Solent Synergy Limited, in collaboration with

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Solent Synergy Limited, in collaboration
with Paris Smith LLP and Matchtech Group plc
presentsAddressing the Challenges
of Recruiting and Retaining Staff 30 September
2009
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Presentation by Nigel Vaughan Chief Executive
Officer, Solent Synergy Limited 30 September 2009
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• SOLENT SYNERGY WHO WE ARE
• Not-for-profit company, private-public sector
  collaboration driving growth in knowledge based,
  Solent Region businesses, from early stage
  ventures to multi-national corporations.
• Based on the extremely successful CONNECT model
  in San Diego, with a Private sector Chief
  Executive and Board.
• Stakeholders are
• Private sector companies (e.g. NXP
  Semiconductors, VT Group, Xyratex, et al).
• Universities Southampton, Solent and
  Portsmouth.
• Regional Development Agency (SEEDA).
• City and local councils of the region.

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• 2. SOLENT SYNERGY HOW WE DRIVE INNOVATION BASED
  GROWTH
• Advice for technology businesses on how to
  accelerate their growth
• Business plans and assisting with the raising of
  investment finance
• Linking businesses of all sizes and creating
  collaborations
• Connecting businesses to commercial and technical
  experts, in industry and the very substantial
  local University knowledge base
• Assisting with the creation of spin-out companies
  based on underutilised technologies within
  established businesses
• Helping to create University spin-outs based on
  new technologies
• Seek local supply chain partners, particularly
  where mutually beneficial technology development
  opportunities exist.

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SOLENT SYNERGY CONNECTIVITY THE NETWORK
Entrepreneurs
Corporate
SME
Business Link
Universities
Investors
Social Enterprises
Professional Services
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Thank you and do please register at
www.solentsynergy.co.uk
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Solent SynergyAddressing the Challenges of
Recruiting and Retaining StaffSpeaker Adrian
Gunn
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Current State of the Recruitment Sector

• Unemployment rising to 2 million by Xmas
• Demand for permanent staff at its lowest point
  since 2001
• Recruitment industry expects to contract by 20
  over the next two years
• Surely this means more talented staff on the
  market?

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Recruitment in the Technology Sector

• Unfortunately there is still a skills shortage
• Major local companies are still recruiting
• EADS Astrium
• BAE Insyte
• BVT Surfacefleet
• NHS
• Xyratex
• Skandia
• The candidate is still king
• Open vacancies in the technology sector remain
  high
• Wage inflation running above 5

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Skill Types in High Demand

• Electrical Mechanical Engineers
• Software and Electronics Engineers
• Systems Architects Analysts
• Safety, ILS Reliability Consultants
• IT Security Specialists
• Specialist Internet - Search Engine Optimisation
• Business Intelligence - Business Objects
• Specialist Software Development - Sharepoint
• Security Clearable Engineering and IT candidates

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Overcoming the Skill Shortage

• Industrial Placements
• Inexpensive resource
• Option to try before you buy
• Align the role with their dissertation
• High percentage re-employed after graduating
• Graduate Recruitment
• 5,000 Electronics Engineering and 11,000 Computer
  Science students graduate in the UK each year
• High calibre inexpensive resource
• Mould to your company ethos
• Develop connections with local Universities

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Overcoming the Skill Shortage

• Highly Skilled Migrants
• New points based systems
• Recently recruited 25 Systems Engineers for an
  Automotive client via HSMP
• 42 of technology graduates are non UK nationals
• Obtaining security clearance is still an issue
• Recruitment Agencies
• Outsourcing
• Reducing risk
• Greater choice

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Outsourcing Permanent Recruitment

• Value Added Benefits
• Candidates right to work documentation verified
• Reference, identification and qualification
  checks completed prior to the start of the
  assignment
• Database of highly qualified candidates
• Innovative advertising solutions
• Salary benchmarking
• Fee payable only on successful placement
• Contract / Temporary Recruitment
• Temp-to-Perm option try before you buy
• Flexible resource on a 1 week notice period

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Outsourcing Permanent Recruitment

• Volume is not the only leverage to obtain value
  for money
• Alternative negotiating points
• Discount on exclusivity
• Extended rebate period
• Prompt payment discount
• Agree levels of advertising included in the fee
• Split the fee payment method to assist with
  cashflow

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Talent Spotting
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What are talented staff looking for?

• A more meaningful job
• Greater professional freedom
• Ability to influence their work life balance
• Higher rewards
• Strong leadership and mentoring

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How can you attract and retain them?

