SECTOR FOCUS: SKILLS


Ways to retain your staff D


espite the high cost of replacing talented staff, the majority of mid-sized


companies still have an erratic approach to keeping their people happy, according to new research from KPMG. In a study of 223 leaders of


mid-sized companies (with a turnover of between £10m to £500m), only 29 per cent of businesses described their approach to talent retention as ‘formalised’. Meanwhile, nearly half – 44 per cent - said their approach was ‘thorough but unplanned, with lots of initiatives which were not integrated into an overall strategy’. A further 27 per cent admitted their approach was nothing more than ad-hoc. In terms of actually how companies said they


Stephen Craik: A lack of honest and open communication


A brilliant win for apprentice


financial incentives to staff. In addition, less than one-third (30 per cent) attempted to capture and analyse key performance indicators relating to talent. Stephen Craik, head of


Enterprise at KPMG in the Midlands, said: “Despite the fact that many of our clients frequently complain that they are engaged in a ‘war for talent’, these results show that mid-sized companies are a lot less systematic than larger businesses in their approach to talent retention. “The impact of a talented


monitored and retained their people, nearly eight out of ten said they carried out annual career development reviews with staff, while seven out of ten said they actively encouraged open and honest communication between line managers and employees. Yet while these practices were quite widely used, the statistics rapidly dwindled when it came to the use of more in-depth techniques. For example, fewer than half (49 per cent) actually


trained managers to manage their staff effectively and a similar number (46 per cent) offered non-


individual leaving a smaller business is likely to cause much larger ripples throughout the rest of the company. Talented people take time and cost money to replace. So by not adopting more formalised talent management strategies, companies are almost fighting this war with one hand tied behind their back.” “Many of the practices we would suggest mid-sized


companies implement need not cost the earth but can really go a long way to improving relationships between companies and their people. For example, being able to reward staff as part of a recognition scheme outside of the normal bonus can be of minimal cost to run, but can pay for itself many times over in terms of employee motivation and engagement.”


Clodagh Finnegan is brilliant – and that’s official! The 21-year-old, who successfully completed a hospitality apprenticeship at Solihull College & University Centre with Amadeus food, received an accolade at the NEC Group’s Employee Awards night – The Brilliance Awards. The Brilliance Awards allow


employees of the NEC Group to be nominated by their colleagues for a number of awards associated to the NEC values including customer, spirit, energise, teamwork, team of the year and newcomer of the year. Clodagh was nominated for the


‘customer’ award and received more nominations than anyone else in any other category - including nominations from other areas of the business - proving she has not only impressed in her home venue of the Genting Arena, but also in other areas of the business. “I was so happy, I didn’t believe


it,” said Clodagh. “Everyone was really happy for me and I’m still speechless now.” Clodagh collected her award and


then returned to work that evening as there was an event she was working on at the Genting Arena; proving her commitment and hardworking nature.


Art for art’s sake: Serag Buaweia with one


of his pictures Artist has got talent


Artist Serag Buaweia drew gasps of admiration as he demonstrated his creative skills at ‘Abbey’s Got Talent” – an event that showcased the undoubted talents of students from city-centre Abbey College Birmingham. A-level student Serag, aged 21,


who was declared the winner, said: “It was a privilege to give my classmates an insight into my passion. Performance art is not showcased enough and I appreciate Abbey College Birmingham for giving me the platform to present my talent.” In a display, new to the college’s


usual line-up of musical performances, Serag drew a picture


which took some time for the audience to identify. But then he threw glitter over it – spectacularly revealing a face. Acting principal Shahzad Hussain


said: “The annual talent show is something both staff and students look forward to and enjoy tremendously. “The level of talent is outstanding


and each year it improves. Serag’s performance was exceptional and it was refreshing to see a new form of talent on our stage.” The runner up was popular sixth


former and leader of the student council Amandip Bhamra, (18), who gave a breathtaking rendition of ‘River Flows in You’ on the piano.


MARCH 2016 CHAMBERLINK 49


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