CMA Report:
Many of us will have listened to the national TV and radio coverage on the Competition & Markets Authority’s (“CMA”) report on retail banking and how proposed changes will affect personal banking. It was all about making it easier to switch bank accounts and using common technology.
The initiative however also applies to SME’s. The report advocates:
• Better information about what different banks can offer a small businesses - comparison web sites
• The publication of SME lending product prices
• Standardised business account opening requirements
• Soft search credit searches that do not affect credit ratings
• The secure sharing of information with potential lenders
The CMA have also decided that lenders must provide SME’s with the APR rate of products as they do with personal finance on products up to the value of £25,000.
The CMA’s orders come into force from the first quarter of 2017 and if you need advice on finance and banking arrangements, we can assist you in this process.
The "War on Talent"
The "war on talent" seems to be raging on. Large businesses are competing to recruit the best graduates straight from university and many firms are prepared to pay well for the most experienced candidates. As a result, all businesses need to manage the talent they already have. Talent management is often considered to be an HR matter but the management team in any business should be involved in managing the firm’s most valuable resource – its people. Start by identifying the high potential people in your firm and work towards developing them and retaining them in the business.
Talent Development.
Create a strategy to hire the best people and nurture them throughout their careers. Managers should set the tone and work to develop employee’s skills and knowledge to help them to realise their potential in the firm. Your firm’s talent development programme should include theory and practice as well as coaching and mentoring sessions for your high potential employees. If your team feels like they have an opportunity to develop at their current firm, they are less likely to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Learn from Others
Consider what talent management looks like at other firms within your industry sector. What do the biggest international firms do well and what could you offer to your team members that would differentiate your firm from the competition? Even if you run a smaller business, you can learn from the market leaders and implement some of their ideas.
Recognition and Reward
Consider the skills, knowledge and performance of employees and identify those who are high performers and/or exhibit leadership potential. Formal performance appraisals should happen at least annually and “top talent” within the business should be sufficiently challenged with objectives which will encourage them to perform, while retaining their commitment to the firm. The appraisal process should be transparent in order to avoid any potential conflict between employees.
Continuous Professional Development
Good businesses tend to promote a culture of life long learning. All members of your team should be offered access to and encouraged to take part in training courses, development opportunities, etc. Investment in continuous professional development should be viewed by the firm as an investment in the future of the business as today’s “top talent” are the business leaders of tomorrow.
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