Jane Frost, CEO MRS T Its all about our people he special report in this issue of Impact has focused on people and talent. Covid-19 provoked a re-examination of how companies value and reward their staff, in both the commercial and public sectors. Employees reassessed their work-life priorities and many resigned; many more changed their working patterns. Government data showed a fall in economic activity in most working age groups. We reported on the immediate effects on staff retention and morale in the MRS report Retention and Recruitment in the Research and Insight Sector (2022). Last year there was deep concern in the sector as staff retention seemed to plummet, but most agencies are now telling us that this appears to have stabilised. Nevertheless, employers are having to find new ways to reward staff in these difficult, inflationary times. Our own MRS guidance on how to support your staff during this period of inflationary pressure has plenty of recommendations. Personal development is a less tangible, but increasingly important, reward, as demonstrated by the success of the MRS Mentoring Scheme. Since its launch in 2016, 201 members have been trained as mentors and 310 have been mentees. So far, nearly 15% of all members have benefited directly from the scheme. Sector and MRS news Updated glossary A new glossary of research terms has been updated and published on the MRS website. In the 10 years since the initial glossary was published there has been an explosion in methods The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive heres a typical response from a mentee: Ive rediscovered my mojo at work, grown in confidence, and have a clearer idea of what I want from my career. Furthermore, this amazing programme is FREE to individual members; its an amazing benefit and I would encourage more members to participate. Other areas of importance to staff and potential new talent are the working practices of a company, and the level at which staff feel welcome and supported by a clear set of ethical standards by which their employer operates. Our last equality, diversity and inclusion survey showed clear improvement in many facets of workplace practice. The effects of the MRS Inclusion Pledge and other initiatives in this arena are becoming noticeable (MRSPride, MRSUnlimited and &more, as well as the networks we support, WIRe and CORe). There is more to do, and an updated Inclusion Pledge is on the way, with new commitments on how we do research (Representation in Research, as well as commitments to those with visible and invisible disabilities). Finally, attracting and retaining talent is about the pride we have in our work and the recognition we receive. I am delighted to see an encouraging number of submissions for our Research Heroes and EDI Changemaker awards. and platforms. As a result, the online glossary has grown from just less than 100 entries in 2012 to nearly 250 entries today. New Code of Conduct 2023 Revisions have been made to the previous 2019 version of the MRS Code of Conduct to reflect evolving ethical best practice in research. The changes include clarification on Member and Company Partner obligations, a wider scope, including analytics, focus on participant wellbeing, and clarity on representative sampling. Spanish foundation course The MRS Foundation Course in Market Research is now available in Spanish, along with the associated Certificate in Market Research. This introductory online training will be accessible to overseas teams in Spanish-speaking countries. Contact the MRS Qualifications Team for more information. 55 Impact ISSUE 42 2023_pp54-57_MRS.indd 55 16/06/2023 17:20