Guides

How to effectively manage staff redundancies

​Due to the current economic climate, businesses may be presented with some difficult decisions to make regarding their workforce, including redundancy.Employers may have to write redundancy letters during economic downturns - when the business is experiencing a reduction in revenue, when restructuring operations or departments due to changes in the market, or when technological advancements mean jobs have become automated or outsourced.Managing and making staff redundancies across a business is often an unpleasant but necessary task that many employers may have to consider when reducing their headcount. When faced with the prospect of making redundancies, it’s important for employers to manage the process effectively and efficiently to minimise the impact on both the affected employees and the entire business.Here are some steps employers can take to manage staff redundancies:Create a redundancy planHaving a redundancy plan in place will help employers effectively manage every stage of the process, from consultation and planning to notification and evaluation. It’s important to make sure the initial plan includes checks to see if there is a genuine redundancy situation, what the timescales are, and how consultation will take place.For each stage of the plan, a record needs to be kept, ensuring the entire process is accountable to be delivered efficiently and legally. Redundancy plans should include: An explanation as to why redundancies are being made A timetable outlining next stepsThe meeting process for all affected employeesThe meeting process for all unaffected employeesAn outline of the redundancy criteria and selection processHow the announcements will be madeIf redundancies are in fact unavoidable, the latter stages of the plan should also include selection, notices and payments.Be lawful, fair and transparentRedundancy can be seen as a fair reason for dismissal, but should only be used in certain circumstances where the employee’s role no longer exists and/or is no longer required within the business.As such, when considering employees for redundancy, employers should use a selection criteria that is fair and objective, which might include an employee’s:SkillsExperiencePerformanceLength of serviceEmployers must comply with employment laws and regulations when managing redundancies. According to the Equality Act 2010, it’s unlawful to make someone redundant by reason of a protected characteristic. These include age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, race or religion.Following the correct legal procedure is imperative, as failure to do so can lead to wrongful dismissal claims. Employers should consult with employees and/or their representatives when making decisions that affect their jobs.Offer clear communicationAs with most situations that concern employees, communication is key when it comes to managing redundancies. Be open and honest with employees about the situation – it always helps to explain the reasons for the redundancy and provide as much information as possible about the process.This information can be hard to hear, so employers are encouraged to act sensitively to the emotions of those affected and provide support where necessary. For that reason, the process needs to be transparent, and employees should know what to expect throughout.Alongside the employee, it’s important to remember that redundancies can impact the business in more ways than one – and stakeholders with an interest in the organisation should also receive clear communication. Anyone from customers to suppliers and investors have the right to be informed about any changes, but the focus should be on reassuring them about the future of the business.Remember, communication is there to help to manage any negative impact on the organisation’s reputation or relationships.Provide employee support and guidanceRedundancy can be a traumatic experience for any employee. Therefore, providing the necessary support and guidance to help affected workers cope with the news can go a long way, not only in terms of maintaining best practice but for business reputation.Employers can help employees through:Finding new employmentAccessing training and reskilling opportunitiesCV support and career coachingJob search advice and recommendationsAs redundancy is a last option, it’s worth considering whether there are any suitable alternative roles within the business that impacted employees could be offered.Anyone who has worked for their employer for at least two years at the time their job ends should be offered an alternative role if one is available, or at least be made aware of any opportunities across the business. This may involve individuals undertaking training or upskilling to take on different roles – but if the offer isn’t taken up, the employee will be deemed as dismissed through redundancy and be entitled to receive statutory redundancy pay.This payment is there to help employees during the transition period as they look for new employment, and should be calculated correctly and paid in a timely manner.Consider remaining employeesRedundancies can have a significant impact on remaining employees, who may feel demotivated, stressed, or uncertain about their own job security. As much as the focus may be on creating a supportive environment for those leaving the company, be mindful to keep your existing workforce updated and supported throughout the stressful period.While those workers may not have faced dismissal, they may have been affected by witnessing the experience of their colleagues, which can negatively impact their morale. This can be harmful to the working environment, business operations and to employee performance.Continue to learn and adaptManaging redundancies can be a difficult process, but it can also provide an opportunity for an organisation to learn from the experience and improve upon its practices. Employers should conduct a post-redundancy review to evaluate the situation and identify any areas for improvement so, if it does need to happen again, the business is better prepared.During the redundancy talks, it may be worth taking any feedback on board from the affected employees. This can be used to make changes to any practice and policy currently in place, and, most importantly, improve the support and guidance provided. Proactive measures can help build resilience and better prepare managers for any future challenges.Employers should also look at their redundancy process as a whole, making sure line managers are able to confidently deal with these types of situation. According to research by employment law support firm WorkNest, 74% of employers aren’t providing any training to their line managers on how to handle redundancies – indicating the scale of potential emotional damage that could be routinely occurring though no fault of their own.Staff redundancies can be a challenge, but it’s imperative that the process runs as smoothly as possible. By taking the time to plan, execute and evaluate the task, employers can minimise the impact that redundancies can have on all involved.​

