More employees are pushing back against toxic work environments since Covid-19, according to an island recruitment professional.

“Some employees would rather be unemployed, or work for themselves, than work in an unpleasant space,” recruitment partner Steph Brown said.

She has worked in the industry for 12 years and runs recruitment website www.findyourflock.bm.

Last month, the Chamber of Commerce Business Barometer Survey showed that employee hiring and retention was one of the biggest concerns for business owners.

Much of Ms Brown’s focus is on helping people align themselves with the new Bermuda employment landscape.

“Employees are now dictating their employment terms, whereas before they may have been happy to accept their lot,” Ms Brown said.

“We are now seeing people pushing back on employers who haven’t created a good working environment, or invested in their staff development, or who focus on the bottom line over staff wellbeing and care.”

Ms Brown said the Covid-19 pandemic, which began in March 2020, had left a legacy.

“How employers treated their staff during the pandemic left a lasting impression — good and bad,” she said. “We are now seeing companies suffering from this.”

An employer’s brand is powerful in a market as small as Bermuda, she said.

How employers treat their employees matters to customers and can impact the bottom line.

However, despite the high demand for workers, some young Bermudians have complained to The Royal Gazette that it is mostly for more experienced workers.

Ms Brown said: “First jobbers will always find it hard to enter the workforce the traditional way — applying for a job, getting an interview, getting an offer.”

She said traditional job seeking was no longer effective for most people.

“Gone are the days in Bermuda where you could get a job through a friend, without a resume, and sometimes without qualifications,” she said.

However, Ms Brown said young Bermudians should not follow the herd into insurance, but look at demand in areas adjacent to the industry such as compliance, accounting and actuarial science.

She offers workshops that show job candidates how to be more strategic in their applications, how to sell themselves and be proactive.

“We work on networking, focusing on larger companies who may be more established and able to support more junior staff members,” she said.

“We talk about work shadowing and volunteering as ways to add to resumes and gain more experience and new connections.”

Her advice to jobseekers is to analyse the market.

“Look at who is doing well,” added Ms Brown. “Look at where the money is flowing. That is where you will find the good opportunities, the companies who invest in their staff, and technology and who are forward thinking.”

She thought it was also important to follow what was happening outside Bermuda in the employment world.

To companies struggling to hire and keep staff, she said — look in the mirror.

She said she saw many employers who blamed outside factors for employee issues.

“It is time to look under the hood,” she said. “What are you honestly offering? Why would someone spend eight hours a day working for you?

“Are you providing a healthy work environment that people feel safe and supported in? Are your compensation and benefits competitive?”