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Palpitations, sweaty palms, a sudden pounding in your head – it can mean only one thing: the threat of an impending visit from a regulator.

The recent 

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is used by businesses and companies across the world to get websites ranking higher up Google and other search engines. The ultimate premise is that the more ‘ranking signals’ and ‘ranking factors’ a website satisfies, the higher it will rank online. However, the accepted standard is set by Google, although other search engines like Bing, Yahoo and Baidoo have some of their own specific ranking factors.

When it comes to being found by customers though, targeting the best searches and search terms for your business is really what is key in the first instance. If for example you are selling serviced office spaces and meeting rooms, you wouldn’t attempt to target searches relating to mobile phone cases or mortgages (source: Brentano), as such terms would incorporate far less relevant prospective customers.

Therefore, most businesses will turn to either ‘generic’ or local searches in order to capture the best customers for their business. Generic searches are those that specify the item or service or relevant service area, without specifying geographical areas. Local searches are those which target searches around specific geographical locations.

Generic Targeting

Generally, when you target generic and non-geographical search terms online, you will need to focus on the wider industry or product area. This will all be in addition to the usual Google and search engine factors such as meta data, crawling factors, website speed and performance, website content and others.

For example, in the case of content you will need to think about writing about the things that people will be looking for information around, encompassing the wider industry rather than specific areas and products. You will also not need to spend too much time looking for local and location-limited links. Rather, you will more than likely need to be looking for guide, business and general news-style websites for PR and backlinks.

Local Targeting

When you are trying to locally target specific, local searches, you will need to consider what people in the geographical area are likely to be looking for and what they are likely to want in the case of content. For example, the content on your website will need to be focused on the area and geographical area in question. If you were trying to target ‘estate agents in Westminster’ for example, you would need to look at local area information and statistics when planning the content for your website.

You will also however need to satisfy the generic ranking signals and factors, as they are key to getting your locally targeted content on the radar for search engines. When it comes to links and PR, look at local businesses, local media, newspapers and even ambassadors and councils who may be able to promote you to the local community; this is something search engines notice and should not be overlooked

HMRC have wisely decided to delay the introduction of the much maligned Domestic Reverse Charge.

The DRC, that was due to have a major impact on the way VAT is collected and reported within the building and construction industry from 1st October 2019, has now been postponed by twelve months.

With the uncertainty of Brexit looming and as many as two thirds of businesses within the industry not even aware of the DRC, the delay represents a victory for common sense with many industry representatives having long called for the new legislation to be postponed due to a lack of effective communication from the Revenue.

HMRC claim that they are still committed to the introduction of the DRC, which now comes into effect from 1st October 2020, stating that it will “work closely with the sector to raise awareness and provide additional guidance and support to make sure all businesses will be ready for the new implementation date.”

Despite the industry breathing a collective sigh of relief with the announcement, some businesses will have already spent time and money preparing for the changes, leading no doubt to frustration at the decision that has been made at the eleventh hour.

For more information on the DRC, including news of the delay that was announced last week, visit www.astonshaw.co.uk/drc.

In the recent Court of Appeal case of Okedina v Chikale, it has been confirmed that, in certain circumstances, a contract of employment can still be enforceable where there has been a breach of immigration rules.

Facts

Mrs Okedina and Ms Chikale are both Malawian nationals. Mrs Okedina and her husband have lived in the UK for some time, but had brought Ms Chikale to the UK to work as a live-in domestic worker in July 2013.

Ms Chikale was granted a six-month visa further to Mrs Okedina having applied for a visa on her behalf, based on false information.

When the six-month visa expired, Mrs Okedina kept Ms Chikale’s passport and told her that she would arrange for an extension. Ms Chikale therefore remained in the UK and continued working for Mrs Okedina.

Mrs Okedina’s false application for an extension, forging Ms Chikale’s signature, was refused, as was an appeal, of which Ms Chikale was unaware.

Throughout her employment, Ms Chikale was required to work seven days a week, for very long hours, and was paid only £3,300. Ms Chikale was summarily dismissed and evicted from the house in June 2015, after she requested more money.

Claims

Ms Chikale pursued a number of employment tribunal claims including unfair dismissal, unpaid holiday and unlawful deductions from wages. Mrs Okedina attempted to rely on the ‘illegality defence’ on the basis that Ms Chikale’s contract of employment was unenforceable because it was either illegal or illegally performed since November 2013.

