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04 Oct 2018
by Maggie Williams

How technology and data is taking transparency to new levels

In September, ten household-name employers including Santander, Deloitte and Linklaters opted to publish their parental leave policies online. 

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Jo Swinson MP wants all employers with over 250 employees to follow suit. As the architect of changes to flexible working legislation and shared parental leave (and now a parent herself), Swinson is committed to better working conditions for parents.

Publishing details online lets prospective employees assess a business’s approach to childcare and see whether it matches their personal needs before they apply. There’s no more awkward decisions over whether to raise the topic at interview.

Making a workplace policy public might not sound revolutionary in isolation, but it is part of a wider trend towards transparency. That’s been driven by legislation (gender pay gap reporting), data analytics (Glassdoor-style reviews of employers), employee expectations (a more customer-like experience) and the increasing significance of ‘authentic’ brand values.

With the right culture and tools at their disposal, this is a great opportunity for businesses to use their employee proposition – including their reward offering – as a recruitment tool. Data analytics doesn’t just give companies the reactive ability to understand how current employees behave. It also enables them be transparent about their values and offering to their future workforce.

However, social media and company rating sites also mean potential employees can validate the claims an employer makes about its culture.

It’s no longer enough for businesses to tell prospective staff that they offer a great place to work, with a comprehensive benefits package. The rise of data analytics, reach of social media and prevalence of platforms such as Glassdoor mean that they now have to be able to prove it.

To learn more about benefits technology, fintech, AI and data analytics, sign up for your complimentary place at the REBA Innovation Day 2018, taking place on Thursday 22 November at County Hall, London.