EMPLOYERS need to ask themselves “Why should people work for us?” as they compete to attract talent, an event heard.

A seminar titled Covid Changed Us considered human resources and recruitment issues, as well as employment law and the need to encourage healthy lifestyles.

Janell White, director of Bournemouth-based human resources consultancy Trinity HR, said Covid was forcing employers to look again at what they offered job candidates.

“What’s the deal what we are offering our employees? Why should people come and work for us? What’s that thing we offer that attracts and retains talent?” she said.

“Organisations that haven’t asked themselves those questions are in danger of being left behind.”

She said compensation, benefits, career and culture were the key elements in attracting talent. “Offering flexible work isn’t really a differentiator any more. Everyone’s doing that,” she added.

Joy Bruce, managing director of independent recruitment agent agency Collaborate Recruitment, told the event at Bournemouth’s Orchid Hotel: “We have to consider what we’re doing as a company to attract the right people and to keep them once they’re there. That’s important – what do we look like to the market?”

She added: “Gone are the days when you can expect somebody to do three interviews. And 20 days’ holiday is not a benefit, it’s a right.

“If you want people to be part of your culture, what’s great about your culture?

“If you don’t invest in your people, you don’t train them, you don’t make them feel loved from day one, they will look elsewhere.”

Amy Cousineau Massey, consultant employment solicitor with Woodstock Legal Services, spoke of legal issues thrown up by Covid, including the risks associated with a “no jab, no job” policy.

She said employers had a duty to provide a safe workplace, but requiring staff to be vaccinated could fall foul of discrimination law, and would impose new burdens of data protection. “If you’re going to say a blunt ‘no jab, no job’ then you’re going to be heading for trouble in a discrimination sense,” she said.

Suzanne Schneider, of Niche Nutrition, talked about about wellbeing, healthy eating and exercise. She told how her experience of type one diabetes and a double organ transplant led her to study health and nutrition. She urged employers to allow time to eat without interruptions and to encourage people to get outside during the day.