Tips for creating a data-driven HR strategy
Big data can be used in many ways by companies of different sizes to analyse and share meaningful HR insights that help inform HR strategy and positively impact the business. However, big data strategies can be difficult to implement. The advancement of mobile technology enables information to be accessed, evaluated and shared anywhere, anytime. As […]
Changes to the state pension: dealing with the end of contracting out
Recent Government changes to the State Pension mean that, from 2016, there will be an increase in cost for defined benefit (DB) pensions, which could rack up a £2bn per annum bill for UK companies. The change in question means that the practice of ‘contracting out’ is coming to a close. Contracting out allows individuals […]
Doing business in Saudi Arabia – cultural considerations for HR
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the Middle East’s largest market. As the world’s largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia also recognises the need to diversify its economy as its future cannot rely on oil revenues alone. King Abdullah is leading the way in economic reforms, with special economic zones being developed and by welcoming businesses […]
Is your wellbeing strategy really meeting your employees’ needs?
Wellbeing. It’s on everyone’s lips at the moment. It’s no wonder with increasingly pressurised work environments, redundancies and an increase in the prevalence of mental health problems and stress in the UK workforce. There is a lot of talk about the introduction of wellbeing strategies to alleviate these problems but are employers doing enough? Wellbeing […]
Exploring the link between emotional control and success
One of the underlying assumptions about success in business is that we have to control ourselves and our emotions. For most of the last century emotions have been a ‘dirty’ word in business. The British stiff upper lip is seen as the pinnacle of control. Emotional Intelligence (for more on EI, read my previous article, […]
Using personality profiling to exploit maximum value out of events
The HR department is often the first to extoll the virtues of a conference or out-of-office event in helping to motivate employees and encourage career development and learning. In fact, many of us within the industry have referred to conferences for years as a ‘third place’, a space between the desk and the meeting rooms […]
How gamification is altering the fabric of business and HR
Mickey Mantle, the American Baseball Player, very aptly remarked, "It's unbelievable how much you don't know about the game you've been playing all your life”. Now imagine we press pause on our own lives for a moment and contemplate this statement. Every new aspirant seeks a career which is challenging and fulfilling, a game worth […]
Workers struggling to discuss career progression with managers
UK employees are finding it difficult to discuss their personal development desires and requirements with managers, according to a new poll. Close to half (44.8%) of respondents to the Badenoch & Clark survey said they felt uncomfortable discussing development with their superiors. Generation Y – those aged 16 – 24 – are least likely to […]
Changes on the horizon for HR structures and service delivery
The HR function will experience upheaval in the next two years as businesses face pressure to improve the delivery and effectiveness of HR services. This is according to the 2013 HR Service Delivery and Technology Survey from professional services firm Towers Watson, which also found that companies will continue to invest in HR technologies as […]
Is learning agility the key indicator of potential?
What do executive search consultants look for in a candidate? Until 10 years ago, the answer was very simple: Results, results, and results. Past performance was considered to be the best predictor of future performance. No matter what, business is about creating results; they may be growth rates, market share gains, free cash flow or […]
Enabling a culture of compassionate accountability in the NHS
The Berwick Reality The NHS has had a wakeup call. The operational failings in Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation prompted Ministers and NHS leadership alike to contemplate the causes and conditions for patient safety and care, and the subsequent Berwick report has called for a “wide systemic change” within the organisation. Professor Don Berwick highlights the […]
Why no team can survive without conflict
Many people avoid conflict at work like the plague, feeling uncomfortable when things get difficult, fearful that addressing issues will create more, maybe even unresolvable, escalating conflict. And yet workplace conflict can be a good thing, a very good thing even, and should definitely not be feared but addressed. Let’s be honest – having a […]
Death of bank intern raises concern over working hours
A 21 year old intern working at Bank of America in London was found dead after reportedly working 72 hours in a row. Moritz Erhardt, an exchange student from Germany, was found collapsed in his shower following several days of working until 6am. He is said to have suffered from epilepsy and was pronounced dead […]
People on zero hours contracts are ‘paid less than others’
Workers on zero hours contracts are paid six pounds an hour less than other workers (£9 compared to £15), according to research from living standards charity The Resolution Foundation. Those employed on zero hours contracts are expected to be available when the employer needs them (legally they can turn down shifts), although no working hours […]
Male bonuses double those given to women
Over the last 12 months, male managers earned average bonuses that were twice as big as those earned by their female counterparts. The average bonus came to £6,442 for men compared to £3,029 for women. Average salaries were also reported to be close to 25% larger for men (£38,169 compared to £3,029). Extending these figures […]
UK SMEs concerned skills gap could impact profits and growth
Six out of ten (61%) SMEs believe there is a shortage of skills among their workers, according to the latest report from Lloyds TSB Commercial Banking. A quarter (27%) point to gaps in marketing and sales skills, 21% emphasise IT knowledge and 15% cite management and leadership skills as areas that need attention. Just over […]
Toal v GB Oil – EAT rules employers cannot interfere with choice of companion at hearings
A recent EAT decision has now effectively determined that a paragraph of the Acas Code of Practice on Disciplinary and Grievance procedures is wrong. As a result managers have very little scope to interfere with an employee or worker's choice of companion at disciplinary or grievance hearings (since the right applies to the broader category […]
Employee causes death following drink-fuelled company party – employer may be held responsible
An employer could be held liable after an employee got drunk at a company party and killed a driver when trying to drive a colleague home. The court said that the fact the incident occurred after he had arrived home from the party was not relevant. What happened? In December 2009 Michael Landri, a bartender […]
Stamping out the stigma around workplace mental health
We have been working with mental health charity Mind on a series of articles exploring mental health in the workplace. Take a look at the full content series today to get insight and advice on how to improve mental wellbeing throughout your organisation. We all have mental health just as we have physical health – it moves up […]
Zero hours contracts – where are we now?
There is no statutory or other official definition of a zero-hours contract. Frequently it is a term applied to casual or bank workers who may be called on when needed and where there is no obligation to provide or accept work. Such workers are entitled to national minimum wage for hours worked, and the appropriate […]
