LIVE COVERAGE: Learning Technologies 2014
Note: our live coverage has concluded, but you can review it all using the box below. HRZone is in attendance at Learning Technologies 2014, taking place on January 29th and 30th at Olympia, London. Learning Technologies is one of Europe’s leading events dedicated to the use of innovative technology in the world of learning and HR. […]
Introducing the CV Blind interview
The recruitment process is a crucial stage of any employment relationship. Ensuring you end up with the best person for the role depends upon having the right systems in place, from the initial job advert through to final interview. Organisations are continuously looking to innovate in this area, and whilst some tend towards abstract questions […]
Analysing analytics: what does big data mean for HR?
“The net of delusion is being cast ever wider, as we are bombarded with more and more information masquerading as knowledge, more and more material for the calculus, which far outruns our ability to sift it into truth and falsehood.” (Robert Skidelsky, January 2014, on economics and information). The problem As with any significant technological […]
Vaping in the workplace: employers go full steam ahead
Ever since the smoking ban came into force in 2007 the number of those turning to alternative means to keep their nicotine cravings calm in public spaces has been on a steady increase. However, more recently many are ditching the patches and gum in place of picking up pen-like devices known as e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are […]
Interview: “HR technology is becoming more engaging,” says Futurestep’s Neil Griffiths
In an interview with HRZone.com, Futurestep's global practice leader, talent communications & employer brand, Neil Griffiths discusses how HR technology solutions are becoming more engaging as they move on from heavy, inflexible solutions. This, coupled with a new social approach, allows HR leaders to become more forward thinking and make the link between social media […]
Moving to the cloud corporation: New job profiles for the innovative organisation
Private and public sector organisations are transforming the ways they procure and manage their IT function through the adoption of cloud computing and, as a result, are changing the job profiles of the IT workers of the future. Cloud computing is best understood as a service–based perspective on the provision of computing that exploits technical […]
Securing HR’s place at the strategy ‘top table’
Business strategy matters. It is an organisation’s means of laying out its mission, its values and objectives, as well as being the key to unlocking growth. Everyone's role within an organisation is influenced by the direction of its strategy – what they do, what they don't do, and how they do it. Successful strategy requires […]
Do employees have to be paid for ‘sleepovers’ and travelling time?
Summary: The Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) recently clarified the correct approach to determining what hours are to be paid at the minimum rate of the National Minimum Wage (NMW). The EAT found that a claimant who had to perform ‘sleepovers’ in the homes of care service users was entitled to the NMW for all the […]
What’s the most embarrassing mistake you have made at work?
Yesterday concrete accidentally leaked into the control room of the Victoria Line, leaving tens of thousands of rush-hour commuters trying to find another route home. Nigel Holness, Operations Director for London Underground, said that contractors had been working in an area next to the Victorial line signal control room. He said: "These works involved the use […]
HR departments – are they user friendly?
No one can argue that the role of HR is extremely complex, providing a wealth of services from aligning the workforce with business strategy to supporting new employees with induction enrolment. How an organisation’s community perceives HR will greatly depend on many things, but for me the top three are: What does HR stand for, […]
State of wellbeing and productivity in the financial sector
New research produced by the Bank Workers Charity in partnership with Robertson Cooper has identified that the financial sector need to recognise and prioritise the impact that non-work pressures are having on employees and in turn on the organisations themselves. The findings show that financial worries, caring responsibilities and concerns about the future are all […]
How to ask for a promotion or pay rise
January is typically a good time to review business strategies and plans, and set personal goals for the next 12 months. For many companies, it is also the time of year when performance reviews are conducted and potential pay raises considered. Salary review requests are not to be undertaken lightly, and discussions around pay rises […]
Applying Gladwell’s “10,000 hour rule” to advances in HR technology
In Malcolm Gladwell's 2008 bestseller Outliers, the popular author known for his provocative assertions supported by memorable anecdotes and scientific research (some might say cherry-picked research) introduced the "10,000 hour rule.” The rule posits that it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert and likely very successful at anything. He gives examples […]
How can HR support managers in helping their teams support change?
In the second of two articles on change, Valerie Nichols explains how HR practitioners can support managers in helping their teams to ride the waves of change and avoid a wipe out. Read the first article on handling resistance to change. Any manager in your organisation who is trying to implement change will probably have […]
Interview: Ann Francke, Chief Executive, Chartered Management Institute
Why is the pay gap still prevalent when more and more women are in the workplace? In this practical report, Cherie Blair CBE and Ann Francke explain why and – more importantly – what you can do about it. 1. How are employers’ expectations of managers changing? One of the biggest expectations of managers today […]
Night work ‘throws body into chaos’
Researchers have warned that night shifts throw the body ‘into chaos’ and could cause long-term damage. Scientists at the Sleep Research Centre in Surrey said that the scale, speed and severity of damage caused by wakefulness at night was a surprise. They said that night work has profound effects on the body, altering everything from […]
What is open innovation and what can it do for business peformance?
What is open innovation? The theme of innovation is nothing new, but ‘open innovation,’ – where organisations look beyond traditional company boundaries for inspiration and new ideas – is a relatively new concept, and it’s something HR Directors should be taking notice of. The concept of open innovation originated, like so much modern business practices, […]
Changing world of work must drive management makeover
Management needs a makeover if optimism is to fuel long-term growth and companies are to prepare effectively for the future business landscape, said the Chartered Management Institute recently. CMI’s survey of 750 of the UK’s top leaders identified where managers will need to excel by the end of the decade if the UK economy is […]
The formula for an antidote to Blue Monday
Blue Monday; January 20th 2014, officially the most depressing day of the year. A gloomy combination of poor weather, the arrival of Christmas credit card statements, still a while to pay day, already failing New Year’s resolutions… This is also the time of year when most people feel dissatisfied at work and, if they’re not […]
Will 2014 be the year of innovation for HR?
January is traditionally a month for both personal and professional resolutions. Unlike the personal promises currently being made to join the gym, start a diet or break a bad habit, the workplace is crying out for cast-iron commitments from their employees. Can you imagine what could be achieved if we entered the new year with […]
