Business

If you hate your job, you’re not alone as new research has discovered that almost half of young Brits (45 percent) feel trapped in a job they can’t stand. 

According to the research, over a third (36 percent) of 20- to 35-year-olds admit they’re desperate to quit their job but can’t afford to, while 38 percent say they have no hope of getting a promotion or moving sideways to a more interesting position at their current company. 

43 percent spend the whole day clock watching, while 29 percent admit the end of the weekend is ruined with “Sunday night blues” – the dread of going back to work the following day.

 Yet the study of 1,500 20- to 35-year-olds, commissioned by the Open University, suggests it’s difficult to find something new, as 28 percent feel they fell into a career path they can’t get out of. A quarter of young people are desperate to quit their current jobs but are struggling to find something else. 

To find a potential solution to the problems that many young people are facing with their career, and to show the realities of new career challenges, the Open University are launching an ‘Unlock Your Inner Boss LIVE’ challenge, where they will put TV and Radio presenter Gemma Cairney through her paces at the helm of a new business for the day, and will live stream the activity across their social channels. 

Interestingly, 82 percent of young people said they dream of being their own boss, while four in ten (41 percent) said given the chance they would like to start up their own business. In fact, three-quarters describe themselves as having an entrepreneurial spirit and reckon they have what it takes to be successful. 

When it comes to ‘side hustles’ or an occupation that is undertaken in addition to one’s regular employment, 37 percent of respondents say they already have one. A third of young people that don’t already have a side hustle want one and 21 percent claim to be planning their ‘side hustle’ now. 

Professor Tim Blackman, Vice-Chancellor at the Open University said: 

“It’s amazing to see the positive entrepreneurial attitude that young people in the UK have. Lots of young people know they have the potential to do bigger and better things but are unsure how to access their dream job. We hope the OU can be the solution to the problems that some of the younger generations are facing, flexible studying hours give OU students the ability to ‘earn while they learn’ and offer a chance to upskill to land their dream job whilst pursuing a side hustle at the same time. 

“The OU has a proven track record of helping people achieve their dream careers. It’s the largest University in the UK and has produced more CEOs than any other University. Continuing to build your skillset is a must for these go–getters, so they can achieve the career goals they want.  We think education should be considered as an option for every stage of life, the sky really is the limit.” 

Gemma Cairney, host of the OU’s ‘Unlock Your Inner Boss’ LIVE challenge said:

“I’m thrilled to be taking part in the OU’s ‘Unlock Your Inner Boss’ LIVE challenge and be put through my paces, as my own boss in a new ‘business’. It’s brilliant to see that young people today have such positive mindsets about feeling entrepreneurial – they clearly want to take control of their careers and so many are planning their own side hustles. Hopefully watching me in the UYIB challenge will show that everyone is capable of achieving their dream job, given the right mindset and support. I’ve always considered myself to have an entrepreneurial mindset and I can’t wait to see what challenges the day has to offer!” 

The research also found that, unsurprisingly, three in ten young working Brits (31 percent) say they live for the weekend. The problems have been exacerbated by the return to the office, with three in ten saying returning to the workplace after working from home has made their job so much worse, with 35 percent admitting they’re missing the flexibility that home working provided. 

And while half of young people said their parents’ generation were prepared to stay in a job they disliked, 31 percent of young people today, are adamant that they shouldn’t have to stay in a job they hate. 

The research also found that on average, young working Brits who are stuck in dead-end jobs believe they are only using 39 percent of their full potential talent, this means that 27 percent are sticking to their current role solely for the income. As a result, over a quarter (26 percent) of young working Britons struggle to stay awake at the office – with 21 percent saying they work to live, instead of living to work. In fact, a fifth said the morale at the company they work at is at rock bottom, with 16 percent having a nightmare boss who they feel micromanages them. 

Meanwhile, 13 percent admit sometimes they cry in the toilets because they feel so stressed out, with one in ten saying they can’t leave work on time, or their manager will think they’re not working hard enough. 

The research has also uncovered the barriers behind finding your dream job – with 43 percent of young Britons admitting that despite all the difficulties with their current position, they still have NO IDEA what their dream career is. 

