Expert advice on attracting and retaining talent
Business leaders and HR professionals heard expert advice on how to attract new talent and retain staff in the skills crisis at an event organised by a leading college group.
Warwick Trident College, which is part of college group WCG, hosted the networking event which saw attendees given guidance and insights from a trio of industry experts.
The college group organised the event to help businesses overcome the challenges they are facing in staffing, with the employment market getting more and more competitive. It was attended by businesses, HR professionals and stakeholders – including a delegation from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.
Olivia Parrish, Founder of Leap People Solutions, was initially introduced to WCG by the Chamber and was one of the speakers at the event. She emphasised throughout her talk the importance of fostering a positive working culture in an organisation and how if businesses get that right it that can lead to increased productivity and retaining staff.
Attendees also heard from Phil Ingle, Managing Director of Phil Ingle Associates and Chair of Coventry & Warwickshire Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Phil highlighted that a wide range of sectors are experiencing very similar issues in recruitment, recommending that looking at pay and flexible working can be a differentiator for employers.
The third and final speaker was Sally Bromley from Henpicked, who delivered a talk on workplace well-being, with a focus on the menopause. Sally discussed the symptoms of menopause, how people can be supported and the awareness training which is available around it.
Navneet Rai, Business Development Manager at WCG, said it was a great event and provided invaluable networking opportunities for attendees. “We’re very pleased with how the event went and from the feedback we have received those who attended came away with valuable insights to support their own roles and businesses,” she said. “It was an informative and interesting evening for everyone, with the three expert speakers driving some really important discussions.
“We work with hundreds of businesses across the Midlands, and it is clear that challenges like recruitment, workplace culture and wellbeing are prevalent for the vast majority. At WCG we will be looking to host further events like this in the future, covering the wide range of challenges businesses are facing. We are committed to engaging with employers in the regions in which our colleges are based and this is one way that we will be looking to strengthen those relationships.”