With new AI law, New York City will require ‘bias audits’ for AI-based recruitment tools

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You can use Textio to help hiring managers optimise job descriptions. When that ad is completed, you can use AI to target likely applicants via Facebook, LinkedIn or Ziprecruiter. Once you’ve generated some type of response to your job posting, you can use a resume scanner — like CVviz, Skillate or Recruitment Smart. After which you use HireVue or Modern Hire to analyse those candidates in the actual job interview.

As more organisations rely heavily on artificial intelligence, the lawmakers are slowly catching up.

More AI-based solutions are out there and more organisations are using them. As more organisations rely heavily on artificial intelligence, the lawmakers are slowly catching up. General artificial intelligence bills or resolutions were introduced in at least 17 US states in 2021. And enacted in Alabama, Colorado, Illinois and Mississippi. But perhaps none are as extensive, or ‘bold’, as the law recently passed by New York City lawmakers.

The AI crackdown in New York

From January 1, 2023, New York City will regulate the usage of so-called automated employment decision tools. “The term means any computational process, derived from machine learning, statistical modelling, data analytics, or artificial intelligence, that issues simplified output, including a score, classification, or recommendation, that is used to substantially assist or replace discretionary decision making for making employment decisions that impact natural persons.”

Employers or employment agencies can still use artificial intelligence-based decision tools. But only if such tool has the subject of a ‘bias audit’ by an independent auditor one year prior to the use. The auditor will test tools to assess the tool’s ‘disparate impact’. In simpler terms: any type of discrimination against protected groups on the basis of race, age, religion, sex, or national origin.

Companies have to inform candidates which job qualifications and characteristics the tool will use.

With the new law, companies will also be required to notify employees or candidates if any such tools are used in the recruitment process. Companies must inform candidates that it is used, to allow a candidate to request an alternative selection process. Moreover, companies have to inform candidates which job qualifications and characteristics the tool will use.

Europe’s risk-based approach

Whether we will see similar bias audits in Europe, remains to be seen. Europe’s intentions seem to cut bias in the usage AI off at the source — rather than focusing on AI as a whole. “We think that a risk-based approach is the only way to regulate AI”, said Francesca Rossi, IBM AI Ethics Global Leader during a CEPC Think Tank session. “But you don’t want to regulate AI, you want to regulate the AI systems and applications.”

In April 2021, the EU proposed what was in essence a combination of the first-ever legal framework on AI and a coordinated plan that guarantees the safety and fundamental rights of people and businesses. AI systems used in the employment, workers management and access to self-employment were put on the EU’s ‘high-risk’ list.

“By setting the standards, we can pave the way to ethical technology worldwide and ensure that the EU remains competitive along the way.”

That list entails that any software that is used in a recruitment procedure will be subject to strict obligations before they can be put on the market. “By setting the standards, we can pave the way to ethical technology worldwide and ensure that the EU remains competitive along the way”, Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for A Europe fit for the Digital Age, commented.

These are the 3 HR trends for 2022: Realign, Reconnect and Redeploy

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Even though HR teams everywhere had set their goals at the beginning of 2020, March would throw a curveball at them the size of a full-on, worldwide pandemic. Employee safety was suddenly atop the list. Remote productivity shot up the list. Over the course of the past two, pandemic-filled years, reactivity became the norm for HR teams — and justifiably so.

“Companies now have two choices. One is to assemble the puzzle back into the same picture it once was. The second is look at it, and say it’s time for a new design.”

“What will perhaps become a bit bigger next year is HR busting boxes”, says Rishita Jones of NRG HR. “It’s like we’ve had an HR puzzle. And the pandemic got a hold of this puzzle, threw it up in the air and scattered it all over the place. Companies now have two choices. One is to assemble the puzzle back into the same picture it once was. The second is to look at it, and say it’s time for a new design, a new picture, a new future.”

HR trend #1: Realign

When organisations set out goals and missions to accomplish — seldom is reactivity part of the strategy. That’s why Talentsoft has identified realignment as the first trend for 2022. “Reacting to situations might be an effective way to get through emergencies, but it’s no way to build a long-term vision. 2022 is the year to step back from reactivity and become proactive in responding to what’s going on around you.”

“Reacting to situations might be an effective way to get through emergencies, but it’s no way to build a long-term vision.”

“The biggest area that we see changing is the area of learning”, says Rebecca Wettemann, principal at analyst firm Valoir. “It’s time to think more broadly about learning experiences and about mentoring and coaching. And even peer-to-peer mentoring can be a really important asset in building both employee engagement and skills and talent.”

For organisations, it’s an opportunity to focus on success planning rather than succession planning, as Wettemann smartly puts it. “It can be as simple as identifying the top skills for key roles”, she says. “And identifying the right mentors and coaches to help employees get there. In so many cases in the past, coaching and mentoring was only applied to the top level of talent. Now with technology, we can really offer that kind of mentor-led skills building.”

HR trend #2: Reconnect

As many workforces operated remotely, work collaboration between colleagues changed for the first time in their existence. That’s why the focus must be on reconnection, according to Talentsoft. And while employee experience was once largely built up out of perks and benefits. The focus should now be on practices and policies that reconnect and create a deeper sense of togetherness between employees in an organisation.

“If organisations want to move the needle on improving employee wellbeing, the systems and policies of work themselves have to change.”

