CORNWALL BUSINESS SHOW

After many months of lockdown and online meetings, businesses can look forward to renewing face-to-face relationships at the ninth annual Cornwall Business Show. 2021 Cornwall business show

Stands for this year’s Cornwall Business Show have now gone on sale.

The business-to-business trade event was originally scheduled to take place this month, but had to be postponed due to the ongoing pandemic.

However, with the vaccine successfully being rolled out and all restrictions hopefully set to be lifted this summer, organisers are confident that the show on October 7 will be a timely tonic for businesses to re-engage and build those ever-important relationships.

Cornwall Business Show, which is now in its ninth year since starting in 2012, is bringing together a wide spectrum of industries and sectors, from small, start-up businesses to large, established companies.

Organiser, Andrew Weaver, said: “It’s clear from the conversations we are having that people want to get back to doing businesses face-to-face.

“We know you can’t beat meeting people in person, there is so much more value in meeting face-to-face and knowing who you are dealing with, sounding them out and making sure there is a real opportunity for a rapport and that you get along.

“Bringing people together creates real sparks and connections, something only meeting in person can offer. This year we will need to work together more than ever and the Cornwall Business Show offers a genuine platform for cementing the business community within the region.”

This year’s event is looking to host in excess of 165 exhibitors and will feature an updated floorplan to accommodate new and returning clients, including a range of showrooms suitable for commercial vehicles or office furniture.

The event will again host the popular Healthy Workplace Zone, while there will also be a free seminar programme and the new Masterclass & Elevator Pitch Zone, where businesses can promote themselves or showcase their expertise within a purpose-built suite.

There are a limited number of stands available at special rates for start-up businesses, charities and social enterprises.

The Cornwall Business Show is supported by JHAV and media partner Business Cornwall.

You can’t beat meeting people in person

Interested companies can request eBrochure via cornwallbusinessshow.co.uk or call 01872 888733.

Alex Callister, MD of Trial Balance Consulting and Well Placed HR, looks at the changing face of recruitment in Cornwall.

You’re hired!

Having worked in the staffing The web has allowed us to post vacancies and recruitment sector for in minutes and reach tens of thousands of over 20 years in the south candidates within hours. Most sites now west, I’ve seen my fair share offer such a simplistic application process of change. Gone are the that prospective candidates can apply for days of weekly newspaper any opportunity, anywhere in the world, in a advertising, handwritten matter of seconds. It’s a powerful tool, but covering letters, often a real source application forms, of wasted time. and the snail’s pace of posted CVs. The Internet has, for good or for worse, introduced an entirely different set of practices for recruiters, employers, and jobseekers alike. It’s been a rollercoaster for many operating in the sector On average we receive approximately 40 applicants to each client vacancy listing, but with less than 5% being potentially suited. Why such poor conversion? Because the Internet has made speculative job searching faster and easier than ever before.

Yet despite this, most recruitment advertisements actually turn the best suited candidates off because most still lack depth, credibility or personality. They present as little more than a bulleted list of employer demands. They’re a box ticking exercise and offer no reassurance to prospective applicants that there might actually be something in it for them beside a salary.

Rightly so, recruitment mentality and parity has changed too. It’s become a two-way street where candidates should no longer be subjected to one-way interview interrogation. Now they deserve the right to challenge and question the culture, practice and strategy of their potential new employer. In the same way that positive workplace diversity and ethical policy is now positively encouraged, so has open and constructive dialogue where an employer’s shortfalls or areas for improvement are concerned.

These changes might have been gradual, but the Covid-19 pandemic has, quite simply, turned recruitment and staffing practices upside down, and almost overnight. It’s been a rollercoaster for many operating in the sector.

With pandemic induced unemployment levels sadly at an all-time high, many recruiters have been almost overwhelmed by applications from candidates located in all regions of the country, with most not meeting any of the minimum technical criteria for consideration. Particularly during the regionally tiered restrictions, the volume of applications for opportunities based in the southwest was unprecedented, yet the very best candidates have often gone to ground and have never seemed so elusive.

Perhaps the biggest challenge has been adjusting to virtual interviewing and remote working. In early 2020, video or telephonebased interviews were generally considered inadequate. By January 2021 over 90% of the interviews that we arranged took place virtually. The vast majority of the vacancies that we have filled during the past 12 months were finalised without any face-to-face interaction. This would have been unheard of at the beginning of 2020. Remote working has been one of the most radical and contentious changes to staffing that we have ever witnessed. Employees are torn; some love it, others loath it. Many candidates won’t consider home based roles, others demand it and have quickly formed an opinion that an office-based job is now antiquated. It’s clearly here to stay and many of our own clients have indicated that they may never return to an office environment. Whether or not remote working really is a thing of the future remains to be seen; ask me again at the end of this year!

