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Throughout history, knowledge has been recognized as a powerful tool. The accumulation and application of knowledge have been crucial for human progress, enabling us to advance in science, technology, and various aspects of civilization. However, the true power of knowledge lies in its skilful application. Merely possessing knowledge does not guarantee its effective utilization. It is through the skilful application of knowledge that we can harness its transformative potential and achieve meaningful outcomes.

The skilful application of knowledge involves several key aspects:

  1. Critical Thinking: Knowledge is not a passive collection of facts; it is a dynamic and evolving body of information that requires active engagement. Critical thinking enables us to analyze and evaluate information, separate facts from opinions, identify biases and draw sound conclusions.

  2. Problem-Solving: Knowledge empowers us to identify problems, formulate solutions, and make informed decisions. By applying our knowledge to real-world challenges, we can devise effective strategies and navigate complex situations.

  3. Creativity and Innovation: Knowledge serves as a foundation for creativity and innovation. By combining our understanding of various domains, we can generate new ideas, develop novel solutions, and push the boundaries of what is possible.

  4. Communication and Collaboration: Knowledge is most impactful when shared and applied collaboratively. Effective communication enables us to convey our knowledge to others, foster collaboration, and leverage collective expertise to achieve shared goals.

  5. Continuous Learning: Knowledge is not static; it is constantly evolving and expanding. A commitment to continuous learning ensures that our knowledge remains relevant and up-to-date, allowing us to adapt to changing circumstances and embrace new opportunities.

The skilful application of knowledge has the power to transform individuals, organizations, and societies. It enables individuals to pursue their aspirations, organizations to achieve their goals, and societies to progress towards a better future.

Here are some examples of how the skilful application of knowledge has made a significant impact:

  1. Medical advancements: The application of scientific knowledge has led to groundbreaking medical breakthroughs, including the development of vaccines, treatments for various diseases, and life-saving surgeries.

  2. Technological innovations: The skilful application of engineering and computer science knowledge has driven technological advancements, shaping our communication, transportation, and entertainment industries.

  3. Sustainable development: The application of environmental science and engineering knowledge is crucial for addressing climate change, developing renewable energy sources, and preserving natural resources.

  4. Social progress: The application of knowledge in fields like sociology, psychology, and education has contributed to social reforms, improved human rights, and enhanced educational opportunities.

  5. Economic growth: The application of knowledge in business, finance, and economics has fueled economic growth, created new industries, and improved living standards for many.

In conclusion, the skilful application of knowledge is not merely an academic pursuit; it is a practical tool that empowers us to shape our world and make a positive impact on the lives of others. By actively engaging with knowledge, critically evaluating information, and applying our understanding to real-world challenges, we can harness the transformative power of knowledge and contribute to a brighter future.

I always walk out of sessions (well, click 'end meeting' 😄 actually) with talented, ambitious recruitment consultants like these with joy in my 🧡❗

🟧 What did we learn yesterday about interviewing top talent for the future of work❓
1️⃣ "Knowledge is Power" - well, is it, really?
...these days knowledge is freely available, and so "How to Apply Knowledge Skillfully is Actually Power"
2️⃣ All of us need to be prompt engineers to get the right knowledge on what to ask candidates to best understand their match and 'stickability' for roles
3️⃣ But - with all the right knowledge:
how we show up on a screen, and our ability to create a human connection and probe deeper in interviews will make us stand out in our age of AI

🟧 What did I appreciate❓
✔️ The opportunity to share what I have learned to help others become the best version of themselves - which is critical in this time when people hunger for authenticity vs. a vanilla copy and paste from generated content
✔️ The humility and high level of engagement from our diverse group was inspiring❗

🟧 What do you think is important for interviewing people in this age❓

Thank you APSO for the opportunity to partner with you in upskilling our wonderful and fast-changing industry 😀
#interview #ai #futureofwork #humanconnection
...
Source > 
Jane Moors
Jane Moors
• Talent Expert
 
Outerbox Thinking

Talent Advisor (noun): A strategic recruiting professional who delivers value beyond filling jobs.  At their core, talent advisors are strategic influencers who see the company as their customer, the hiring manager as their partner, and speed, quality, and diversity as their measures of success.


