Month: April 2024

With global uncertainty – conflicts, climate change, and economic struggles – employees are navigating tough times. They’re also increasingly seeking a stronger sense of belonging and purpose in their work. On top of this, challenges such as multi-generational workforces, a healthcare system under extreme pressure, and a growing burnout and mental health crisis are compounding the difficulties for HR. And ever present are the rapid technological changes and heightened concerns about AI and automation. These all combine to make HR’s role more vital – and complex – than ever.

Never more has HR needed to be positioned as a strategic partner, contributing valuable insights to decision-making.

Examining the reputation of HR

On the 19th April, we were delighted to host a virtual discussion for HR leaders focusing on raising the HR profile both externally and internally.  Our CEO and Co-Founder, Sally Pritchett was joined by expert in HR PR, Kay Phelps, and together they discussed the impact of the negative media narrative on HR.

Kay shared a range of recent headlines from ‘What’s the point of HR?’ (FT Podcast)​ and ‘How the HR monster destroyed the workplace’ (Telegraph)​ to the rather depressing ‘Why everyone (still) hates HR’ (TLNT)​ and ‘HR viewed as least productive department by employees’. (HR Magazine).

Kay and Sally reflected on the adage ‘sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me’ suggesting that in this case, it appears that words are hurting the professional reputation of the HR function with 83% of HR professionals believing that HR is suffering from a tarnished reputation (Cezanne/HR Ninja research)​ and 54% of HR professionals feeling they rarely or never receive recognition for their efforts​.

But there’s evidence that the damage is far worse than purely this tarnished reputation within organisations with poor and ever-diminishing investment in HR clearly out of balance with other functions.

Average HR function spend (as a percentage of revenue) stands at just 0.76% in comparison to other better-funded functions like Finance achieving 1.30%, IT at 3.25% and even marketing (a previously also function challenged by its reputation as a colouring in the department) now achieving a whopping 7.5%. (Gartner research)​

Worst still, this underfunding is potentially set to worsen as 25% of 2023 HR budgets decreased year on year, (adding to a decrease of 12% in the previous year). (Fortune)

Strategies for shaping perception and impact

HR’s role in the business is expanding rapidly, encompassing critical areas such as workplace culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), employee well-being, and talent acquisition. This includes fostering a sense of inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety, as well as aligning the workforce with the organization’s purpose and creating fulfilling roles. HR is also tasked with navigating the complexities of hybrid working arrangements, engaging a diverse workforce, and ensuring a seamless employee experience from start to finish. Furthermore, HR plays a pivotal role in talent retention amidst a competitive landscape, bridging generational gaps, supporting executive development, and preparing for the AI-enabled future of work. Amidst organizational transformations, HR juggles these responsibilities alongside redundancy programs, restructures, and job redesigns. The scope of HR’s remit is ever-expanding.

With HR being the least funded function and investment headed in the wrong direction whilst the remit and complexity of strategic HR’s role growing, Sally and Kay were keen to create a circuit breaker, seeking practical and tangible ways to help HR leaders move forward.

Sally reflected on a similar challenge a decade ago in her career, supporting a shift in the reputation of a marketing function including successfully increasing team size, budget and strategic profile within the business after three years of educating the wider business, shifting narrative from output (delivery) to impact (the difference made).

Kay and Sally shared their advice on building personal profiles, leveraging external media, engaging in the HR award landscape, educating their internal stakeholders and demonstrating their strategic contribution.

To find out more about their advice, watch the video below, or book a call to talk about your challenges with Sally here.

The conversation on health and safety at work has been shifting for some time now. The emphasis used to be on safety, prioritising physical injury prevention, such as addressing slips, trips, falls, proper lifting techniques, and the importance of PPE, or adherence to safety protocols for tasks at heights. However, there has been a notable shift towards a more comprehensive perspective, encompassing not only physical safety but also considerations of health and wellbeing.

At Something Big our mission is to make a meaningful difference to workplaces, making them fairer, healthier and happier for all. In this article, we’re unraveling a little more on what we might mean by a ‘healthier’ workplace.

