FEATURE


MADE IN THE EAST MIDLANDS


Retaining the talent that’s made at home


Working with charities can be the first thought during CSR planning, but as Rachel Reynolds (pictured), Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at 3D mapping and monitoring specialist GeoSLAM, explains, working with schools and higher education can provide a unique opportunity for innovative companies to attract the next generation of highly skilled employees and retain existing staff.


A recent report by the Edge Foundation found that 600,000 vacancies in digital technology are costing the UK economy £63bn per year. This means that tech- orientated businesses must now refocus their efforts and look at how an effective CSR strategy, if they even have one, can benefit their recruitment and retention efforts. Providing an exciting and enjoyable place to work should be at the heart of most businesses’ values and ethos. With this in mind, CSR can be an innovative method to provide new challenges and career development for existing staff. Offering the chance to work outside of the office and getting people excited about the work they do on a daily basis are additional methods of increasing levels of employee engagement, making it easy to retain the talent that you have trained and invested in. It is also vital for a business in the tech sector, like


GeoSLAM, to become integrated within the community to get the public excited about technology and the sort of career opportunities that might be available in the East Midlands. With such a big focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) in school and university curriculums, it is an ideal time for companies to be inspiring students about the real-life applications of technology. With skills shortages in the UK’s technology sector,


employers are locked in a constant battle to attract the best candidates. As a result, many are moving to different methods of recruiting and, in turn, developing ‘talent pipelines’. By working closely with local universities, offering staff to provide guest lectures in their areas of expertise and creating internships for talented students, businesses can start to develop relationships with potential future employees and integrate them within their values and way of working before they have even graduated. Creating a buzz in higher education, among students and academics alike, can have additional knock-on effects for businesses, particularly SMEs without large research and development budgets. For example, nurturing relationships with academics can be a great route into working collaboratively on projects and securing vital funding. From an altruistic perspective, employers can have a


huge impact on future opportunities for the region’s young people. A report from the Education and Employers Taskforce found that students who experience four or more interactions with employers were more than five times less likely to be NEET (not in employment, education or training) and earned on average 16% more than peers who did not experience an employer contact. At GeoSLAM, we have been working with a number of schools to link curriculum areas such as maths, physics,


‘Creating a buzz in higher education, among students and academics alike, can have additional knock-on effects for businesses, particularly SMEs without large research and development budgets’


60 business network December 2018/January 2019


languages, marketing, and geography with the world of work. Although Government is encouraging businesses to work with schools as part of an initiative to improve employability among young people, it is important to recognise that not all companies have the capacity to offer significant outreach as part of a CSR programme. Employers of all sizes in a range of industries are finding


it increasingly difficult to source the next generation of talent to enable them to grow. Although charity work is often the first thought when planning a CSR strategy, by working closely with school and university students, businesses can address any obstacles in the way of recruiting and retaining their best staff, making sure that the region doesn’t lose out on skills and talent. The technology sector is particularly hard-hit in the battle for talent, but by using the innovation that is clearly at the heart of a technology business, they can bring the best out of current staff and inspire the next generation.


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