Savvy talent acquisition leaders have been elevating their recruiters to true talent advisors for years, now.  Why?  It’s not because it’s a popular job title change.  It’s because the business expects and needs more from the recruiting team.  We’ve talked to thousands of hiring managers at many of the world’s most interesting companies and they seek something more than just a resource to help them fill their reqs.

Who is my customer?

Transactional recruiters say:

The Hiring Manager is my customer.  If I take an order and provide good customer service to the Hiring Manager, they will give me good feedback, and that’s how I know I’m doing a good job.

Talent advisors say:

The company is my customer.  I think like an owner, and do what’s right for the company, even if it’s not what the Hiring Manager prefers.

I see my job as not only recruiting great talent, but building a culture of recruiting, where all hiring managers see recruiting as part of their day jobs, skilled and regularly engaging in planning, sourcing, interviewing, and closing.

Strategy

Transactional recruiters say:

I lead an intake meeting, where I ask the Hiring Manager to describe their ideal candidate and preferred process, and then I do my best to give them what they asked for.

Talent advisors say:

I don’t wait until a req is open to talk strategy with hiring managers.  I’m a regular participant in talent planning meetings, where I bring insights and strategy recommendations to their leadership team.

When a req is opened, I lead a strategy meeting, where I bring talent market insights to the two-way conversation with the hiring manager.  I don’t take an order in an intake meeting– instead, I lead as a strategic recruiter by partnering to develop multiple success profiles, co-building a fair, speedy process, and engaging the hiring manager to play a leadership role around the strategy and process with their team.

Process

Transactional recruiters say:

I try to follow our consistent process best practices, making adjustments based on hiring manager preferences.  I see myself as the manager of the recruiting process, and am measured primarily on speed/time to fill and my hiring managers’ satisfaction with my services.

Talent advisors say:

I understand the business and calibrate regularly with the hiring manager to ensure we’re leveraging the right process given their business priorities around speed, quality, diversity, and cost.  There is not a “one size fits all” process that I’m trying to follow for every req – entry-level hourly versus executive versus engineering versus field sales rep processes should look different.  And a process optimized for quality over speed should look different, too.  I co-build process and look to the hiring manager to be a leader of their process in partnership with me.  We are measured together – as a team – on what’s most important: speed, quality, diversity, or cost.

Coaching

Transactional recruiters say:

I don’t coach the hiring manager.  I try to get them to follow our consistent process, but generally don’t push back if they decide to do something differently.

Talent advisors say:

I see my relationship with the hiring manager as a partnership, and as such, I bring my subject matter expertise to our conversations.  I’ve earned trust and credibility by delivering speed, quality, and diversity for the company.  As a strategic recruiter, I regularly coach the hiring managers on planning, diversity, sourcing, interviewing, candidate experience, and closing.  My advice is sought out for critical talent needs and hiring decisions.

Diversity

Transactional recruiters say:

If a hiring manager requests more candidate diversity, I do my best to source talent from places that will generate talent from under-represented groups.  I see my diversity support primarily focused on sourcing – what happens after I present candidates is largely out of my hands.

Talent advisors say:

I understand my company’s goals around diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and work hard to understand root issues that prevent us from hiring the best, diverse talent.  I recognize that improving diversity ROI isn’t just about sourcing and interviewing diverse slates.  Therefore, as a strategic recruiter, I play an active role pre-funnel: I help widen the aperture to consider multiple success profiles, ensure equal access exists, train teams, build holistic strategies that complement what HR, D&I, and L&D are focused on, and create fair processes.

Analytics

Transactional recruiters say:

I regularly share our ATS-generated internal reports with hiring managers via email, and will respond to custom-report requests as time allows.

Talent advisors say:

I align with executives on their priorities – speed, quality, diversity, cost – and then recommend insights that will help us improve.  I’m curious by nature – I don’t just report on what, but I dig into WHY, too.  And I don’t just email standard internal reports to hiring teams.  I lead conversations to diagnose problems and develop solutions.  I bring internal insights and external market insights to craft the strategies needed to get the talent we need.

...
Source > Recruiting Toolbox

 

 

In 2017, at age 37, Jacinda Ardern was elected New Zealand’s prime minister, making her the world’s youngest female head of government. A year later, she became the second elected government leader to give birth while holding office, inspiring working women around the world. During her 5½-year term, Jacinda deftly navigated one crisis after another, including a volcanic eruption, the COVID-19 pandemic, and terrorist attacks on two mosques that killed 51 people.

