Off-script customer service: how to be truly human
In an increasingly automated age, customers value truly human interaction more than ever before. When customers ask to speak to a representative, whether on the phone or in person, they are in need of human help. They have rejected the automated response and want a real person to hear and manage their problem. Unfortunately, customers […]
Pension transition relief: why HR needs to understand it
Pension transitional relief is probably not a phrase that is regularly bandied about in HR circles. But it arguably should, considering the potentially negative impact on senior hires if its not factored into the recruitment process. It could mean the difference between a successful or failed hire. And that, in turn, will inevitably have implications […]
People management: nine ways to unleash staff creativity and intelligence
Co-creative working can yield impressive results for organisations, but it requires effort in order to unlock the untapped potential in your team. Unleashing the creativity and problem solving abilities of your staff often needs a conscious decision on the part of the organisation – and a specific, positive approach. It’s not something that can be left […]
Why talking about salary from the get-go will help you attract more talent
In a society where we are used to sharing so much information, talking openly about pay still remains one of our biggest taboos. Questions about pay expectations and salary are often left to the very end of an interview process, which can waste time and leave candidates and hiring managers feeling disappointed. But when salary […]
AI is increasing the skills gap. But it can help close it too
AI will take away jobs, but it will also bring about new jobs and give us the opportunity to upskill our workforce. Is your business ready to embrace this change? We tend to view artificial intelligence in the workplace in a negative light. Pessimism generally makes more noise than optimism and the hyperbole around AI […]
How leaders can help millennials address workplace stress
This year, Mental Health Awareness Week (14-20 May) is shining a spotlight on stress. In the UK, one in six adults experience depression, anxiety or issues relating to stress at any one time. MHFA England has partnered with the Mental Health Foundation to launch new research that looks at stress in the workplace. Our research found […]
Mental health at work: it’s time to be strategic
More and more businesses are focusing on mental health but their efforts are not quite hitting the mark. To really see positive results, a more strategic approach is necessary. Mental health has never been as high on the corporate agenda as it is right now and with the government pushing hard for employers to act […]
Employee volunteering schemes: how and why to introduce one
Over the last few years, it has been made abundantly clear that consumers increasingly want (and often expect) the companies they buy from to practise business sustainably and ethically, with social media empowering noisy protest where this is found lacking — from the boycotting of tax-evading companies, to the public shaming of those whose abhorrent […]
How to use diversity to create ‘good friction’
I think we’ve all heard it by now: diversity in teams and in leadership is good for business. But why is this so, and how can we use it actively in our strategic, tactical and daily business to nurture and encourage ‘good friction’? In a business world that is affected by disruption, technological and societal […]
Coping with a post-truth recruitment era
For as long as CVs dominate the first stages of a hiring exercise, we’ll continue to be in a post-truth recruitment era. If there was ever a single document responsible for misinformation and recruiting missteps, it has to be the CV. Think about it. When you’re recruiting at scale, how do you find the time […]
Communication skills: what your team say, and what they really mean…
Getting feedback from your team is a key part of employee engagement, but it’s what you do with that information that really counts. Feedback is an incredibly powerful tool; it’s something that can help uncover issues your team might be facing or on the flip side, to better recognise the things you’re doing well. As […]
What distinguishes good gamification from bad?
There’s an ongoing debate in the recruitment industry about the relative merits of gamified assessments versus game-based assessments. Which comes out as the winner? Impartial recruiters may be perplexed and amused to see the providers of these resources locking horns over this. Actually, this pantomime wrangling is merely a sideshow. The real issue that should […]
Developing technology skills in HR: a new framework
What technology skills are needed for HR to succeed in the future? Kate Wadia, Managing Director of Phase3 Consulting, introduces a new competency framework that points HR professionals in the right direction. I was interviewed this week about our current Phase 3 observations of organisational behaviour of building internal teams to support people technologies. A very clued-up […]
Risk management is not just about threats, it’s about innovation too
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
I want to go to the office today….yes, really, I do
Your employees have options – more than ever before. How do we create a workplace that makes people want to come to work, a place they would choose above all others? asks Neil Usher, author of The Elemental Workplace. Increasing numbers of HR leaders are being asked this question, as awareness grows of the potential contribution […]
Autonomy in the workplace has positive effects on wellbeing and job satisfaction
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Performance management: the new triple bottom line
Measuring the success of modern leaders is about more than just productivity scores. Here’s a guide to the new KPIs. Over the last few years I’ve met many leaders and managers who have questioned their own measurement and understanding of success. How do you know if you’re a good manager in today’s ever-changing working environment? […]
Good interactions don’t counteract bias: why people steal petrified wood
Simon Fanshawe OBE, co-founder of Stonewall and Diversityby Design, argues that unconscious bias training is not only ineffective but could also worsen discriminatory behaviours or thinking. What’s the alternative? A revamp on how we do things. Some years back a fad started for unconscious bias training. I went to a diversity conference in Barcelona where […]
Crying at work: new research reveals insight
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Brain-savvy Woman: a two-in-one guide to the neuroscience that can help your career
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