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COVID-19 is changing the way we work and live. With the increase of remote working and reliance on screen-time for entertainment and social interaction, the digital industry is said to be booming. The Financial Times reports, “Tech companies are still hiring feverishly as they move to take advantage of a world shifting increasingly to digital as a result of the coronavirus, despite mass lay-offs elsewhere and growing concerns over plummeting global markets.” Companies with existing online infrastructure are seeing new subscribers, more time spent on digital platforms and increased reliance on e-commerce. According to The Economist, “Alphabet, Google’s parent, saw sales rise by 13% in the first quarter compared with the year before, and profits reached $7bn.” But will this digital trend last? Although we expect an eventual return to in-person activities, COVID-19 is expected to have a long term impact on digital engagement. For example, “tech phobia” is commonly cited as a reason why some, particularly those over 65, may avoid new technology. However, with no alternatives, this age group are embracing new technology. In addition, younger family members are taking the time to help them get set-up and familiar with these new apps and services. What this means, going forward, is that mobile and digital offerings will have a much wider audience, beyond tech-savvy customers and digital native millennials. MckInsey recently highlighted the post-pandemic trends beginning to emerge in China. For example, there has been a 55% increase in customers planning a permanent shift to online grocery shopping and an increase of 3-6% percentage points in overall e-commerce. Once people overcome the initial barriers, this data indicates that customers may permanently switch or significantly increase their use of digital services. These behavioural changes are being supported by rapid transformation of digital infrastructure. On an individual company level, businesses are investing in digital strategy – for example, Hotel Chocolat recently announced a multi-million pound investment plan. There is larger scale investment from business – Alibaba Cloud will be putting $28 billion into developing their infrastructure over the next three years. Further government support will be available for UK businesses driving innovation and development. Finally, an internet connection is now essential for information regarding the pandemic and accessing vital goods and services for those self-isolating. The Human Rights Watch have emphasised the importance of achieving equal access to digital services (and particularly a good quality internet connection, which thousands are currently struggling with). It is clear that we can expect further investment in digital infrastructure in our future. Who will thrive in the post COVID-19 world? Evidently, those with a strong existing digital service will be well placed to retain their position once the pandemic has subsided. COVID-19 has created a form of ‘digital Darwinism’ according to Mary Meeker, author of the annual Internet Trends Report, whereby businesses with a clear digital strategy will leave behind those without. In a recent report, McKinsey outlined several actions that should be taken to meet customer needs and prepare for the future. These actions include: Focus on care and concern: prioritise employee needs and the wider community by reaching out and staying true to company values. Meet your customer needs: adapt or create digital services and models that meet remote and social distancing requirements. Reimagine the post-COVID-19 world: plan for economic cuts, changes to brick and mortar stores and increased uptake of digital channels. Build agile capabilities for fluid times: utilise resources such as social media and ‘ear to the ground’ insights to respond to fast-moving customer signals. It is these companies, who support customers through the crisis by providing efficient digital services, that will retain customer loyalty in the post COVID-19 world. Those who look further ahead, to develop exceptional experiences and utilise developments in infrastructure, will thrive in our digital future.  

McGregor Boyall are pleased to welcome Tamryn George as Principal Consultant for Risk Management & Quantitative Analytics. George has over 8 years’ experience as a specialist Recruiter in Risk Management and Quantitative Analytics in South Africa. She has an extensive and successful track record of placing qualified Risk Professionals within Retail, Corporate & Investment Banking, Advisory and niche Financial Services. Tamryn’s career progressed quickly as she was instantly recognised as a Top Recruiter from both her candidates and network of clients. Commenting on her appointment George said, “Since moving to London, I’ve been looking for a well-established firm with a strong reputation in the market. A firm that offers a professional working environment and an opportunity to collaborate with other successful teams. Since my first initial engagement with McGregor-Boyall I quickly realised that they ticked all these boxes, offering so much more!” “It’s truly refreshing to be able to welcome on board Tamryn, a highly experienced recruitment professional with extensive Risk Management knowledge across all levels and disciplines” said Chris Mensah, Associate Director for Risk Management and Quantitative Analytics. “In what is a particularly difficult market, Tamryn has a wide range of expertise gained over the years in different economic markets and international locations, which I am sure our clients will benefit from. Longer term I’m confident this investment in the Team will ensure we can continue to build and strengthen our relationships with clients.” “In what has been an extremely tough period, it is great to be talking about positive changes” added Lucy Frost, Group People Director. “Tamryn had accepted our offer before lockdown, and like most firms we have had to navigate through lots of challenges over the past three months.  However together we worked out a plan to get her into the business but in a flexible manner that worked for both parties.  I am sure she will be an asset to the firm.” 