Along the way, she emerged as a compassionate and empathetic leader. In recognition of these accomplishments, Jacinda landed on the cover of British Vogue, was twice included in Time’s list of the 100 most influential people, and occupied the No. 1 spot in Fortune’s 2021 list of the world’s greatest leaders.

Jacinda, who stepped down as prime minister of New Zealand in January, recently took the stage at Talent Connect to talk about the hallmarks of a great leader and her own leadership journey. The following are some of the valuable lessons from her speech:

1. Organizations should seek out “reluctant leaders”  

While Jacinda is known as one of the world’s most notable government leaders, she often doubted her own abilities. In fact, she said, others saw her potential and encouraged her to run. When asked by a former boss whether she would consider running for office, she was convinced it would be the wrong move. 

This feeling of not being worthy of a leadership position is especially prevalent among women, Jacinda added, noting that women make up 58.4% of the U.S. workforce, but only 35% of senior leadership positions. The message: Organizations that seek out reluctant leaders can uncover hidden talent and boost diversity at the top.

“Some leaders are hesitant and, in many cases, they’re plain old reluctant,” Jacinda said. “Knowing that and understanding why will help us identify talent and skills we may otherwise miss.”

Quote from Jacinda Arden, former prime minister of New Zealand

2. Leaders, remember your role is temporary 

How can leaders motivate themselves to do great work? One way is to keep reminding themselves that their time in power is limited. 

“Nothing focuses the mind more than seeing that our time in leadership is temporary,” she added. “Not only will that get you through the hard times, it focuses your intention on making every day count.” 

3. In times of crisis, express compassion and take action  

In one of the highlights of her speech, Jacinda talked about her response to the 2019 terrorist attacks that targeted Muslim worshippers at two mosques. 

At the time, Jacinda earned praise for the way she demonstrated empathy and support for the Muslim community. In a sign of solidarity and respect, she wore a black hijab when meeting with survivors of the attack and their families. She chose not to name the attacker, so as not to give him the spotlight he sought.

“In moments of tragedy and crisis,” Jacinda said, “if we want to reflect the experience and emotions that our own communities are experiencing, then we must ask ourselves one simple question, ‘How do I feel?’ Are you grieving, sad, angry, or all of those things? If the answer is yes, it’s likely your people will feel the same. Don’t be afraid to express those very same emotions.”

4. Leaders should be clear about what they know — and what they don’t know

How do you maintain the public’s trust during times of crisis?

During the early days of the pandemic, Jacinda closed New Zealand’s borders to foreigners and imposed a nationwide shutdown, actions that vastly reduced the spread of the virus. A recent study estimated that her government’s action ended up saving 20,000 lives. 

What she didn’t do is pretend to have all the answers. The reason: Being transparent about what you do and don’t know is critical to building credibility. 

5. The most important trait of a great leader: human decency

At the conclusion of her speech, Jacinda offered a simple message. “The most important leadership principles can be found in what we teach our children — empathy, curiosity, bravery, and kindness,” she said.

These basic human principles are no longer expected of our leaders. It’s time to shift gears.  

“The things that we have continuously taught our young, we have ceased to demand or expect in our leaders,” Jacinda said. “In some cases, certain traits, especially those that may be conceived as soft, are only expected of women. Let’s change that. Let the traits of decent human beings be the traits of decent leadership.”
...
SOurce > LinkedIn

Misalignment is the root of all evil in recruiting. 

Misalignment between the hiring manager and recruiter, between the hiring manager and their interviewing team, between the hiring manager and their boss, between the hiring manager and their candidate, between compensation approvers and the recruiter or hiring manager. 

I could go on. Misalignment is all around us in recruiting. And I think one of the most important roles of the recruiter is to play the Talent Advisor role and help reduce misalignment.

Think about your recruiting funnel. Think about what makes it fat and what makes it skinny. Think about the root issues that can be addressed if we get people aligned earlier. Think about the cost savings — real money and time — if we are aligned with the hiring manager by the end of the kickoff meeting and not weeks later when our submittal:hiring manager accept ratio is 10:0. 