01872 226990 www.murrellassociates.co.uk

TOP 7 BUSINESS BUDGET BOOSTS

The headline for Rishi Sunak’s latest budget was around ‘Protecting the jobs and livelihoods of the British people’. Ellie Hibberd, a partner and head of HRExpress at Stephens Scown LLP, offers an overview of the top employment-related support mechanisms.

1 Extension of furlough scheme – the furlough scheme has been extended until the end of September but with employer contributions of 10% for July and 20% for

August and September.

2 Statutory Sick Pay: Covid-19 rebate

– SMEs can still reclaim up to two weeks’

Statutory Sick Pay per eligible employee.

This relates only to the temporary measure put in place around Covid-19 absence and the Government will be setting out steps for closing this scheme in due course. 3 More support for the self-employed – a fifth cash grant has been announced for self-employed workers, with claims open to anyone who had filed their 2019/2020 tax return by midnight on 2 March. 4 Help to Grow: Management and Help to Grow: Digital – support SMEs to grow back better. The first offers access to a government subsidised course with mentoring delivered through business schools, while Help to Grow: Digital offers access to free online courses and the purchase of productivity-enhancing software at a 50% discount.

5 Visas for high-skilled workers – There are strict requirements around bringing in foreign workers, but the Chancellor has announced a ‘fast-track’ visa scheme to be introduced by March 2022 to help start-up and tech businesses recruit highskilled workers from overseas.

6 New apprentice hire: incentive

payment – Employers will be able to claim £3,000 for each new apprentice hired (regardless of age) between 1 April and 30 September 2021. 7 Flexible apprenticeships – The

Chancellor has created a £7 million fund from July 2021 for “flexi-job” apprenticeships, which will allow apprentices to work with a number of different employers, provided they are all based within the same sector.

Ellie Hibberd is an Employment partner and Head of Stephen Scown’s HRExpress team. For expert employment advice, call 01392 210700 or email enquiries@stephens-scown.co.uk

AN UNDERSTANDING NATURE

Sue Hook, founder and director of client development at Sapience HR, offers her insight into effective HR.

HR is about more than resolving disputes and navigating legal issues; it’s about understanding your staff and how they contribute to the culture and growth of your business. Get to grips with this, and increased engagement and productivity will follow!

Understanding your staff involves assessing levels of workplace satisfaction, giving your team opportunities to develop, recognising their strengths and enabling improvement in weaker areas, and ensuring they are in a job role that fits their skills set.

How you actually achieve this in practice is complex, nuanced and potentially timeconsuming. This is where external HR resources can be really useful to help you drive the process.

Establishing the essential framework through recruitment, reviews and appraisals, PDPs, assessments, coaching and mentoring schemes is crucial. You need to have the fundamentals in place before you can begin to see HR as a springboard to greater things. Remember, your team is your most important asset and getting to know them better is time well spent.

A good HR strategist will help employers engage and talk with their staff in a way that fosters collaboration and builds a positive workplace culture. Establish an environment where feedback, requests for training, a framework for mental health support, and the positive flow of information (top down and bottom up!) is all part of the weekly routine. Your team will reward you with new levels of engagement and productivity.

Contact us to see how we can help you to understand your staff better.

sapiencehr.co.uk

TIME FOR A SPRING CLEAN?

The past 12 months have brought a rollercoaster of change, stretching resilience and boundaries in every way, but now we have a roadmap to (hopefully) signpost us into more certainty and recovery. According to law firm Murrell Associates, spring brings a perfect opportunity to reflect on your current employment practices and ensure readiness for the future. Some timely questions to consider are: • Does existing employment documentation reflect current and future requirements from a legal, business and employee point of view?

• Do you have policies in place to deal with matters such as home and lone working, supervision, data protection and wellbeing (amongst others)?

• Have existing policies, such as grievance and disciplinary procedures, been adjusted to allow for any altered working practices?

• Do your risk assessments cover mental health and stress?

• What additional training and support can be provided to employees?

• Do your employment contracts allow for minor changes to be implemented?

• Do your policies allow for adjustments without consultation, or are they contractual?

These elements will inform how any change can be implemented correctly thus reducing risks of employment tribunal claims.

Murrell Associates provides staff handbooks, contracts and policies for business or alternatively can review your existing documents.