However, judgment was given in Ms Chikale’s favour at both employment tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal level. Mrs Okedina therefore appealed to the Court of Appeal, but was unsuccessful.

Appeal

The Court of Appeal noted that there are two forms of illegality which may have resulted in the contract being unenforceable:

1) statutory illegality

2) common law illegality.

Statutory illegality

The Court considered whether Ms Chikale’s contract was unenforceable because her employment was in breach of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 (“The Act”). Given that The Act does not prohibit a person from employing someone in breach of immigration restrictions, but provides for civil and criminal penalties to be imposed instead, the Court concluded that an innocent employee without the appropriate immigration status should not be deprived of their ability to claim.

Common law illegality

The Court decided that Ms Chikale did not knowingly participate in the illegal performance of her contract in view of the fact that she relied on Mrs Okedina to deal with her visa situation, that Mrs Okedina used false information, that Ms Chikale did not sign the false extension application form and that Mrs Okedina kept Ms Chikale away from the immigration appeal hearing. The contract therefore could not be rendered unenforceable at common law.

Conclusion

This claim was very specific to the facts eg the innocence of Ms Chikale in the circumstances, which may not always be the case. However, there are additional situations in which a person may not be aware that they are working illegally, such as employees of large companies which take responsibility for obtaining the necessary permissions for foreign employees or victims of trafficking.

https://www.bailii.org/ew/case…

Carla Gowing is a Norwich Employment Solicitor. For advice or to arrange an initial meeting, call 01603 660 811 or email carlagowing@hatchbrenner.co.uk

In the age of smartphones, which generally tend to have recording facilities, it is not unusual for employees to covertly record internal meetings, including grievance meetings or disciplinary hearings.

The recent Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) judgment in Phoenix House v Stockman has addressed whether covert recordings by employees automatically amount to gross misconduct. However, it is also useful for employers to understand whether covert recordings are admissible as evidence against them within employment tribunal claims.

Admissibility

Employers often assume that a covert recording by an employee cannot be used against them. However, the parts of the meeting where the employee was present can be admissible before an employment tribunal if the employment tribunal believes it is relevant. This is entirely at the discretion of the employment tribunal.

In addition, whilst a covert recording of any private discussions of an employer’s disciplinary or grievance panel generally cannot be put before an employment tribunal on the grounds of public policy, the employment tribunal may adopt a different view where a claim involves (for example) discrimination and the recording of private deliberations potentially evidences this.

Misconduct

In Phoenix House v Stockman the EAT confirmed that whilst it will generally amount to misconduct for an employee not to inform an employer that a recording is being made, all the circumstances will need to be considered, including the employee’s reason for making a secret recording, the employer’s position regarding covert recordings and any damage done to the employer as a result of information being recorded without its knowledge, before it can be concluded that a recording amounts to gross misconduct.

The judgment

In this particular case, the EAT decided that the recording did not amount to gross misconduct because the employee had not recorded the meeting with the intention of entrapment, but simply for her own records.

Guidance

It is of course good practice for parties to communicate an intention to record a meeting, however, it is possible that this will not always be the case. Before concluding that an employee is guilty of gross misconduct upon the discovery of covert recording, employers should therefore consider:

• The nature of the information recorded – is it confidential?
• The purpose of the recording – is this simply to assist the employee’s recollection at a later date, is it to avoid the risk of misrepresentation, is it to enable an employee to obtain subsequent legal advice or is it entrapment?
• The extent of the employee’s blameworthiness – was the employee warned not to make a recording and/or have they lied about doing so?
• Any evidence of the attitude of the employer to such conduct – does the disciplinary policy address the issue?

In view of the final point above, it is advisable for employers to update their disciplinary policy in order to confirm that covert recording is an example of gross misconduct.

Carla Gowing is an Employment Solicitor at Hatch Brenner on Theatre Street in Norwich. Call 01603 660 811 or email carlagowing@hatchbrenner.co.uk

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5d231765ed915d0bc413baeb/Phoenix_House_Limited_v_Mrs_Tatiana_Stockman_UKEAT_0058_18_OO.pdf

What is a pre-nuptial agreement?

