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We were surprised when we read that some employers might soon be implementing a handshake ban! Fortunately, there’s no evidence to suggest that this will come to fruition, but the survey they stemmed from did get us talking about the impact something like this might have on recruitment.
It’s hard to imagine an adequate substitute for a hand shake in the job-seeking process, but according to the Total Jobs survey, half of female UK workers and 41% of young workers would prefer no physical interaction when it comes to greeting colleagues of either sex, 76% want a reduction in physical contact in the workplace and 42% want a total ban on some forms of physical touch e.g. hugs or kisses. The irony that recruitment is being accused of losing its human touch, is not lost on us.
We get that hugs and kisses are more intimate and only appropriate in certain situations; everyone has their personal boundaries, but can the symbolic handshake ever really be considered ‘inappropriate’?
The fact employers are being encouraged to introduce or monitor guidance on physical conduct at work is one of the positive things to have come out of the #MeToo movement. Of course, no employee should have to suffer inappropriate or unwanted physical contact, but it’s a sad state of affairs that Total Jobs found 41% of male respondents who say they greet people differently based on gender do so because they’re worried about making the other person feel uncomfortable. And that 28% who consciously change their greeting with women do so for fear of their interaction being perceived as sexual harassment.
Hands up who hasn’t gone in for a handshake and experienced an unexpected hug, headbutt or embarrassing kiss on the mouth? Often these are just awkward, unintended situations which we can laugh off, but Totaljobs reported that 33% of workers ‘well-being’ has been impacted after an awkward greeting.
If the fear of becoming embroiled in an embarrassing greeting ‘clash’ is affecting employees in the way the survey suggests, imagine what an outright ban on all physical contact might do given how predisposed we are to shake hands?
You could argue that handshakes do constitute an intimate form of physical touch in that they go some way in telling interviewers about a person, such as whether they are confident, outgoing and so on – but so does physical appearance, body language and tone. And in our experience, with verbal communication making up just 7% of total communication, a handshake is usually a harmless yet useful way of making a good first impression and establishing a connection – which in turn helps both employers and candidates decide if the cultural fit is right.
Thankfully the survey did find that, overall, handshakes are still the nation’s preferred form of physical greeting – and we won’t be advising a ban on them any time soon.
The recruitment process was easy, and after our initial conversation with Ita she advised us on how to fine tune the job specification and tailor to to attract the right candidate for our needs. The delivery and recruitment service was swift and Ita kept us informed at every stage of the process.
The candidate we chose in the end was the right fit for our business. They have just passed their probationary period with flying colours and have fitted in like they have always worked for us.
I have always dealt with Karen and have found the recruitment process generally excellent. The calibre of candidates has always been strong and the candidates also show enthusiasm towards the job and company they are interviewing for. I am very happy with the service we receive from Sitka and we have always appointed from the first round of interviews.
I chose to work with Sitka as I know them to be open minded and creative in their approach to recruitment. Ita was able to pin down the most important parts of the role and understand our needs quickly and clearly. Ita then joined the dots between her understanding of the role with the perfect candidate. I have recommended Sitka to colleagues and I will continue to do so.
The recruitment process was very straight forward and communication and updates were very regular. Sitka staff are very professional and have an excellent customer focus. They were extremely focussed on what WCR needed and gave us a great calibre of candidates. Sitka will be my first point of call when I’m next recruiting.
I was recommended Sitka by a mutual contact who thought Karen and Ita would understand our requirements and our organisation. I met with them and I definitely felt they were the right agency for us. The recruitment process was seamless, they made it very easy for me.
Everything about Sitka’s approach is a breath of fresh air. I have worked with Sitka on both the candidate side and recruiter side and I have never had a better relationship with an agency. I trust them implicitly to provide a service that is above and beyond what you would expect a recruitment agency to do and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.