Working from home has been vital to slow transmission of the coronavirus. However, a new threat has emerged: increased online activity, use of new applications and less secure home networks are opening up individuals and organisations to a host of cyberattacks. The problem According to a recent Forbes article, in an analysis of the first 100 days of the COVID-19 crisis security firm Mimecast reported a 33% increase in detected cyberattacks – including spam (+26%), malware (+35%), impersonation (+30%) and blocked URL links (+56%). Certain industries are being particularly targeted, such as healthcare (e.g. The World Health Organisation have reported a fivefold increase in cyberattacks and PPE themed scams have increased) and banking (increased use of online banking presents many opportunities for hackers – such as exploiting new users who may not be familiar with the service). A recent report from McKinsey highlighted the multitude of potential cybersecurity risks exacerbated by remote working. For example, changes in app-access rights (such as enabling off-site access and lack of multifactor authentication) and use of personal devices or tools (such as a laptop without central control or an unsecured network) increase the opportunities for cyberattacks. While technology was vital to navigate our way through the COVID-19 crisis, rapid adoption of new digital offerings has increased risk. New tools such as video-conferencing have been particularly affected, where an unauthorised person joins a call to steal information or cause disruption. There are also fake tech support scams – increasingly sophisticated attempts to manipulate remote workers (especially those who may be working from home for the first time) with fabricated access and other tech support issues. The weakest point in any technical system is the person sitting behind the screen. The majority (at least half, according to Trustwave’s 2020 Global Security Report) of cyberattacks occur via social engineering, a psychological manipulation process using tactics such as sending a scam from a trusted source. As always, cyber-criminals know how to target human vulnerabilities, and the number of phishing scams capitalising on our fear of COVID-19 has significantly increased. In addition, we are more likely to fall for a scam when tired or stressed – given the change to working from home, where many are juggling a variety of stressors – we might be even more vulnerable to these kinds of attacks right now. What can you do? Given that the person behind the screen represents a security weak-point, they also represent an area of improvement. We will need to learn how to practise good cyber-hygiene, similar to how we adopted thorough hand-washing and social distancing to reduce the risk of the coronavirus. There are several excellent resources on improving cybersecurity. For example, Siemens have provided their eight top tips for cybersecurity in the home office, including only bringing home essential devices, not mixing personal and business use of devices and ensuring all software is always up to date. The Electronic Frontier Foundation provide more in depth advice on how to spot a phishing scam. However, while this information is useful, it can be more difficult to establish reliable cyber-security habits. A reported three in four remote workers have yet to receive cybersecurity training, despite the clear increase in risk. More importantly, remote workers are falling for these cyber-attacks. This was recently highlighted by software development company, Gitlab, who found that 1 out of 5 of their own remote-working staff exposed user credentials by replying to a fake phishing message. Regular testing of existing cybersecurity plans in this manner can help to identify areas for improvement. The future While cyber-attacks are growing ever more sophisticated, so is cybersecurity. Gamification is one fresh approach to cybersecurity training. Reading through countless tips and the odd video on cybersecurity is unlikely to translate to robust cyber-hygiene habits. However, gamified training results in increased engagement, knowledge and information retention. Increased investment in cybersecurity may provide us with a host of interesting ideas. Cheltenham Borough Council recently announced plans for a £400 million campus development, situated next door to GCHQ, said to be the ‘Silicon Valley of the UK’. The complex will help to bridge the current skills gap and enhance the UK’s cybersecurity capacity. Clearly, the coronavirus has highlighted a variety of cybersecurity threats. With remote working expected to continue for the foreseeable future and beyond, it is vital to address current shortcomings in security. Looking forward, the industry is an exciting one, poised for innovation and development.

Our England Regions Salary Guide 2020 provides the latest salary data collated by our specialist Recruitment Teams covering:   - Change & Transformation  - Compliance  - Cyber Security  - Data & Analytics  - Digital  - Finance & Audit  - Financial Crime  - HR & Talent Management  - Marketing & Communications  - Risk  - Technology   

