morning session of the last premiere whose entrance is at a symbolic price (3€), and where Deloitte, in addition to paying the rest of the entrance, donates the same amount to one or more NGOs. We also have “The Penny Wallet”, in which all of us can voluntarily donate our cents from the payroll.

Another event is the “Impact day” which consists of one day a year all the offices in the world doing solidarity activities. Our people dedicate that day, voluntarily, to participate in different events such as a soccer game with children with disabilities, to create solidarity bracelets or to plant a tree.

Do these activities arise from workers or from above?

We have a social action committee, made up of about 30 people and led by Human Resources, from where the initiatives arise. Then each of the lines of business has social action subcommittees. The goal is for initiatives to emerge from this committee and to act as ambassadors for the rest. At the beginning we had a hard time getting people to participate because they had a lot of work, we organized activities and we did not have enough people to participate. And what did we say? Let’s go find ambassadors! Who cares? Who is sensitized with this type of issue? We detected these key people and, next to them, created the Social Action Committee that is responsible for transmitting the actions to the rest of the organization. Anyone regardless of their category can participate in this committee, the important thing is that they believe in this type of social action.

The current involvement is of the entire organization, for example, in the annual meeting of partners and managers, which we do every year in September, we dedicate a space for this type of action, with activities such as making toys or rehabilitating a forest.

We take advantage of any Firm action to participate in social action issues, for example, at the Alumni meeting last year we had a photographer who had a visual disability, with 10% vision and with magnifying glasses who was in charge to photograph the entire event. Furthermore, all vending machines are provided to us by an association whose employees are people with disabilities. Likewise, we are going to buy many of the things we use daily, for example, from Fair Trade, and we have many actions of this style, which are led by this Social Action Committee.

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada Deloitte: “The actual brand building is done by employees” aparece primero en People first.

Two-way interviews

A company’s social profile and the need to attract talent have transformed job interviews into bidirectional ones. Candidates no longer simply prepare, but research the company on social networks and want answers to their own interests.

You must be aware, therefore, that a job interview needs good preparation. Be well informed about the characteristics of the job and what skills are required of the candidates, in order to get the most out of it. But also to know how to listen, to inform the candidate correctly and to respond to any of his needs for clarification. He may want clear information about what is expected of him, the objectives of the company, the working environment, about what he is going to learn, how far he can go… It is essential to inform him about learning plans and professional development.

We must also decide how the interview will be developed. Most candidates will come prepared to answer the usual questions, so you have to look for alternatives to really know their suitability for the job.

Interview recommendations

Have you ever seen a millennial recruiting workers? Sitting on a sofa, with the candidate’s information in front of him on his laptop, his conversation headset or Skype, he directly poses situations he will encounter in the job he aspires to and asks him to describe how he would resolve them.

In the job interview it is essential to discover that what you put on your CV is real. Using hypothetical cases or the worker’s experience is a good method. Also, introduce questions that are not expected and that are going to upset you, about information of the sector, international news, controversial subjects… Your reaction will demonstrate better than anything your capacity of improvisation and your ideas.

A good recommendation is not to over-structure the interview but to let it flow, to let the candidate carry some of the weight with his explanations and questions: a comfortable atmosphere favours authenticity. It should be noted that a candidate today is required, in addition to professional skills, flexibility and capacity for innovation.

The presentation of the company and the job should be solid and attractive. From the beginning, the applicant should feel interested and valuable for the company with a warm welcome, a personal description, for example, by the recruiter, of who he is in the company, what he does, what he especially likes about his job…The job must be well explained, the candidate will have many doubts about it. Where it is going to be done, what the team looks like, the working conditions, the clients he works for or the projects he is involved in… but also what the role of the position is inside the company and what is expected of it in the coming years. The candidate can be asked what he knows about the company to evaluate if his expectations are correct or to correct his vision, if necessary.

Very interesting to describe the day to day of his job and the working environment, or even show him the offices and introduce him to the team.

And of course, candidates who have been dropped from the selection process must be properly informed. A candidate is a potential client and brand ambassador, who must take care of her reputation as an employer, applying Employee branding techniques. That is why it is so important to take care of the whole selection process.

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada An exciting selection process aparece primero en People first.

What makes a company attractive?

Every recruitment process is two-way and just as good candidates prepare for the job interview, they also do so by investigating the company to see if it is a place where it is worth investing their own professional skills.

The first thing you look for when valuing a company to work for is if it has a clear mission and values. We will also analyse its organisational structure, the customers it works for… Undoubtedly, the prestige that the company, its products or services enjoy on social networks carries great weight.

The second main aspect will be your Human Resources policy: if you use formulas such as flexible hours or remote working, if you work by schedule or by objectives, how much you work in teams, if you invest in training, family reconciliation and diversity management measures, how much you count on your employees to innovate. Also, if it takes care of the worker with initiatives such as luncheon vouchers, nurseries or gyms, health insurance, facilities to access the workplace… And of course, adequate remuneration.

The professional future in that company will be another relevant point: the existence of incentive plans, career development opportunities – also international – and support for personal projection, are keys. It is very attractive for the company to invest in R+D.

A good candidate is probably asking for references from company employees. Having a complete corporate page on LinkedIn, with associated workers, is an excellent way to encourage these initial contacts and to publicize the work climate.

All these aspects are increasingly valued, especially among young people. If you want good candidates, you have to be an attractive company.

The best companies to work for

Internationally, there are several rankings that decide each year, according to certain parameters, which are the best companies to work for. Their criteria are a good indication of what to do to become a company worth being part of.

Greatplacetowork.es invites companies to participate in the annual awards for the best place to work, as follows: “Getting certified with Great Place To Work® is the easiest and most accessible way to quantify your corporate culture, compare yourself with the most successful companies and grow your business”.  It offers on its website a Certification Guide to download, which guides any company in what is expected of it every year. In its ranking, the opinion of the employees of each valued company is very important, along with its people management policy.

The Corporate Reputation Business Monitor is another of the world’s reference rankings. It is based on a multi-stakeholder methodology consisting of five assessments and twelve sources of information.

Through assessments of senior management, business experts, financial analysts, journalists, etc., and other people related to the company such as university students, employees, HR managers…, plus a benchmarking of 200 management indicators, it evaluates the quality of work in companies.

Top Employers Institute recognizes excellence in the conditions employers create for workers. It offers deep analysis to assess trends and data in Human Resources. For their rankings they audit good practices in people management such as the strategy in recruitment/retention of talent, training and leadership plans, career management, etc.

Universum offers a combination of rankings + analytics + academy to build and improve brand strategy with employees. Universum Most Attractive Employers Spain, one of its rankings, analyzes the preferences of university students to work: what they value, their favourite companies, what they think of diverse companies, etc.

While the Fortune 100 list of the best companies to work for, it has awarded Google 8 times in 11 years.

In all these rankings, in general, it can be appreciated that the willingness to change and innovate are primary to be an attractive company. Combined with flexible working hours, measures for reconciling work and family life, the ability to develop personally and remuneration in accordance with the market

People first | A project by Eurofirms

People First es un espacio de inspiración donde compartimos contenidos con un eje común: las personas. Desde distintas ópticas y sectores, abordamos varios temas, tendencias y noticias de interés humano.

La entrada Every selection process is two-way. Who chooses who? aparece primero en People first.