Successful recruitment strategies
The latest official figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK’s unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since 1974 in the three months to July. The jobless rate fell to 3.6% over the period, although this may change with a future recession.
For many businesses, recruiting employees remains challenging, and we’ve seen some very inventive clients adopting new strategies. For example, some employers are now offering “Wellbeing leave” in addition to the usual holiday package. If you want to recruit, you have to get serious about the process and be on it 365!
There are a number of actions you can take to make your business attractive to new staff. In addition to reviewing your pay and conditions to be as competitive as possible, some things you could do to improve include:
- Tasking recruitment as a permanent process;
- Regularly asking existing staff, customers and suppliers for introductions;
- Offering incentives for referrals;
- Make sure you are running constant online social media posts and local advertisements;
- Embracing flexibility in hours and location in your business;
- Introducing a “Golden Hello” and loyalty bonuses based on length of service (typically one to three years);
- Advertising testimonials from existing staff;
- Using government initiatives for apprentices;
- Make your company and the job sound as attractive as possible by outlining the position to sound prestigious and challenging – These two factors are big incentives for bright potential candidates;
- When advertising the role, knowing that job satisfaction comes from feeling respected and having the opportunity to learn new things and excel in the face of obstacles; and
- Conveying your business’s personality so potential employees get a feel for what it would be like to work for you.
Useful guidance on the procedures for recruitment can be seen in the ACAS guide “Recruiting staff” which can be seen here: Recruiting staff (acas.org.uk)
ICO SME web hub – advice for all small organisations
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has a useful webpage with advice and guidance for all small organisations, including SMEs, small businesses, sole traders, small charities, groups and clubs, and small start-ups.
The webpage includes a run-through of data protection and bite-sized advice on how to build trust and save money through stronger data protection compliance.
Topics include:
- Getting started with data protection;
- Key data protection terms you need to know;
- Compliance checks;
- How to respond to a personal data breach; and
- How to deal with data protection complaints.
See: SME web hub – advice for all small organisations | ICO
Tax diary for October
The following dates are important tax deadlines for October. Please contact us if you need support in meeting these filing dates.
1 October 2022 – Due date for Corporation Tax due for the year ending 31 December 2021.
19 October 2022 – PAYE and NIC deductions are due for the month ending 5 October 2022. (If you pay your tax electronically, the due date is 22 October 2022)
19 October 2022 – The filing deadline for the CIS300 monthly return for the month ending 5 October 2022.
19 October 2022 – CIS tax deducted for the month ending 5 October 2022 is payable by today.
31 October 2022 – Latest date you can file a paper version of your 2021-22 self-assessment tax return.
Continued support for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens wishing to stay in Wales
Last week, Jane Hutt MS, Minister for Social Justice, stated that the Welsh Government will continue to fund Citizens Advice Cymru, third sector organisation Settled and immigration specialist lawyers, Newfields Law, to provide ongoing support up to 31 March 2023 to EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who wish to remain in Wales.
Since June 2019, the Welsh Government has provided a suite of free support to those EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who wish to stay here. The government have always been determined to ensure that those citizens, who have chosen to make Wales their home, continue to feel like valued members of our communities.
The support to date has meant that EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and family members have been able to access digital support with their applications for settled status, get help with basic queries about eligibility, access advice on social welfare issues and workplace rights and obtain free specialist immigration advice.
Since the beginning of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), over 100,000 applications have been made by EU/EEA/Swiss citizens resident here in Wales and many of those individuals have accessed some form of support in completing their applications.
Despite the deadline for applications to the EUSS being over a year ago, there is an ongoing need for support, covering late applications, appeals against refusals of applications, conversions from pre-settled to settled status, and rights and entitlements.
The Welsh Government will continue its provision of support until 31 March 2023 in funding Citizens Advice Cymru, Settled and Newfields Law to ensure EU/EEA/Swiss citizens living in Wales can still access the support they may need.
In addition to this, the Welsh Government continues to facilitate meetings of the EU Settlement Scheme Wales Co-ordination Group which brings together key partners and agencies to support and coordinate the successful delivery of EUSS advice services in Wales. The Group’s continued objectives are to:
- Share reports on the work of the supporting organisations, including on best practices and issues in relation to the EUSS;
- Promote public awareness of, and participation in, the EUSS in Wales;
- Maximise citizen access to the EUSS in Wales through focused publicity;
- Ensure there are consistent EUSS advice services available in Wales, with the right level of support targeted at the right people; and
- Identify any gaps in the current supported provisions and assist the Welsh Government/Home Office in finding solutions to overcome any issues.