31 percent say they can’t afford the training required, while 24 percent don’t have the skills required for their dream job. While almost a fifth (19 percent) admit they don’t know which skills they need for their ideal career. 

Over a third are interested in upskilling in order to progress further in their current role, while 36 percent want to change careers by retraining in something completely different. One-fifth feel they would benefit from a better understanding of business management, while 16 percent are adamant they would like to develop their computer skills. Meanwhile, 17 percent said upskilling their IT expertise would be crucial for them to make their career dreams come true.

And when it comes to switching careers, 17 percent think the more time goes on and the more senior you become, it only gets harder and harder to make a change. 16 percent have regrets about starting their career and not being brave enough to go for a job they really wanted. However, 14 percent claim they just need a boss who will give them a chance when it comes to working to their full potential.

With pandemic-driven remote working helping to accelerate change in the way businesses operate, UK employers are now being forced to offer increasingly attractive packages to their people as new research shows that more than a third of employees feel they have more power now than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The data, from Benenden Health’s ‘Workforce of the Future’ report, found that half of working adults (46%) believe that the pandemic has changed their relationship with their employer, with this rising to 70% for employees under the age of 25.

The effect of this change is a significant power shift from employers to employees, with more than a third (37%) of workers feeling that they have more power now than before the pandemic, putting pressure on businesses to carefully consider what they are able to offer workers amidst the ‘Great Resignation’ and debates over return to workplace policies.

The survey of 2,000 employees in the UK also found that workers are now increasingly likely to extend future job searches to wider geographical areas in the hunt for employment that provides their desired flexibility, satisfaction and benefits.

Whilst the average employee today lives 15 miles away from their designated workplace, workers revealed that – with many still remote or hybrid working – they would now be willing to take jobs 45 miles away from home on average.

With more than 3,000 workers at 60 companies in the UK trialling a four-day working week from June this year, three-day weekends (46%) were revealed to be the number one thing that employees would like to see introduced in the next five years, with as many as a third identifying this as an ‘essential’ offering from a new employer, whilst a fifth (18%) now believe that an offer of wraparound healthcare is a necessity.

Benenden Health is encouraging businesses to consider their approach to recruiting and retaining talent as we move away from the pandemic with this new dynamic in play.

Naomi Thompson, Head of OD at Benenden Health, said:
“The Great Resignation and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on traditional working structures will be historic, and our research shows a hugely significant shift in the power balance between employers and employees and with the average worker telling us that they plan on leaving their current job in the next five years, businesses are now facing a crucial crossroads.

“Whilst employees have increasingly open minds with regards to where they work and what their role consists of, employers still need to take action to be an attractive proposition to the talent pool.

“The world of work has undoubtedly changed for good and it has never been more important for businesses to consult with their employees and ensure that they are providing the necessary tools and support to create a healthy workplace where people want to be in an increasingly competitive job market.”

Benenden Health is a mutual organisation offering high quality, private healthcare at the same affordable cost for everyone. This includes round the clock care such as 24/7 GP and Mental Health helplines, plus speedy access to services such as physiotherapy and medical treatment.

For more information about Benenden Health and to view its ‘Workforce of the Future’ report, go to https://wwww.benenden.co.uk.

More than a third (40%) of hiring managers feel unprepared for digital Right to Work (RTW) screening, despite the Home Office introducing this method following the success of the emergency measures during Covid. That’s according to a recent webinar poll by specialist background screening and identity services firm, Sterling.

Following the positive feedback received about the ability to conduct right to work checks remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Home Office announced the permanent option of digital checks. However, in its webinar, What Employers Need to Know About Digital Identity, Sterling found that 38% of hiring managers were unsure about the process, 9% believed it would be a challenging process, and 1% indicated that they would prefer traditional screening methods.

However, according to Sterling, the introduction of digital identity checks supports quicker and more efficient screening, reducing the potential for fraud and providing a more positive experience for candidates. In fact, by the end of the webinar 81% of attendees agreed that the move to Digital Identity would be a positive one, indicating that employers are perhaps unaware of the benefits that this switch will have for businesses.