“The future of work is employee wellbeing”, Jones argues. “And if organisations want to move the needle on improving employee wellbeing, the systems and policies of work themselves have to change. It’s not just about launching a meditation app or creating a yoga room. You can’t tackle something as immense as this with band-aid solutions — because we’re ultimately not addressing the root cause of the problem.”

“Human resources professionals will need to find methods of detecting mental health distress among employees and making sure they have the resources to deal with those issues.”

The first step for organisations would be to measure the mental state of the workforce, according to Talensoft. “What this means for HR departments is that there will need to be a new, concerted effort to create wellness programs and employee assistance programs that focus equally on mental health. Human resources professionals will need to find methods of detecting mental health distress among employees and making sure they have the resources to deal with those issues.”

HR trend #3: Redeploy

Europe, and indeed much of the world, will face an unprecedented labour shortage in the forthcoming years. Moreover, by 2030, the World Economic Forum predicts that more than 1 billion people worldwide will need to be retrained. So the onus is on HR professionals to find ways to redeploy employees. Talensoft: “The HR team needs to take the lead, initiate learning paths.”

“In many ways, every organisation is absolutely desperate to upskill and reskill.”

Therein lies an opportunity for organisations and HR departments to truly understand the skills of their employees, according to David Perring, Director of Research at the Fosway Group. “In many ways, every organisation is absolutely desperate to upskill and reskill. It’s about identifying matches within the workforce, but also about fundamental skills gaps between what you want to do in the future and the resources that are available to you today.”

“It is all about identifying skills and connecting people with opportunities. So they don’t have to search for it, but it comes to them.”

“To some extent, skills intelligence and talent mobility have become a key trend for 2021, but I think it’s going to run on into 2022”, Perring says. “They are so deeply intertwined, it’s difficult to separate one without the other. It is all about identifying skills and connecting people with opportunities. So they don’t have to search for it, but it comes to them.”

Download the full HR Trends 2022 Ebook by Talentsoft

Pitch Up! New series launched for new-to-market recruitment tech providers

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2021 has become one of the most historic years in the history of recruitment technology. As labour shortages loom, the recruitment tech market is booming. As the desire for more candidates persists, more recruitment tech unicorns are born. In Q3 of 2021, six new suppliers reached the acclaimed 1 billion dollar valuation.

As more companies enter the market, the harder it becomes to really stay up-to-date about the latest developments.

Ranging from Remote, who saw its workforce grow quickly in lieu of the pandemic-driven remote hiring boom to Visier, who, with their predictive analytics technology now serve over 8.000 customers worldwide. As more suppliers enter the market — it’s getting increasingly harder to see the wood for the proverbial recruitment tech trees.

Pitch Up!

Enter UKRecruiter’s Louise Triance and podcasting veteran Chad Sowash. Every fortnight, starting January 12, 2022, Triance and Sowash will broadcast a 40-minute live show wherein they’ll grill recruitment tech providers. “We will be giving the lucky few, who get through the application process, a serious grilling and the audience can pitch in with questions too”, Triance commented.

Every episode will start with an elevator pitch from a respective tech provider. Followed by a discussion, audience questions, feedback and a summary.

The show, called Pitch Up, will be hosted on Crowdcast — and broadcasted live to audiences on LinkedIn and Facebook. In total, the pair aims to produce eight episodes per season. They will give eight suppliers the opportunity to convince both the experts, as well as the live audience. Every episode will start with an elevator pitch from a respective tech provider. Followed by a discussion, audience questions, feedback and a summary.

‘Diamonds in the rough’

“The recruitment tech industry is crowded, loud, and very overwhelming”, Sowash told ToTalent. “Louise and I are looking to help amplify startups we believe are interesting – possible diamonds in the rough. Pitch Up will provide a megaphone, of sorts, giving chosen startups an opportunity to pitch their business, model, GTM, and everything we can fit into 30 minutes.”

“Louise and I are looking to help amplify startups we believe are interesting – possible diamonds in the rough.”

The show, sponsored by international Data & Tech company Intelligence Group, will primarily serve those in TA. But it is open to anyone interested, according to Sowash. “Our primary target group consists of talent acquisition professionals. Established core talent platforms (exploring acquisitions), investors, and anyone interested in the talent acquisition space.”

If you think you have what it takes to wow the cynical (and expert) Pitch Up Panel, submit your application here — and the Pitch Up team will be in touch.

Why the employee voice is critical for business growth

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Employees are every organisation’s most valuable asset. Providing employees with a positive employee experience and being agile in the face of quickly shifting needs has been critical. Technology is crucial to support these goals: it helps organisations understand employee concerns and feedback, get better insights in their sentiment, and take impactful action.

Phil Chambers

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned employees into first-class stakeholders in their own engagement. “This is exactly what we aim to achieve with Workday Peakon Employee Voice”, Chambers says about his newly rebranded service. “We turn insights into actions on topics including engagement, diversity and inclusiveness, health and wellness. Organisations can achieve this through conversation tools, personal dashboards, team collaboration, and contextual learning resources.”

The importance of being heard

In a time of large-scale digital transformation, listening intelligently allows you to get great insights into what’s going on with your employees, which can be invaluable for organisations. It helps you get ahead of challenges by identifying them early so you can reduce the risk they may create. It can also help you reduce churn and attract new talent in today’s tight labor market  “You can truly listen to your employees, hear what they’re saying, benchmark that information, and respond in real time”, says Somers, General Product Manager of Workday Group at the Office of the CHRO. “It’s more important than ever.”

