The business of HR: Navigating the strategic landscape

road between green grass field near mountains under blue and brown sky at golden hour. navigating the HR landscape

In this long read article, Hannah Gore explores the industry terrain in the wake of unprecedented change and highlights how HR professionals can become more business savvy to enable them to effectively navigate challenges, align with strategic goals and drive organisational success.

Tech culture: On-site gym or layoffs by email?

man's reflection on body of water photography representing disillusioned tech employee

Tech companies recruited gifted people into splendid workplaces and then, a few years on, fired them via automated and impersonal emails. What can we learn about culture from such diverse employee experiences?

Why effective leadership starts with looking inwards

silhouette of person standing on rock surrounded by body of water symbolising self reflection as a leader and in leadership

How exactly can a ‘good’ or ‘effective’ leader be defined? How we act, manage, engage with others is how we create the conditions which allow others to thrive. This is why, in leadership, we must devote time to self reflection.

Is your workplace culture one of blame?

a bird flying in the sky representing moving higher to go above the line

Unfortunately, it seems that a workplace culture of blame is not uncommon among organisations but it doesn’t have to be that way. By taking steps towards a culture of accountability we can stop playing the blame game and welcome a productive shift in thinking and behaviour.

Sainsbury’s employee dismissed for ‘stealing’ a shopping bag

woman holding her face in dark room representing a stressful situation after dismissal after employee followed correct procedures and policies

Many are ‘baffled’ that a Sainsbury’s employee of 20 years was sacked for gross misconduct after accidentally stealing carrier bags. However, the employer was within its rights to take this action. This case underlines the importance of having clear policies and procedures in place.

Why it’s time to rebrand HR

brown and green mountains under blue sky during daytime representing a transformation and rebrand for HR

The changing nature of work and business models has applied pressure to HR to truly partner and enable the transformation. But with growing misconceptions of what HR is there to do, is now the time for a rebrand?

Three cornerstones for influencing peers outside HR 

cherry blossoms representing a blossoming workplace culture in which employees exert beneficial influence

HR teams face a perennial challenge: how to gain support for investments in people when the minds of peers are elsewhere. A crucial and often overlooked first step is to secure the personal cornerstones of influence.

Self-management part one: How to recruit without managers

person standing on rock platform representing self management

In the first instalment of a three-part series on self management, ‘Powered by people’, Perry Timms and Kirsten Buck delve into recruitment and selection, looking at two unorthodox approaches to hiring in unorthodox organisations. What can we learn from these managerless, self-managed organisations?

The transformative power of trust

two people standing on rock signifying trust

Trust begins at the leadership level with executives and senior managers delivering a trusted, safe and secure environment for all staff. Let’s look at the importance of trust and how it can be nurtured.

Human resources: Whose return on whose investment?

white and brown analog wall clock at 10 00 representing that time is precious and limited

Senior teams expect a return on their investments in ‘people’. But this demand fails to account for the personal capital that employees hand over every single day. To thrive, organisations should ask not what they might take, but how they can give.