Carmen's Thoughts
The power of an inclusive workforce
Research shows that inclusive teams perform up to 30% better in high-diversity environments, according to Gartner.
Women of the Year: celebrating 40 years of exceptional businesswomen
The prestigious Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards were back and celebrating their 40th anniversary year.
Apprenticeships 2.0 – getting on track for success
Apprenticeships are coming into their own. Again.
‘Build the future’: supporting the future of today
Since the Coronavirus pandemic, employment continues to fall, with the decline mainly driven by workers aged between 16 to 24 years old according to the CBI/Pertemps Employment Trends Survey 2020.
Driving greater social mobility after Covid-19
Events in recent months have transformed the way organisations approach diversity and inclusion within their workplace, policies and company culture.
Bridging the gap: diversifying your approach through data
With technologies advancing, and our population increasingly diversifying, the growth of people analytics is rising. Research continually shows that bringing in more diverse perspectives boosts businesses innovation and financial performance.
The future of recruitment: an employment outlook
Though we have entered a lockdown and unemployment remains on the rise, businesses are staying positive as we navigate the Coronavirus pandemic.
Employee engagement will remain a top priority in the years ahead
The coronavirus has redefined employee engagement as we know it. In the face of uncertainty, we’ve had to adapt by changing our digital approach with a large-scale adoption of remote working and new business models.
Lockdown 3.0: why our D&I approach shouldn't change
As we enter a third national lockdown, the pandemic continues to pose a significant threat to our cultural economy, but businesses cannot be complacent when it comes to Diversity and Inclusion.
International Women's Day
The theme International Women’s Day 2020 on Sunday, March 8th is #EachForEqual, with gender equality as a global issue at its forefront.
Being Female in Science
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated each year on 11 February, was adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls.
Supporting LGBT+ Colleagues in the Workplace
It’s important that businesses are creating working environments where diversity and equality are respected, and employees feel comfortable to express themselves without the fear of discrimination.
Importance of “cultural fit” in the hiring process
Cultural fit is crucial to the hiring process. It can change businesses work culture, achieving greater job satisfaction, more harmonious culture and productivity. More employees feel that a cultural fit is more important than salary.
Religion in the workplace – are you promoting religious discrimination
It’s against the law to discriminate against anyone because of their religion. Religion is a well-established fundamental right internationally and within Europe. Within the UK we have a diverse culture, full of different practicing religions and beliefs.
Women of the Year 2019
I’m proud to announce that Pertemps is sponsoring the Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards once again. The awards are back for their 37th year next Friday on the 25th October, celebrating exceptional women in the business.
Wellbeing in the workplace
60% of employees say they’d feel more motivated and more likely to recommend their organisation as a good place to work if their employer took action to support mental wellbeing. (i)
Why not make the best investment – yourself?
See my latest reflection...Are we in denial in the fact that we don't know how to or don't realise the value of investing in ourselves?
Why investing in females matters?
Carmen reflects on creating a diverse workforce and the importance of investing in females.
Job descriptions – Are you avoiding discrimination?
Carmen gives her thoughts on job descriptions - are we truly avoiding discrimination?
Authenticity: What does it all really mean?
Carmen reflects on Authenticity… what does it really mean and how do we make a true reflection of it within our jobs?
Is the Apprenticeship Levy working?
Introduced in April 2017, the Apprenticeship Levy intends to tackle skills shortages and increase the number of people taking part in apprenticeships.
Businesses need to invest in inclusion and diversity for skills gaps to narrow
Carmen gives her thoughts on the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership Conference 2018, where she was part of the panel discussion.
The Princess Royal Training Awards
The current climate of candidate and skills shortages, along with the highest employment rate for decades, presents a real opportunity for employers.
Women of the Year launch event was a huge success
The 2018 Women of the Year Awards are back! Here’s what happened when I recently attended the exciting launch of this year’s 36th event…
Robots as recruiters: the future?