Menopause policy (downloadable template)

Among the many practical workplace measures employers can offer to support employees going through menopause, a dedicated menopause policy will provide a foundation for fair treatment and a point of reference for employees in need of advice or guidance. A willingness to listen to those who are facing this sometimes-challenging life stage amplifies a company’s culture, demonstrates a commitment to learn and act, ultimately leading to greater employee happiness and retention, and new talent attraction.To help you decide on the type of support you might offer your employees, we have created a menopause template outlining what menopause is, who it affects, common symptoms and some practical steps that might be considered to help people manage their symptoms at work – from flexible working to desk fans and access to quiet wellbeing spaces.In June 2023, Reed conducted a snap survey of 1,000 employed women in the UK aged 45-54 who are experiencing the menopause. When questioned whether they felt their symptoms affect them at work physically, 74% agreed – while a shocking 77% said they felt their symptoms impact them mentally.And while 44% state they are comfortable talking to their employer about menopause, an almost equal number – 42% – are not, suggesting more needs to be done to support workers.According to the survey, 46% of people said their employer does not have a menopause policy in place, while 28% didn’t know. Using our template can remove the doubt and uncertainty among staff and instil confidence in receiving support when needed.Our editable workplace menopause policy template includes:What is menopause?Understanding the terminologySome common menopause symptoms and the support availableKey responsibilities and who to contactAdditional supportMenopause can no longer be swept under the carpet – our policy template can be used as a guide to update your current policy, or will allow you to create a policy if you don’t already have one.​

Reed’s Turkey salary guide 2023

​Use our salary guide to compare the average salary in Turkey by sector - a resource for both employers and employees.Our 2023 salary guide looks at average salaries and benefits across seven sectors in Turkey. The guide enables you to benchmark pay and benefits for your workforce across the country or discover your earning potential. Download our free salary guide now. ​The cost-of-living crisis and exponential rise in inflation has caused uncertainty throughout the country, while Turkey’s workforce has substantially reduced due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic, and talent shortages across multiple sectors. ​It’s crucial in this strained and candidate-driven market that you re-examine your salaries and compare them against your competition to attract and retain the right professionals. ​By using our guide, you’ll understand the value of jobs across the country, helping you to stand out when looking for new employees or searching for a new role. ​Who is our salary guide for? Whether you’re looking to determine if you’re earning enough now, if a career move could be more lucrative, or whether you’re paying your staff adequately, our salary guides allow you to compare pay across the country in multiple sectors – from accountancy and finance jobs to technology roles. ​Do you need benchmarking advice? Use our salary guide to compare salaries and consider the most desirable benefits to offer your employees, to ensure your remuneration packages are competitive. With talent shortages and high demand, you must arm yourself with the market knowledge to help you retain your existing workforce. Doing this will encourage a greater number of applications to your roles. ​What should you be earning? Use our 2023 suite of salary guides to evaluate your worth, help you decide whether to accept a new job, or map out your career path – could a move to a different sector be worth your while? ​What sectors does the guide cover? In our Reed Turkey 2023 salary guide, we look at salaries and benefits across the following sectors: ​Accountancy & finance ​Business support & administration ​Engineering & manufacturing ​Human resources ​Marketing & sales ​Procurement & supply chain ​Technology ​So, whether you’re looking to hire a chief information officer (CIO), chief financial officer (CFO), HR business partner, or marketing research manager – or if you’re trying to find out what you should be earning as a payroll specialist, junior auditor, or director of procurement, you can use Reed’s guide for reassurance. ​Why choose the Reed Turkey salary guide? Reed’s salary guide is the most reliable available and has been put together with data and insight from our own recruitment experts. ​In addition, the guide features an overview of the sectors nationally, with insights from our experts. ​Our data will help you ensure you make the most informed choices. ​Salary and benefits benchmarking We surveyed 115 workers to inform our salary guide. You can read the full analysis in our ‘Our survey says’ section of the guide. ​Key findings from our research include: ​Over a quarter (26%) are ‘somewhat unhappy’ with their current salary – 16% reporting to be ‘very unhappy’ with it. When asked why they are unhappy, 100% of those respondents said it was because their salary had not risen in line with the cost of living. ​Three per cent of those surveyed said they do not receive any benefits where they currently work. ​Of those who receive benefits, the top three most common are company mobile phones (67%), performance bonus (57%), and health insurance (56%). ​When looking for a new job, 72% would find a company car/car allowance to be one of the most attractive benefits, followed by health insurance and performance bonus (both 65%), and an annual salary increment (58%). ​To effectively benchmark salaries and benefits, use the button above to download our Turkey salary guide for 2023 now.