A Pre-Nuptial Agreement, also commonly referred to as a ‘pre-nup’, is a document prepared in advance of marriage. A pre-nuptial agreement can help you safeguard your income and assets as it records how the parties to the marriage wish their financial affairs to be resolved should their marriage end in the future.

Although pre-nuptial agreements are not yet enforceable under English Law, the courts are increasingly taking them into account during divorce proceedings.

Who gets a pre-nup?

Having gained publicity from the high profile marriages of the rich and famous, pre-nuptial agreements have increased in popularity – particularly over recent years where people have married later in life and therefore accumulated their own income and assets including property, pension pots and shares before they walk down the aisle.

A recent online YouGov survey of 2,000 UK adults has suggested that members of ‘Generation Z’ – those born from 1996 onwards – are also increasingly likely to demand a pre-nup.

This practical approach to marriage and protecting assets found 42% of the women aged 18-24 surveyed would be likely to sign a prenup ahead of a marriage or civil partnership, compared to 36% of men.

What to put in a pre-nup?

A Pre-Nuptial Agreement can be a good way of avoiding future disputes over income and also assets that one party may have acquired before the marriage or may subsequently acquire by way of inheritance or gift.

Young women’s top priorities proved to be very sensible, with 75% of those surveyed favouring a home and second home when considering what should be included in a prenup (compared to 71% of men) and 69% choosing savings and investments (in comparison to 63% of men.)

The survey found 57% of the females thought businesses should be included in a prenup, compared to 53% of men. While 42% of the females also said a prenup should contain pets, compared to 35% of men.

Richard Dilks, Head of Family Law at Hatch Brenner Solicitors in Norwich commented: “Generation Z has grown up influenced by celebrity culture and the results of this survey suggest they are taking a realistic and practical approach to marriage or civil partnerships. There has been a removal of the stigma attached to going to see a Solicitor and in having honest discussions about money. This can only be a positive move.

“In advance of drafting a pre-nup with the support of a Solicitor, it is important that both parties fully disclose their financial affairs to one another and that the prenuptial agreement is entered into freely and willingly by both parties. Both parties should receive independent legal advice on the document’s implications. The agreement needs to be clear and signed in plenty of time before the wedding.”

Pre-nup format

In the same way as other contracts, a pre-nuptial agreement will be a written document which has to be signed by both parties to the marriage or civil partnership.

How long does a pre-nup last?

As financial circumstances and needs can change during the course of a marriage it is important to consider reviewing your pre-nup on the happening of certain events such as the birth of a child or the passage of a certain period of time. It is usual to agree when the agreement would be reviewed and incude this within the document.

How much does a pre-nup cost?

The cost of a pre-nup will vary depending on the complexity of the assets involved, and how much negotiation is required to reach an agreement. Hatch Brenner Norwich offers an initial fixed fee meeting for £150 which includes an hour with our specialist Family Lawyer Richard Dilks plus a letter of advice which will include a fee estimate.

If you would like to arrange an initial fixed fee pre-nup meeting with Richard, please call 01603 660 811 or email richarddilks@hatchbrenner.co.uk

The NHS provides free healthcare to the majority of UK residents.

Health insurance can help cover the costs of medical bills if treatment is private. This allows the individual to choose the level of care they receive and how it will be provided.

Private health insurance is not a mandatory requirement. Nevertheless, unless the NHS is an acceptable option, private medical treatment can be especially costly. This is especially true for serious and complex condition

What does it cover?

Like any other insurance policy, the type of coverage you can expect will depend on the policy your purchase.

A basic policy will typically cover the costs of most tests, surgeries and other in-patient treatments as well as day-care surgery

Other policies will extend their coverage to include out-patient treatments as well as fees for specialists and consultants. These policies may also partially cover the costs of your expenses for staying at an NHS hospital overnight.

What isn’t covered?

There are some conditions and treatments that healthcare insurance will not cover including:

• pre-existing medical conditions
• organ transplants
• costs of a natural pregnancy and childbirth
• cosmetic surgery for personal reasons
• Sports injuries or injuries related to war and war-like hostility
• Chronic conditions

You may find a policy that covers mental health and sports injuries but these are not typically included in the policy.

Do you need it?

This is really a matter of personal decision.

Because there is free medical service from the NHS, there will only be a few reasons that you need private care:

–           You want to avoid the long waits associated with NHS medical treatment.

–           You would rather not use public medical treatment and would prefer to use private treatment whenever possible.