Times of crisis have often sparked innovation. The Second World War, for example, brought us the forerunner of modern-day computer, advances in radar, the basis of microwaves and mass production of penicillin. COVID-19 is having a similar effect on digital development. Ideas that might have seemed far-fetched (such as the rapid scale-up of online grocery shopping and other e-commerce) are promoted by a crisis-inspired culture of experimentation. Here are five examples of how technology is developing in response to extraordinary demands. 1. Data Analysis Tools Finding data is easy, understanding it is hard. To this end, the pandemic has inspired several AI tools to help us make sense of the large amount of available information. Data analytics company, Arria NLG, are involved in two projects helping to transform data into an easy-to-understand narrative – the COVID-19 Live Report and the COVID-19 U.S. Tracking Report. AI analysis is also being used by a group of Northwestern University researchers to identify which research will return reliable, usable results that will help aid the search for COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. 2. Blockchain The power of blockchain was recently demonstrated in a $12 million cross-continent commodity trade transaction of wheat. Usually, a transaction of this kind can take up to a month. However, using dltledgers’s blockchain platform, this was reduced to just five days. More and more businesses are expanding their reliance on blockchain – such as Nestle, who recently extended their use of the IMB Food Trust blockchain platform to their Swedish coffee range. The implications for keeping supply chains running seamlessly – something the coronavirus has highlighted as a serious challenge – are remarkable. 3. Natural Language Processing With varied applications, such as helping customers navigate online platforms or as efficient medical tools (such as those used by Providence St. Joseph to offer coronavirus-related information), chatbots are proving useful during the pandemic. Chatbots are most commonly used to increase efficiency by answering simple queries, while forwarding more complex requests to a human operator. However, natural language processing, which refers to the deep learning that allows the chatbot to extract meaning from human conversation, improves with increased data. With some custom-made chatbots already proving useful in advanced interactions (such as Replika’s virtual friends, helping some people cope with the effects of social isolation), the uptake in chatbot use may enable the AI underpinning them to become vastly more sophisticated in the years to come. 4. Automation At their recent virtual event, IBM announced a new range of AI-powered services, designed to support businesses in automating their digital infrastructure. According to Verdict, the new offering will “use automation to detect, diagnose and respond to IT anomalies and will integrate with other products such as those from Slack and Box.” Developments such as these will allow businesses to successfully adapt to a more digital future. 5. Robotics Many companies have reported that they are looking to increase use of robotics for food service, warehouses and cleaning operations. Blue Ocean Robotics have responded to this increased demand by creating a cleaning robot, able to destroy viruses, bacteria and other harmful microorganisms with concentrated UV-C ultraviolet light. It can sanitise environments such as hospitals, offices, shops and schools without the need for chemicals, meaning that people can be present during the cleaning. Production was quickly accelerated due to coronavirus-related demand, and it now takes less than one day to create a robot. The general public have often been uncomfortable with the idea of robots (and the issue of replacing human jobs with robot labour remains). However, with social distancing likely to be in place throughout 2021, robot labour may become more acceptable, stimulating demand for and development of robotic technology. This article has showcased a small handful of the exciting innovation occurring during the pandemic. Given that there is expected to be a permanent shift towards use of digital services and practices such as remote working, these developments could have far-reaching implications for the technology industry for years to come.  

The results of McGregor Boyall’s May 2020 survey of over a thousand hirers reveals that lockdown-driven changes in interviewing and onboarding (practices) appear destined to outlive the lockdown itself. The survey invited respondents to compare previous, current and future approaches to virtual/remote interviewing and onboarding.  The headline conclusion from the survey’s results is that constraints imposed by lockdown are being embraced as trailblazing the future. There appears to be no question of a return to pre-lockdown practices with a few tweaks.  Instead, past practices are set to be abandoned with enthusiasm.   Take remote/virtual interviewing.  Prior to lockdown 45% of respondents used it “frequently” or “sometimes” as part of their selection processes.  86% of the same respondents intend to do so in the future.  Significant but perhaps not radical.  But more dramatic is a growth in the intention to use remote interviewing exclusively.  Pre-lockdown, only 14% did so “frequently” or “sometimes”.  The number intending to do so post-lockdown is 63%!  To put that in another way, 58% told us that they “never” used remote interviewing exclusively before the lockdown.  The number who will “never” do so in the future is now only 12%. And what is true for virtual interviewing is also the case for onboarding.  What is striking about the results is not that present lockdown procedures are radically different from pre-lockdown ones.  It is not surprising that right now for 38% of respondents, their entire onboarding process is remote.  What’s more interesting is that pre-lockdown, only 24% of respondents told us that they conducted their entire onboarding process “frequently” or “sometimes”.  The post-lockdown number has increased to 53%.  And the “never” number has come down from 59% to 12%. Overall, we were struck by the realism of respondents.  The message coming through is that post-lockdown practices will lose some of the non-optional constraints of lockdown – but that the genie will never go back into the bottle.

The results of McGregor Boyall’s May 2020 survey of over a thousand hirers reveals the lockdown-driven changes in interviewing and onboarding (practices). The survey invited respondents to compare previous, current and future approaches to virtual/remote interviewing and onboarding. The below infographic outlines the full survey results.   

Our Technology Market Insights Report & Salary Guide 2020 provides the latest insights on the market collated by our Technology Recruitment Teams, and from data collected from surveying our clients and candidates. 