Organisations that invest in employee experience outperform peers by 147% in earnings per share.

A recent KPMG survey shows that ‘organisations that invest in employee experience outperform peers by 147% in earnings per share.’ Somers: “Your people are your biggest opportunity right now: by retaining and training them, helping them understand your dot on the horizon, recruiting new talent, and by encouraging and promoting a culture of belonging and diversity.”

A two-way data street

In March, Workday completed the acquisition of Peakon, a smart listening platform that helps translate feedback into action. Rebranded into Workday Peakon Employee Voice, it enables intelligent listening for companies of any scale, by using machine learning to collect and analyse confidential feedback from employees in real time. The platform lets organisations continuously collect employee feedback and, more importantly, provides a way to turn that feedback into dialog and action.

“Companies typically have tons of applications at their disposal that sends data downstream. But there is a lack of options that allow for meaningful upstream data collection.”

That upstream data collection is key to any successful people-centric strategy. “Companies typically have tons of applications at their disposal that sends data downstream. But there is a lack of options that allow for meaningful upstream data collection, which prohibits them from setting up a real-time feedback loop. Without this constant feedback, you’re at a real disadvantage,” says Somers.

A holistic overview of employees

This disadvantage isn’t limited to the C-suite. Managers benefit from employee listening as well, since their teams execute based on their example and guidance. When managers have the tools that allow them to better listen to their teams, and use that feedback to get better at what they do, everyone’s a winner.

This toolset is what Workday offers through the Peakon platform. “Our platform lets organisations accurately and contextually merge demographic information and data that is related to perception, such as employee engagement, sentiment, and productivity”, Chambers adds. “This provides a holistic overview of your employees.”

Change is the name of the game

David Somers

In true ‘eat your own dog food’ fashion, Workday rolled out the Peakon solution internally across over 13,400 employees. “The results so far are quite positive”, Somers says. “Engagement levels are up, and numbers such as employee loyalty, job satisfaction and advocacy are high. That’s based on 81,000 comments over a mere eight weeks. And nearly three quarters of our people leaders have acted on these comments, which is so important to make sure employees realise their voice matters.”

Organisations have to become more resilient and adapt to constantly changing needs.

In today’s market, change is the name of the game. This means organisations have to become more resilient and adapt to constantly changing needs. To remain successful, organisations must be able to shift without friction. And they simply can’t do this efficiently without a workforce that is engaged, safe, empowered – and heard.

This article was written by Workday and curated by the ToTalent editorial staff. If you are interested in partnering up to create unique, insightful content about total talent acquisition & management, please reach out to us. 

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Is Europe’s labour market going through The Great Stagnation?

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The United States is still caught up in an en masse departure fiasco. The Great Resignation has led to a record-breaking number of US workers saying sayonara to their respective employers. In May, roughly 3.63 million workers quit their jobs at a 2.5% rate. In August, that number has gone up to 4.27 million, at a 3% clip.

Randstad’s 2021 Workmonitor shows that the majority of respondents surveyed (54%) expressed feeling poorly compensated for their skills — and are therefore looking for another job.

In 2020, Microsoft surveyed more than 30,000 workers worldwide, in an attempt to find out what the consensus was among them. In total, they found that 41% considered either quitting or changing professions altogether. Now, Randstad’s 2021 Workmonitor shows that the majority of respondents surveyed (54%) expressed feeling poorly compensated for their skills — and are therefore looking for another job.

European workers are feeling least empowered and stressed

Those surveyed in the Asia Pacific, Latin American and Northern American regions were all outspoken about their new-found, pandemic-led empowerment to make changes to their work-life balance. “In just two years, people’s habits have permanently changed, and a return to pre-pandemic ways probably won’t happen for some time, if at all”, Randstad adds

In northwestern Europe, 57% of workers feel empowered to make changes to their work-life balance.

But for some reason, Europeans are less sure. In northwestern Europe, 57% of workers feel empowered to make changes to their work-life balance. The overall empowerment statistic is much higher in other regions of the world. In Asia Pacific region, that number lies at 77%. In Latin America, 79%. And in North America, 71%.

The European regions amassed the lowest overall scores in the stress category.

Globally, 49% of those surveyed reported feeling more stressed than before the pandemic and plan to make changes to their work-life balance. The problem was reported to be most acute in the Asia Pacific region, with 63% feeling this way. Remarkably, the European regions (eastern, northwestern and southern Europe) amassed the lowest overall scores in the stress category. Europe only scores an average of 44% in the stress column, with Northwestern Europe scoring a mere 39%. The same applies to wanting more job and career flexibility. Scores in Europe again lie lower than other regions of the world.

‘The Great Resignation would seem very un-European’

Despite recording record-breaking quits, only 50% of those in North America say they are looking for another job in Randstad’s survey. Both Eastern and Southern Europe actually score higher than their Northern American counterparts at 58%. Meanwhile, 45% of those surveyed in Northwestern Europe say they are looking for another job. 

Source: Randstad’s Work Monitor 2021

Eastern Europe saw its actual job change drop by 2% compared to 2020. Job change in northwestern and southern Europe, meanwhile, stagnated completely.