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Reed’s Turkey salary guide 2022

Looking for 2023 salaries? Pre-register for a free copy of our 2023 Reed Malta Salary Guide today and we'll notify you as soon as it's launched.​​The pandemic left Turkey facing the highest inflation growth the country has seen in 20 years and a depreciated currency. Employers across the country now face the challenges of raising salaries to match the rate of inflation and competition for talent in a candidate-driven market. ​Our guide will help business leaders understand the extent to which they should raise their salaries to attract and retain the best professionals for their open roles. And on the flip side, ensure those looking for work are not demanding unreasonable salaries. ​Using data from the jobs we have taken across Turkey over the last three years, our guide provides the salaries expected in 2022. It is the best way to make informed choices about your current or future career, or ensure your company is offering what employees really want – helping you to stay a step ahead of your closest competitors by securing the right people. ​The guide also contains insight from a snap survey of professionals across the country to highlight what people desire from an employer; assessing salary, benefits offered, benefits desired and employee confidence. Who are these salary guides designed for?​Our guide has been designed to provide the latest insights for those looking for work, those currently in work and companies looking to hire.​Jobseekers can use the guides to assess what they should be earning in their new role.​Companies looking to attract new people to their workforce can stay one step ahead and benchmark their salaries and benefits to make sure they are attracting innovative professionals who are a good match for their organisation.​Employees looking for a promotion, or even to ensure they are being paid the going rate, can use the salary guidance to ensure their pay and benefits are in line with market rates.​What sectors do the Reed salary guides cover?​The guide covers seven of the biggest sectors in Turkey, assessing roles at all levels. So, whether you are looking to take the step from procurement specialist to procurement manager, or looking to hire for a sales director to spearhead your business growth, Reed’s salary and benefits insight will assist you in doing just that.​​Reed’s 2022 Turkey salary guide covers the following industries:​Accountancy & financeBusiness supportEngineeringHuman resourcesProcurement & supply chainSales & marketingTechnologyWhy should I download Reed’s salary guides?​Our guides offer you comprehensive advice and insight from industry experts. This, alongside data for some of the most popular jobs in Turkey – giving you a lower, average and upper salary band – will help you to make the right decisions.​The guide also provides in-depth analysis of what Turkish workers at all levels really want. Some key insight from our snap survey includes:76% of respondents said they were unhappy with their salary Only nine percent of companies allow employees to create a bespoke benefits package, while 39% want this option 65% said that it has become harder to find people with the right skills ​“Companies should adjust their onboarding, training and retention strategies to ensure they are ready to offer attractive salaries and benefits packages when suitable candidates enter the job market. The best way to drive business growth is through retention of staff and hiring the best talent.” - Asiye Yildrim, General Manager, Reed​