• Providing variety in the role and training on
  cutting edge technology
• Offering flexible working hours and the ability
  to buy additional holiday
• Introducing equity based performance bonus or
  employee share option schemes
• Formally review their performance and agree SMART
  objectives
• Providing a clear career path and continually
  increasing levels of responsibility
• With talented people its not all about the basic
  salary

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Questions
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Legal Issues in Recruitment 25th November
2008

• By
• Clive Dobbin
• Partner Head of Employment
• Paris Smith

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Legal Issues in Recruitment

• Discrimination
• Age
• Disability
• Sex, race etc
• Data protection
• Immigration

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Discrimination and Recruitment

• On Grounds of
• Sex or Marital Status
• Gender Reassignment
• Race
• Religion or Belief
• Sexual Orientation
• Disability
• Age

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Age Discrimination direct discrimination

• Where on grounds of Bs age A treats B less
  favourably
• And A cannot show the treatment to be a
  proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim

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Age Discrimination indirect discrimination

• A applies to B a provision, criterion or practice
  which is apparently age neutral
• But which puts persons of same age (group) as B
  at a particular disadvantage
• And A cannot show the treatment to be a
  proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim

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Age Discrimination Advertising

• Experience requirements
• Terminology e.g. Mature, Energetic, Senior,
  Junior

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Age DiscriminationAdvertising

• McCoy v James McGregor and Sons Ltd
• Advert called for at least 5 years experience
  and
• youthful enthusiasm
• Held Direct Discrimination

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Age DiscriminationAdvertising

• Rainbow v Milton Keynes Council
• Candidate in first five years of career
• Indirect Discrimination that could not be
  objectively justified

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Application Forms and Short-Listing

• Dates of birth
• Do any other questions reveal age?
• E.g. school dates, dates of employment

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Age Discrimination - interviews

• Avoid questions which suggest that you may be
  influenced by age
• E.g. asking an older applicant whether they would
  be happy being supervised by someone younger
• Lyons v The Leed Teaching Hospital NHS trust
• Candidate rejected for being over experienced

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Disability Discrimination

• Direct Discrimination
• On grounds of persons disability, treats person
  less favourably
• Less favourable treatment
• Treats person less favourably for a reason
  related to disability, but not disability itself

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Disability Discrimination

• Failure to make reasonable adjustments
• Duty arises-
• Where provision, criterion or practice, or
  physical feature of premises
• Places disabled person at substantial disadvantage

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Disability Discrimination application forms

• Asking for details of absence history
• Can you ask whether an individual is disabled?

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Disability Discrimination interviews

• Adjustment to arrangements for interview, e.g.
  testing
• Arthur v Northern Ireland Housing Executive and
  anor dyslexic person given 20 additional time to
  complete aptitude test
• Can you require a medical examination?

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Disability Discrimination job requirements

• Ensure criteria justified by reference to role
• Hart v Chief Constable of Derbyshire
• Police cadet could not pass confrontational tests
  during selection process due to a recognised
  disability (Spinal injury)
• She would not be able to deal with
  confrontational situations. Court held that this
  was a core competency.
• Not reasonable to lower competency standard

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Disability Discriminationjob requirements

• Consider reasonable adjustments
• If unable to do part of job, can that part be
  assigned to someone else
• Duty to adjust equipment/premises

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Data Protection

• If recruitment records are to be held on a
  computer or in a manual system, they are subject
  to the Data Protection Act.
• Data Protection Code of Practice Employment
  Practices Code
• Find at www.ico.gov.uk

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Data Protection

• Employers should
• Advise the applicant who is retaining information
  and for what purpose and duration (e.g. if retain
  unsuccessful applications).
• Ensure storage and gathering is secure

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Data Protection

• Employers should
• Not gather excess information or keep for undue
  length of time
• Destroy information after an appropriate time
  (e.g. 6 months for an unsuccessful applicant)

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Immigration

• Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006
• Two offences
• negligently employ illegal immigrants
• deliberately employ illegal immigrants

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Immigration Negligent Offence

• Civil Offence
• Fine of up to 10,000
• Defence by establishing a Statutory Excuse
• Pre-employment checks carried out i.e. the
  production of documents
• Maintain accurate records
• Reasonable steps are taken to verify

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Immigration Deliberate Offence

• Criminal Offence
• Imprisonment of up to 2 years
• Unlimited fine
• NO DEFENCE

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• Questions??