Or if the hiring manager and their interviewing team are aligned pre-interviews and not weeks later, after we’ve wasted time interviewing candidates that were never going to get hired because the interviewing team wasn’t aligned on what good looks like, what we mean by senior, how hands-on technical this person needs to be, what we mean by culture add or diversity or high potential or A-player.

Ugh.

It’s expensive to be misaligned. It costs us, it costs the hiring manager, it costs the candidate (wasted time, bad candidate experience), and it costs our businesses.

So, what can we do?

We need to drive alignment

We can take responsibility for aligning with the hiring manager and not moving forward to the next step (whether that’s sourcing or interviewing or getting the team together to make a decision) until we’re aligned. 

Sometimes this looks like education on market realities, pushing back on unrealistic candidate profiles to come up with something realistic given the pay and attractiveness of the work, helping the hiring manager define their actual hiring criteria (hint: A-player, strong culture fit, years of experience, and target companies are not interview-ready hiring criteria) . . . and then aligning their interviewing team pre-interview, so we don’t waste everyone’s time by allowing each interviewer to go into their interview without assigned focus areas and a different idea of “what good looks like” for this role. That leads to so many false negatives and often, pretty bad diversity hiring results.

Enter: Time to Alignment (TTA)

So, what’s this new metric “time to alignment?” 

Well, it’s not a tracked metric . . . yet. 

At least, I’ve not heard of any company tracking this. They sort of track stuff that impacts this, like candidate submittals to hiring manager screens, screen to interview, and interview to offer. But I’m talking about a pre-candidate submittal metric. Something that comes after the kickoff meeting, pre-sourcing. 

If the misalignment we’re talking about is around candidate profiles, it’d come after you’ve calibrated — maybe with sample resumes or profiles, and then pre-closed your hiring manager on the target candidate profile. If the misalignment we’re talking about is pre-interview, then we’re talking about a pre-interview team alignment meeting, where the hiring manager and you facilitate a conversation with all of the interviewers to make sure everyone has well-defined, well-understood focus areas and know what the deal-breaker skills are. And make sure they also understand where we’ll make trade-offs and where we won’t.

Are ATS vendors going to jump in to add another step in their workflows where you move a req status to “aligned”? Probably not. 

But even if it’s not a real metric yet, I’d love it if you’d talk to your teams about this TTA metric. If you’re a TA leader, ask your recruiters and sourcers to talk about the root issues that come when we leave a kickoff meeting misaligned or when we interview candidates before the interview team is aligned. 

Maybe you do start to track this kind of metric on a per-req basis. It wouldn’t be a metric I’d share with the business right away, as it’d be something I’d want to track internally for a while and see some data that highlights what causes the time to alignment to go up or down. But once I had a little evidence that the three biggest root issues are x, y, and z, I’d sure want to introduce this concept to hiring managers in the kickoff meetings (please don’t call them intakes).

Pause if you’re misaligned

The root of all evil is misalignment. 

It really is. 

Almost all major problems in recruiting can be connected back to misalignment early in the process. A missed opportunity to pause, get aligned (or realigned), and update our approach. The last thing you want to do is keep on sourcing, sending candidates to hiring managers to review, and bring candidates in to interview if you know the hiring team isn’t aligned. 

Companies with a high hiring bar and a strong focus on quality over speed give their recruiters permission to pause and get folks aligned. And the companies with a high hiring bar at scale expect the hiring managers to align their teams on what good looks like, in partnership with their recruiter.

So, what do you think are the root issues causing misalignment with your hiring managers in your process? What can you do to improve time to alignment?
...
Source > LinkedIn

There's no denying that Gen Z is an ambitious generation. We're constantly looking for ways to level up, whether that means going after a promotion or finding a career-accelerating opportunity elsewhere. 

But when it comes time to take our careers to new heights, do we really feel ready? Apparently not. According to a recent survey from analytics platform Visier, Gen Z respondents were 10 percentage points more likely than millennials to be concerned about failing in the role when considering a promotion. Why? A lack of confidence, especially when that promotion is to a management position.

"Gen Z employees are particularly worried about becoming people managers because they think that they don't have the ability to influence others," says Dr. Andrea Derler, principal of research and value at Visier. "There's a lack of confidence in terms of, what does leadership actually mean?"