What is a healthy workplace?

We often refer to an organisation only being as healthy as its people, so it’s great to unravel what that might look like in the context of a world where according to the World Economic Forum we’re living longer but not necessarily healthier. Interestingly wealth has often also been seen as a measure of health, the thought that those with money could therefore afford better food, lifestyles and would automatically thus be healthier. We now know that wellbeing is not this linear.

If we narrow health down to the workplace we can see some clear buckets of health and wellbeing including:

• Physical injuries (perhaps the heartland of HSE)

• Cancer (an area of opportunity for employers to provider better support)

• Cardiovascular disease (the largest global killer according to the WHO)

• Respiratory conditions

• Macular degeneration

• Mental health issues (a topic of much greater awareness in the past few years)

When we consider these six themes it’s clear that much of our HSE effort in the workplace focuses in on a small part of the wider topics.

Of course, the nature of risk varies depending on the industry in which an organisation operates. Physically demanding industries may understandably prioritise injury prevention, while desk-oriented businesses are increasingly focused on mental wellbeing.

It may be useful to consider the nature of your workforce to spot who may need what support:

• Outdoor workers who may have physically demanding roles

• Indoor workers, desk-based workers, in particular those working from home may now have very sedentary or lonely roles

• Workers in high-stress roles, like those with abusive customers or in traumatic situations

• Vulnerable workers, like pregnant people, older adults, or employees with disabilities

• Workers from challenging demographics, such as those facing language barriers or discrimination for example.

Looking at the workforce through this lens enables communications and support to be more tailored and as a result more effective.

Whichever sector an organisation operates in or whatever the makeup of their workforce, it’s critical that organisations drive the health, wellbeing and safety agenda. Here are top three tips for successfully leading the wellbeing conversation in the workplace:

1. Avoid the ‘one and done’ approach

Whilst celebrating awareness days like World Day for Safety & Health at Work are great, try to avoid big campaigns being the only time in the year to communicate with the workforce. We find creating sustainable and meaningful awareness and driving healthy cultures requires a rumble and roar approach. There needs to be year round, always on, communication supported by big campaign ‘roars’ a couple of times a year to be the most effective.

2. Make your messaging clear (and then repeat it often and consistently)

There is such truth in the quote “If I’d had more time, I would have written a shorter letter” but any communicator will know that creating simplicity and clarity of message are the hardest parts of their role. With multiple messages being crammed into every communication the role of Chief Editor is a critical one. The most effective communications are well-positioned, quick, to the point and clear on what the audience need to think, feel and/or do. The well-established single-minded proposition approach applies so well here and can create a disciplined approach to HSE messaging.

To ensure consistency of message, an audit of how an employee may be communicated to during their work is really useful here. From their recruitment process to inductions and onboarding, through to daily supervisor communications or annual refreshers, it’s important to ensure that the same message is being delivered.

3. Avoid empty communications

‘Empty communications’ is a phrase we refer to a lot, alludes to the words not backed up by actions. In the case of HSE, ’empty communications’ would be walls plastered with ‘Safety First’ posters whilst only delivering a first aid kit, limited PPE and an acceptance of stressed, burning out employees. How do Internal comms professionals avoid this disconnect? By working closely with stakeholders to ensure that what their communications are expecting / asking of employees is realistic and practical.

Championing workplace safety – an inside look at a multi-award-winning communications program

In today’s complex landscape, workplace safety is more important than ever. In this concise session, you will discover the innovative strategies and practices that go into creating a multi-award winning health and safety program.

In this live showcase our Commercial Director, Felicity Allen and Creative Director, Sam Hennig, explored the global DHL Supply Chain ‘Our Safety is in Our Hands’ program. This program, winner of Best Frontline Campaign at the Simplys and Platinum at the MUSE Creative Awards, is currently a finalist for the 2024 Safety and Health Excellence Awards in the Best Campaign category.

If you’re looking for a health and safety campaign that reaches the frontline, elevates safety standards within your organisation, protects your people and fosters a culture of wellbeing – let’s talk.