Remote onboarding: successfully settle into your new job online

​Working remotely is not a new concept, but there are some employees who have never worked from home before. With organisations now looking to remotely onboard new employees, some may find it more challenging than starting a role in an office.This blog will explore the considerations you should make so that you can be an essential member of the team and acclimate quickly to your new role.Home officeOne of the first things to consider is finding a good working environment within your home, with minimal interruptions and maximum concentration. It doesn’t have to be an office of your own, just a place that is yours, that you can leave at the end of the day.Work-life balance is crucial to our mental health, but it’s impossible to completely maintain during the lockdown, so you need to compartmentalise and use indicators that let you know you’re either working or not working i.e. a desk for work use only.TechnologyYour company should send you all the resources you need, including computers, keyboards etc. but you need to prepare your home for the increased and prolonged use of technology. You may need to upgrade your broadband or the capacity of your own computer, for example. Your electricity and internet bills will rise, but there are tax reliefs for that, so look into how you can claim money back for the increased cost.Find out what platforms your team is using and how they want you to share your work or collaborate – then familiarise yourself with these systems and processes. Your routine may depend on that of others going forward. Get acquainted with their system in the first day or two so you can start contributing as quickly as possible without mishaps – this may require seeking out the best person in your team to be ‘on-call’ for any support.CommunicationWhen you’re in an office environment, it’s more likely that you’ll have casual conversations with your new colleagues in the vicinity. Now, you must make an effort to get in contact with them. You will likely have an introductory team meeting over Zoom, MS Teams or other software, but to get to know people better, you should be proactive. Aim to set up meetings with everyone individually, to find out who they are, what their role is, how you can support them – and also a bit about them outside of work.Most new starters, especially if they’re new to the industry, will need a lot of support and your team will expect you to ask for help rather than figure it out alone. Utilise the technology to keep in touch with your manager and colleagues as and when you need to. There will always be someone in your team who can help you out, but you need to ask. Find someone who can help you connect to others you need to know in the organisation.ExpectationsWhen anyone starts a job, you must first learn what your boss and team expect of you, and what you should expect from them in turn. Part of getting to know your team and their roles is learning what you will need from each other. You might find that your boss is checking on you a lot to begin with, but that will lessen over time as you build their trust by meeting or exceeding their expectations.Ask if there is anything you need to learn more about and aim to build your skills as you work – there are so many online resources and courses to choose from, it’s good to ask for some recommendations. Gaining relevant skills will benefit your team as well as yourself.Soft skillsCommunication is one of the most common soft skills that employers look for – others such as flexibility, resilience and time management are also highly desirable, especially during the lockdown. Having a good attitude, being eager to learn, and offering to do more to support your team will help you stand out as a valuable team member.Part of being proactive is having your own opinions and ideas, and sharing them in order to help the team. This may take a while to get right if you’re just getting the hang of things, so no one will expect perfect solutions right away – but if you do have an idea, don’t be afraid to share it because it may spark others’ creativity. The worst that can happen is they say no. It’s better to make mistakes and ask questions at the beginning so that you can learn and grow.You may be working from home for a long time, so make as much effort as you can to stay professional, stay connected, and make a good impression.If you’re still searching for your next remote role, or a talented candidate to share this information with, contact any Reed office via phone or email.

Top 10 competency-based interview questions to find the perfect candidate

​​This list of competency-based questions encourage interviewees to use real-life examples in their answers. You get to understand how a candidate made a decision, and see the outcome of their actions.Our top ten list of competency-based interview questions will help you recruit the skills your team needs.1. What are your greatest strengths?This is a classic interview question, and with good reason.It’s a chance for your candidate to prove they have the right skills for the role. Keep the job description in mind to see whether the interviewee understands how their skills relate to the role.Remember you’re looking for transferable skills, not proof that they’ve done the role before.2. What will your skills and ideas bring to this company?This competency-based question is an opportunity to see which of your candidates stand out from the crowd.A good candidate will show an understanding of your company goals within their answer. A great candidate will offer practical examples of how their skills can help you achieve that vision.3. What have you achieved elsewhere?Confidence is key in this competency-based question. It gives your candidate an opportunity to talk about previous successes and experiences that relate to your vacancy.Make sure the achievements you take away from their answers are work-related and relevant to what you’re looking for.4. How have you improved in the last year?Candidates can tie themselves up in knots trying to disguise their weaknesses. This competency-based interview question is a chance to show a willingness to learn from their mistakes.It’s also an opportunity to test the candidate’s level of self-awareness and desire to develop."Competency-based interview questions ask for real-life examples to show a candidate’s skills."5. Tell me about a time you supported a member of your team who was strugglingThis competency-based question will test your candidate’s ability to show compassion towards their colleagues without losing sight of their own objectives.Those further along in their career should be able to reference training or mentoring that not only helped their co-worker but also improved team performance.6. Give an example of a time you’ve had to improvise to achieve your goalIn other words: “Can you think on your feet?” It is increasingly important to be able to react to unexpected situations.The candidate’s answer should highlight their ability to keep their cool and perform in a scenario they haven’t prepared for.7. What was the last big decision you had to make?The answer to this question should be a window into your candidate’s decision-making process and whether their reasoning is appropriate for your role.This is a competency-based question designed to highlight how an interviewee makes decisions. Do they use logical reasoning? Gut intuition? However they manage big decisions, does their approach match what you’re looking for?8. Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult personAll candidates should be able to reference an experience of working with a challenging colleague. Look for them to approach this question with honesty and a clear example of working through the experience.Rather than passing blame, there should be a recognition of the part they have played in the situation, and how they might tackle it differently next time.It’s essential to get a sense of how candidates would fit and thrive within your company culture.9. What was the last thing you taught?You’ve asked the interviewee about their skills, but can they show a capability for teaching others about these skills?This question isn’t restricted to managerial or senior roles, and should be asked whenever you’re looking for a candidate who will add value to your team.10. Why are you a good fit for this company?The key to this competency-based question is whether the candidate can explain how their transferable skills would fit your role. This tests both an awareness of their own abilities and an understanding of what you are looking for in a new employee.The candidate should be able to confidently explain why they want to work for your company, and convince you that they would fit your team culture.If you’re interested in learning more about interviews, please contact your local recruitment specialist.​