Five steps to building a robust sales team
The approach of a new year and the continuing recovery of a still-turbulent economy are prompting a rush of objectives amongst businesses. Whether aiming to increase sales, drive profitability, break into new territories or increase market share, managers throughout the world continue to face a key challenge: how to build and maintain an effective sales […]
“We are robots,” says undercover Amazon worker
A BBC investigation at a UK-based Amazon warehouse has revealed working conditions that a stress expert said could cause “mental and physical illness.” Undercover reporter Adam Littler, 23, got a job collecting and processing orders in the company’s 800,000 sq ft warehouse. In a video filmed secretly by Littler as part of a Panorama investigation, […]
Rise of “shadow spending” on IT budgets as line of business gets braver
The CIO is in the dark about IT budgets in the brave new world where line-of-business managers buy their own infrastructure and devices, according to a new survey by the Corporate Executive Board. CIOs also underestimate how much money is spent by other business functions on IT, said the CEB. Close to 165 firms with […]
Never the Twain? Why the non-profit and profit sectors should meet, and the mutual benefit for HR
There is a common misconception of the not-for-profit (NFP) sector as being a dream for HR, since charity organisations are all apparently warm and fluffy, staffed by cardigan-wearing plant-whispering hippies who have group hugs as an agenda item at meetings. Not so! In fact, according to CIPD labour reports each year, the ‘third sector’ has […]
An incomplete revolution: is a gender equal workforce a realistic prospect?
In June earlier this year the Women’s Business Council (WBC), established by the Home Office to tackle barriers to female success at work, published a report making the business case for a gender equalisation of the workforce. The WBC argued that equalising the labour force participation rates of men and women could increase economic growth […]
Are you in cat or lion mode? Using neuroscience and physiology to manage your performance
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish football captain used the terminology above, to describe how Jose Mourinho made him feel when he worked with him at Inter Milan. – "He turned me from a cat into a lion, dragged things out of me at Inter that no one had done before". Why am I writing about a […]
Are you a highly sensitive person (HSP)?
Highly Sensitive People are not people who are shy. Or people who are introverted. Or people who lack social skills. High sensitivity is an evolved trait that can be found in 20% of the population, and in over 100 animals. So why haven’t we heard of it? We spoke to Elaine Aron, who pioneered the […]
What does ‘duty of care’ mean at a global startup?
When I started my career in HR, I was taught about the concept of the ‘duty of care’ that an employer had towards its employees – the legal requirement to take all reasonably possible steps to ensure the health, safety and well-being of employees. We recognised that it had strong business benefits too, but I […]
Mediating away from a tribunal and avoiding the worst-case scenario
Following recent regulatory change which has seen the introduction of claimant fees now payable for cases being taken to tribunal, an assumption might be made that the number of claims ending in a formal hearing will reduce as a result. However, the reality may be more complex than simple financial decisions. Involvement in a formal […]
Line management – the heart of the employee/employer relationship
An organisation which realises the importance of strong line management is an organisation which will flourish and grow. Most managers understand the importance of employee engagement and employee relations but in times of economic uncertainty when budgets are tight, the gap between managerial good intentions and the actual practice widens. Line managers sit at the […]
How to effectively interview introverts
Some hiring managers may see interviews as an opportunity to test candidates’ ability to “think on their feet” and demonstrate their expertise, whereas others simply see interviews as an opportunity to interact with candidates to determine if their personalities are a fit for the Organisation. In both of these situations, applicants who are able to […]
Is Google the new HR department?
Four in ten managers said that Google is a better source of information and support than their HR team, in a new survey put out by Hay Group. The cause is a perceived lack of support and availability of information from the HR department. Budgetary cuts are the culprit, according to HR directors. 94% said […]
Making the future happen: Future Work Selves and proactivity at work
Being proactive means being self-starting, and trying to bring about change in order to achieve a better future.[1] Researchers and practitioners alike increasingly emphasise the value of a proactive approach at work,[2] and in relation to careers.[3] In my research I explore why some people are proactive and others aren’t, how we can encourage people […]
How to make company cars cost less with salary sacrifice
Company cars were once the sole preserve of senior management and sales executives. The way in which they were funded made them a direct cost to the business. However, a growing number of organisations are using the salary sacrifice model (an established and well-received principle in, for example, the pensions market), to offer more inclusive […]
Government unveils index to ramp up investment in employee-owned businesses
Business minister Jo Swinson recently unveiled the latest iteration of an index designed to help investors identify publically-listed companies that are part-owned by their employees. This year’s Employee Ownership Index will draw attention to the 69 companies on the London Stock Exchange that have over 3% of their shares held by, or for the benefit […]
Employee attitudes in Britain – trends for 2014
It is too early to tell for sure but 2013 could become known as the year the UK turned an economic corner and started a slow but definitive road to recovery. Currently the economy is still 2.5% smaller than its peak in 2008 but the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has just announced 0.8% growth […]
Better people equals better business – lessons from the All Blacks
You'd think that the world's mightiest rugby team wouldn't lack for motivation or cohesion, but in 2004 the All Blacks were in terrible trouble. Having feasted for 100 years on an extraordinary 75% winning record, results were slipping. The Men in Black had just come a miserable last in the Tri Nations, a championship they'd […]
Germany to have forced female boardroom quotas at public companies
The two parties most likely to form a German government at the next election have reached a compromise over quotas for women in the boardrooms of quoted German firms. The legislation, known as Frauenquote, will from 2016 require companies listed on the German stock exchange to have at least 30% women on their supervisory boards. […]
Seven innovation metaphors for HR professionals
Here are seven metaphors and tips to help an HR professional drive innovative behaviour. 1. Lift the veil – why does your organisation want to innovate? If your top management team plans to launch an innovation initiative, have them answer three questions first: 1. What value will it bring in business terms? Will it […]
Move over teamwork – what about the other forms of co-operative working?
Taken very broadly, there are two kinds of management or business research thinking when it comes to teams: perspectives that think teams are a decent functional way to organise workers to work effectively, and perspectives that are much more critical of the very concept of teamwork. Instinctively, anecdotally, and from much research over the last […]