–           You would like to be covered for medications and treatments that are not included in the NHS treatment plan. These may include specialist treatments or treatment for sports related injuries. You will need to carefully read the policy to be sure you are getting the treatment you need.

Who doesn’t need private medical insurance cover?

Private medical insurance is not needed for:

–           Anyone satisfied with the NHS for your care

–           Those with medical insurance from their employer.

–           Those concerned about the health of their children — children receive priority in the NHS.

–           Your resources only allow for basic insurance like homeowners, car and possibly life insurance if you have dependants.

–           You have accumulated debts and no way to pay them all off — it would be better to put your spare cash to pay off your debts.

–           You can cover your own individual treatments — if you can pay out of pocket for your private medical treatment, this may be cheaper than taking on regular premium payments.

Pros and cons

Note: The following pointers will depend on the insurance policy you buy.

Pros:

–           Specialist referrals — You can ask your GP to refer your case to a specialist who can provide an expert opinion and even recommend specialist treatment.

–           Get the scans you need when you need them — if the NHS is taking a long time to get you’re your scans or won’t provide them, you can use coverage to pay for this medical need.

–           Reduced Waiting time — you can use your insurance policy to save time that would be spent waiting for NHS treatment, if the waiting time would be over 6 weeks.

–           Select your hospital and surgeon. In theory, you can use your insurance policy to select the surgeon and hospital that fits your time and location — something not possible for the NHS.

–           Get a Private Room — you can use your insurance to insure you use a private room, as opposed to staying in an open ward that accommodates all sexes. 

–           Access Specialist Drugs and Treatments — some specialist drugs and treatments have not been sanctioned by the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) or the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in England and Wales (NICE). 

–           Physiotherapy — you will access your physiotherapy much faster by using medical insurance as NHS treatment could take a while.

Cons

–           You might find better care with the NHS — those suffering from heart disease, stroke or cancer can find priority treatment working with the NHS. NHS hospitals can be every bit as good as private hospitals or better even.

–           It is Costly! Your typical insurance premium for a small family — two adults over 40 and two kids under 10 — will run as high as £700 to £1,800 per year. The cost of premiums also go up each year. This means that by the time you are older and really need insurance coverage the premiums may be too high to afford.

–           Chronic Conditions are not covered — Diabetes, cancers and other conditions deemed incurable will not be covered by your policy.

TaxAssist Accountants to launch TV advertising campaign as part of recruitment drive to expand franchise network

The TaxAssist Accountants franchisee recruitment team at the Norwich-based Support Centre have been busy of late organising the filming of a new commercial which will hit TV screens in September through to November across Leeds, Coventry and Ipswich, where there are currently vacant territories.

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive Director of The TaxAssist Group said: “We are very excited to be launching our new TV advert as we believe we may be the first franchise to use this medium to reach out to potential new franchisees both in the UK or elsewhere. TaxAssist Accountants is continuing its tradition of breaking the mould.

“The TV commercial looks great and we’re excited by the potential this offers to get our franchise opportunity in front of the right audience who have the drive and ambition to run their own accountancy practice but want the assistance and support of a national brand with all the benefits this brings. If the campaign works well, I’m hopeful of rolling out the advert nationally.

“We have actually filmed seven separate campaigns to assist with franchisee recruitment and these are now all live on our website www.taxassistfranchise.co.uk. These include five case study videos where franchisees were interviewed and filmed about what led them to consider franchising and the benefits of being a part of the TaxAssist network.

“An ‘Introduction to a Discovery Day’ video has also been produced following feedback from franchisees on their initial training course regarding apprehensions they may have had in attending a Discovery Day. We decided an educational video which highlighted the informative, not sales nature of the day was needed and we are very pleased with the final results which reflect the friendly, family feel of the Norwich Support Centre.”

If you are interested in finding out more about joining the TaxAssist Accountants network, please contact Nikki Haythorne at franchiseenquiries@taxassist.co.uk The next step is to attend a ‘Discovery Day’ where you can meet with the directors of the franchise, learn more about the successful business model and support on offer and what can be achieved as a franchisee of TaxAssist Accountants.

August 2019

I work with many businesses who trade with the EU and right now I’m seeing a definite change of attitude. Those businesses who, up to now, have been relying on the Government striking a deal with the EU are now recognising that they are unprepared for a no-deal Brexit. But it’s not too late to start preparations for no-deal. Here are the three jobs that I think should be on every importer and exporter’s to-do list.