Steve Smith, Managing Director EMEA at Sterling, commented:

“The results of our webinar poll certainly indicate that employers are apprehensive about the digital identity transition, but our post-poll confirms that a lot of this reticence comes from a lack of understanding around the finer details, rather than a complete reluctance to the move. The introduction of Digital Identity should definitely be viewed by employers as a positive change, allowing hiring managers to benefit from technology that can significantly improve the candidate experience, as well as the speed and accuracy of their background checks. Once employers are familiar with how these checks will work, they will truly reap the benefits.

“With skills shortages rife across the UK, businesses simply cannot afford to lose prospective new hires in complex compliance processes. While the pandemic has had a severe impact on the labour market, it has also had a positive effect on the progress made in digital identity checks. This is a clear step in the right direction for the market.”

∙       Alquity, the leading responsible investment manager and Spouting Rock Asset Management form strategic partnership

∙       Investors can now access world-class ESG and impact funds in U.S. through new investment and distribution platform

∙       Spouting Rock Asset Management becomes a key shareholder

Alquity, the leading responsible investment manager, and U.S.-based Spouting Rock Asset Management (Spouting Rock) today announced a joint venture and the creation of a new platform to give U.S. investors access to world-class ESG and impact funds.

The strategic partnership will create a distribution platform for Alquity’s funds in the U.S., including its Global Impact Fund and Future World Global Emerging Markets Fund. The partnership also includes Alquity’s Indian Subcontinent Fund, which was in the top-ten performing equity funds globally in 2021, according to FT Adviser, proving there is no performance trade off with ESG and Impact.

ESG-focused funds globally saw their combined assets climb to $3.9 trillion in Q3 2021, according to data compiled by Morningstar. While Europe remains the stand-out leader in sustainable funds, both the U.S. and Canada remain early-stage markets. The mission of the new investment and distribution platform is to accelerate the multibillion-dollar ESG and impact investing opportunity in North America.

“The North American market is an exciting opportunity to make a difference and deliver impact at scale. We believe both the United States and Canada are prime markets to get ahead of the ESG and impact curve,” said Brad Crombie CEO, Alquity. “But you also need partners with strong connections and a long-term commitment to the market.  This is why we are so excited to work with the team at Spouting Rock who have the experience, relationships and distribution architecture to help Alquity establish itself as one of the leaders in the largest growth segment of the market.”

Spouting Rock, which is also investing in the London-based firm, provides alternative, traditional and thematic investment solutions that seek to enhance portfolios and protect wealth. This joint venture is the latest addition to the firm’s curated manager platform of well-vetted, active investment solutions.  Most recently in 2021, Spouting Rock established a joint venture with Bell Asset Management of Australia, acquired a minority stake in Glovista Investments and finalized its majority investment in Penn Capital.

“We’re excited to welcome our UK partners to the Spouting Rock platform,” says Andrew Smith, Chairman of Spouting Rock.  “We are committed to offering purposeful investment solutions for our clients, including ESG strategies that allow investors to align their capital with environmental and social values. Genuine, top-quality pure play ESG and impact investment managers are difficult to find, which is why we are so excited to have the opportunity to bring Alquity into the U.S.”

Alquity is the bridge between listed equities and impact through pioneering its 3-D investment model fusing financial performance, high-quality portfolio ESG and catalytic capital for local impact.

“Building a presence in the U.S. market will create an opportunity for us to achieve a quantum leap in AUM and therefore the lives we transform.  Alquity is all about building a better fairer and more sustainable world. Our portfolios drive better corporate behaviours and progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  We are extremely excited to have found the right partner in Spouting Rock to develop this across the U.S.,” said Paul Robinson, Alquity Founder and Chair.

This is the latest in Alquity’s ongoing trajectory of developing strategic partnerships and attracting investment. Last year, the London-based firm formed a partnership with East Capital Group, as well as completing its capital raise with backing from the founders of Investible, Australia’s leading seed stage investor, and from asset management pioneer Martin Gilbert.

In addition, as of December 31, 2021, Alquity’s Transforming Lives programme, in which it injects 10% of its fee revenues, has impacted more than 65,000 people by granting more than $2.4m in the regions where the company invests. This social investment also provides a feedback loop back into the investment teams – a mechanism which differentiates its approach.

