Doing business in Egypt – cultural considerations for HR
The Arab Republic of Egypt is potentially a very lucrative market for organisations looking to expand into North Africa. However, many challenges remain. Political stability issues and market practices that can come across as outdated or heavily bureaucratic can put off many organisations that may otherwise have a good fit in Egypt. On the other […]
Going, going, gone? How to keep a lid on workplace data
The risk of unmanaged data being lost or stolen has never been so great. What can employers do to make sure we protect the data in our business? Have you ever noticed the ill-matched absurdities of on the one hand, the Data Protection Act (one of the most misunderstood, misused, misquoted pieces of legislation I […]
How exactly do you get volume recruitment right?
Recruiting the right people can be a major headache for any organisation. But when you need to recruit large numbers of frontline sales, service and support staff every year – as employers do in sectors such as retail, call centres and hospitality – that headache is multiplied many times over. Volume recruitment demands two things […]
Part-time workers – take a long-term view every time
There has been a lot of debate recently regarding part-time workers and recent research paints quite a negative view as it reveals 75 per cent of part-time workers feel trapped in their jobs and unable to progress. In my opinion, this is partly down to employers taking quite a short-term view to their recruitment strategy. […]
How to use storytelling to influence people
"A man found a cocoon for a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared stuck. The man decided to help the butterfly and with a […]
Social leadership – the style we should strive for
I remember visiting my father at work. He was a university lecturer, and visits entailed walking through long corridors, past the refectory and library, until we reached a rather severe looking door, which we would knock on. After some time, the door would open, revealing a room strewn with paperwork, bookshelves piled high, chairs submerged […]
Interview: Helen Ives, Director of People, PEER1 Hosting
Helen Ives is Director of People at PEER1 Hosting, following a long career in HR that has included time with insurer Aviva and shipping line Maersk. How has the HR function changed in the last five years? The HR industry has dramatically changed over the last five years and is now a strategic partner to […]
HR tips 2004
All our HR tips from 2004: click on the links to read any of the HR tips. December 2004Entertainment and giftsManaging capabilityReducing the P11D workload November 2004Making rules workPayroll tip: Rolled-up holiday payNational Insurance numbers, P14s and P46sWorkplace relocationReturning company clothing October 2004Racial balanceFrequent absenceBad language in the workplace September 2004Employing EU nationalsRevealing employee informationWage […]
Why measuring the impact of training is absolutely essential
Our research recently found that only 28% of the 388 people we polled globally collect and use data within the Learning and Development department to monitor and measure the impact of training. Twenty-three percent collate information but find it a cumbersome process and fail to do anything with it afterwards. It's no surprise then to […]
Key insights from KPMG organizational innovation report
KPMG recently released a new report, “HR as a driver for organizational innovation.” The report is an interesting read and focuses on the role of HR in driving creativity and innovation in the workplace in place of traditional drivers of innovation such as R&D. Main findings: The most successful corporate innovation strategies are the ones […]
Interview: Kelly Butler, Global Head of HR Operations, Rackspace
Kelly previously took part in a webinar with HRZone and software provider Workday entitled "Is Employee Engagement the secret sauce of HR?" 1. You’re a big fan of ‘evergreen goals.’ What’s the thinking behind this—improvements in engagement and employee development? Business moves fast today, and cloud computing is leading the pack. At Rackspace it’s unrealistic […]
How understanding neuroscience can increase the ROI on your training investment
Mark Twain said ‘training is everything’ but maybe what he meant is applying training is everything! Training and development is still a major focus for companies despite the recession. Learning and Development practitioners say they are being more commercial and business focused yet we are still told that programmes are not producing the behavioural change […]
The Business of Ageing: implications of an older workforce
The world’s workforce is ageing. In America, for example, it’s projected that one-third of the nation’s workers will be age 50 or older by 2016. And right now in the UK, 29% of employers are already seeing a rise in the average age of their workers. The fact is that in most developed nations across […]
Maternity leave in the midst of the Royal baby boom
While the nation may be celebrating the arrival of Prince George of Cambridge and the recent news that Zara Philips is also expecting, it seems that this year’s Royal baby boom is more widespread given recent figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Baby Boom Britain Last year’s ONS figures show that Britain has […]
Analysis: Government changes to childcare vouchers
Following months of negotiation between the coalition parties, the recent Budget statement included an announcement regarding the future of Childcare Vouchers. Childcare vouchers are now likely to undergo changes from October 2015. So why is change happening, what does it mean for employers and employees, and should your company cease to offer this benefit in […]
Yahoo! I’m working from home today…
96 percent of all employers in the UK now offer some form of flexible working. In the US, over a million more Americans worked from home in 2010 than in 2005. But not all businesses seem to be convinced. Marissa Mayer became Yahoo!'s CEO in mid-2012. She had 13 years prior experience at Google where […]
Senior leader buy-in is fundamental to employee engagement
This piece was written by Gary Cattermole, co-founder and director of staff survey provider The Survey Initiative. It’s a common issue, organisations are eager to run an employee engagement programme but find it tricky to get their Chief Exec or members of the board to buy-in to employee engagement. Some board members may think it’s […]
Interview: Jez Langhorn, VP People, McDonald’s
Jez Langhorn, McDonald's UK VP of People, talks to us about employee engagement and how it works at the fast food giant. McDonald's recently placed on the Great Place to Work list of the top workplaces across the UK for its commitment to building a culture of trust and unity. 1.What does employee engagement truly […]
Leading under pressure – lessons from the High Seas
This piece was written by Trudi West, Researcher at Ashridge Business School, who was part of the team studying the Clipper Round The World race. The challenge of leading is never more keenly felt than when working under pressure. Whether that pressure comes from the external environment or one that we create for ourselves, making the […]
Interview: Caoimhe Keogan, VP People, SoundCloud
1. You’ve mentioned before the importance of onboarding at start-ups. Can you elaborate on this? How does onboarding differ between big companies and small companies? For SoundCloud, onboarding begins when we have that first contact with a candidate. Even before we’ve decided whether there is a match, we are already ensuring that our recruitment process […]