The research also looked at actual job change. While it saw the percentages climb in both the APAC, Latin and indeed Northern America — actual job change has actually stagnated or dropped in Europe. Eastern Europe saw its actual job change drop by 2% compared to 2020. Job change in northwestern and southern Europe, meanwhile, stagnated completely.

“We all know that expressed intentions aren’t quite the same as the actual act of quitting.”

So far, The Great Resignation hasn’t blown over to Europe. And it illustrates an interesting difference between the two continents: while Europeans may say want to quit, they aren’t acting on it as much. “We all know that expressed intentions aren’t quite the same as the actual act of quitting”, European labour market expert Wim Davidse told ToTalent in July. 

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Belgian recruitment trends for 2022: ‘Talent is the new gold’

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If we simply were to listen, Belgium has always been a country divided in two, or even three. With three different linguistic communities (Dutch, French and German), it has essentially become a federation of three different regions (Flanders, Wallonia and Greater Brussels). All divided by geography, demographics and political beliefs. As a result of division, the Belgian labour market becomes particularly complex to comprehend.

A record-number of open vacancies

Like many European countries, Belgium currently has more open vacancies than it ever had before. When Eurostat started tracking job vacancies for Belgium in 2012, the total number of open vacancies was just over 100,000. The number fluctuated between 100,000 and 80,000 for four years until 2016. In recent months, however, that number has shot up dramatically to a total of 170,000 open vacancies in June, 2021.

Eurostat Graph

‘Belgium’s objective is to reach 80% employment rate by 2024’

As the number of vacancies continues to shoot up, the connection to employment rates is easily made. “Increasing the employment rate will be one of the most important themes for Belgium in 2022”, says Wim Thielemans, leading recruitment expert and author of several books. “Belgium’s objective is to reach 80% employment rate by 2024.”

“The main positive is that the province of East Flanders has already broken through that magic limit in the COVID year 2020. That proves we can get there.”

“In 2020, the Flemish employment rate (74.7%) was clearly higher than in the other regions”, Thielemans adds. “In the Walloon Region it was 64.6%, in the Brussels Capital Region 61.3% and in Belgium 70.0%. For reference: in the European Union (EU27), the employment rate was 72.3% on average in 2020. The main positive is that the province of East Flanders has already broken through that magic limit in the COVID year 2020. That proves we can get there.”

Climate Change

“Just like the climate crisis, it is not painful enough to change our behaviour.”

But the shortage on the labour market and the growth in bottleneck professions in more and more sectors is worrying, Thielemans admits. “But just like the climate crisis, it is not painful enough to change our behaviour”, he says. “However, to increase the employment rate, there is now a historic opportunity because we should not be trying to create jobs on the demand side. We must concentrate on the supply side: how to get more people into work.”

‘Talent is the new gold’

Belgium’s labour market, like most European countries, is now extraordinarily candidate-driven. “We already saw it happen before COVID shook up the labour market”, says Grégory Renardy, Executive Director of Michael Page Belgium and Luxembourg. “Belgium’s market was already leaning heavily towards being a candidate-driven market. It already was a war for talent, but in 2021 the war really expanded to all kinds of disciplines. I have never observed a market like this one.”

“It already was a war for talent, but in 2021 the war really expanded to all kinds of disciplines.”

“Talent is the new gold”, says Marleen Deleu, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of independent knowledge platform NextConomy. “Most business leaders and HR departments are now fully aware of the situation on the labour market. They are increasingly looking to invest in upskilling and reskilling programs. They’re simply starting to adjust their requirements and widen the talent pools.”

“I see this trend, revolving around a shortage of candidates, continuing with a strong force to begin the year.”

“We really feel like society has been operating between brackets for a year”, Renardy adds. “Now everyone has to recover in rapid fashion and find workforces. I see this trend, revolving around a shortage of candidates, continuing with a strong force to begin the year. And I expect, towards the end of 2022, we will come back to a labour market that is a bit more ‘normal’. I see it still being a market driven by candidates, but perhaps a tad more balanced.”

A reluctancy to hire across the border

Every country has its own strategy to deal with the European talent crisis, but Deleu notes that Belgian companies have perhaps been reluctant to do what others around them clearly have. As the number of freelancers has increased dramatically over time in France, Belgium’s rate of those who are self-employed within the workforce lies at 13.78%, slightly below the European average of 14.02%.

Cross the Belgian border

“Due to the scarcity in the local labour market they are looking for new talent pools but fear for legal and practical complexity of working remote makes them reluctant to do.”

“Some HR managers are now embracing the contingent workforce, but sadly this is still only a minority”, Deleu says. “Companies in Belgium only now start to look for talent across national borders. Due to the scarcity in the local labour market they are looking for new talent pools. But fear for legal and practical complexity of working remote makes them reluctant to do. Talent management still is siloed in most companies and there remains a lot of room for improvement here.”

‘Room for DEI improvement’

Meanwhile, Deleu and Thielemans argue that despite calls for diversity and inclusion policies have were made, 2022 could be the year targeted action is taken in Belgium. “We need to find a better selection and a non-discriminatory way to recruit people”, Thielemans says. “To give every talent on the labour market a chance, Flemish Minister of Employment Hilde Crevits and the sectors shifted up a gear.”