Teenage apprentice, Katie Marsden is a finalist in the Young Achiever of the Year category.

A teenager’s initiative and positive attitude towards work has impressed judges for a prestigious award.
Kate Marsden is among the finalists in the Young Achiever of Year category at next month’s Halton Business Awards in recognition of her impact at marketing agency Aqueous Digital.
The 19-year-old, a student on the BA (Hons.) Digital Marketing degree at the University of Central Lancashire, is one of five rising stars shortlisted as a reward for the contribution they have made to their workplace.

She said: “I’m so grateful to the team for nominating me – it means so much!
“After the past few years in college, I didn’t want to be stuck in a classroom all day any longer. Instead I wanted to get out there and do it for myself.
“In the short time I have been at Aqueous, I have already learnt so much. It really has made a huge difference for me!”

Katie joined the search engine optimisation (SEO) experts, who are based in Sutton Weaver, as a digital marketing assistant last summer after achieving straight As in her A-Levels.
She opted for a degree-level apprenticeship at the next stage of her studies, preferring to gain practical experience of the digital marketing sector while acquiring the knowledge taught as part of a traditional university course.
Judges liked that she has assumed responsibility for delivering SEO services to more than a dozen of the agency’s customers as part of a role that includes account and project management, monthly reporting duties and website content co-ordination.

“At the heart of Aqueous is a commitment to the development of every team member,” said Jonathan Guy, Aqueous Digital’s managing director.
“We have been extremely impressed with Katie’s progress, especially how quickly she has developed the skills required to succeed in a niche and specialist area of digital marketing.”
The Halton Business Awards, organised by Halton Chamber of Commerce, have been an annual event since 2008.

The most recent edition, held before the coronavirus pandemic, attracted a record number of entries and more than 400 business leaders and VIPs attended the Gala Dinner.
Katie will be approaching the one-year anniversary of her first day in the job when the 2022 winners are announced.
She added: “I was really nervous about starting because I was only 18 and I’d not had a full-time job before.

“But from the second I started, everybody was so welcoming. I love how supportive they all are.”
A University of Central Lancashire spokesperson said: “As one of our degree apprenticeship students, Katie is putting into practice her academic learning and it’s fantastic to know she’s been shortlisted for this award. We wish her the very best of luck.”
The Halton Business Awards 2022, celebrating the best of business in the borough, are scheduled to take place at Widnes Stadium in Cheshire on Friday, June 10.

About Aqueous Digital

Aqueous Digital is a family-run digital marketing agency based in Sutton Weaver, Cheshire, UK. They specialise in organic and paid internet search, website content strategy and reputation management for high and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
The award-winning marketing agency has also reached the finals of the Halton Business Awards in the Family Business of the Year category. This is in recognition of their recent growth, impact with customers and overall approach to being an ethical business and employer with strong values.
To find out more information about Aqueous Digital visit: www.aqueous-digital.co.uk

Global provider of talent outsourcing and advisory services, AMS (formerly Alexander Mann Solutions), has retained its position as a Leader on Everest Group’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 – Global and EMEA, and was also named a global Star Performer.

The annual PEAK Matrix provides an objective, data-driven assessment of service providers based on their overall capability and impact across different global services markets, classifying them into three categories: Leaders, Major Contenders, and Aspirants. This latest news marks the twelfth time AMS has appeared in the top of the Everest rankings, showcasing the firm’s continued leadership position in the talent outsourcing arena.

Aniruddha Kulkarni, Practice Director at Everest Group explained:

“AMS continues to support clients’ talent challenges through short term, flexible engagements as well as long term, end to end RPO construct. Its global delivery footprint, strong pedigree of serving clients across industries, and focused investments in building consulting and advisory offerings have helped it position itself as a Leader and a Star Performer in Everest Group’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 – Global, and as a Leader in Everest Group’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2022 – EMEA.”