Despite this belief that we might not have what it takes to successfully lead a team, the survey found that Gen Z is the most likely generation to be open to becoming people managers. It's clear there is a gap between our ambitions and confidence, which Derler suggests may be due to the already high levels of stress our generation experiences. 

"We see generally for Gen Z a financial burden that's been put on younger generations," Derler says. "Even the inflation in the last couple of years has made life outside of parents' homes really difficult... Inflation hasn't helped them be really confident in, 'I want to tackle this new challenge. I feel that I can do this.'"

Derler emphasizes that it's not that Gen Zers are unprepared to become managers. It's that we are uncertain if we will receive the necessary support from our employers. "We see a lot of worry and concern around, do I get enough support from my company or is it only going to be a lot of stress?," Derler says.

To understand how we can overcome a lack of confidence and self-advocate for support at work, I spoke to career coach Jasmine Escalera. She shared advice on defining confidence, overcoming fear of failure and more. Below are excerpts from our conversation (some quotes were lightly edited for length and clarity):

If you have perceived gaps that contribute to a feeling of unpreparedness, what should you do?

Have open, honest communication with your manager to request that those gaps be filled. Say to your manager, 'I have aspirations to one day be a leader. I have aspirations to one day be a manager. In working toward that outcome for myself, I am considering where some of my gaps lie, and here's what I've been able to come up with. Are there ways that the company, the team, you, can support me in filling those knowledge or experience gaps? Are there projects that I can take on? Are there projects that I can lead? Are there potential new employees coming in that I can train?' Engage your manager in a conversation about your career aspirations and how they can support you to get there.

What's your advice on building confidence early in your career?

If you want to be a confident leader, what does that truly mean to you? Give yourself the ability to say, 'If confidence as a leader means this to me, then what resources, tools and tactics do I need in order to build my knowledge or fill gaps in that area toward being a confident leader?' Do your own self-assessment. It also is about not only what resources and knowledge [you need], but also what support do you need? If there's a leader in your organization that you feel emulates your definition of leadership, how can you communicate with that individual what your goals are and potentially have that person mentor you? Have that community.

What's the next step after you define what confidence means to you?

When we do that assessment of, what does confidence mean to me and how can I build this confidence and how can I gain this support? The next step in that is really, am I in the right environment to present this version of myself each day? The environment that you are in needs to cultivate the person you want to become. If it doesn't, then that's something to really take a step back and say, 'No matter how much work I do, I may not be able to achieve this goal.' Then you have to ask yourself, 'How do I find that environment?' 

What if your current company doesn't provide support? Externally, what can you do? 

I would network with individuals who are in the positions you aspire to be in and ask them the factual information. We can spiral due to imposter syndrome and doubt. We want to get the fact-based information around what it is that you truly need in terms of filling these gaps. I would go on a fun networking adventure where I start talking to individuals who have the kinds of roles I'm looking for and saying, 'These are the kinds of gaps I need to fill. What are the best avenues for me to do that?' So you're getting the information from the people who've walked the path instead of staying in your bubble and allowing your brain to take you on this expedition that sometimes can take you to wild places.

What are your top three tips on advocating for yourself?

Stop thinking that bragging is bad. That's one. Self-promotion is the key to getting what you want. We have to brag about our achievements. The second thing I would say is do not let life take over, especially the craziness of career life. Be diligent about tracking your accomplishments. Do not let six months or a year go by and now you are trying to advocate for a promotion or a pay raise and you have to think about six months or a year of accomplishments. Then the third thing that I would say is really utilize LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an amazing way to put yourself out there outside of your organization. Do not think that your organization is the be all, end all. Always be ready for other opportunities to come your way.

What are your top three tips on overcoming fear of failure? 

The first thing is acknowledging that failure is inevitable. Part of success is failing. The second part is being able to have a support system around you so that when these things happen, you are able to connect with other professionals, talk it through and get advice, feedback and strategies for how you can come back and try again. And then also be open to accepting failure as part of your current position and talking to your manager openly about what that looks like and how you can really overcome that.
...
Source . LinkedIn

In the case of SAMANCOR CHROME LTD (WESTERN CHROME MINES) V WILLEMSE AND OTHERS (JR312/2020) [2023] ZALCJHB 150 (29 MAY 2023) the employee was dismissed on 25 March 2019, after 19 years of service, after testing positive for alcohol on 22 February 2019.