“Those actions must deliver something, namely that the results are better compared to the baseline measurement.”

“For the very first time, 33 sectors have committed themselves to charting the nature and extent of discrimination within their sector by means of a baseline measurement”, he adds. “This will reach nearly 1.9 million employees. These baseline measurements were carried out in 2021 and must now lead to actions on the part of these sectors. Those actions must deliver something, namely that the results are better compared to the baseline measurement.”

This is the first in a series of articles about recruitment in Belgium and the Belgian labour market. Subscribe to the ToTalent newsletter to stay updated about future, country-specific series on different countries throughout Europe. 

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Dutch pizza company now uses space travel to lure candidates

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Europe’s hospitality sector has struggled mightily throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The on-and-off lockdowns have lead to many workers within the sector deciding that other jobs simply offer more stability. It has resulted in unprecedented labour shortages for restaurants and hotels throughout the continent. And it is only expected to get worse in the coming months.

New research released by Medallia Zingle reveals that in fact 38% of hospitality workers across the world say they’re considering or already have plans to leave their jobs in the next two months, before the year ends. The report also points out that 33% of former hospitality workers who lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, aren’t planning on returning to the sector.

Desperate times call for desperate incentives

It’s been an uphill battle for most organisations around the world to find and attract enough talent. In India, companies are giving away iPhones to turn candidates into employees. In Minnesota, companies are giving away cold-hard cash for prospective employees to relocate. While in a typical age of the passive candidate that may have been enough — it simply doesn’t hold true for the 2021 labour market.

While everyone has enjoyed their run-ins with pizza deliverers, they too are becoming harder to find. In the US, Domino’s Pizza posted its first-ever decline in sales in 2021, largely because of the worker shortage. Earlier, the pizza chain had to admit that delivery times were also gradually increasing — with staff commonly citing a lack of desire to work and the ability to demand better pay and benefits in other sectors, according to an article by Business Insider.

An outlandish hiring campaign

Struggling to hire enough deliverers on the other side of the pond, Dutch pizza chain New York Pizza decided to take matters into its own hands. Rather than spending more money on job ads, referrals or relatively standard advertisements, they opted for a campaign with which they hope to hire 500 new employees. “We will send our best pizza deliverer into space”, says Philippe Vorst, CEO and founder of New York Pizza.

“In 2023, we will deliver the first-ever pizza to space.”

“We’ve reserved a spot for the first-possible commercial flight into space”, Vorst adds. “In 2023, we will deliver the first-ever pizza to space. With everyone feeling the side-effects of the  scarcity, we’re going further than anyone else to attract new deliverers.” The competition is set to cost the company a total sum of €200.000 and is open to all of its employees who have worked at the company for at least four months. The prize will be awarded to the pizza deliverer who receives the highest courier score in 2022.

‘It’s great PR’

The question will be, of course, whether the pizza chain will actually send one of its deliverers into space. “In all scenarios, it’s great PR”, says European labour market expert Geert-Jan Waasdorp of Intelligence Group. “I do doubt they’ll actually get someone to space — but I think they’ve accomplished what they set out to accomplish: it’s great PR.”

“They’re consistently setting the bar for employer impact strategy.”

“New York Pizza has accomplished one primary task that has been so difficult: reach a younger audience”, Waasdorp adds. “With a prior employer branding campaign, they likened the process of creation and delivery of a pizza to that of a popular drama series. It’s edgy, daring and it just works. They’re consistently setting the bar for employer impact strategy.”

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Did leaders lose their human side?

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With a mental health crisis and the great resignation looming over managerial heads, it has been a struggle to lead from afar. New times call for a new type of leadership. And that type of leadership may be regenerative. “Regenerative leadership to me, is to be of service”, Peter Griffiths, Leadership Coach, and Co-Founder and CEO of the Mind Takeaway, told Talentsoft. “It’s about building trust, creating psychological safety, developing creativity and listening.”

“If you really listen to your people, that in itself is a regenerative process”, he added. “It really comes down to understanding that you don’t really own that title. I recently interviewed someone who said he doesn’t see himself as a leader. We all ourselves leaders and leadership teams, almost innocently. But it’s down to the employees, your team or the organisation to really instil that.”

‘We lost our human side to leadership’

With the pandemic came challenges managers hadn’t seen for decades, according to Griffiths. “You could say that we lost our human side to leadership”, he said. “And then COVID happened, and it became clear that we all needed to support our people better. In that time, there were managers that thought: ‘Oh, I don’t have those skills’. How do I make people feel safe? How do I build trust, and communicate from a home-office? These are the things that had been lacking for a long time.”

“That’s the starting point: just gaining a perspective on your teams’ needs and wants.”

And as managers pondered over their own lack of soft skills, Griffiths relayed a simple question to them. “I asked them: what would you think would be meaningful if you put yourself in their shoes?What do you think they would need to feel safe, included and part of the team? Most of the time, it came down to checking in with each other and asking employees what it takes to feel safe. That’s the starting point: just gaining a perspective on their needs and wants.”

‘Being an authentic leader is about showing up’

Now, it is all about authenticity and vulnerability — which may be more easily accomplished than some might think. “It sounds like really difficult, but authenticity is literally just about showing up, even when you’re fearful”, Griffiths said. “Just turn off and be yourself. In many of my prior leadership positions I can honestly say I was wearing a mask. Until later on when I had a bit more experience and was more aware, I realised that the only impact I could have on the world was to show up and be myself.”

