A lot of staff, particularly young adults entering the workplace, want to feel valued by their employers and seen as an individual rather than as a collective. This article shares highlights from the session where guest speakers, listed below, joined Gareth John to look at how employers can better engage with candidates in the recruitment process, as well as with staff once they have been hired, through using more individualistic approaches.

Speakers and panelists

• Karen Arch, Director of People at BHP Chartered Accountants
• Jill Wright, Partner at Kirk Newsholme Chartered Accountants
• Lorraine Twist, Director of Professional Services UK&I Senior Finance at Hays
• Catherine Wallis, Operations Director at The ONE Group
• Javed Bobat, Finance Recruiter at Fide
• Nik Pratap, Managing Partner at Pratap Partnership
• Mark Wishart, Senior Manager at Pure Resourcing Solutions

The session was made up of two different topics:

1. Individualisation in recruitment; communicating and interacting with candidates through the recruitment process from initial engagement to interview/ assessment to offer/acceptance to the pre-start period
2. Individualisation in managing staff to improve retention and motivation; delegation, managing, monitoring, training, salary and benefits, career planning and progression

You can watch the recording of the session by clicking the button below.

What is individualisation?

Individualisation is implemented with the aim of motivating staff and getting the best out of everyone.

Why do you need individulisation?

• There has been a need for more individualisation in the workplace in recent years due to greater differences in views between different age groups in the workforce
• Candidates expect it – 83% (according to a Hays survey) are more likely to accept a career that offers flexibility
• A candidate-led industry due to more job vacancies than job seekers means employers need to be creative and think of different solutions when recruiting
• It makes commercial sense to be individualistic and it is the right thing to do
• A change in what people expect from their jobs since the pandemic – work and home have become more blended
• To accommodate different levels of skills between age groups, for example, technology

How can individulisation help a business?

• Individulisation can enhance EDI by:
  • Ensuring fairness
  • Being an open and inclusive process
  • Promoting a diverse workforce
• Individulisation helps to create equity, rather than equality which is a one-size-fits-all approach
• It encourages new skills and diversity of thought in the workplace as flexibility appeals to different types of people. For example, older workers who work part-time or those with different religious beliefs and requirements
• Therefore, individulisation helps businesses get a stronger and more diverse workforce as well as access new talent pools

What blockers are preventing individulisation?

• It takes time to implement new internal processes and do the research to support new changes. This can be overwhelming and there is not always the budget to do research and implement the necessary changes
• A lot of employers do not implement individualisation due to concerns it will impact Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)
• The process is standardised because it seems fairer
• Employers may not be mindful enough to know that it matters
• Tighter resourcing means there is less capacity for individulisation

Examples of individulisation in the recruitment process:

• Offer an optional informal stage before the application
• Provide personalised feedback after the first interview for what is going to help them succeed
• Ask the applicant to choose the 5 most important work benefits to them
• Pay attention to whether individuals are aligned with the company’s values when hiring. 82% of candidates will leave a position if they no longer feel aligned
• Ask individuals about themselves in the interview process, their values and what motivates them
• Talking about the company culture helps people have an emotional connection and helps identify like-minded people
• Face-to-face meetings and genuine connection help employers and candidates better understand each other on a human level
• Encourage your team to have a natural and informal meeting with future colleagues to help candidates know whether they are like-minded to their team and the company’s culture
• Ask candidates what they want from their recruitment process so it lends to their strengths. For example, an interview online or in person
• During onboarding, videos of offices can help candidates feel more at ease and like they already know the business when they start. Similarly, live job descriptions can help where remote roles are still involved
• Videos talking about the firm, the culture, and what the team is like have also been successful with employers
• Maintain contact between offers and start dates and invite new employees to upcoming social events in the company to make them feel part of the team
• Give employees a choice of different social events so there is something that suits everyone

Top tips for implementing individulisation in the recruitment process:

• Adopt a marketing mindset to your recruitment process
• Start small
• Find out what motivates the person before selling the opportunity. Then tailor things to what that candidate is looking for
• Ask new hires how they found the recruitment process and if they have any feedback/suggestions for improvements
• Look at HR/Recruitment tech and benefits tech and embrace that in your interview and candidate attraction experience
• Don’t overcomplicate the onboarding process, too much information can be overwhelming

Implementing individulisation with existing staff:

• People leave a role because: they feel undervalued, they do not like the role itself, their values do not align with the work culture, or there is a lack of flexibility. Individualisation can help with some of these as it involves taking time to listen to employee’s personal needs
• Ensure people are not being overworked or undervalued through pay, particularly loyal employees who have been there a long time. Pay at least the market rate
• Staff who do feel undervalued need one-on-one attention to listen to their concerns, give career planning, and help to manage their workload
• Ensure employees are upskilling and have career development opportunities
• Ensure there are touchpoints with all employees a few times a year so they can voice any concerns
• Offerings need to reflect marketplace and social/ environmental pressures. Be reactive to changing trends affecting what people want from their job
• Ask employees what they want but be prepared to action it. As well as listen to the benefits staff want and implement them where possible
• Remember that people work in different ways and so need/ want different things. For example, some staff may want to progress but not necessarily manage others
• Help people feel part of the culture and community and that they can bring their whole selves to work
• Make sure people don’t take on too much and there is a good work-life balance
• Trust and respect staff
• Make employers feel seen and recognised for their work and the value they bring to the company
• Pay attention to mental health and wellbeing and nurture a supportive company culture. Ensure Line Managers have the training to meet emotional needs, not just HR
• Run engagement surveys with staff to find out what they want, how are they feeling, and to better understand individuals’ strengths

Useful Resources

The Accountancy Student Recruitment Report 

How to Engage with Schools and Colleges

Pratap Partnership Resources 

HAYS UK Salary and Recruiting Trends 2024

2023 FITT Forums 

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