The employer subscribed to a policy of Zero-Tolerance for alcohol and drugs. The policy further stated that a person shall be deemed unfit to enter the premises in the event that their breath alcohol level exceeds 0.000 percent and if the drug test indicates any illegal substances, any employee who tested positive for alcohol and/or drugs would be subject to disciplinary action.

At the arbitration hearing, a security officer testified that on 22 February 2019, the employee arrived at work and was asked to take a breathalyser test on an Alcoblow Rapid machine which indicated a positive result. The employee questioned this result as he denied consuming alcohol that day or the previous evening. He was tested again on the same breathalyser which produced the same result.  The employee was tested with another breathalyser, the Lion Alcometer 500. The result was again positive and indicated an alcohol content of 0.013%.

The employee had blood tests analysed which were deemed to be more accurate than a breathalyser, these results were negative i.e. it indicated that the employee’s blood sample had less than 0.010 g/dl alcohol content.

The Arbitrator referred to the evidence that a breathalyser test may produce false positive results, and that the more reliable test was that of a blood sample tested in a laboratory. He thus concluded that there was no breach of the company’s drug and alcohol policy.

The employer contended that the Arbitrator’s award stood to be reviewed and set aside, stating that the Arbitrator ignored and/or misconstrued relevant evidence thus reaching a decision that a reasonable Commissioner could not reach. The employer submitted that the applicable policy did not mean that the employee needed to be intoxicated for there to be a breach of the workplace rule.

Appreciating the award as a whole, the LC concluded that the Arbitrator did not misconceive the nature of the enquiry that he was obliged to undertake. That the evidence, coupled with the testimony by a Doctor that the sample provided by the employee produced a negative result, and that breathalyser tests were capable of producing false positive results in some circumstances, supported the Arbitrator’s assessment of the probabilities and also his finding.

The application was dismissed, with costs.


...
Author
Jonathan Goldberg

Jonathan Goldberg

Expert in Labour Law, Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment | Chairman at Global Business Solutions

 and  

Collective bargaining does not only improve workers’ wages and conditions. It also enhances company performance.

‘Raise wages, lower prices and share profits’—May Day in Madrid highlighted how collective bargaining is essential to achieve individual wellbeing at work (CCOO)

The socio-economic crisis unleashed by the pandemic posed three key threats to the world of work: to the quality as well as the quantity of employment and to the most vulnerable groups. To minimise this threat, the International Labour Organization called for appropriate measures, emerging from social dialogue, to secure business restructuring and sustain jobs. The ILO’s concern was reflected in various investigations identifying how precariousness, inequality, insecurity and exclusion had been aggravated by the Covid-19 crisis.

The management of that crisis foregrounded the importance of the real economy, making it clear meanwhile that some ‘essential jobs’ were poorly paid and precarious. The impacts of the pandemic on working conditions especially affected women, young people and those in temporary and low-skilled jobs. Poverty and inequality increased in societies around the world.

In Spain at that time, agreements reached through social dialogue allowed millions of jobs to be saved, through instruments such as short-term layoff schemes (ERTE). Despite their usefulness, however, the ERTE were a one-off instrument, heralding what should be new models of management with the care of workers at their centre.

Companies cannot be exempt from their duty of care towards their employees. Economic actors cannot demand higher commitment and job performance without offering greater wellbeing at work and giving up practices that increase job insecurity.

Workplace wellbeing

The idea of workplace wellbeing is currently largely based on the notion of social exchange and mutual gains underlying the employment relationship. But one can delve deeper to explore how collective bargaining and human-resource management can positively affect wellbeing and the employment relationship. And work environments focused on the needs and expectations of workers have in recent years received attention from some companies and many researchers.

Quality of life at work depends on the participation of employees at all levels of the hierarchy—in the configuration of work environments with favourable psychosocial conditions, in organisational processes and methods and vis-à-vis the goals of the organisation. Ultimately, such involvement will have a positive impact on employee commitment and performance.