“I would literally go into work and say: I’m not really feeling it today, but I’ve got your back. I don’t have all the answers today, but let’s approach this together, and be curious as a team.”

In many ways, Griffiths made a U-turn when it came to any forced heroic-like leadership traits. “It’s about being innately curious and creative, something most leaders naturally have”, he added. “The only thing that gets in the way is when we think that we’re not. It sounds too easy, but that’s why it’s so difficult. There would be many days where I’d be in a mess and share that with my team. I would literally go into work and say: I’m not really feeling it today, but I’ve got your back. I don’t have all the answers today, but let’s approach this together, and be curious as a team.”

Want to know more?

New working environments ask for a new type of leaders, according to a study by Talentsoft. They identified 3 steps organisations can take in order to develop leaders who are ‘connectors’. Download the full Ebook: The Role of the Manager in 2021.

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Doctors surpass scientists as the most-trusted profession in the world; politicians rank dead-last

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Since 2018, global market research and public opinion specialist Ipsos has polled in 28 countries, posing survey questions about the trustworthiness of certain professions. Its 2021 edition of the Global Trustworthiness Index shows that doctors have become the most-trusted profession in the world. On average, almost two-thirds rate them as trustworthy (64%), an increase of 7% since 2019 and 9% since 2018.

In prior years, scientists were the first choice among those surveyed — illustrating a clear trustworthiness shift due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Scientists are still ranked second in the 2021 rankings at a 61% clip, while teachers (55%), Armed Forces (44%) and the police (40%) round off the top five.

Global Trustworthiness Ranking 2021. Source: Ipsos

No one trusts politicians

As doctors shot up the rankings, it should come as little surprise that politicians trended the other way. Globally, politicians were named the least-trusted profession with a global country average of 10%. The Netherlands lead all countries in that column, with a 19% trust score. Hungary’s trust in politicians came at a mere 4%, reverse leading Europe in trust in politicians with only Argentina’s politicians (3%) scoring worse score.

Government ministers did slightly better, earning a global country average of 14%. Sweden’s government ministers recorded the world’s highest score with 26%. Spain’s government ministers only received a 9% trustworthiness score, the lowest in Europe. 

Net trust score. Source: Ipsos

Malaysians are the most trustworthy people in the world

Ipsos also calculated a complete index score, as calculated as the sum of trust across all professions, subtracting the total distrust scores. It showed that Malaysia has the most trust across all professions (index score of 333), followed by India (275). Sweden is the highest European country in terms of trust (264). Followed by the Netherlands (230), Great Britain (134), France (122) and Germany (107).

The only European countries that recorded a negative net score were Hungary, Poland and Spain.

Remarkably, four South American countries are ranked at the bottom of the bunch. Colombia, Chile, Peru and Argentina all had quite extraordinarily low scores — indicating little trust across all professions. Notable categories that had their hand in the abysmal net trust scores: armed forces, police, journalists, government ministers, civil servants and, of course, politicians. The only European countries that recorded a negative net score were Hungary, Poland and Spain.

The four lessons for work post-pandemic: ‘It all comes down to flexibility and trust’

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A hybrid working arrangement? New coaching benefits? As the way we worked changed, so did the wishes of both candidates and employees. Recently, Undutchables hosted a webinar where job market experts Sarah Haïlé-Fida and Angela Fusaro shared their four lessons for work post-pandemic.

Lesson 1: People really can work from anywhere

During the pandemic, many employees suddenly ended up working from home. For companies who had never worked with a fully-remote or hybrid model, it became a period of adjustments and reinvention. “Obviously, we have learned during this pandemic that we can be productive and efficient working from anywhere, especially our homes, even when it’s messy, and it’s noisy”, said Angela Fusaro, career coach at Every Mother Knows.

According to a Chicago Booth survey, workers are approximately 7% more productive when working from home. Their survey showed 40% of workers reported they were more productive at home during the pandemic than they had been when in the office, and only 15% said the opposite was true. Overall, the researchers estimate overall worker productivity will increase by 5% as compared with the pre-pandemic economy.

Lesson 2: A work-life balance is essential

Although people can be productive from anywhere, there is a difference between thriving or just making something work. Preserving a healthy work-life balance presents an interesting challenge for employees and employers alike. “Setting boundaries has been a big challenge these days for many working professionals”, Fusaro said. “Because everything is blended and integrated working from home, so we need some sort of balance.”

“It’s a question of how and whether the company built a culture, or developed a culture, of accommodating everyone.”

That sentiment is echoed by Sarah Haïlé-Fida, work and recruitment consultant at Time2change and the French Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands. But according to Haïlé-Fida, that balance needs to be firmly outlined within the company culture. “I would say that it’s not a question of being in the office or working remotely”, she said. “It’s a question of how and whether the company built a culture, or developed a culture, of accommodating everyone. We don’t necessarily talk about the same thing when are talking about flexibility. To me, it all comes down to flexibility and trust.”

“I think that returning to the office will also help”, Fusaro adds. “But also be able to understand when it is important to switch off and to do something different. “Working parents have learned that the support they get at home can benefit their work, and vice versa. The support that they get from their employers at the workplace can also benefit their private and family life. A balance is so important.”

