Evidence-based agony aunt: I feel like I’ve been harshly judged in my appraisal
After receiving a harsh performance review that contradicted positive peer feedback, an expert explains how to approach your manager effectively. Using neuroscience insights, prepare mentally and ask strategic questions to understand the evaluation criteria and improve outcomes.
Evidence-based agony aunt: I don’t know which job offer to take!
When facing two job offers, check your emotional state first. Major decisions are best made in a positive “green zone” mindset rather than fear-based thinking. Take time to discuss both roles with someone you trust before deciding.
Evidence-based agony aunt: helping a nayser deal with their new tendencies
A workplace expert uses neuroscience to help someone overcome chronic negativity at work. The advice includes recognizing negativity bias, taking restorative time off, deliberately noticing positive moments daily, and considering whether a new challenge is needed to reignite engagement and enthusiasm.
I wanna be a famous HR writer!
Aspiring HR writers must establish professional credibility and find their unique voice to stand out in a crowded blogging landscape. Success depends less on publishing frequency and more on combining workplace expertise with authentic perspective and authoritative insights.
Book review: Humans are Underrated
Geoff Colvin’s “Humans are Underrated” examines critical workplace skills needed as artificial intelligence advances, arguing that human capabilities remain invaluable despite technological disruption. This comprehensive, well-researched book offers HR professionals valuable insights and storytelling material for employee engagement and organizational strategy.
How to cultivate a winning mindset in your new joiners
Help new joiners develop a winning mindset before day one by using structured pre-boarding processes and the PERMA framework. This approach builds confidence, engagement and belonging, enabling fresh employees to make an immediate business impact beyond just having the right skills.
How to make the case for HR technology implementation
Learn how to build a compelling business case for HR technology implementation. This guide covers identifying genuine benefits, structuring your argument, and persuading stakeholders—moving beyond checkbox homework to create meaningful change aligned with organizational strategy.
4 companies on how to win at leadership development
Discover how four leading companies develop emerging managers through innovative programs. EY’s EYnnovation pairs junior leaders with startups to build soft skills, while Upwork recognizes that top individual contributors don’t always make the best managers, offering alternative career advancement paths.
How can you become a billionaire? The Sunday Times’ Rich List says to ditch emails
The Sunday Times’ Rich List reveals that many of the UK’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, including billionaire James Dyson, minimize email use in favor of direct communication. These successful business leaders argue that excessive emailing reduces productivity and loses the human connection needed for effective collaboration.
The Black Box of employee engagement
Employee engagement forums often struggle due to unclear expectations and undefined roles. This “black box” phase can be transformed by clarifying discussion boundaries, establishing roles, setting timelines, and identifying goals—ideally with neutral external facilitation to build trust and motivation.
“That’s not what I signed up for!” Linking job role, illegitimate tasks and wellbeing…
When employees are asked to perform tasks outside their professional role, it can threaten their identity and wellbeing. Research on “illegitimate tasks”—such as a teacher cleaning classrooms or an HR manager doing administrative work—reveals how role misalignment creates significant occupational stress and strain.
The workplace of the future – time for a more considered view?
A new CIPD report shows 23% of employees fear their jobs could be automated, but media coverage often presents an oversimplified, alarmist view. Experts remain divided on automation’s impact, with some believing technology will create more jobs than it eliminates, yet nuanced debate is needed given our poor track record predicting technological change.
Five ways to ensure your feedback has impact
Learn five practical strategies for delivering feedback that actually improves performance. Effective feedback closes the gap between actions and results while building motivation and engagement, but requires careful planning, keen observation, and balancing guidance with inquiry to drive meaningful change.
If it can be routinized, it will be: the charter for HR
Mercer research shows 93% of CEOs plan organizational redesign for efficiency and agility, with many eliminating routine roles through automation. HR now faces a critical challenge: securing skilled workers amid talent scarcity, immigration restrictions, and workforce transitions from retiring employees and departing skilled professionals.
How to navigate toxic behaviours during conflict
Learn to identify and respond to toxic behaviors during workplace conflict. Research on interpersonal dynamics reveals that labeling emotional behaviors and recognizing destructive patterns helps you stay calm and find productive resolutions when colleagues become aggressive or defensive.
“I believe we need to be ensuring learning is practical and real for those in the workplace.”
Fiona McBride, a freelance L&D consultant, shares her typical workday and emphasizes the importance of practical, real-world learning for workplace professionals. From designing workshops on social media and professional development to balancing remote and client-site work, she advocates for learning experiences grounded in actual business needs.
Are your employees surviving or thriving at work?
Only 13% of people report living with high levels of good mental health, meaning most UK employees struggle with mental health concerns. Employers should prioritize workplace mental health support just as they would physical safety, creating environments where employees can thrive rather than merely survive.
The myth of empowerment: how to give your direct reports real ownership over their work
True empowerment requires managers to provide clear guidance, direction, and support—not abandonment. Rather than leaving employees to manage themselves, effective leaders must establish decision-making guidelines, clarify responsibilities, and equip their teams with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed.
Tie real consequences to performance to create empowerment and accountability
Effective accountability requires setting clear expectations upfront, consistently tracking performance, and following through with real consequences tied to actual results. This ongoing process, practiced frequently rather than annually, empowers employees by creating a fair system where they understand what’s expected and how their work will be measured and rewarded.
Employee accountability: it means nothing without clear expectations
Clear expectations are essential for employee accountability. Managers must explicitly communicate what employees should do and how to do it, rather than assuming they already know. Without precise directions on tasks and specifications, employees cannot be held accountable for meeting expectations.
