Whether you record your year from January to December of April to March I am sure you will agree that this quarter has zoomed by.
Now that the Big Freeze has left us we are all looking forward to Spring. April can be a busy yet exciting time for business. For many it is the beginning of the financial year often meaning a fresh look at recruitment, marketing, budgeting and planning.
If you are recruiting you should be mindful about the wording you use for your advertisements. Employers can be liable for discrimination before a person has even worked for you so it important not to use unnecessary descriptions that imply you are looking for a man, woman or a person of a particular age.
Your job advertisement is just like any other marketing material. It should speak directly to the type of person you are trying to recruit.
If you are a fun and flexible business the language which you use should ooze fun. If you are a traditional business which is looking for corporate applicants then the wording you use should be reflective of that.
A diverse workforce is a strong workforce. Not only should be seeking not to discriminate against applicants of various ages, cultures and gender but we should also be seeking to employ people with disabilities.
Craft your recruitment process in a way that is disability friendly. It is perfectly acceptable to state that you are a disability aware employer and that you are seeking to employ someone from all backgrounds.
April is Autism Awareness month. Job candidates with autism do not always thrive in a traditional interview but they may be the best person for the job. People with autism often have a great ability to focus on a task, recall data and pay attention to some of the smaller details.
One of the ways which you can make your recruitment process inclusive is to have a working interview. Invite all candidates to work with you for an hour or two and see how they perform in action. You could also use specific questions rather than general questions on an application form so that a person who is autistic will find it easier to answer correctly.
Whilst it is great to recruit it is also important to nurture your existing staff. If you are not doing appraisals, you may want to reconsider. Appraisals can help you to find out any ambitions that your staff may have. Once you know that an employee would like to become a supervisor, a manager or to broaden their skill set you can create a path to help them reach that destination within your business.
Lots of businesses lose talent because it has not been nurtured or appreciated and this can be both a financial cost and loss of skill to an employer. Use appraisals to tell your staff what they are doing well and how they can improve.
If you have concerns about a team members, work, performance of attitude you can also use this opportunity to document and discuss your concerns. Early intervention can reduce problems with staff later in the year.
An appraisal should be a two way communication tool. Create an open environment where staff can tell you about things which you could improve as an employer. This will make your working environment a better place for current and future staff.
Whether you are recruiting, or appraising April is the perfect opportunity to review your current employment contracts and employment policies. Ensure that they are still working for you and that they are still legally compliant.
If you would like HR Support or Employment Law advice please contact us at www.orchardemploymentlaw.co.uk