The predicted and already felt economic ramifications of the Coronavirus pandemic are beginning to reshape businesses across the globe. Many leaders will be working hard to understand how best to navigate their organisations through these extremely challenging times. As businesses seek to do this Organisation Design and Development Specialists will become increasingly in demand. It is their critical skills that can effectively support businesses through successful change.   Nina Adair, McGregor Boyall interviews Nicholas Williams a highly experienced HR professional within the OD&D space to gain some insights on how it can be used to shape the future of business.   Thanks for taking the time do this, Nick. Could you give us some insight into your background? As a Strategic HR & OD&D Specialist I’ve had an exciting and varied career to date, serving in people leadership and transformational office roles across a variety of industries dealing with complex and fast paced change. In my role it’s critical that I invest my time in building relationships across Business Units and Corporate Boards and really get deep into understanding the organisational and corporate vision, needs and wants within the operational environment. I then use this assessment to design intervention, based on current state versus future state and how organisations can achieve financial and non-financial benefits. This is usually in and amongst the rapid pace of change that is often required, and on occasions a lack of clarity any given change is going to have once implemented! My role in OD&D provides me with a unique opportunity to work closely with Leadership Teams, Operational Delivery Teams and Trade Unions to negotiate and consult. I’ve truly had the privilege to work on some of the most exciting and impactful programmes alongside great people. OD&D for me, is an important capability that works closely with HR colleagues, together developing a powerful transformational movement. Building the OD&D capability for the future will add value to any organisation.    So, what exactly is Organisation Design (OD)? You may have heard of the term in different forms but there are lots of different definitions of ‘OD’ and whether it sits within, alongside or away from HR functions. Different businesses and industries define it in their own way to support their organisational aims but in short, it uses behavioural science and methodologies with the aim to help employees function better within their organisational context.  OD is sometimes confused with being a capability that simply designs an organisational structure with spans of control and reporting lines. However, my aim is to help leaders understand the role of OD&D and its core concept that incorporates human centred thinking to support transformational change of any scale within an organisation, with a view to successful adoption first time!  Its aim is to create an exceptional employee experience which will in turn help with attraction, retention and engagement, which will in turn prove to help the business grow in the market. The purpose and vision (or North Star as I like to call it!) may differ depending on the organisation but, investing in the right OD&D capability will provide the tools, methodologies and experience to unlock and improve your current organisational challenges.   What does that look like in practice? ·      Working with Executive Boards and Functional Teams to build an aligned consensus on proposed changes across the business, supporting a single transparent narrative that continuously ensures buy-in from stakeholders. Of course, not everyone will be convinced with proposed changes and may have some excellent ideas to share; mechanisms and techniques to facilitate open dialogue is extremely valuable. ·      Reviewing the current operating model, vision and strategy of an organisation and utilising experience of the latest global future of work trends to analyse potential changes in skill requirements, reporting lines, governance structures, process catalogues and improved ways of working to support a business in achieving operational effectiveness and resolve ongoing and systemic pain points. ·      Working with other centres of excellence across HR to take a detailed holistic view on key areas including attraction, recruitment and performance management alongside ongoing learning and development opportunities in an inclusive by design workplace. Creating an environment where staff wellbeing and experience supports the overall organisational effort to deliver in the market. ·      And finally, researching and analysing key data (quantitative and qualitative) to design interventions alongside a future state target operating model and define the buckets of activity and skills required across any transformational portfolio. Assessing the impact of any change and engaging regularly with key stakeholders to set up and run the right business change initiatives, identifying your early adopters and areas of resistance to ensure you focus your budgets and time in the areas that will make impact and identifying your quick wins.   What part will OD&D play in the new post-Covid-19 world? I think all sectors and industries will be exploring the best way to create a culture of flexible and agile working to support their own current regional and global ways of working, thinking through methods to re-assess planned transformational activity. How they’d execute future emergent changes where flux transformation will most likely be necessary to adapt to a different set of consumer and supplier behaviours, supply chain requirements, and employee expectations.  Companies will be looking to review their future strategies to support the trust in their brands, HR policies, global mobility, travel, pay and conditions and many more internal mechanisms and relationships across boundaries. The use of technology and data to make value adding and analytical decisions will become increasingly important as well as ensuring the right infrastructure to enable remote working and an approach that provides an agile workforce based on the needs and demands across the year. Attracting, developing and retaining the right talent in the right roles within an efficient organisational structure and a range of operational processes to increase effectiveness has never been as important as it is now. Organisational Design and Development will be a critical functional area working in partnership with HR and other key corporate services, building relationships with teams and leaders to enable, execute and implement change programmes consistently visioning the future and building an iterative roadmap.  Building trust and understanding the people in your workforce has never been as important as it is today to support them in delivering in a safe and secure environment, where the vision and value proposition is clear and the systems in place are robust to deal with the post Covid-19 world and OD&D will play a key role in enabling and supporting organisations to achieve this.   If you a seeking support around OD&D, McGregor Boyall works with a number of experts in this space who can help to support your business needs during this time – please get in touch if you would like to discuss further.   Nina Adair  Practice Head - HR & Talent Management Recruitment  T: +44 (0)20 7422 9078 E: NAdair@mcgregor-boyall.com  