EMPLOYMENT CHANGES AHEAD

Philip Sayers of Coodes Solicitor’s Employment team highlights five legal considerations for employers.

2021 is already shaping up to be an eventful year for employers. Here are five key legal considerations for the coming months.

1. CONTINUATION (AND END) OF

THE CJRS

With the Coronavirus Job Retention

Scheme extended until 30 September, many businesses will continue to make use of the support. From July, employers will need to contribute towards the costs of furlough. Businesses should also prepare for the end of the scheme, seeking legal advice if needed.

2. NEW POINTS-BASED IMMIGRATION

SYSTEM

A new points-based immigration system means European nationals must comply with the same visa requirements of other non-UK nationals to work in the UK.

Employers seeking to recruit workers from outside the UK may need to consider a UK visa sponsor licence as well as encouraging employees to apply for settled or pre-settled status.

3. LATERAL FLOW TESTING

Growing numbers of businesses and public sector organisations are implementing

Covid-19 testing procedures for their employees, taking advantage of a Government scheme offering free lateral flow testing kits.

Whether you make the tests voluntary or mandatory, make sure you get legal advice.

4. POTENTIAL CHANGES FOR NEW

PARENTS

New legislation is expected, offering additional protection against redundancy for new parents retuning to work. While we do not yet know if these changes will happen this year, employers should keep an eye on developments.

5. CONTINUED HOMEWORKING

FOR MANY

The roll-out of the vaccine means we may be able to return to some sort of normality by the middle of the year, but it is likely that many people will continue to work from home. If some or all of your employees are working from home, ensure you are doing all you can to comply with employment law and best practice, getting advice if necessary.

Whatever the coming months bring, ensure your staff handbooks, employee policies and contracts reflect any changes to legislation or working arrangements.

For more information or advice, please contact the Employment team on 0800 328 3282 or cde@coodes.co.uk

UNDERSTANDING APPRENTICESHIPS WITH THE SKILLS HUB

There are more than a few myths worth busting when it comes to apprenticeships.

Whatever you’re looking for in terms of apprenticeship information, let the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub run you through everything you need to know about all things apprenticeships…

Most people think that an apprenticeship is solely for young people, is this true?

While an apprenticeship can be for a school leaver, they are not solely for young people. In fact, over 150,000 apprentices across the country are aged 25 or older. The key thing to note is that an apprenticeship will see you gain on-the-job experience that will provide you with a range of new skills, with around 20 percent of your time being spent studying with a college, university or a training provider. There are flexible and different approaches to the delivery of training within an apprenticeship, with some being provided within the workplace, or through a mix of online and classroom learning.

Whether you want to use an apprenticeship to kickstart a new career, or if you’re looking to up-skill in an existing role, an apprenticeship can benefit both individual and employer alike.

I thought an apprenticeship was primarily for those working in sectors such as construction or the beauty industry? Which industries can you find apprentices working in?

It might be easier to say what industries don’t have apprenticeships! Agriculture, business and administration, care, catering and hospitality, digital and design, education, health and science, finance, hair and beauty, engineering, manufacturing, retail, transport and logistics, construction, plumbing, accounting; there are quite literally hundreds of sectors with apprentices.

Where do I start in terms of finding out more information about apprenticeships?

Can taking on an apprentice, or having an existing member of staff undertake an apprenticeship, add value to my business?

There are a range of people that you can talk to about an apprenticeship. Whether you are an employer looking to take an apprentice on, an existing staff member with the desire to build on your existing skills, or someone looking to undertake an apprenticeship yourself, the team at the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub can help. The independent, impartial and expert team will help you to find an apprenticeship One of the most appealing qualities of an apprenticeship to an employer is that they are cost-effective. Not only in terms of salary but also when you framework or standard that is appropriate for the role that you have in mind, as well as providing an introduction to the training provider that is right for your apprenticeship. consider recruitment costs and any related Could an apprentice help boost your business? The government funding that independent, impartial and expert team at the Cornwall and is available. If financial Isles of Scilly Skills Hub can help. concerns are at the In a nutshell, the Skills Hub simply want to help make your business forefront of your thinking, better. With a vast number of training options and training providers an apprentice could be currently available across Cornwall, the Skills Hub can do the heavy a cost-effective option lifting in finding the right training solution for you, your team and for you. However, that your business. shouldn’t be your only reason. You can contact the team on 01209 708660 or find out more by visiting www.ciosskillshub.com and request a call back. With an apprentice being able to gain a better understanding of their business with thanks to their learning, this can bring about new ideas and a fresh perspective to help make your business better.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub is part funded by the European Social Fund and is match funded by Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.