Second interview questions to ask candidates

​Ramadan is a time of spiritual renewal and self-discipline and is often associated with a sense of community and shared purpose. But for many Muslims, whilst Ramadan is immensely rewarding, it can also be quite difficult from a physical and mental health perspective in the workplace.

Fasting can affect energy levels, focus, and concentration, making it more challenging to complete their day-to-day duties. Managers play an important part in supporting their Muslim team members during this time, both in terms of practical support and emotional understanding.

Understanding the significance of Ramadan

The first step in supporting your Muslim colleagues during Ramadan is to understand the significance of this month. Ramadan is not just about fasting, but also about spiritual reflection, increased devotion, and a sense of community. By understanding the deeper meaning of Ramadan, you can better appreciate the challenges your Muslim employees may be facing and offer meaningful support.

What can managers do to support their team members?

1. Amend work schedules, where possible

One of the biggest challenges for Muslims during Ramadan is balancing work and religious obligations. Where possible, managers should aim to be flexible with work schedules, allowing their employees to attend evening prayers or adjust their work hours to accommodate their fast. You could also consider allowing your team members to work from home or take time off if needed.

2. Provide support in the workplace

In addition to flexing work schedules, managers can also provide practical support in the workplace. This might include providing a quiet space for prayer, allowing employees to take short breaks to rest during the day, giving those who work in the evening time to break their fast and pray, and avoiding late afternoon meetings that require high concentration. The most impactful thing you can do is to ask them if they need any support and if so, what? It will likely vary from person to person, so you should take an open-minded and consultative approach.

3. Encourage communication

It's important for managers to encourage open communication with their Muslim employees during Ramadan. Encourage your team to share how they're feeling, what their needs are, and how you can support them. This can help build a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture and ensure that everyone is comfortable and able to perform at their best.

While encouraging communication is key, if you see someone fasting some days and not others (or not at all), avoid asking them why they are not fasting. There are many reasons why Muslims do not fast during the month of Ramadan, some examples include those with chronic health conditions or disabilities, age, travellers, and pregnant/breastfeeding mothers.

4. Recognise cultural difference

It's important to recognise and respect cultural differences during Ramadan. This might involve understanding that some Muslim employees may be more reserved or quiet during this time. Ramadan is a time for self-reflection and spiritual development, so you may find that some may decide not to partake in team recreational activities outside of work to allow them to focus on prayer, recitation of the Quran, giving to charity and spending time with family and friends to end the daily fast.

5. Promote team unity

Ramadan is often associated with a sense of community and shared purpose, and we all can help promote this sense of unity in the workplace. This might involve organising or amending team-building activities that support the fasting period or to engage in other communal activities.

Celebrating the end of Ramadan

The end of Ramadan is marked by celebrating Eid Ul Fitr (festival of breaking the fast), where Muslims around the world will come together and celebrate. This is the first day in 30 days where Muslims will eat and drink in the daytime. It is a time to celebrate, exchange gifts and get together with members of extended families and friends. Managers can support their team members by having discissions around annual leave dates so that they can partake in the Eid celebrations, if they wish.

And even better - celebrate the end of Ramadan with your colleagues. This could involve organising a special meal or celebration, or simply acknowledging the end of the fasting period. By celebrating the end of Ramadan, you can show your appreciation for their efforts by saying “Eid Mubarak” (have a blessed Eid).

In conclusion

Managers play a critical role in their employee’s experience of Ramadan in the workplace. By understanding the significance of the holy month, accommodating work schedules, providing practical support, encouraging communication, showing empathy and understanding, recognising cultural differences, promoting team unity, offering resources and support, and celebrating the end of Ramadan, you can help to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace environment.

If you are looking for a talented professional to join your team, or seeking a new employment opportunity yourself, get in touch with one of our specialist consultants today.

​The past 2 years have given organisations time to consider how they operate, including the number of hours and days they require employees to work.

It is no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has transformed the way we work in the UK, with many businesses having to abandon the office to work from home almost overnight. As well as this, over the last year we have seen the introduction of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the challenge of juggling home schooling, leaving many employers no choice but to allow for flexible working arrangements.

With this sudden shift to working from home and an increase in hybrid working, we have seen more and more conversations around work-life balance and businesses questioning their ‘typical working week’.