Since the UK went into Lockdown over three weeks ago, I’ve had a multitude of conversations with senior HR Professionals about the challenges they are currently facing. They’ve told me that Covid-19 is taking over every aspect of their working day, and they are coming up against things that they have never experienced before. This has been and continues to be incredibly overwhelming for both the HR function and the broader organisations they support. Not knowing what to do, where to start and what the future may hold can have a hugely negative effect on productivity. Employees need reassurance and support more than ever in these unnerving times, much of which is driven by HR. HR is having to deal with changes in employment conditions, policy and navigating the government schemes around furloughing staff, and those are all just the considerations around current organisational state. When they get the head space to think about the future state, they have to consider whether they currently have the talent needed for the organisation to move forward. One of the biggest challenges here has been around how to hire in this new remote/virtual environment. Whilst this might be a challenge it is still possible to do, and smart forward-thinking organisations are finding ways to successfully achieve this. To help make this challenge easier for organisations I thought I would share some tips on how to successfully hire critical talent remotely. Consistency in the Recruitment Process Talent Management and Talent Acquisition specialists must ensure they have robust assessment processes for interviews. This will need to include clear agreements on who is to be involved in the hiring process. Ensuring that those involved in interviewing have a clear understanding of the capability and skills required for the role as well as an understanding of core business values. Ensuring the interviewers have a consistent assessment/questioning technique that can assess the candidate. The Talent Acquisition team should provide training around this where required. Ensure that anyone involved in the hiring process has the technology to support virtual interviewing. Connectivity might be an issue for some individuals, meaning they cannot be interviewed via video therefore other formats like telephone should be used in these cases. Lower the Risk Some organisations are reluctant to move to an offer stage without having met the candidate in person as they feel that there are more risks associated with this; from how to onboard effectively, how to conduct checks and generally how to embed a new starter in the organisation. But there are things that agile companies are putting in place to stop this from halting hiring, such as: Extended probation periods – Some organisations will be implementing a longer probation period to lessen risk on hiring virtually and mitigate against what could be an extended period to get new employees up to speed. Remote on-boarding – I have spoken to numerous clients who are onboarding remotely. They are posting out laptops and offering online inductions utilising Zoom or Microsoft Teams to run the programs. Clients are also arranging virtual welcome drinks/lunches etc. The current feedback from candidates on their experience of this has been very impressive and this has made them feel very welcomed. Effective communication – This is critical for both existing employees and new potential hires. The remote environment can be very isolating, and it can be easy to drift away from undertaking objectives, so it is critical to have both formal and informal communication check-ins on a regular basis. This is to ensure engagement and productivity are kept high as well as promoting a positive mind-set. Compliance/employment checks - It is extremely important when hiring to still ensure the relevant employment checks are in place. It’s not something you can get away with not doing, some organisations including our own are set-up to be able to conduct the checks remotely, but with adaptations to the sighting of original documentation being embedded as a solution. Delayed start dates – If the above solutions still do not dispel concerns, some organisations are appointing candidates with a delayed start date. This is a solution that can work effectively and ensure that you are in a position to hit the ground running when the world starts to return to normal. However, if you are doing this it is critical to build in touch points with the candidates in the interim period to ensure they remain engaged. Let’s not forget the Interim Candidate! If the need is urgent but the sign-off for the permanent hire is too challenging, there is always the option of hiring interim expertise to support your needs. The advantage of this is that you are hiring experienced individuals who are able to hit the ground running, are able to work autonomously and are well equipped to work remotely. If you are at all unsure of how to tackle the challenges outlined above and want to ensure you successfully hire top talent remotely during this pandemic and beyond, please get in touch to discuss how McGregor Boyall can be of help.

At McGregor Boyall, we appreciate that whether you are a client or a candidate, your priority is to safeguard yours and others health by following Government advice and regulations. It is also ours. All our UK offices immediately switched to home working as advised on the 17th March 2020. Our colleagues in Dubai began working from home on the 19th March. And, complying with the most recent official guidelines, colleagues in Singapore will be working from home as of Tuesday 7th April. From an operational perspective, we are maintaining a full complement of front, middle and back office functions thanks to our technology infrastructure that is fully cloud-based. This includes all payments to contractors.   From a business perspective, we have unsurprisingly experienced a very significant reduction in the number of permanent and contract requirements being notified to us by clients. Accordingly, our business planning now reflects a protracted period of subdued recruitment activity by many organisations. In light of this, the Directors of the firm - having reduced their salaries as clearly appropriate - have taken a number of actions designed to maintain its long-term financial health and equip it to respond to economic recovery as and when this occurs. These actions include releasing a small number of people from the firm while taking the opportunity provided by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to furlough a larger number.   Fortunately, the firm has a built a very strong balance sheet over its 30+ years of trading and is appropriately battle-hardened with experienced Consultants who are continuing to provide our clients and candidates with a full service offering from all of our offices, across all our specialisms.   Please do not hesitate to contact us if you feel that we can be of help in any way. Most of all, please do everything in your power to safeguard your health and that of others.   Best regards, Laurie Boyall Group CEO 7th April 2020

McGregor Boyall are fully committed to addressing the gender imbalance in the UK Technology space. We recently surveyed women working in technology to gauge their views on the current state of play, and to obtain key action points for the market. 