Job 1. Get an EORI number In a no-deal Brexit situation, having an EORI number will be the key to keeping your goods moving in and out of the EU. This will be your unique ID, needed by HMRC to track your customs information and to help your goods avoid delays at the borders. HMRC decided last month to start automatically issuing EORI numbers so check whether you have been given a number. How to check: click below to access the EC database. Enter your VAT number prefixed with ‘GB’ and suffixed with ‘000’, eg GB123456789000. Click to check EORI database If you don’t yet have a number, it’s simple to get one.  Click to apply for EORI number Job 2. Register forTSP After a no-deal Brexit, businesses who currently freely bring in goods from the EU will have to make declarations and duty payments to HMRC. To help smooth the changeover, your business should apply for Transitional Simplified Procedures (TSP). Once registered, your business will be able to make declarations to HMRC after your goods have passed through customs, reducing delays. Click to apply for TSP Job 3. Learn your supply chain inside out A no-deal Brexit is likely to bring all kinds of unpredictable issues. Your business is more likely to handle these issues if you understand your supply chain from top to bottom. Check all your current documentation, then talk to colleagues, suppliers, partners and clients. Learn who is responsible for every stage of the process. Then, document the answers and update everyone in the team on how the supply chain works. This process will make your business more resilient in the face of the unpredictable consequences of no-deal. One final piece of advice comes directly from my discussions with import export professionals. For many businesses the major problem of a no-deal Brexit won’t be duty. Instead, coping with the multiple layers of complexity in preparing customs entries will be the biggest headache for many of us. This means that businesses who prepare for this eventuality could have a considerable advantage over those that don’t.

For those wanting to invest their money, cryptocurrency trading may be a great way to do this. In order to begin trading with cryptocurrency, those wanting to trade must do so with an exchange. Exchanges are the names given to the platforms that connect the real world to the crypto-realm, and make trading accessible. Exchanges will sell crypto-currency in exchange for the currency that the trader will use within the world (e.g. USD, GBP). This currency is often referred to in the crypto-currency world as fiat money. Exchanges will sell cryptocurrency for many different types of fiat currencies.

How to pick the best exchange

When picking the best exchange to trade with, it’s important to find a great platform, that is not only trustworthy but also has great exchange rates to work with. Some of the main qualities to look for in an exchange are as follows:

Reputable – a crucial thing all potential traders must consider is the reputation of the exchange. Reading reviews from other traders and looking back into its history (e.g. whether it has ever been hacked).

Valid – one of the major factors to take into consideration when wanting to cryptocurrency trade is to make sure that the exchange is available in your area. Some exchanges are only available in particular locations.

Exchange rates – as with the exchange of any two currencies, exchanges for cryptocurrencies will each have their own individual exchange rate from crypto to fiat currency. It’s important to make sure all potential exchanges are well-researched in order to get the best rates for this exchange in currencies. 

Trustworthy/safe – similar to the point mentioned previously, it is very important to pick an exchange that is safe to use, that does not have a history of being hacked and requires ID verification before enabling access to the cryptocurrency.

Once verification has taken place and traders are given access onto the platform, trading can begin.

How to trade with cryptocurrency

Once on the exchange’s platform, it will offer a varied list of different coins to make a trade with. Through the platform, traders will be able to trade the cryptocurrency they initially purchased for other cryptocurrencies offered by the exchange’s market. As with the basic layout to any form of trading, traders can both buy and sell various different amounts of the cryptocurrency coins available on the exchange’s market.

How funds are stored in an exchange

Upon setting up an account, the exchange will have created a wallet in which to store the trader’s funds. There are two main types of wallets provided on exchange platforms, these being a hot wallet and a cold wallet:

Hot wallet – similar to a physical, everyday wallet that is carried around on the trader’s person. This type of storage isn’t as secure as a cold wallet, however does provide the trader with easier access to their funds when neede

Cold wallet – similar to a savings account, the money is more difficult for the trader to take out, however is a lot more secure than the hot, everyday wallet.

Traders can chose whatever wallet they think will be most beneficial to them, and upon picking this wallet, the exchange will then provide the wallet holder a public and private key. The public key is used to receive funds, and traders will need this key when wanting to withdraw funds from the exchange. The private key should never be shared with anyone, as it can be used to access an account holder’s wallet, and steal their cryptocurrency funds.

