HR on a budget: Reward in a cold climate
Yes it’s bleak out there, but if ever there was a time for businesses to show their staff just how much they care, then this is it. Christiana Tollast reports on why recognition and reward could be the key to getting companies through to the other side of this economic cold spell. Slashing budgets for […]
How to be more resilient at work
Resilience is a much sought-after quality during these times of economic turbulence, says Jessica Pryce-Jones, who examines the positive impact resilience can have on workplace performance and employee morale. When budget cuts, redundancies and an obsession with the bottom line are leading to unprecedented levels of workplace anxiety, people who stay committed, focused and resilient […]
Success in a recession: Don’t forget your manners
Over the next few months, we will be featuring a series by Blaire Palmer, who examines HR’s role in managing the human factor during a recession. In the first instalment, she looks at how good manners deteriorate under pressure, why they are so important, and what HR can do to maintain high standards of behaviour. […]
HR tip: A problem of discrimination?
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "I have just joined a company to head up manufacturing. One section of the operation involves a group of people working in a hot, noisy, smelly and generally highly unpleasant department, cut […]
Asking too much of the annual appraisal
I’ve been doing some research for a white paper we are writing on Best Practice in Performance Appraisals. I came across an article written for a 2004 conference on performance appraisals.The authors suggest that performance appraisals are often asked to fulfill the following goals * feedback * coaching * goal setting * skill development * […]
A week in HR: It’s not all bad news
Christiana Tollast reports on plans to scrap new laws that would increase business costs; London’s plans to ‘up skill’ workers in readiness for emergence out of the downturn; and how the apprenticeship is proving to be one answer to the UK business skills shortage. As reported in The Times this week, there are plans to […]
Combating employee disengagement during difficult times
Engaging employees is even more important during a downturn. Bettina Pickering and Amy Finn discuss how HR can enlist the leaders in the organisation to ensure communication channels remain open. In difficult economic times the news an organisation has to communicate to its employees is often negative – “profits are down”; “orders have not met […]
Ask the expert: Confidentiality in bullying grievance
An HR department has received two grievances of bullying, which almost battle against each other. But should the identity of the complainants be kept confidential when investigating each claim? Esther Smith and James Kidd advise. The question:We have two, almost counter, grievances:A team leader is complaining about the manager’s favouritism towards other colleagues.A team member […]
Optimising your talent management strategy in a recession
In today’s turbulent times, talent management strategies should be scrutinised more carefully to ensure they are effective and deliver return on investment. Francis Marshall argues the need for a more pragmatic and diagnostics-based approach to talent management. As HR navigates its way through the recession, I believe the effective and strategic management of talent will […]
Talent liberation: A strategy to survive and thrive
Clive Wilson explains how bosses can get the most from their staff through ‘talent liberation’ – a vital part of the talent management strategy. “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking that created them.” Albert EinsteinTough timesOur world is facing a severe economic downturn, making life in organisations […]
Survive the downturn through effective knowledge management
With redundancies on the cards for many in the current climate, organisations must ensure its most important asset – knowledge – does not leave the business when the employees do. Jean Ferre looks at how enterprise search tools can help. Many organisations are currently in a state of flux and face the possibility of redundancies. […]
Going through the motions: Performance management
From 360-degree appraisals to the annual pay review, performance management can all too often become a box-ticking exercise, neglecting those all-important business objectives. Verity Gough asks, what are we really trying to achieve? When it comes to managing staff performance, HR can often have a battle on their hands. The universally hated performance review or […]
Managing fear in your organisation
Is your organisation paralysed by fear? Neil Twogood explains how HR can help senior managers to use authentic leadership to beat procrastination and stop the spread of fear. Fear is rife in the current economic climate. At a time when organisations need their employees to be productive, many are reacting like rabbits in the headlights. […]
Walking the redundancy tightrope
If you’re an HR professional and redundancies are on the cards, it’s not always the greatest job in the world. But what happens when one of the redundancies is your role? Hilary Jeanes advises on how to handle this difficult situation. It can be a very challenging situation – managing the redundancy programme for your […]
Improving productivity during a downturn
Times are tough at the moment so it isn’t surprising to find HR professionals turning their attention to productivity and performance, says Caroline Waters, who recommends implementing unified communications as one way of ensuring a focused and motivated workforce. For many, the financial crisis is reason enough to take a fresh look at how people […]
HR tip: Booking holidays
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: "We have had a flurry of applications for holiday from employees who have booked to go abroad. Some other employees are showing resentment because, they say, they don't yet know when they […]
Confidentiality and anonymity in 360 degree appraisal
I was reading a book “Leveraging the Impact of 360 degree feedback” and was interested in the author’s focus on anonymity. For them 360 degree feedback required anonymity even to the extent that they saw a downside of narrative feedback being the potential for identifying raters.One of our largest clients has just run 360 feedback […]
Disability discrimination: Lack of knowledge defence
The Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has delivered a new judgment setting out what prior knowledge of a disability an employer should have if they are to be held liable for discrimination. Charles Price explains. Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995, the definition of a disability is as follows:“A person has a disability for the […]
Ask the expert: Laying off staff
A small business has decided to lay off staff for two weeks, as an alternative to redundancies. Esther Smith and Matthew Whelan advise on the correct procedure to follow. The question:A small firm employing only three staff has hit a brick wall with orders and clients cancelling. There is no alternative but to lay off […]
Employment, pensions and share schemes in 2009
The legal landscape of 2009 is already shaping up for a year of reforms, so Kathleen Healy and Ben Dudley discuss what they expect to be key developments across employment, pensions and benefits this year. The current economic climate signals a busy and challenging time for HR professionals. The HR function is likely to come […]