Our Risk, Finance & Compliance Market Insights Report & Salary Guide 2020 provides the latest insights on the market collated by our specialist Risk, Fiance & Compliance Recruitment Teams, and from data collected from surveying our clients and candidates. 

The unprecedented difficulties we are all facing require that we do everything we can to support each other in any way we can.  At McGregor Boyall we believe that it is our primary duty to follow Government Guidelines in order to preserve the health and welfare of our employees and to contribute to limiting the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus). Accordingly, we are recommending that all our members of staff should now work from home.  However, we would like to reassure clients and candidates that, as a firm, we have the system infrastructure to ensure 100% availability of our services.  This not only includes front-office recruitment functions (including video interviewing) but also all back-office services, including contractor payments. We would also like to emphasise that our services are not only ISO9001 Quality accredited, but that we also have ISO27001 Information Security and CyberEssentials Plus accreditations and can maintain security levels during this period of disruption. Finally, we would like to express to all the individuals we work with, whether you are a candidate or a client, our very best wishes for the journey that lies ahead for all of us, no matter how long it may last. Laurie Boyall Group Chief Executive

London, 10th March 2020: Global recruitment specialists McGregor Boyall are pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Geist as Head of Practice -Regulation, Compliance and Financial Crime. Geist has over 15 years’ experience in the Compliance and Financial Crime space. He has successfully placed regulatory and compliance candidates at all levels across banking and financial services both in UK and Internationally. Geist began his compliance recruitment career at a FTSE listed recruitment firm in 2005. Starting as a Consultant he quickly progressing to heading up the team and establishing himself as one of the leading recruiters in the compliance industry. He is a business graduate from the University of London. Commenting on his appointment Geist said, “I am delighted to have taken-up this position and I’m excited by the prospect of enhancing McGregor Boyall’s reputation as a specialist Compliance & Financial Crime recruitment firm.” “McGregor Boyall have a well-established and impressive reputation in the UK,” continues Paul “and I am looking forward to working closely with our international offices to expand our recruitment services.” “I am delighted to have Paul on board to build on, and expand our Compliance and Financial Crime Practice” said Group CEO Laurie Boyall “his experience speaks for itself, and his proven track record of delivery in this space means he will be an excellent addition to the McGregor Boyall team.”

Our Digital, Marketing & Communications Market Insights Report & Salary Guide 2020 provides the latest insights on the market collated by our Digital, Marketing & Communications Recruitment Teams, and from data collected from surveying our clients and candidates. 

London, 11th February 2020: Global recruitment specialists McGregor Boyall have appointed Mark Hibbs as Head of Practice - Finance and Audit for their UK operations. Hibbs has over 15 years’ industry experience predominantly in the Middle East Banking and Financial Services space. He initially joined McGregor Boyall’s Middle East operations in June 2016 as Associate Director for Banking, Financial Services and Audit and has now made the move back to the UK to head-up McGregor Boyall’s UK wide Finance and Audit Practice. Commenting on his appointment Hibbs said, “Having spent a successful time with the business in the Middle East I am delighted to have now taken-up this position and excited by the prospect of enhancing our reputation as a specialist Finance & Audit recruitment firm.” “McGregor Boyall have a well-established and impressive reputation in the UK,” continues Hibbs “and I am looking forward to working closely with our regional offices to expand our recruitment offering and client base.” “It’s great to see the movement of talent across our offices,” added Lucy Frost, Group People Director “these opportunities can provide new challenges and experiences, along with the chance of career progression, which overall gives employees a real sense of value and engagement.”

Our HR & Talent Management Market Insights Report & Salary Guide 2020 provides the latest insights on the market collated by our HR & Talent Management Recruitment Team, and from data collected from surveying our clients and candidates. 