Technology has progressed at a rapid rate in the past 20 years. Machines seem to be getting cleverer by the day and many fear they could soon outperform humans. So, will they ever replace us completely? And what does this mean for recruiters?
Women of the Year
I'm proud to announce that Pertemps is sponsoring the Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards once again. The awards are back for their 36th year in October and are set to be the biggest and best yet.
International Women's Day: Celebrating 100 years
Carmen reflects on International Women’s Day and some of the achievements women have made over the past 100 years.
Businesses urged to fill senior positions with more women
I’m happy to hear that the number of women on company boards has doubled since 2011; a positive start to increasing diversity at leadership levels in business. The level now stands at 28%, up from 12.5% in 2011.
Pertemps named as a Best Employer for Race
Pertemps has been identified as one of the UK’s best employers for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) people by Business in the Community, a business-led charity committed to empowering employees.
Mental health in the workplace
Around 300,000 people with long-term mental health issues lose their jobs each year – a staggering number and something which needs to change.
35th Women of the Year Awards was a success
The prestigious Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards were back for the 35th year recently, celebrating exceptional women in business.
Employers raise concerns surrounding the UK economy
Carmen's comments this week focuses on the recent report from the BBC revealing employer's growing concerns about the UK economy.
The unemployment rate has fallen to a 42-year low
Once again, the CBI/Pertemps Labour Market Update is out and employment growth is on the up. The unemployment rate has fallen to a 42-year low and job opportunities remain at high levels.
Bridging the gender pay gap
With recent figures revealing the highest earners working at the BBC, questions are being asked surrounding why women are paid significantly less at the organisation.
Searching for the next Businesswoman of the Year
Pertemps are sponsors of the prestigious Women of the Year Awards, which celebrates inspirational businesswomen across the UK. Could you be the next winner?
May's CBI/Pertemps Labour Market Update
Carmen comments on this month’s CBI/Pertemps Labour Market Update and the trend from last month – employment is at a record high; unemployment is falling, however pay growth continues to struggle.
Upskill your workforce with Pertemps
Carmen examines one of the most important aspects of leading a team and the benefits of ensuring everyone feels truly valued. "An unsatisfied workforce equals low retention rates and high recruitment costs. Discover how Pertemps can help."
Spring Budget and supporting women: What is being done?
Carmen revisits the Spring Budget and how it might further impact females in the UK: "Chancellor Philip Hammond announced the Spring Budget on International Women’s Day this year, a day for celebrating the achievements of women across the globe. With inequality still rife between men and women, I wanted to find out the real impact on women, if any, that this Budget will have."
CBI Labour Market Update: Thoughts on the latest figures
Our Chairperson Carmen reviews the latest employment statistics; "It’s coming up to that time of the month again - the CBI/Pertemps Labour Market Update. I’m always intrigued when I read the latest figures unearthed by the survey and discover the highs and lows occurring in the market nationwide."
Tackling youth unemployment : Carmen's Thoughts
"573,000 16-24 year olds are currently out of work and actively searching for a job according to the CBI report, a fall of 52,000 on the previous quarter." Carmen discusses the latest statistics regarding unemployment and young people.
Women in business - International Women's Day : Carmen's Thoughts
Our own Chairperson Carmen Watson speaks about International Women's Day (March 8th) and the issues women in business face in a modern age.
Equality, Diversity and Racism in the workplace : Carmen's Thoughts
Carmen comments on the recent YouGov report titled 'Equality, Diversity and Racism in the workplace: A qualitative analysis of the 2015 Race at Work Survey'. The report found that ethnic minority workers are still being subjected to racism by colleagues and managers, ranging from ‘everyday banter’ to violence and intimidation..
'It's the small things that count' : Carmen's Thoughts
'We all remember great customer service.' Our Chairperson Carmen Watson discusses great customer service and how it's affected our success at Pertemps Network Group.
Skills shortages need to be addressed : Carmen's Thoughts
Unemployment has fallen to an 11-year low and businesses plan to increase their workforce as the year progresses. However, there is one challenge we face year after year. The national skills shortage.