A key part of employee engagement is not only finding the right people in the first place but also providing an effective onboarding process which creates engagement from the point of making a job offer.

Our Learning and Development Advisor Ellie Steinfeldt explains: “It’s important not to overlook the importance of onboarding. It helps to create engagement from the outset, reduces new job anxieties and helps employees to feel part of the company culture from the moment they are appointed. It also benefits the business by supporting new employees to get up to full productivity much quicker and improves staff retention rates in the long term.”

Onboarding goes beyond just an induction process. It should start from the moment someone accepts a job with you and continue beyond the more formal induction, which is often predominately focussed on practical elements and training. Investors in People has created a helpful article about the difference between onboarding and induction. Here are some of our own tips for employers and a few examples of the processes we have put in place here at Pure.

PLAN AHEAD

Spend time reviewing any onboarding processes already in place, and anything else you could introduce before you are at the point of welcoming new recruits. The easiest way to do this is to put yourself in the shoes of a new starter. What would you want to know before your first day on the job? How would you want to be communicated with? Think about different ways you could engage new starters, share information and make things personal to them. Consider how you can make the process as interactive as possible, enabling you to gain the information you need from them at the same time as giving them all the information they need from you.   

START FROM THE MOMENT OF THE JOB OFFER

Communicating regularly with a new employee while they are still completing their notice period will help to maintain their engagement and make them feel part of the team before their first day with you. Here at Pure, we invite our new starters to come into the office or out for a drink to meet the team before their first day. The person who will be line managing them also keeps in touch via regular emails throughout their notice period and encourages them to ask any questions they may have before their start date.  

A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE THEY START

Make sure your new employee has everything they need well ahead of their start date so they have time to read, plan and prepare. We send our new starters an email around two weeks before they are due to start with us which reconfirms their start date, the office they will be working in and the time they should arrive on their first day. The email also lists the documents they need to bring with them on their first day and includes a link to our bespoke on-boarding page.

CONSIDER CREATING A DEDICATED ONBOARDING PLATFORM

We wanted to give our new recruits a dedicated space where they could find all the key information they need and make this available to them before their first day. We’ve set up a dedicated onboarding microsite which helps our new employees to get a better understanding of our culture and to build a connection with their new colleagues before they even start. Here are just some of the things it includes:

• Information about our learning and development team, their manager and the managers in each of the other offices. It also includes a link to information about all employees – what they do and which office they are based in.
• A video about what it is like to work at Pure, that highlights our values, our company culture and our charity work.
• A list of all the benefits available to Pure employees.
• Recommendations for lunch places near each of our offices.

It also features a new starter video which offers all of the information they might need to know for their first day, including who to report to, who the fire marshals and first aiders are, the office administrators, how to contact IT support, where the toilets are, what is available in the kitchen and working hours.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

Personalising the onboarding process as much as possible will help to make the new starter feel valued and make it more effective. For example, in the lead up to new starters joining us, we use our onboarding microsite to ask them to complete a learning styles questionnaire and a ‘previous experience’ questionnaire. This helps us to tailor our training approach for their induction based on their preferred learning style and enables us to identify any particular areas within the induction schedule that would be worth focusing on or where we may not need to go into so much depth.

THE FIRST FEW DAYS

Even with a well-considered onboarding process, the first day in a new job can be daunting for many people. The impressions they form in their first few days are likely to significantly impact how engaged they feel in the long term and whether they decide to stay with the organisation. Try to balance formal paperwork, introductions to systems and processes with more ‘human’ elements, such as introducing them to everyone and giving them time to get to know the people they will be working with. This will help put the new starter at ease and ensure they feel welcomed to the business.

In their first few days at Pure, our new recruits are given an induction folder with a comprehensive learning and development programme for their first month. They also have a one-day induction with our Chief Operating Officer who will tell them more about how the business started and our values. Alongside this, they are given a £10 lunch voucher to use on their first day and their own copy of our Pure Book. This little book has been created to capture the essence of working at Pure, our history, culture and values, in a fun, welcoming and friendly way. Most importantly, make sure new employees know who they can approach with any questions or concerns, and where they can find them, and ensure their line manager is checking in on them regularly.