Talent / HR to clear up the mess – yet again… In April 2020 new legislation (IR35/off-payroll) is coming into effect in the private sector that will change the face of flexible resourcing in the UK.  In fact, it already has.  Some organisations, mainly very large ones, have already implemented operational decisions in advance of its arrival. At this point I must own up to having skin in this particular game.  I am the CEO of a recruitment/resourcing firm whose business model is partly based on supplying contractors, including a large number of IT contractors, to large private sector organisations.  So please feel free to assume that I’m biased. The new legislation will have a dramatically disruptive effect on how my firm will conduct business in the future.  But that’s our problem – and we’re dealing with it. What interests – and intrigues - me mostly is how organisations are dealing with it – or not. I am not thinking simply about short - to medium - term operational issues, although these are important.  Yes, in the short term, its effects will be operationally disruptive.  But organisations will manage – or at least muddle through – these.  The bigger question is whether HMRC’s grab for more tax revenue represents, totally inadvertently, a further milestone on a journey that is reshaping our view of the nature of work in society, let alone in the economy. What has bemused – and occasionally amused – me in our preparations is how much contractors – especially IT contractors - are resented at an institutional level.  Broadly speaking the reaction has been, “they’re bloody well paid – and should have been paying tax anyway”.  In corporate UK, contractor sympathisers as a species are endangered and possibly extinct. This view is remarkable because it positions contractors on a very distant and cold planet in the new universe of flexible working.  Inhabitants of its other planets are warmed by more benign opinions: “gig” workers are normally viewed differently, and more sympathetically.  Perhaps it is because they are often depicted as the pioneers of a future world of work that is intellectually creative and, ironically, technology rich.  But at what point, if ever, will unreliable freelance plumbers join hands with ubertalented (pun intended) web designers to march together towards a working paradise? And turning to those on another planet dangerously close to the sun of flexibility, do many people approve morally or emotionally of zero-hour contracts? These are clearly big questions that transcend strictly operational issues.  But do they?  During preparations for the forthcoming legislation, I have been surprised, sometimes shocked, by the emotional current powering some organisations approach to it.  Some planned responses have been closer to fevered cull than rational, surgical intervention.  Quite literally, the phrase “get rid of the lot” has recurred.  It will never be easy to manage a work-universe which is populated, it would appear, by pampered IT contractors, zero-hour victims and fulfilled, flexible freedom-fighters.  We appeared to have entered the universe of Star Wars, not workforce planning. But manage it, we must.  But are we doing so?  What is continuing to astonish me about the actions of large and presumably sophisticated, organisations, is just how tactical, rather than strategic, they could turn out to be.  An increasing number of organisations are choosing to cease engaging altogether with personal service companies (aka limited company contractors).  That may reflect a desire to pre-empt any accusation of making a “blanket determination” (it’s worth googling that phrase).  But by any definition it is mass culling.  But what is as worrying is who may have made these decisions.  Our conversations with various organisations, from medium through to large, has frequently revealed that line managers and talent professionals have not even been in the room – as opposed to finance, legal and procurement. Once again, I must declare that I cannot be disinterested.  But given how many key systems (financial, infrastructural and industrial) are currently being developed, enhanced or supported by an interim workforce with specialist knowledge, the possibility that a resource cull morphs into an essential skills cull cannot be lightly discounted.  My overall sense is that (apart from HMRC’s self-confessed “show me the money” motivator) many of the reactions to IR35 have, from C suite down, been emotional and instinctive as much as rational.  Like much that is happening – de-globalisation, Brexit, general election etc, positions being taken are, to use a fashionable adjective, tribal.  They are founded on a sense of identity and disputed entitlement rather than cool-headed risk - and cost-analysis – even at the highest level of organisations.  This is anecdotally confirmed by discussions with smaller organisations for whom the specific, critical importance of individual contractors is more easily identifiable.  Such firms, often without the significant infrastructural support (HR, legal etc) are not sharpening their knives for a cull – they are forensically assessing the impact on their firm. This brings me back to the title of this piece. Which part of an organisation is going to have to clear up the mess after the abrupt, major disruption of a flexible marketplace that comprises tens of thousands of highly skilled workers?  Here’s a clue.  It begins with a “T”. And the final question I will ask is whether things would have been done differently if Talent had been in the room from the start when key strategic decisions were being taken? No prizes for guessing right. Laurie Boyall is McGregor Boyall’s Founder and Group CEO.  

Nathaniel Hinds gives his insight and overview of the trends seen in 2018, moving into 2019 and beyond within Digital and Financial Services. He also gives an in-depth look into the Digital desk that he looks after at McGregor Boyall, including the areas and roles which he covers. 

