Ten commandments for successful succession planning

This article was written by Donal Laverty, Organisational Development Partner at RSM Tenon. As an organisation, are you struggling to manage your talent pipeline? Are unexpected leavers causing you problems in business continuity? A range of national and global surveys of HR Directors and Managers highlight an increasing struggle for organisations to attract and retain […]

Why do multinationals struggle to conquer overseas markets?

This article was written by Bryan Roberts, Director of Retail Insights at Kantar Retail. The unsurprising news that Tesco is planning a disposal of its beleaguered US business Fresh & Easy has added one more to the body count of UK retailers that have failed to make a successful entry into the American retail sector. […]

News: 72 percent of workers give 10 hours of free labour a week

Nearly three-thirds of British workers are working 10 hours extra every week, providing a boost of £142bn to the economy, according to new research from Travelodge. One in ten employees is working their weekly workload again, while a third of British workers are working an additional 16 hours a week more now for free than […]

Overseas expansion: get ready to ‘think global, act local’

This article was written by Vincent Belliveau, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EMEA, Cornerstone OnDemand. According to research undertaken in December 2012 by private medical insurance providers, Expacare, close to half of British companies, of all sizes, are looking to extend their presence overseas. Furthermore, in the last year alone, high profile companies such […]

News: employers to ramp up short- and long-term overseas assignments in 2013

Companies across the globe will increase the number of short-term and long-term assignments in 2013, focusing on China, Brazil, Australia, the UK and the US. The increase will come from a desire to provide specific technical skills not available locally (47 percent), to provide career management/leadership development (43 percent), to ensure knowledge transfer (41 percent), […]

Measuring the benefits of healthcare investments on the bottom line

This article was written by Mike Blake, director of PMI Health Group. Boardroom executives are frequently unaware of the bottom line benefits of employee healthcare programmes, considering them a nice-to-have rather than a strategic necessity. Returns on investment can be realised however and if suitable methodologies are adopted by HR departments, it is also possible […]

News: employers show increasing appetite for tech to improve staff health engagement

Employers are committed to using new technologies to promote health engagement and encourage positive behaviour among employees. The study, Emerging Technology in Health Engagement, was released by employee benefits firm Buck Consultants and WorldatWork. It examined the current use and future potential for three major technologies: gamification, social media and mobile applications. Of the three, […]

Four damaging mistakes that HR professionals continue to make

HR continually evolves – practices that work one year may be ineffective the next as the workforce evolves and peoples’ needs change. External culture can also influence what is and what isn’t effective in the workplace. These four common scenarios are commonplace in today’s HR function – a few of the examples are seen as […]

Lowdown on PAYE umbrella companies for HR managers

This article was written by Phil McDonald, Managing Director of PAYE umbrella firm Paraplus. An umbrella company is a organisation that acts as an employer to contractors who work under a fixed term contract. With a pay as you earn (PAYE) umbrella company, contractors become an employee of that umbrella organisation. It issues invoices to […]

News: MPs back Government plans for ‘shares-for-rights’ scheme

MPs have shown support for Government plans to allow businesses to offer company shares to employees in exchange for reduced employment rights. The initiative was initially rejected in the House of Lords before MPs voted to reinstate it on April 16. Michael Fallon, Business Minister, said the shares-for-rights scheme was a good deal, particularly for […]

News: almost half of UK workers feel ‘threatened by their boss’

Close to half (47 percent) of UK employees feel actively threatened by their boss, according to new research from leadership development consultancy Head Heart + Brain. Broken down by sector, civil servants (72 percent) felt the most threatened – unsurprising considering the changes that have run through the civil service over the last three years. […]

10 myths that pervade the HR industry

This article was written by Millie Sarin, Deputy Knowledge Manager at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). If you’ve been in HR for years or are just learning the ropes, there are a number of common workplace misunderstandings that seem to crop up again and again. The Acas advice helpline receives around a million calls a year, […]

What makes a collaborative leader?

David Archer and Alex Cameron are co-directors of consultancy Socia and authors of ‘Collaborative Leadership – Building relationships, handling conflict and sharing control.’ It’s a common experience for many leaders these days: many of the people who are crucial to their success don’t report to them – directly or indirectly. And, increasingly, these people are often […]

News: Female workers in UK call for ‘inspiration and leadership’

Female workers in Britain are looking for inspiration in the workplace which will allow them to break from traditional expectations, according to new research from telecommunications provider O2. The research, around flexible working, reveals differences in the working styles of men and women and the things that promote wellbeing and job satisfaction. Broadly, women place […]

News: workplace remains key driver of UK companies’ reputation

The state of the workplace remains one of the key drivers of reputation among the UK’s largest companies, according to new research from global business consultancy Reputation Institute. The UK RepTrak™ 2013 study saw John Lewis emerge with the highest workplace reputation, followed by Selfridges and Marks and Spencer. Engineering company Dyson came fourth and […]

Developing resilience to enhance personal effectiveness

This article was written by stress management consultant Graham W Price, who is a trainer with Body Mind Training. Graham is a chartered member of the British Psychological Society (BPS). We’re all crazy! Every time we’re having a negative thought, we’re having a crazy thought. 25 years ago I witnessed a senior executive, Stuart McGill, […]

Legal insight: what employers should know after the Stella English case

This article was written by Mandy Laurie, partner in the employment team at national law firm Dundas & Wilson. There has been much interest about the recent employment case involving the previous winner of The Apprentice, Stella English, and her claim for constructive dismissal against Lord Sugar. However, in a case held to be largely unfounded, […]

News: education system failing next generation of workers, say CEOs

Over half of UK CEOs (54 percent) responding to a new survey believe the current education system is failing future workers, and that degrees and A levels are no longer a guarantee of career success. The research, commissioned by Skillsoft and conducted by Opinion Matters, found that while 63 percent of CEOs valued qualifications in […]

The decline of flexible working – has the bubble burst?

This aticle was written by Naomi Oppenheim, Solicitor at Fladgate LLP. Marissa Mayer’s announcement that all flexible arrangements at Yahoo! will end this June has been widely reported in the press recently. Ms Mayer is not the only leading business figure of late to view flexible working as a barrier, rather than a bridge, to […]

News: onboarding requires radical shake-up

Organisations must radically rethink their onboarding approaches to reap new benefits, according to a leading academic from the London Business School. Dan Cable, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, studied the onboarding procedures of various organisations – including Oracle and Disney – with colleagues at the LBS. The team found that onboarding processes share a common goal […]