How can Salmond build trust and sway his remaining few?
Following the two-hour live debate on STV earlier this month Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Labour MP Alistair Darling, chairman of Better Together, will make the case for Scotland remaining part of the United Kingdom once again, but this time to the whole of the UK on the BBC. On 25 August all eyes […]
Quarter of graduates quit job within a year, study finds
One in four graduates anticipates leaving their first job within 12 months of starting it, according to new research. The global report by advisory firm CEB revealed that 20% of graduates take jobs they don’t want just to “fill their CV” while they look for the career that interests them, and two in three regret […]
There’s no place for egos in a highly effective team
I have always had a keen interest in sport, of any kind really….watching it, playing it…rugby, athletics, tennis and, more recently, golf (under duress) and cycling (only gentle encouragement needed). So when the Tour de France descended on the beautiful Yorkshire countryside recently, I felt compelled to go and observe the technicolor shirts of the […]
Low wage increases in a buoyant jobs market – don’t be fooled!
So, the headlines shout “Wages Growth Lowest Since 2001” alongside messages of record low unemployment and an economic upturn. Should you still choose to fight that battle for an increase in the salary budget? The Office of National Statistics (ONS) reported annual wage growth (including bonuses) fell to just 0.3% in the second quarter of […]
How to get your employees excited about pensions
Despite the government’s recent pensions reforms, including the introduction of auto-enrolment and the 2014 Budget changes to abolish annuities, 41% of employees still don’t understand retirement planning according to a recent report, Flexibility in Retirement – planning for change. The report, authored by former government advisor Ros Altmann, found that just 24% of working adults […]
‘Mid-life pay crisis’ hits female bosses as pay gap widens
Female managers are still being paid 35% less than their male counterparts, meaning they would have to work 14 years longer to equal men’s total career earnings, new research has found. The report, by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and XpertHR, revealed that female executives over the age of 40 are being hit hardest by […]
Five ways HR can develop innovation cultures in large companies
Ask any CEO and they’ll tell you that innovation is vital to a company’s long-term success. In fact, a recent IBM study (IBM, 2010) of over 1,500 global CEOs found that ‘creativity’ was the number one most important capability for achieving their ambitions. Yet many large companies will secretly admit they don’t have the capabilities […]
Third of workers happy for employer to use their social media data
Almost a third of employees would allow their employers to access their personal data, such as social media profiles, to help measure productivity and engagement, according to new research. This type of data profiling, already used by retailers and advertisers to understand consumer behaviour, could soon become common in the workplace, PwC’s Future of Work […]
The do’s and don’ts of a second interview
Second interviews are not always essential – I have made successful hires from first interviews, having identified and assessed the key traits and experience I wanted the candidate to demonstrate at the first stage. However this is often not the case; despite utilising experienced interviewers who probe in all the right places, second interviews are […]
Five myths about personality profiling
1. Can personality change be based on mood? Personality profiling tools measure the core or DNA of personality. The underlying traits don’t really shift. Research shows that the re-test for reliability statistics of profiling are high. Changes can occur because of a life event which may have caused, for instance, an emotional trauma, and people […]
Auto-enrolment reaches four million mark
Over four million workers have now been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, The Pensions Regulator has claimed. The figure represents an increase of over one million this year or an average of around 6,000 a day, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). More than 21,000 employers have now completed their ‘declaration […]
The science behind a happy and productive workforce
Humans have been fascinated by their own behaviour for thousands of years. Understanding each other has been critical for survival – both as Neanderthals and in today’s corporate world. A successful employee will not only possess the right skills, but their working style often matches their role requirements. However, an individual’s working behaviour type isn’t […]
Scottish independence will ‘put job creation first’
Scotland could benefit from a major boost to jobs if it votes to leave the UK next month, the Scottish government has claimed. The Scottish National party this week unveiled a 10-point jobs plan for an independent Scotland, stating that control of economic policy would allow the country to build on its strengths and create […]
Customer service: Is another training programme the answer?
As a service nation we all know the importance of customer service – it has been drummed into us that the customer is always right. However, knowing this and actually behaving in a way that serves the customer beautifully seems to be something that we are incapable of doing.[1] This poor service costs. According to […]
‘Dinosaur’ employers reluctant to hire working mums
Nearly 40% of managers avoid employing working mothers for fear they won’t perform as well as their male colleagues, new research has found. A survey of 500 managers by law firm Slater & Gordon has revealed that nearly half of bosses would resist recruiting a mother for a senior role, with 38% hesitant about hiring […]
Is loneliness the next workplace ticking time bomb?
Four in 10 report having no close friends at work at all, according to a new survey of 5000 people by relationship charity Relate. Most workers also have much more contact with their boss and colleagues than with their own friends or close family. The study found a link between low self-esteem and poor work-life […]
Tackling unconscious bias in HR departments
With HR departments increasingly having to implement diversity initiatives, specifically within staffing and recruitment, one area that is growing in importance is that of unconscious bias. The main aim here is how to tackle the “unconsciousness” element, as most of us already know that we are biased in one way or the other. But what […]
Book Review: Know what you don’t know by Michael A Roberto
Title: Know what you don’t know: How Great Leaders Prevent Problems Before They HappenAuthors: Michael A RobertoISBN: 978-0131568150 This book was reviewed by David Evans of Burn Bridge Associates. Decision-making, problem-solving and creative thinking are significant and current challenges in management practice and so Roberto’s book has some apparent relevance. Sub-titled “How Great Leaders prevent problems before they happen”, […]
Interview: Gabrielle Toledano, executive vice president of HR, Electronic Arts
We recently caught up with Gabrielle Toledano, executive vice president of HR and facilities at Electronic Arts Inc, and member of the Visier board of directors, to discuss the importance of developing internal talent for leadership roles, why using data is crucial in HR decision-making, and why working in HR in Latin America was a career high-point. 1. […]
Book Review: Risk Intelligence by Dylan Evans
Title: Risk Intelligence: How to Live with UncertaintyAuthors: Dylan EvansISBN: 978-1451610901 This book was reviewed by David Evans of Burn Bridge Associates. When senior managers are polled about the greatest challenges that their organisations face, one of the issues that regularly achieves high scores is that of the quality of their people’s decision-making (others, like problem-solving and talent, […]