Attracting Top HR Talent into the Third Sector The “third sector” is a broad term for organisations belonging neither to the public sector (i.e., the state) nor to the private sector (profit-making private enterprise). You may have heard other terms used to describe these organisations such as the voluntary sector, non-governmental organisations or non-profit organisations. I’ve always had a strong passion for recruiting into the third sector.  My clients offer rewarding and socially engaging places to work.  It’s a breath of fresh air to discuss with prospective candidates.  At this point it’s an “easy sell”. It’s not until you start talking about salary and bonuses that you can start to squirm in your seat, hoping against hope that the candidate is looking to move AND take a pay cut! However, those times are changing….and if the Third can be a little savvier, and change their mindset on three key areas, they will be able to ensure they can attract top HR talent to their sector. 1. Flexible Working There are a great number of candidates on the market who are looking for more for than just a salary.  Many candidates are wanting to have discussions around agile or flexible working arrangements, and many are happy to take a small drop in their pay or move for the same money if they can work from a few days from home, work on a part time basis or have a flexible working arrangement that allows alternative start and finish times. 2. Diversify your Talent Pool Everyone is talking about diversifying their workforce, and one of the simplest ways to do this is to focus on candidates from OUTSIDE the sector.  You will be both widening your market for top HR talent that you hadn’t tapped into before and you will start to bring in a more diversified talent group.  One that will have new ideas for the sector, may offer more commercial or different solutions and perhaps give you a more diversified culture and workforce. I know its less risk to hire a HR Business Partner or Manager that understands the sector BUT let’s face it - if we do our due diligence on the candidates, run a tailored and comprehensive interview process and ensure we assess the relevant skills and experience then we will mitigate that risk significantly. 3. Millennials and Graduates We need to be looking at Millennials or Graduates.  When meeting and interviewing graduates looking to kick start their HR career, I find they are significantly more attracted to aligning with charitable work or doing their piece for society and are much less motivated by money.  They want to work for “the cause” and for an organisation that understands what motivates them.  They want to work for agile business’ that offer perks such as company days out, breakfast / lunches, break-out areas and who want to listen to their thoughts and allow them to implement new ideas or projects. We can’t offer HR Manager roles to graduates but we can be open minded about hiring for HR roles that require less experience.  By focusing on attributes of the candidate and investing in onboarding and training a graduate you will see a higher level of engagement and longevity in your HR Team. Solutions: Focus on offering a complete package that includes flexible and agile working as standard. The vast majority of recent HR hires we have done have included some form of discussion around flexible or agile working at offer stage. Look outside the sector – focus more on the commercial attributes that employees from the public and private sector can bring. Hire millennials. Hire graduates. They are less attracted by salary and more attracted to aligning with charitable work or doing their bit for society. About Kara Feller: I’m an experienced Recruitment Consultant specialising in attracting top HR talent for the third sector. I have a strong network of HR Professionals who can offer "value add", commercial HR solutions. I am always looking at how my clients can attract and engage top HR talent and can offer solutions around the challenges of lower salaries, attracting commercial experience and innovation and engagement through to retention. Get in touch - +44 (0)20 7422 9035 / kfeller@mcgregor-boyall.com 

Heatwaves cause workers to glaze After a few false starts it seems that summer has finally arrived. Spirits are lifted when the sun is shining and across the cities the few small patches of grass, open air lidos and rooftop bars can become so crowded they resemble a mosh pit at a concert, with people battling for the prime spots. However, the sunny weather can bring additional challenges for businesses, and HR Teams in particular. A rise in absenteeism during the summer months is common which can impact productivity and put additional pressure on those who do make it to the office. Holiday season is now in full swing, and with parts of Europe effectively closing down for a month whilst people take time off, keeping people motivated when offices are emptier becomes more challenging. “A rise in absenteeism during the summer months is a common problem facing HR Teams” Transport networks come under increased pressure in the hot weather with commuters facing delays and cancellations as networks struggle to cope with the heat. The risk of train lines buckling in the soaring temperatures result in speed restrictions and reduced services, with the knock-on effect being further overcrowding and increased risk of people being taken ill in sauna like conditions. Those with trains lucky enough to have air conditioning at least have a small respite but there are still trains, tubes and buses without air conditioning resulting in many people arriving at work hot, sweaty and irritable – hardly a state conducive with a productive working day! FOMO (Fear of missing out) kicks in as people want to enjoy the weather – witness the packed pubs and restaurants at lunchtimes and after work as people surge to make the most of the soaring temperatures.  People are less inclined to work extra hours which can impact productivity. “Uncomfortable working environments can sap energy and mean staff cannot work effectively” Finally, the UK is not a country geared up for extreme temperatures. Many offices are housed in old buildings that are either not equipped with proper air conditioning or have ineffective cooling systems resulting in uncomfortable working environments that sap energy and mean staff cannot work effectively. Fortunately, the more forward-thinking organisations can take simple steps to alleviate some of these challenges, with HR driving these initiatives to ensure a retained and engaged workforce. “Flexible and agile working practices can ensure your workforce remains motivated and productive” Strategies such as flexible start / finish times to allow employees to avoid peak travel times or agile / remote working options where people can avoid the hellish commute altogether can help to minimise the impact on productivity and ensure your workforce remains motivated. Some sectors have even introduced a shorter working week during the summer months, allowing workers to finish around 3pm on Friday. There is growing evidence to show such actions can improve productivity as people work harder to finish their tasks so they can leave on time and start their weekend early. Relaxing the dress code for the more corporate environments to allow men to wear smart shorts rather suits on the hottest days will lead to a more comfortable and productive work force - although boob tubes and short shorts are obviously still not appropriate! Clearly nothing will be able to completely remove the impact of soaring temperatures but at least the above can go some way to reducing the misery. While none of the above is rocket science, it is amazing how many companies are still reluctant to offer more flexible or agile working options, all the while wondering why staff engagement is low. Those in the know are the ones that grow! Nina Adair Practice Head - HR & Talent Management

Our HR & Talent Management Market Insights Report & Salary Guide 2019 provides the latest insights on the market collated by our HR & Talent Management Recruitment Team, and from data collected from surveying our clients and candidates.