David Leigh, Chief Executive Officer at AMS commented:

“The Everest Group PEAK Matrix showcases the best in the RPO field, so to have been named a leader demonstrates the level of talent acquisition innovation that our global teams deliver. It’s been an exciting last 12 months for AMS with growth throughout the world in terms of our outsourcing, advisory and technology offerings. Talent acquisition and management continues to go through a period of significant change and AMS will strive to continue to be at the forefront of this evolution.”

BT’s Digital unit is working to modernise the Group’s service management with the delivery of a unified service management platform, ServiceNow

ServiceNow will replace 56 service management platforms and dramatically simplify service management processes across BT Group as part of a huge transformation programme

Building on the Google Cloud Platform partnership, ServiceNow will be enriched with real time AI insight to boost its effectiveness and pave the path to AI Operations – zero-touch service operations

BT estimates £25m in cumulative savings over the next five years from the implementation and has seen early deployments showing a 50% reduction in efforts on service and change management requests

11th May 2022: BT Digital today announces plans to consolidate BT’s legacy service management platforms into a single system, ServiceNow, as part of a large group-wide transformation programme. ServiceNow will roll out across all of BT Group as rapidly as possible, replacing 56 legacy applications, 76 different ways of implementing service processes, and forecast savings of over £25 million by 2027.

“We are focused on building great products and platforms, and ensuring that we provide brilliant service on them,” comments Harmeen Mehta, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at BT. “Our AI and cloud first approach is a core part of how we unlock this at pace and at scale, so we’re delighted Bill and the team at ServiceNow share our vision for the AI Ops model as the way to transform the way we deliver across BT.”

Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow, said: “Under Harmeen’s leadership, BT’s Digital Unit is investing with urgency in technologies that deliver business impact. The era of digital business is in full flight at BT. BT and Harmeen understand differentiated innovation must be built. Together, we are expanding the use of this powerful platform so BT can transform the world’s great challenges into the biggest opportunities.”

The partnership with ServiceNow has already begun to bear fruit, showing early benefits in the management of BT’s own internal IT, as well as in its customer facing units in Enterprise and Global. ServiceNow are working closely with BT on the deployment, supporting BT’s own culture change programme with DevOps and AI perspectives from the ServiceNow team reinforcing and embedding BT’s Digital Way culture change process.

Early read-outs are showing a 50% reduction in efforts required to deliver service requests, and a 20X boost in the speed of deploying changes into customer services. The service management platform is integrated into BT’s data repository, built with Google Cloud, to integrate real-time AI insight into the service management process. It is being rolled out to teams across BT Group, including service management experts in Digital, Networks and BT’s Customer Facing Units.

BT’s Mehta continues: “ServiceNow is not only helping BT improve our efficiency, it is freeing investment and resource for more strategic and innovation focussed programs, supporting our long term strategy to invest in growth.”

Jennifer Binet, Kysha Weeks, Jennifer Cohen, and Samantha Nelson Named as Top Women in the Industry for Dedication to Sectigo’s Partner Program and Contributions to the Channel

ROSELAND, NJ — May 09, 2022 — Sectigo®, a global leader in digital certificates and automated Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM), today announced that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Jennifer Binet, SVP of Enterprise Sales at Sectigo, to its Women of the Channel Power 100 list for 2022. In addition, Sectigo’s Regional Director of Enterprise Channel Sales, Jennifer Cohen; Senior Manager of Partner Programs, Kysha Weeks; and Inside Channel Account Manager, Samantha Nelson, are on the 2022 Women of the Channel list.

These lists honor the accomplishments of female leaders in the IT channel. Those included come from all corners of the IT channel — including vendors, distributors, and solution providers whose vision, expertise, and contributions impact the industry every day.

“We’re incredibly proud to see these talented individuals recognized in this year’s CRN Women of the Channel list,” said Bill Holtz, CEO, Sectigo. “The channel is key to our success. The leadership, vision, and commitment to our partners shown by these women are instrumental in driving continued growth for our award-winning solutions.”

The Women of the Channel Power 100 list acknowledges an elite subgroup of executive IT leaders who have gone above and beyond to inspire others and impact their organization and the entire IT channel through perseverance and a dedication to channel success.