Lesson 3: Flexibility is key

Even before the pandemic struck, employee flexibility was steadily becoming an unmissable trend. “I think flexibility was already a topic before Covid-19, and I think in many instances the pandemic has just accelerated what we were seeing”, said Haïlé-Fida. “Even prior to the pandemic, 14% of employees in the Netherlands were already working remotely several days a week, whereas it was 6.6% in France and 5% in Germany.”

It seems companies, or at least the ad teams, are listening to what candidates want. “Every job ad I see in the Netherlands speaks about not wanting a ‘9-to-5 mentality’, but what does it really mean?”, Haïlé-Fida asked. “Does it mean that you have to be a self-starter? Does it mean that you have enough autonomy, so you can work on your own and be productive on your own? Or does it mean that you can be reached outside your working hours?”

“A company should first understand what it needs. That’s in terms of being in the office, working together, communication — and then see how they can accommodate every employee.”

“In my opinion, a company should first try to understand what it needs”, she said. “That’s in terms of being in the office, working together, communication — and then see how they can accommodate every employee. And how and what they can offer in terms of a split between being in the office, or working remote, or a combination of both. Because otherwise it’s like everyone can do what they want, but you don’t have a real culture within your company.”

Lesson 4: Employees care about benefits that ‘support their lives’

When we think of benefits, we tend to think of big bonuses and other financial rewards. But if the past two years have shown us anything, it’s that the finances become secondary amidst a global pandemic. “Nowadays employees are also looking for total reward benefits, which don’t have to do only with salaries and bonuses but can really have an impact on their life”, said Fusaro. “Think of: childcare, coaching and opportunities to connect to others.”

“We had a company that was offering French lessons to a Dutch candidate in the Netherlands so they can communicate better with headquarters.”

“I think training and the opportunity to develop and grow within a company is definitely a trend for candidates”, Haïlé-Fida added. “They ask more and more about what kind of training or what kind of growth they will be able to have within a company. For example: we had a company that was offering French lessons to a Dutch candidate in the Netherlands, so they can communicate better with headquarters.”

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The true state of freelancers in Europe: less self-employed workers, but critical for the future

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Imagine a young graphic designer located in the city of Forbach, in the North of France. The jobs keep coming in. And after a year, the designer starts a full-on freelance business, designing logo’s for one of France’s leading unicorns. Now, if that person would spend 10 minutes on the RE18 bus to Saarbrücken, just over the border in Southwestern Germany, perhaps the same job opportunities would not be available to them.

A continent of many differences

Although often viewed from afar as one place, Europe has always been defined by subtle intricacies and differences. Whether through legislation or tradition, the continent has always seen vast differences between neighbouring countries. For Germany and France, those differences couldn’t be bigger in terms of its freelancing regulations.

Whether through legislation or tradition, the continent has always seen vast differences between neighbouring countries.

With the number freelancers on the rise, France introduced a new, simplified system in 2011. With that number, freelancers were able to get a registration number in less than 48 hours. It meant that the freelance graphic designer could invoice customers with limited taxation up to €70,000 per year, regardless of company size. In Germany, you cannot meet any client with more than 250 employees without having to deal with the Scheinselbstständigkeit.

The ‘monster law’ leading to fewer freelancers in Germany

The Scheinselbstständigkeit translates into ‘false self-employment’. It is a complex model Germany which has often been referred to as a ‘horrid monster of German Labour Law’. It seeks to differentiate between those working singular freelance jobs (for one main contractor). As opposed to multiple contractors, which is required under German legislation for freelancers.

German tax authorities take the Scheinselbstständigkeit very seriously as a form of social security fraud.

False self-employment occurs when someone, according to the underlying contract, provides independent services or works for a third-party company, but actually does non-self-employed work in an employment relationship. German tax authorities take the Scheinselbstständigkeit very seriously as a form of social security fraud — and it can lead to enormous fines and even a prison sentence when found guilty.

France has seen a 16% increase in its amount of freelancers, while Germany has seen a 16.8% decrease over the same time-period.

Over the past 10 years, the two respective policies have ensured movements in opposite directions. France has seen a 16% increase in its amount of freelancers, according to Eurostat. Germany, meanwhile, has seen its freelance percentage decrease by 16.8% over the same time-period.

Europe’s total number of freelancers has decreased

Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands have also seen its freelance workforce grow over the past ten years. But overall, Europe’s total number of freelancers has steadily decreased. The continent’s workforce consists of approximately 14.02% freelancers. Eurostat data shows that there were roughly 27.6 million self-employed people working in the 27 European Union countries. Remarkably, that number is down by around million compared to ten years earlier. In 2010, Europe had 28.8 million self-employed workers at a 15.42% rate.

Remarkably, the total number of freelancers number is down by around million compared to 2010.

Digital freelancers are older than you’d think

In 2020, freelance platform Malt and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) jointly conducted a survey of more than 2,324 respondents in three countries (France, Germany, Spain) to better understand freelancing dynamics in Europe. It was able to gather information on ‘digital freelancers’. A group defined as ‘independent workers who deliver intellectual, professional services to companies’.

In France, the average age of freelancers is 37. In Germany, the average age lies at 45. And in Spain, the average is 40. 

