Should the military use “emotional” advertising in its recruitment campaigns?

As working cultures change, the British army is caught in a debate over whether to resist – or adapt to – our modern expectations of work.

Brexit remains a source of contention – and of mixed forecasts for UK recruitment. Iceland has made gender pay disparity illegal; and how difficult is it to recruit a recruiter?

British Army under fire for new recruitment strategy

The British armed forces have been criticised for a new recruitment campaign which shows the “emotional” side of the army.

The £1.6mn recruitment drive presents the army as an inclusive employer; examining issues like faith, sexuality and mental health. The radio, television and online ads are voiced by serving soldiers and aim to promote “belonging and team-building”.

But the campaign has come under fire from former heads of the army, who say it misses the target audience. Retired Colonel Richard Kemp said it was crucial to “fill the Army up with people who want to fight, and want to be soldiers”. He also suggested the stagnant recruitment may be remedied by ending the “impenetrable bureaucracy” of the hiring process.

Does the new army campaign miss its mark? Or is this a welcome change in tone for forces’ recruitment? Leave your thoughts below.

Hiring in 2018 means solving gender pay disparity

As compulsory reporting of gender pay disparity is expanded to include more firms in 2018, we consider answers from overseas.

In a bid to eradicate unequal pay by 2022, Iceland has made gender wage disparities illegal from January 1st. Organisations with more than 25 employees will be required to submit wage information to authorities, and obtain certification.

The policy represents one of the more robust solutions to the wage conundrum: those who fail to comply will soon face fines. Iceland ranks as one of the most equal societies on the planet, according to the World Economic Forum.

While unequal pay is already illegal in Great Britain, it has proven challenging to enforce. However, the UK government will introduce compulsory gender pay gap reporting, from April of this year. The system requires all employers with more than 250 employees to publish findings on staff wages.

Brexit reports deliver mixed messages to the recruitment industry

Brexit may be the topic that keeps on giving for industry analysts – but just how much do we understand? Recent assessments paint a picture of stark contrasts. This week, accountancy firm BDO published its Brexit impact data, showing that the UK had slipped in popularity as a destination for foreign jobseekers. Polling 10,000 individuals across 20 countries, BDO saw the UK fall out of the top six most favoured locations for professionals.

The United States, Canada, and Germany all move above Great Britain in the survey.

It reverses the narrative of last month’s reports, which showed the UK remaining as the top destination for migrant workers. Analysis of online job search data found EU workers still searching for vacancies in Britain more than any other nation – though the rates had fallen significantly.

Meanwhile, Albion Capital has stated in its growth report 2017 that British SMEs are fundamentally changing their hiring habits to mitigate Brexit risk. It found that 15 per cent of small businesses had decreased resource allocation for recruitment since Brexit. 10 per cent had implementing changes to their recruitment processes, and 9 per cent were making redundancies.

How do you recruit a recruiter?

Australia is struggling to attract professionals into its recruitment sector, according to new industry data. It sees recruitment added to the list of challenging roles to fill – along with GPs, vetinary staff, and software engineers.

Research by the Recruitment and Consulting Services Association Australia and New Zealand (RCSA) found that recruitment services were among the 20 hardest to fill positions. On average, 48 per cent of vacancies within the sector remained open for more than 60 days.

Charles Cameron, CEO of the RCSA attributes the shortage to recruitment being removed from the Skilled Occupation List. Mr Cameron said it was “harder for the recruitment sector to find the best talent”, adding that the move “threatens to worsen an already apparent skills shortage”. The removal of skilled status limits companies’ ability to recruit talent from overseas.