Here collective bargaining—one of the central institutions for regulating the labour market—comes into play. In the Spanish labour-relations system, the working conditions of most workers are regulated within this framework. Data published by the Ministry of Labour and the Social Economy indicate that in 2022 (provisionally) 3,950 registered collective agreements regulated the working conditions of 11.6 million workers and affected a total of 1.2 million companies.

Leading role

Collective bargaining plays a leading role in improving workers’ wellbeing while reducing job insecurity. Yet despite the significance it has for the lives of workers, there is little research on how it addresses their needs and expectations, as distinct from its impacts on productivity and business competitiveness.

The Collective Bargaining Survey, directed by the May 1st Foundation of the CCOO trade-union confederation and co-ordinated by the universities of León and Córdoba, aims to fill that gap. This study, using a quantitative methodology based on an online survey of 1,600 workers living in Spain, investigates the effects of collective bargaining on wellbeing and job security—and in turn on commitment and performance.

The main conclusion is that collective bargaining is an essential element for workers to see an improvement in their wellbeing at work and a reduction in their precariousness. This enhanced wellbeing and reduced insecurity come with an increase in their commitment to their company. This highlights the clear relationship between collective negotiation and job performance.

Workers’ perceptions

The study addresses, among other findings, concerns that are both relevant and worrying in relation to the perception workers have of collective negotiation, wellbeing and precariousness. So 54.7 per cent of respondents consider that collective agreements improve equality between women and men in the company, 53.3 per cent believe collective bargaining positively affects occupational health and safety and 52.3 per cent consider that it improves their working conditions.

Yet 49 per cent believe that they cannot negotiate their working conditions, while almost one in four workers is afraid of retaliation if they join a union. At the same time, 28.1 per cent consider that their job does not provide them with enough income, 32.2 per cent say they suffer from long working hours and 34.8 per cent feel they do not have options for promotion.

Although 55 per cent are satisfied with their wellbeing at work, 55.3 per cent feel their work makes them mentally and emotionally exhausted, and 44.3 per cent feel It causes such states of mind as irritability, sadness, tension or nervousness. A significant portion, 30 per cent, claim to have difficulties relaxing after work, while 36.8 per cent recognise how work interferes with their private life. And, focusing on women specifically, the research shows, once again, that they enjoy fewer labour rights, suffer especially long hours and yet are also prone to underemployment.

More pressing

The results of this research can contribute to advancing the reform and development of the regulatory framework of labour relations and, within that, collective bargaining. This become more pressing when, because of the Covid-19 crisis and the digitalisation of economic relations, the transformation of the world of work and labour relations is accelerating.

As the research reveals, through improved wellbeing at work, reduced precariousness and so enhanced commitment by workers, collective bargaining is the foundation of better business performance. Dialogue and co-operation between companies and workers’ representatives can translate into high-performance work practices which result in a balanced and fair distribution of the wealth generated.

As an institution of governance of labour relations, collective bargaining must be the starting point for a new pact or social contract, in which a socio-economic consensus is reached that companies must not pursue their needs and expectations at the expense of those of workers. On the contrary, an equilibrium must be arrived at between greater business performance and expansion and improvement of the rights and conditions of workers. Only in this way will collective bargaining drive and motivate change in an emancipatory direction, aligning itself with workers’ wellbeing.

...
Source Social Europe 


The Federation of African Professional Staffing Organisations (APSO) is the largest governing body of the recruitment industry in South Africa. It is committed to the professionalisation of the industry and offers a range of benefits to its members.

Benefits of APSO Membership

  • Professional recognition: APSO membership is a mark of quality and professionalism. It shows that your company is committed to ethical and best practice recruitment practices.
  • Access to training and development: APSO offers a range of training and development opportunities for its members, at discounted rates. This helps you to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the recruitment industry.
  • Networking opportunities: APSO regularly hosts networking events for its members, providing opportunities to meet and connect with other professionals in the industry.
  • Access to resources: APSO members have access to a range of resources, such as job boards, industry reports, and toolkits. This can help you to save time and money when running your recruitment business.
  • Advocacy and support: APSO advocates on behalf of the recruitment industry to the government and other stakeholders. APSO also supports its members with issues such as compliance and ethics.