Binet, included on the list, is responsible for global enterprise sales strategy and success and encourages other women to move into executive-level roles. Sectigo has experienced double-digit YoY enterprise sales growth with Binet as the leader, far outpacing the competition. Over the past year, Binet has helped the channel team establish new partners by identifying key organizations and regions, developing relationships, and educating sales teams while promoting Sectigo as a leading technology partner in the enterprise space. This is the first year Binet has received this honor, and she has been included on the Women of The Channel lists for the past two years.

The Women of the Channel list honors exceptional women for their strategic vision, thought leadership, and channel advocacy that impacts growth and innovation in the channel. The annual list is the official guide to the top female leaders of the IT channel.

Cohen has been successfully driving collaboration resulting in incredible sales through the channel for the last 17 years. She credits her success to her love of network security products and processes, as well as a passion for establishing and growing strong channel partner relationships. Most recently she jumpstarted the west region enterprise channel efforts for Sectigo. Through her long-standing connections with key partners and tailored sales and engineering trainings, she has doubled new enterprise deal registrations through the channel at Sectigo. She finds the relationships she builds within the channel community to be the most rewarding part of her work.

Weeks played an integral role in developing and launching the Sectigo SecurePlus Partner Program in February. The program revolutionized Sectigo’s relationships with its partners by offering them a unique community and many benefits, including exceptional online training and a deep library of sales tools, technical resources, and marketing collateral. Weeks provides partners with the ability to accelerate growth in today’s dynamic cybersecurity market and works to build go-to-market strategies that drive revenue growth from Sectigo’s various partner ecosystems. This is the second year in a row Weeks has been included on the list.

Nelson is a rising star on the Sectigo channel team, developing new partners and raising Sectigo’s brand to new heights. Focused on recruiting and onboarding partners into the Sectigo SecurePlus Partner program, Nelson has seen tremendous success in educating them about Sectigo’s solutions and the value the products can bring to a partner’s portfolio. She is working to become more involved in the channel world through events and values professional forums that cater to women in the tech industry.

“We are proud to recognize the remarkable leaders on this year’s Women of the Channel list once again. Their influence, confidence, and diligence continue to accelerate channel success significantly,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “Their accomplishments will inspire others, and we look forward to witnessing their future contributions to the channel.”

CRN’s 2022 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/WOTC.

Global provider of talent outsourcing and advisory services, AMS (formerly Alexander Mann Solutions), has welcomed a senior hire to its leadership team as part of its continued growth. Roop Kaistha will execute AMS’ ambitious regional strategy and accelerate business growth in the APAC region.

Roop joins as Regional Managing Director of APAC, with responsibility for the overall leadership and management of the firm across the APAC region. She brings two decades of experience working across multiple markets, spending the last 15 years in Outsourcing and Talent Acquisition with a global talent solutions firm. She has a proven track record in the strategic management of large scale RPOs and MSPs across Asia Pacific. She has held various roles including Solution Design, Implementation, running the Innovation Centre for Asia Pacific and, most recently, as Regional Head of RPO and Professional Services.

Commenting on her new role, Roop explained:
“I’m excited to be joining the AMS team. I’m incredibly passionate about transforming talent acquisition strategies, including integrating the right technology for firms. Companies across the APAC region are increasingly turning to digital solutions to engage with new talent, but often this technology isn’t fit-for-purpose or regionalised to suit the unique engagement structures across countries. It is crucial during this period of global skills shortages that employers take a tailored approach to recruitment technology that takes connectivity with the right social media accounts and the user experience into account. AMS takes an agile, bold and dynamic approach to its talent solutions that aligns with everything I believe is important for talent strategies, making this a perfect move for me. I’m looking forward to working closely with the team and the firm’s incredible breadth of global clients.”

David Leigh, Chief Executive Officer at AMS, extended a warm welcome to Roop: “Roop brings a wealth of outsourcing and talent acquisition expertise to AMS. Her deep experience and established relationships across Asia Pacific and globally will enable further growth for our business in the region. As an expert in global talent acquisition, our solutions are globally led with a regional approach. Having experts like Roop around the world, we’re able to provide our clients with global resources, expertise and insights, all of which are critical in the current talent market.”