Fast-track onboarding: engage employees before they begin

This article was written by Jane Sunley, CEO of Purplecubed. Most of us have been there – a job offer is made, accepted and notice period worked. During this time the new employer sends a contract and details of where the new starter should go on day one. Then silence… very little, or no contact, […]

Queen’s Speech: is the Government slowing down its employment law reform programme?

This article was written by Steven Eckett, Head of Employment at Bishop & Sewell LLP. This week’s Queen’s Speech appears at first sight to be thin on the ground in relation to the Government’s commitment to continuing employment law reform aimed at cutting excessive red tape and bureaucracy for business. Much of the media emphasis […]

Filling a Ferguson-shaped hole: how to keep your team scoring when they lose their leader

This article was written by Pip Clarke, Business Development Director at a&dc. News of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement has come as a shock to the football world. After 26 years as manager of Manchester United, he has decided to step down at the end of the season and will now become a director and ambassador for […]

Four ways HR can help employees with career advancement

This article was written by Val Matta, vice president of business development at CareerShift, a job hunting and career management solution. Want happy employees? You’ve got to help them get ahead. HR professionals don’t need to be told employee dissatisfaction causes workplace issues such as decreased productivity, motivation, and engagement. But the downtrodden economy has […]

Ten powerful quotes on CSR from the Responsible Business Summit 2013

The Responsible Business Summit was held in London on May 7 and 8. It explored the future of sustainability in the business world and how firms can develop a strategy that will enable them to grow while at the same time providing benefit to society. A lot of big questions were asked, with a particular […]

Legal insight: upcoming employment law changes and how they affect HR

This year we have seen a raft of employment law reforms. Sarah Bull, a senior associate at law firm Bates Wells Braithwaite, outlines the key changes HR professionals need to understand and offers advice on how to keep abreast of employment legislation changes. There have been major changes in employment law in recent years and […]

Is your organisation beautiful enough to attract and inspire the best people?

This article was written by Dorothy Mackenzie, Chairman of design and innovation business Dragon Rouge. We don’t usually talk about business being ‘beautiful’. But perhaps we should. It is essential to future success that a business can attract talented people and then inspire them to give their best. It is the characteristics that make businesses beautiful […]

Legal insight: what are the pros and cons to employers of night working?

This article was written by Kirsty-Anne McIntyre, a solicitor in the employment department at SA Law. Britain has increasingly become a 24 hour society. Pubs and bars are now open into the early hours of the morning and recently there has been a call for the London underground to operate later into the night. We take […]

Psychological first-aid in the workplace – responding to traumatic events

This article was written by Mandy Rutter, head of the critical incident team at wellbeing company The Validium Group. The Boston marathon bombing has been an example of the kind of shock incident that is not only traumatic for those involved, but sends waves through networks of friends, colleagues, family and whole communities. For employees, the implications […]

“What does employee engagement mean to you?” [VIDEO]

“What does employee engagement mean to you?” That’s the question we posed to attendees at the HRD conference in London in April 2013, in association with Sage. Employee engagement is such a massive question at the moment – businesses are focusing on the people within their organisations and looking for ways to drive productivity. Engagement […]

Talent spot: Sandra Beale, Founder of SJ Beale HR Consult & HRZone blogger

Running her own HR consultancy, SJ Beale HR Consult, means Sandra Beale has to keep abreast of the latest employment law and HR issues, because her SME (small, medium enterprise) clients don’t. Beale is basically an HR emergency service for small firms: “SMEs often can’t afford or don’t want to employ a dedicated HR manager, […]

Managing disability in the workplace – good practice pointers

The London Paralympics was a huge success and shone a spotlight on how disability is definitely not a barrier to achievement. According to the Labour Force Survey, disabled people are now more likely to be employed than in 2002 and thousands of people successfully work in the UK with their disability. As an HR professional […]

Legal insight: Whistleblowing protection and the new Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act

This article was written by Jayne Flint, employment specialist at national law firm Shoosmiths. The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act (ERRA) received royal assent on 25 April 2013 and is expected to come into force on 25 June 2013. The ERRA proposes changes to the whistleblowing legislation including: replacing the requirement for a disclosure to be […]

Intelligent communication in a social world is key to employee productivity

Statistics from Mckinsey show that productivity within an organisation can increase by 25 per cent with the right technology and culture, highlighting people-focused communication helps to increase efficiency. For too long intranets were viewed as the poorer relation to the website. The website, which is the external face of a company, was long perceived as […]

Interview: Leighanne Levensaler, vice president at Workday, on where HR is going

Leighanne Levensaler is vice president at Workday, responsible for product direction and strategy. She has spent more than a decade working with large companies to develop HR strategies and integrated talent development solutions. Leighanne holds a master’s degree in human resource development from Georgia State University.What are the fundamental mistakes big companies make when developing HR strategies?HR […]

Making employee engagement engaging

This article was written by Kate Russell, MD of Russell HR Consulting. Employee engagement is one of the holy grails of the HR world. We want employees who are interested in what they’re doing (at least most of the time; we all have an off-day) and do their best for their employer. Like respect, you have […]

Five technologies that should be top of HR’s agenda

This article was written by Rob Caul, CEO of learning and talent management solutions provider Kallidus. Imagine a world with easy access to critical information at breakneck speed. A world where every employee uses technology to collaborate more effectively, and where everybody in the workforce uses smartphones and tablets. Such a world is not too […]

Five ways to make recruitment mobile-friendly

This article was written by Kes Thygesen, co-founder and head of product at RolePoint, who provide social recruitment software. Want to snag top job candidates? Better switch on that iPhone. The hiring process is tricky no matter your company’s size or scope, but new technologies are changing the face of recruitment. Plenty of job seekers are […]

Mobile technology – protecting lone workers and driving up business efficiencies

Henry Woods, CEO of Guardian24, looks at how lone worker mobile technology is not only helping to keep staff safe amidst a climate of cuts, but can also increase workforce efficiencies. Managing health and safety within the corporate environment has always been an important issue. However in the current climate of cuts and efficiency savings, […]

Support, not stigma: managing mental health issues in the workplace

This article was written by Joy Reymond, Head of Rehabilitation at Unum. The Mental Health Discrimination Bill came into force this week, but many employers are unsure how to handle depression, stress and mental illness at work. As of this week, the restrictions preventing people with mental health conditions from serving as Members of Parliament, […]