“It is a population of about 6 million individuals in Europe: consisting of those working in Tech & Data, Arts & Design, Marketing & Com, Business Services, Support Function and others like legal, purchasing and research”, Quentin Debavelaere of Malt wrote. Their research paper disputes the notion that freelance jobs are predominantly done by millennials. In France, the average age of freelancers is 37. In Germany, the average age lies at 45. And in Spain, the average is 40. 

Once a freelancer, always a freelancer

Most freelancers don’t start off as a freelancer, according to the Malt and BCG report. “In most cases, they have built up their skills for years as employees before moving on to becoming independent consultants going from project to project”, the researchers state. Overall, the research found that 94% of current freelancers used to work full-time for a company.

On average, 84% of freelancers in France and Germany don’t want to go back.

But when freelancers eventually make the leap, a vast majority of them don’t want to go back to full-time employment. On average, 84% of freelancers in France and Germany don’t want to go back, while 74% of Spaniards are not looking to surrender their autonomy. “This trend is even stronger for freelancers working in tech and data in France (89%) and Germany (95%)”, the report adds.

‘Freelancers are crucial to the digital revolution’

Vinciane Beauchene

Finally, the report uses the freelancer’s way of operating as a perfect example of how companies can accelerate their digital transformation. “Working for the most part remotely, freelancers are particularly adept at new ways of working such as agile mode, and they devote nearly 5 hours a week to developing their skills”, says Vinciane Beauchene, Managing Partner & Director at BCG. “This provides an interesting example of how to successfully develop a digital culture and train internal staff in new ways of working.”

“Autonomy and trust allow people to move quickly and make the right decisions. Freelancers are already a great example of what this new approach to work can yield.”

“In the future, companies will have to extend more freedom to their employees and let them choose what is best for them”, the report concludes. “Control costs time, whereas autonomy and trust allow people to move quickly and make the right decisions, both for themselves and for the company. Freelancers are already a great example of what this new approach to work can yield.”

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Will the post-Covid workplace really be Back to Better?

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Before we start applying new ways of working post-Covid, It is important to make sure that the definitions line up. “Back to better” refers to getting back into a work environment after the pandemic that includes improvements and getting rid of negative traditions so that the new normal is even better than before. Meanwhile, a “hybrid work environment” simply means combining different ways of working and allowing for flexibility, be that in location, hours, or other areas.

Two unique perspectives

Recently, Undutchables’ Emmanuele van Houdenhoven got together with two other market experts to discuss trends and opportunities of the fast-approaching post-covid job market. Sarah Haïlé-Fida from Avenir-Emploi is a community builder. She helps expats find a job and get settled in the Netherlands, as well as working to strengthen connections between French companies and international workers.

Angela Fusaro from Every Mother Knows works with parents returning to the workforce after a parental break, and helps to create diverse and inclusive work environments. The niche market focus of both Fusaro and Haïlé-Fida brings a unique and helpful perspective to the conversation due to their close-up view of the market trends.

‘Working parents will be keen on a hybrid scheme’

One of the major issues companies currently revolves around a simple question: is it necessary to have people in the office? Are there times when you need all team members physically present or are digital meetings sufficient? “Most of the employees are looking forward to reconnecting to their office lives”, said Fusaro. “They have missed their colleagues and often a tidy desk, especially working parents.”

“I’ve seen that many working parents who used to work full-time, discovered the pleasure of being more present in their family lives.”

“But at the same time, organisations have learned that we can be productive while we work from home”, she continued. “Working parents will be keen on retaining some of that hybrid scheme. I’ve seen that many working parents who used to work full-time, discovered the pleasure of being more present in their family lives. Beyond the challenges, there is clearly some joy that they found. Those parents will want to keep that.”

‘It’s all about flexibility and trust’

When it comes to a broader strategy to retain talent and keep the workforce happy, much of the discussion revolves around flexibility and trust, Haïlé-Fida remarked. “For the candidate, flexibility will mainly be related to work-life balance. Can I arrive at the office a little bit later or leave a bit earlier because I have to take care of my children? It all comes down to the level of trust in the company – and the framework regarding flexibility and trust.”

“It’s not a question of being in the office or working remotely, it’s about whether a company has built a culture that accommodates everyone.”

For both organisations and employees, boundaries will be a key word moving forward. “You have to figure out your boundaries and expectations as an employer”, Haïlé-Fida added, citing freelancers as the perfect example. “Freelancers often know how manage their time and their relationship with work. If they don’t do it, they are working 24/7. It’s not a question of being in the office or working remotely, it’s about whether a company has built a culture that accommodates everyone.”

And communication

“Some people may want to work flexible hours and some may like the 9-5 schedule”, she continued. “With a diverse workforce you will discover that individuals have different needs and expectations, stemming from their personal situation, cultural norms, and many other factors. The best way to determine how you can work flexibly is to have the conversation with each employee and find out what people need. Then you can offer them the best, personalised option available within the working strategy and boundaries you have developed.”

“Communication will be the key in this process in order to lay out expectations from both sides and find the perfect combination of trust and flexibility”

And as soon as those boundaries and expecations are defined, the next step is communication. “Communication will be the key in this process in order to lay out expectations from both sides and find the perfect combination of trust and flexibility”, the expert say. “If you keep the conversation open you will be able to continue to find win-win situations that help your company and employees move forward and truly create a situation that is back to better.”

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