The five-day work week has become a cultural norm, especially in the UK, but after more than a year of change, is it time to rethink this approach and, if we do, would businesses continue to succeed? Or would productivity take a hit?

We asked our LinkedIn followers: “Would you consider changing your company’s working hours to a four-day working week?”. With 919 votes, 50% said yes, but with the same hours, 33% said yes but with reduced hours, 12% said no, and 6% said they would consider it, but not at this time.

With 83% of those surveyed in favour of a four-day week, there are many considerations companies must make when deciding if this is a course of action they would be willing to take.

What is the case for a four-day work week?

A four-day work week can be defined in two ways; the first is when an employee compresses their full-time hours (typically 35 hours) over a four-day period. And the second is reducing an employee’s hours (typically to 28 hours) over four days, so they are then able to have a three-day weekend.

Many argue that, while the five-day work week used to be effective in the 19th century, it no longer suits the needs of the modern-day professional.

With the evolution of technology, some day-to-day tasks are significantly more time-efficient, and with an uplift in office-based roles, we are seeing an argument that longer work hours do not necessarily mean staff are more productive.

Notably, over the last couple of years, many countries across the globe including Japan, New Zealand, Spain - and most recently Iceland - have trialled the four-day work week to research the effect it has on its employees.

Microsoft trialled four-day weeks in its Japanese offices and found the shortened work week led to more efficient meetings, happier workers and boosted productivity by a staggering 40%. Similarly, Iceland undertook a trial which monitored employees working reduced hours over a variety of public sector workplaces and found it to be an overall success, with 86% of the country's workforce now on a shorter work week for the same pay.

In an article for the BBC, Will Stronge,  Director of Research at four-day week consultancy Autonomy, said: “It shows that the public sector is ripe for being a pioneer of shorter working weeks - and lessons can be learned for other governments.”

In the UK, many businesses have also trialled the four-day work week, and some have even made the permanent switch. Gloucestershire-based PR agency Radioactive Public Relations trialled a four-day week for six months and found the business was even more profitable and employees’ sickness days were halved.

What are the advantages of a four-day working week?

Large and small-sized companies trialling the concept have created an evidence-base of the benefits a four-day working week could bring to your organisation.

An increase in productivity levels

Research has shown that working fewer hours boosts productivity levels. With employees spending less time at work, they can feel happier and more fulfilled, leading to them focusing on their job when in the workplace.

A large New Zealand business, Perpetual Guardian, trialled a four-day work week and found not only a 20% rise in productivity, but work-life balance scores increased from 54% to 78%.

Environmental and cost-saving benefits

Shortening your working week means that employees do not need to commute as much, reducing their carbon footprint.

As we have seen throughout the pandemic, those businesses with employees working on the same four days can save on overheads and in some cases even be eligible for tax relief.

Happier employees and fewer absences

According to mental health charity Mind, one in six people report experiencing a common mental health problem in any given week in England, and one in five agreed that they have called in sick to avoid work.

Four-day work weeks leave employees more time to focus on personal development or spend time with loved ones. This will not only increase employees’ happiness, but can contribute to fewer burnouts, leaving them to be more focused and happier in their role.

Better recruitment and retention

The increase of hybrid working and remote working during the pandemic has led to employees wanting greater flexibility from their employers.

The CIPD reported that the majority of people think flexible working is positive for their quality of life, and 30% of people think it positively affects their mental health. So, offering potential new and existing employees a flexible working pattern is a fantastic way of attracting and retaining talented professionals.

What are the disadvantages of a four-day working week?

Whilst there are benefits to a four-day work week, there are disadvantages too:

"A four-day work week wouldn’t work practically because of the need to cover more shifts during a time where we are already facing staff shortages."

Not all industries can participate

Unfortunately, the four-day working week model does not suit every sector. Some businesses or professions require a 24/7 presence which would make a shortened work week unpractical and, in some cases, delay work - creating longer lead times.

A nurse who wanted to remain anonymous expressed her reservations about a four-day week in the healthcare sector, saying: “As an A&E nurse a four-day working week wouldn’t work practically for us. Currently, we work long 12+ hour shifts in order to have four days off, which I prefer as it provides more of a work-life balance. However, while I know a four-day working week would be better for some of my colleagues due to childcare, the shorter, more regular shifts we would have to do on a four-day week wouldn’t work. It would mean the need to cover more shifts during a time where we are already facing staff shortages.”