For more advice or support with your recruitment, onboarding and induction processes contact your local Pure office.

Here at Pure, we really value the importance of recruiting people who will be a great cultural fit for an organisation but we also recognise the need to balance this with ensuring that unconscious bias does not mean a business unintentionally discriminates or misses out on employing fantastic talent.   

Everyone has unconscious bias, it isn’t intended, it is based on social backgrounds and life experiences which can shape our views and influence our decisions without us even realising. However, this can impact on recruitment and people management decisions as people unintentionally categorise, stereotype or favour people they feel an affinity with. As well as the potential to miss out on hiring a great candidate and impacting on the ability to build and maintain an inclusive workforce, it can also affect an organisation’s overall talent pipeline. People are more likely to leave if they are unconsciously overlooked for career progression and development. This can lead to a less diverse senior team and as McKinsey’s ‘Delivering Through Diversity’ report showed, there is a statistically significant correlation between a more diverse leadership team and financial outperformance.

So while gut feelings, shared values and cultural fit are still important, there also needs to be an awareness of minimising and preventing the influence of unconscious bias. Here are just some of the things organisations can consider.

STAFF TRAINING

The best tool to begin tackling unconscious bias is to make more people conscious of it in the first place. Raising awareness of what unconscious bias is and the impact it can unintentionally have on recruitment, workplace culture and business success will engage more people to look for ways to counter it. There are a wide range of training courses available, both on and offline, which can help people to identify their own bias, find out more about the potential legal implications and work together to challenge and reduce bias in recruitment and across the business as a whole. 

INCLUSIVE JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Recent studies, including by software company Textio, have shown that many words commonly used in job descriptions are unconsciously seen as more masculine, such as competitive, dynamic and driven, while terms such as supportive and collaborative are more associated with women. Excessive jargon and acronyms can alienate people from outside of the industry, even if they have the skills and experience required, and not everyone would comfortably align themselves with being an ‘expert’ even if they have the desired level of experience. LinkedIn studies and an internal benchmark report by Hewlett Packard have also shown that an extensive list of essential requirements can impact on the diversity of applicants. This is because women only tend to apply for jobs if they feel they meet every requirement, whereas men will apply even if they only meet some. Before advertising a job description, read it again with unconscious bias in mind, ensure there are a mix of both masculine and feminine associated words, and only include what really is essential criteria, making it clear what is desirable but not vital.

NAME BLIND RECRUITMENT

Removing certain information from candidate applications can help to prevent unconscious bias at the shortlisting stage. As well as identifying factors such as age and gender, even someone’s name can influence our thoughts by conjuring up perceptions or an association with someone we like or dislike. Other factors such as the name of the university someone went to or their personal interests can also spark unconscious bias. What pieces of information can be excluded depends on the type of role and what you are looking for in candidates, but it is worth exploring what can be removed at this stage to help the team evaluate applications just on skills and experience.

DIVERSE HIRING COMMITTEE

Because unconscious bias can involve unintentionally being drawn to hiring people like ourselves, making recruitment a team effort can help to prevent this. Ideally an interview panel will comprise a diverse team of people for a balance of different perspectives, but even having two people rather than just one can make a difference. It can also be really helpful to include people who are not so invested in the appointment, for example from another part of the business. However, even when it is a group effort, it is important to be aware of the potential for conformity bias. This is where people unconsciously follow suit and conform to the views of the majority of the team if they think they are favouring a particular candidate.

INTERVIEW TEMPLATES AND CRITERIA

Having a structured interview process which is the same for all candidates will help to ensure the process is as fair as possible. Agree some set questions in advance and create a clear, objective scoring system for everyone in the recruitment process to follow. Including competency-based interview questions, as used by Pure’s expert recruitment consultants, will help to keep the focus on establishing whether candidates have the relevant experience needed by asking for examples of when they have demonstrated particular behaviours or skills. However, there does need to be a balance between structure and providing a good candidate experience. Candidates still need to have the chance to shine, to ask their own questions and if the interview is too rigid and formulaic it may not reflect the overall culture of the business.

OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVES

Helping to prevent unconscious bias during the recruitment process is another area where working with an external recruitment agency can really add value. Our expert consultants can help by advising employers throughout the process and handling initial applications to create the interview shortlist. They can also sit in on interviews to provide a more diverse recruitment panel and an external perspective.