Additional Benefits of APSO Membership

  • Discounted rates on training and events
  • Free telephonic support
  • Access to member-only resources
  • Assistance with ethics, compliance, or fee disputes
  • Networking opportunities with other APSO members

Why Join APSO?

If you are a recruitment business in South Africa, I encourage you to consider joining APSO. It is a great way to show your commitment to the industry and to access the many benefits that membership offers.

APSO: The Professional Choice for Recruitment Businesses in South Africa

APSO is the professional choice for recruitment businesses in South Africa. It offers a range of benefits to its members, including professional recognition, access to training and development opportunities, networking opportunities, access to resources, and advocacy and support.

Join APSO today and see the benefits for yourself!


 
 
 
 
 

While the global pandemic saw a spike in demand for staffing in the healthcare sector at the start of the decade, ageing societies across the developed world mean that cost-effective, quality healthcare will continue to be a growing priority in the years to come.

OECD data show that Covid-19 has prompted an unprecedented reduction in life expectancy around the world.  Those countries with modern, effective healthcare systems were better able to weather the pandemic storm and, as we look to the future, societies will need to invest in resilient healthcare and hospital systems able to withstand shocks from everything from pandemics and economic crises through to climate change.

Meanwhile, the HR services industry, and its agency work services sector in particular, are becoming increasingly important in the healthcare segment.  The external contracting that they offer can be essential in ensuring and maintaining services and adapting to crises. In an environment where staff absences or shortages can pose a risk to patient safety, staffing agencies are able to fill the gaps in a cost-efficient way and ensure that high-quality service provision is maintained. Not only do work agencies support organisations to become more efficient in work process organisation and management, they also attract quality talent as workers seek greater work/life balance, flexibility and attractive working conditions.

The share of agency workers  in healthcare services across the globe ranges from 0.5% in France, 1% in Brazil and Norway, 1.4% in Germany, 2.9% in Belgium and 4.4% in the US to a substantial 26% of healthcare workers in South Africa. Regulation of the sector varies too with markets taking a variety of different approaches to issues such as equal pay, equal treatment and working conditions – even within the European Union, where the provision is regulated by the Temporary Agency Work Directive.

Our World Employment Confederation (WEC) regulatory survey shows that regulation on equal pay and/or treatment is applied in 27 out of the 29 countries surveyed around the world and is applied on either an occupational level – including regulated via a Collective Labour Agreement, regional/state level, or national level.

Specific approaches to establishing regulation on equal treatment or equal pay are essential in the context of the debate on agency work in healthcare and hospitals. They have important implications for the costs of using agency work and staffing in the sector.

We have observed increasing discussions focused on the corresponding regulation at national level, pay and working conditions for agency workers and the costs of using agency work and staffing services. On this last point, the main elements of the costs charged to healthcare institutions are made up of wages and social security contributions and the agency fee is not significantly different from that charged to other sectors seeking flexible, adaptable, HR services solutions.

Practices among our WEC member countries show considerable diversity in the systems – mirroring national discussions on the use of agency work in the health sector.  While countries including Australia, Belgium and Ireland largely recognise and value the benefits of agency work as a service provider and instrument to cope with the fluctuating demand in the healthcare sector, other markets continue to debate the issue. In some, these debates are leading to disproportionate regulation and unjustified restrictions – trends that have been observed in Denmark, France, Germany and South Africa.

The best basis for using agency work effectively is of course to take a balanced and appropriate approach to regulation and in most countries agency workers’ pay is equal to that of directly employed workers doing the same job. In some markets, agency workers working in healthcare have been able to negotiate more favourable pay and conditions, reflecting the rising labour shortages in healthcare and hospitals.

As the penetration of agency workers in the healthcare sector continues to grow, WEC is calling for three key actions in order to futureproof healthcare provision for citizens while also offering appropriate working conditions for staff: Firstly, the role of agency work in healthcare and hospitals should be recognised and valued so that societies can adapt to ageing demographics and emerging risks. Next, appropriate and fair working conditions should be the norm for all healthcare professionals – regardless of the type of work contract that they hold. Finally, in these times of rising labour and skills shortages, we urge jurisdictions around the globe to acknowledge the importance of adaptable and diverse forms of work and to apply them to their healthcare services sector in order that they can deliver optimal care to citizens.

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Source the WEC

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