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Hug #103 — 13 June 2024

Get the Inside Track on Advocacy

Join us on Thursday 27th June for our next webinar, The Power of Communities: Inside-Out Advocacy designed for employer branding and talent attraction leaders.

Discover why building a community of passionate advocates is the game-changer your employer brand needs. Learn how to cultivate both internal and external communities that not only enhance your employer brand but also drive talent attraction.

We’ll explore the 'Inside-Out' approach, dissect passive vs. active advocacy, and share actionable strategies to turn your employees, customers and partners into your brand champions.

Who Should Attend?

• Employer Branding Leaders: Looking to deepen engagement and loyalty.

• Talent Attraction Experts: Aiming to elevate their strategies and outcomes.

• HR Professionals and Recruiters: Seeking innovative approaches to attract top talent.

Once more we chew the fat with talent industry colleagues to contemplate defunct confectionery, hot showjumpers, Kiefer Sutherland and other pressing issues. This week, it's…

What do you like about your role?
Fast paced, challenging and the ability to deliver change at scale is hugely motivating. I love working with the people at Royal Mail – take a 500 yr old business with a huge growth trajectory mix it with some brilliant talent and you have a heady mix and a world of opportunity. The ability to bring all aspects of my knowledge and experience to deliver (quite literally) a service recruiting over 20,000 permanent people per year and then an additional 40,000 people at peak is an absolute privilege.

What is your favourite piece of employer branding work?
I am going to have to say the award winning “For the People Campaign” we ran which won a RAD back in January. A fabulously inclusive social campaign across all channels designed to attract diverse people who wouldn’t ordinarily look at Royal Mail as a career destination.

 Watching anything good at the moment?
I’m behind the curve as its old but I am at season 6 of the 8 seasons of Dexter (who doesn’t love an anti-hero) also love The 1% Club with Lee Mack as we are a pretty competitive family so we all watch it together and I love Lee Mack – he’s so quick witted but never at the expense of others.

Listening to any good podcasts?
Working It with Isabel Berwick and How I Built This with Guy Raz

What posters did you have on your wall as a kid?
Famous showjumpers and their horses (Olympic Gold medallist Nick Skelton was my favourite) and of course the obligatory black and white Athena posters any 1980’s kid had!

Let's play handshake bingo. Who's the most famous person you’ve ever met?
Played polo against Kiefer Sutherland back in the 90’s – that was fun!

You can bring back one snack or sweet, what do you choose?
Caramac was discontinued in November 2023 after 64 years. Having worked for Nestlé before my current role at Royal Mail, I knew about the discontinuation well in advance. I was involved in supporting the factory changes from a people perspective. I was gutted by the news but was under a non-disclosure agreement, so I couldn’t tell anyone. It's such a shame it's gone!

Name one unfulfilled ambition?
To be a cowgirl for a week or two helping to drive cattle from Wyoming to Montana through Yellowstone National Park

 Quote a line of poetry
Written by me in lockdown! People are always striving for happiness but really at the end of life it’s really contentment of a life lived well that we seek.

Contentment
In the quiet dawn, a gentle light, contentment whispers, soft and bright.
While happiness dances, quick to fade, in contentment's arms, peace is made.
Happiness, a fleeting spark, a brief glow in the endless dark,
We chase its mirth, its joyous song but find its stay is never long.
Contentment, though, is calm and still, a steady stream, a deep well's fill.
It does not shout or blaze with fire, yet fulfils the heart’s desire.

Nominate someone to do this next
Samantha Ramsay

Challenges for Employers as UK Job Market Cools

The UK job market has dipped, according to the latest figures showing a rise in unemployment and economic inactivity, presenting new challenges for employer brand investment.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the unemployment rate rose to 4.4% between February and April 2024, up from 4.3% in the previous period. Furthermore, the employment rate for 16 to 64-year-olds dipped, while economic inactivity climbed to 22.3%.

In March to May 2024, the estimated number of vacancies in the UK decreased by 12,000 on the quarter to 904,000. Vacancies decreased for the 23rd consecutive period but are still above pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic levels.

"The number of people in the workforce is decreasing, which gives us cause for concern," said Michael Stull, Managing Director at ManpowerGroup UK. "Economic inactivity and unemployment both continue to rise, and we also note that this month reports a decrease in payrolled employees."

With a General Election looming, Stull called on policymakers to prioritise upskilling initiatives, vocational training, and the development of human-centric and tech-focused skillsets aligned with the AI revolution.

Links ’n’ Thinks

LEARN: Are Tech Companies Trying to cut Their way to Growth?
It’s a tactic most experts know simply doesn’t work

TRENDING: What Type of Interviewer are you?
Do any of these fit the bill?

KNOW: Didn’t think your boss could possibly be better? Think again
How augmentation can make bad leaders a thing of the past.

READ: It’s Pride month; time to gen up on LGBTQI+ issues
A little light reading to educate yourself on what’s at play

ICYMI

Winning the Argument for Employer Branding

5 Clever Ways to Measure Your Employer Reputation

Events 

SHRM 24
23-26 June, Chicago

RecFest
11 July, Knebworth

EBMA awards

September, TBC