By Marketing Assistant, Lucy Moult
22 July 2022
It’s a simple concept, when someone speaks, you listen. But in reality, people are often “far too busy” to stop and truly engage in a conversation. We’ve all had moments where we start chatting to someone and their eyes begin to wander around the room or they check their phone whilst you’re finishing a sentence. This is usually followed by, “sorry I missed that. Can you say that again?”. Equally, we have all been guilty of it too. That feeling of embarrassment when you lost focus during a meeting or group discussion and had to guess at what was just said.
If you consider yourself a ‘bad listener’, what can you do to improve this skill? Consciously making the decision to ask a colleague how they are or starting a conversation around the holiday they had last week are easy ways to check in and build relationships.
Going a step further and acting upon what someone has said shows that their words had meaning and you remembered the conversation. Sending them a card on their birthday, buying them their favourite snack on your lunch break, or following up on an issue they raised are simple ways to show that you truly listened.
The wonderful thing about listening is that, whether you have an interest in what someone is saying or not, allowing them to speak and be heard will have a positive impact on their mental wellbeing. You may never know that your employee is going through a hard time if you don’t ask. After taking part in a workplace wellbeing course, 93% of workers said that it helped them to recognise emotional distress in others and 90% felt more confident approaching a colleague in distress (Source: Samaritans, Wellbeing in the Workplace). Learning the correct skills and building confidence might also reveal a new friendship or inspire collaboration – increasing workplace productivity.
Every July, Samaritans run their awareness-raising campaign Talk to Us, to remind people of the great work they do and being there for so many people who are struggling. The Samaritans Awareness Day takes place on the 24th July because Samaritans are there for you 24/7. Whatever you’re going through, you can call Samaritans anytime, from any phone, on 116 123.
Get involved on social media by hashtagging #TalkToUs and #SamaritansAwarenessDay
Samaritans Talk to Us campaign: https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/campaign/talk-us/
*Workplace staff training: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/workplace/workplace-staff-training/
Samaritans online training: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/workplace/wellbeing-workplace/
** St John’s Ambulance Mental Health First Aider training: https://www.sja.org.uk/courses/workplace-mental-health-first-aid/book/adult-mental-health-first-aid-2-days/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw8uOWBhDXARIsAOxKJ2GjeP4_NwP2OLGnQDwEK7KtWid5xNOfUTvANwxiWaLWtgKJ06dkiOEaAhc1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Forbes 10 Steps to Effective Listening: https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2012/11/09/10-steps-to-effective-listening/?sh=2c805bec3891
By Recruitment Manager, Laura Armfield
14 June 2022
In March 2020, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson first issued the work from home mandate people believed that it would last for just a couple of weeks before the majority of people headed back to the office. In reality, the change has had a much longer-lasting impact with many employees were still working from home, at least on a part-time basis. It seems undeniable that the covid pandemic has changed the working landscape, not just in the UK, but the world over.
As recruiters, we see first-hand the impact that this change as had, both for employers and employees. Some employers have welcomed the work-from-home culture by switching to a hybrid model for all staff, others are eager for a return to the office in full. On the employee side, some will only consider a role which can be done remotely, whilst others are desperate to get back to in-person working and events. As Nicola Downing, COO Ricoh Europe said recently in an article for HR News Today “The challenge for employers is that they cannot have a one-size fits all approach…because not every employee has the same wants.” In response to this dilemma, hybrid working is on the rise.
It is clear that a flexible approach and willingness to adapt will serve employers well as they seek to secure the best talent in an incredibly competitive market. Below we have pulled together some great articles containing advice on how to make hybrid working work.
Tips and advice to help make hybrid working a success:
If you’re an employer thinking about taking on a new team member but wondering how to approach it, Twenty2 Recruitment and Consultancy are here to help. For an informal chat and advice on navigating the often tricky world of recruitment, get in touch with Hayley or Laura today. We specialise in professional services recruitment across the East Midlands and Staffordshire and are happy to help your business grow and achieve.
Disclaimer: Twenty2 Recruitment & Consultancy Ltd bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of external site links or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.
by our Digital Marketing & Admin Assistant, Lucy
10 Jun 2022
When I started my final year of university, I had no idea what the year ahead had in store. I had always been indecisive about what career path I should take, so I decided to choose what I was good at and what I enjoyed. This approach was, of course, successful in the end. I finished university with good grades, having thoroughly enjoyed my education. But now what? When all you’ve known is coursework and revision, you can feel left out in the dust when graduation rolls around.
I began by searching for roles relevant to my degree course. When these were unsatisfactory or I was unsuccessful, I started looking elsewhere. I looked into various apprenticeship roles that had caught my eye and decided to apply. The process of applying for an apprenticeship is as competitive as any school or job. It is not ‘the easy option’. My art and design background lent itself well to digital marketing and I have no regrets about my decision. I would highly recommend the apprenticeship route to anyone, not just school leavers.
My recommendation, for whatever stage you’re at in your career or education, is to make decisions for yourself, not anyone else. And definitely not because “it pays good money”.
It’s true what they say, the majority of our lives will be spent working so choosing an industry that you’re passionate about needs to be the priority.
External Links:
Disclaimer: Twenty2 Recruitment & Consultancy Ltd bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of external site links or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.
In April we had the pleasure of sponsoring the Castle Donington FC Exchange Tournament, a local football tournament hosted in our home of Castle Donington.
It was great to be featured alongside other notable local enterprises and recognised amongst the local people. We were also very happy with our banner and programme advertisement printed by local graphic designer, Ian at Castle Creative.
It was a brilliant day. The sun stayed out and it was great to see the local community come together.
Congratulations to all the teams that won and to everyone involved in making the tournament a success!
#UptheDons!