Unutilised labour

A four-day week is not for everyone; some employees prefer the structure of a five-day working week or would prefer to put in more hours than a four-day working week offers.

Likewise, some professions have tasks which simply take more time than others, which would lead to paying more in overtime or drafting in further staff to make up the shortfall (as happened in healthcare for the Icelandic study), which can ultimately become expensive.

Final thoughts: should your business adopt the four-day work week?

Although the shortened work week has taken off in many European countries and been successful for many UK businesses, it is an extreme approach for a company to take and requires a shift in mindset from the employer and employees for it to work effectively, so it may not be for everyone.

While a more flexible approach on working hours is now expected from employees, a less disruptive, more gradual process would be adopting a hybrid or flexible working policy instead.

Likewise, as mentioned above, the four-day model may not work for all sectors. What studies and data have proven is that organisations who are putting more focus on maintaining staff wellbeing, engagement, morale, and productivity are reaping the benefits.​

​Working remotely is not a new concept, but there are some employees who have never worked from home before. With organisations now looking to remotely onboard new employees, some may find it more challenging than starting a role in an office.

This blog will explore the considerations you should make so that you can be an essential member of the team and acclimate quickly to your new role.

Home office

One of the first things to consider is finding a good working environment within your home, with minimal interruptions and maximum concentration. It doesn’t have to be an office of your own, just a place that is yours, that you can leave at the end of the day.
Work-life balance is crucial to our mental health, but it’s impossible to completely maintain during the lockdown, so you need to compartmentalise and use indicators that let you know you’re either working or not working i.e. a desk for work use only.

Technology

Your company should send you all the resources you need, including computers, keyboards etc. but you need to prepare your home for the increased and prolonged use of technology. You may need to upgrade your broadband or the capacity of your own computer, for example. Your electricity and internet bills will rise, but there are tax reliefs for that, so look into how you can claim money back for the increased cost.

Find out what platforms your team is using and how they want you to share your work or collaborate – then familiarise yourself with these systems and processes. Your routine may depend on that of others going forward. Get acquainted with their system in the first day or two so you can start contributing as quickly as possible without mishaps – this may require seeking out the best person in your team to be ‘on-call’ for any support.

Communication

When you’re in an office environment, it’s more likely that you’ll have casual conversations with your new colleagues in the vicinity. Now, you must make an effort to get in contact with them. You will likely have an introductory team meeting over Zoom, MS Teams or other software, but to get to know people better, you should be proactive. Aim to set up meetings with everyone individually, to find out who they are, what their role is, how you can support them – and also a bit about them outside of work.

Most new starters, especially if they’re new to the industry, will need a lot of support and your team will expect you to ask for help rather than figure it out alone. Utilise the technology to keep in touch with your manager and colleagues as and when you need to. There will always be someone in your team who can help you out, but you need to ask. Find someone who can help you connect to others you need to know in the organisation.

Expectations

When anyone starts a job, you must first learn what your boss and team expect of you, and what you should expect from them in turn. Part of getting to know your team and their roles is learning what you will need from each other. You might find that your boss is checking on you a lot to begin with, but that will lessen over time as you build their trust by meeting or exceeding their expectations.

Ask if there is anything you need to learn more about and aim to build your skills as you work – there are so many online resources and courses to choose from, it’s good to ask for some recommendations. Gaining relevant skills will benefit your team as well as yourself.

Soft skills

Communication is one of the most common soft skills that employers look for – others such as flexibility, resilience and time management are also highly desirable, especially during the lockdown. Having a good attitude, being eager to learn, and offering to do more to support your team will help you stand out as a valuable team member.

Part of being proactive is having your own opinions and ideas, and sharing them in order to help the team. This may take a while to get right if you’re just getting the hang of things, so no one will expect perfect solutions right away – but if you do have an idea, don’t be afraid to share it because it may spark others’ creativity. The worst that can happen is they say no. It’s better to make mistakes and ask questions at the beginning so that you can learn and grow.

You may be working from home for a long time, so make as much effort as you can to stay professional, stay connected, and make a good impression.

If you’re still searching for your next remote role, or a talented candidate to share this information with, contact any Reed office via phone or email.