Talent spot: Claire Balmforth, operations director at Carpetright
When Claire Balmforth joined Carpetright, HR was not on the agenda. Despite it already being an established and successful high-street retail brand, Balmforth was the first HR person the company had ever hired. Until then, the growth had been so fast, that the company had not had the time – or the need – to […]
Talent spot: Derek Irvine, vice president of client strategy and consulting at Globoforce
“Workplaces are deserts when it comes to employee recognition,” believes Derek Irvine, vice president of client strategy and consulting at Globoforce, the employee recognition firm. That’s where Globoforce’s comes in. It aims to show companies that putting the effort into employee recognition can pay dividends in terms of productivity and staff churn. Employee engagement can […]
Talent spot: Philippa Kramer, country HR director for AkzoNobel
AkzoNobel, the world’s largest paints, coatings and speciality chemicals provider, is a truly gargantuan organisation operating in 80 countries and employing 50,000 staff. AkzoNobel in the UK is the home of leading brands including Dulux, Cuprinol Polycell and consistently ranked as one of the leaders in sustainability. It’s the job of Philippa Kramer, country HR […]
Talent spot: Andrew Lawson, Head of People at Drake & Morgan
Andrew Lawson, head of people at bar and restaurant group Drake and Morgan, has spent most of his working life working in the food and drink industry for organisations of all sizes. But if Lawson had stuck to his original plan, he would have been in the kitchen rather than in an office. His first […]
Talent spot: Hari Thalapalli, chief people officer at IT services firm Mahindra Satyam
Hari Thalapalli, chief people officer at IT services firm Mahindra Satyam, has worked for technology firms since the 1980s, joining each organisation when they were at the cusp of a huge growth cycle. “This is the third IT organisation in my career,” he says, “and I’ve had the opportunity to join them when they were […]
Talent spot: Annabel Jones, Head of HR at Framestore
Fans of Skyfall and the Harry Potter movies will be familiar with the work of Framestore, even if they’ve never heard of the company itself. The visual effects house is responsible for crafting some of the most mind-blowing effects in film, TV and music videos. As head of HR, it’s Annabel Jones’s job to attract […]
Talent spot: Paul Ethell, HR Director for BAE Systems’ Combat Aircraft business unit
“I started getting interested in HR when I was at university. I thought it would be useful to do a business elective as part of my course and out of naivety thought HR sounded interesting,” remembers Paul Ethell, HR director for BAE Systems’ Combat Aircraft business unit. Ethell’s hunch proved correct and he did find […]
News: women non-execs carve very different route to the top
Women non-executive directors (NEDs) are recruited from far wider backgrounds than their male counterparts, a report by headhunters Ashton Partnership reveals. Only 16 percent of the women in the analysis – Women on boards: where is the new NED talent coming from? – hailed from the traditional group CEO or CFO background, compared with 60 […]
Talent Spot: Mark Simmons, HR director at supply & logistics firm Norbert Dentressangle Logistics UK Ltd
Norbert Dentressangle may not be a household name in the UK, but this colossal international logistics and supply chain firm has major ambition and is growing fast. Mark Simmons, HR director of Norbert Dentressangle Logistics UK Ltd since 2007, is part of the team spearheading that growth. Today, the UK business employs 10,000 people across […]
News: engagement key to combat salary and morale doldrums
HR must prioritise engagement, leadership and talent retention in 2013 to combat sluggish salary increases and poor morale, suggests Hay Group research. The survey found many HR professionals were worried current reward and talent initiatives were off kilter. One in five of the reward specialist respondents believed their organisation’s incentive programme did not deliver, while […]
News: failure to attract and develop talent is undermining business strategy
Executives’ priority to define business strategy is being seriously undermined by their failure to invest in attracting and developing the talent needed to deliver those plans. This is one of the main findings in a Harvard Business Publishing survey, which calls on organisations to urgently rethink their leadership development models. Over a third of the […]
News: workplace bullies targeting disabled employees
Disabled employees are more likely to be physically and mentally bullied at work – often by their manager – a UK academic study finds. The research from Cardiff and Plymouth universities revealed that employees with physical and mental disabilities or long-term illness are twice as likely to be physically attacked at work. They also endure […]
News: flexible working tightens grip on UK firms
Flexible working has taken hold in 94 percent of UK firms, but a few niggling negative attitudes must be snuffed out if it is to deliver maximum business benefits, finds an Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) report. The survey’s findings suggest the days of the 9 to 5 grind are numbered. Half of the […]
After ER, HR – the tv series
The intrigue, adventures and romance of human resources is to be immortalised on the small screen – probably. A pilot for a new US television show, called simply and emphatically, HR, has been given the go-ahead, hoping no doubt to follow in the success of the equally succinctly and dramatically named ER. But […]
Pension reform falters as workers proclaim they are too poor to save
The success of government pension reforms hangs in the balance as Britain’s cash-strapped workers say they can’t afford to save for retirement. Almost half (45%) of the 4,720 public and private sector employees interviewed in Aviva’s Working Lives report blamed their failure to pay into a workplace pension on lack of funds. Despite […]
Acas seeks views on flexible working for Code of Practice
Acas is seeking input from employers and workers for its draft Code of Practice on the new extended rights for flexible working. The Government announced changes to flexible working rules in November 2012. A key change is that the requirement to be a parent or carer to apply for flexible working will no […]
More hoops for job seekers to jump through
Job hunters must jump through more hoops – and higher – plus endure longer interviews to land a new job, research has found. Post-recession employers can afford to be choosy and are grilling candidates for their long-term potential as well as their ability to do the job advertised, according to research by recruitment firm […]
Poor data hampers HR’s boardroom reputation
HR risks losing boardroom credibility as their “rear view mirror” approach to analytics fails to provide useful business insight, a KPMG white paper warns. Too anchored in the present and past, too generic and too operational – these are just some of the charges outlined against HR’s application of analytics in the white paper, […]
Talent Spot: Tim Hadfield, co-founder of Inaccord Engagement Partnership and HRzone blogger
For Tim Hadfield, co-founder of engagement specialists Inaccord Engagement Partnership, there’s no mystery surrounding engagement, it’s simply common sense. But that doesn’t mean companies don’t need his help to get it right. “The big challenge is, managers know about engagement, but knowing it and doing it are two different things,” he observes. And that’s where […]
Stress slays two in five staff in smaller firms
Stress is taking a huge toll on UK smaller businesses, affecting morale, absence levels and performance, finds a report. More than 40% of the 500 senior managers from UK small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) said that stress had impacted their business in 2012, according to Zurich Insurance’s SME Risk Index. One in five of […]