Talent spot: Hari Thalapalli, chief people officer at IT services firm Mahindra Satyam
Hari Thalapalli, chief people officer at IT services firm Mahindra Satyam, has worked for technology firms since the 1980s, joining each organisation when they were at the cusp of a huge growth cycle. “This is the third IT organisation in my career,” he says, “and I’ve had the opportunity to join them when they were […]
News: UK employees demotivated by rise of ‘crisis’ leadership
Overstretched UK leaders are creating demotivating working environments by failing to adapt their leadership styles to the situation at hand. A rise in the use of ‘just do it’ approaches, useful in a crisis but incompatible with long-term engagement and motivation, is responsible, according to new research from global management consultancy Hay Group. The study […]
Short-term thinking – a plague on British businesses
This article was written by Tom Quayle, Consultant at The Chemistry Group. The Germans, as a group of people, are seen as efficient, long-term thinkers. They do it in business and as a country. They are known for efficiency and quality; they think about sustainability and the long-term and implement accordingly. It’s an obvious point […]
Hidden in the noise? Key Budget take-aways for HR professionals
This article was written by Steve Herbert, Head of Benefits Strategy at Jelf Employee Benefits. Every year The Chancellor’s annual budget statement is reduced by the media to only a few headline messages. This year is no different, with help for homebuyers, personal tax thresholds, and a penny off the pint all trending as the key […]
Is Gamification HR’s New Best Friend?
This article was written by Peter Grant, CEO of CloudApps. Gone are the days of passive employee engagement techniques, such as coffee room poster campaigns and intranet information sites. They are simply no longer able to hold the attention of employees long enough to make any impact other than to waste HR budgets. The posters […]
News: First quarter of 2013 sees accelerated jobs growth
The UK jobs market grew in March, continuing positive growth seen throughout the first quarter of 2013. Reed Job Index’s monthly measure of conditions and trends in employment opportunities stands at 156, its highest ever level, eclipsing last month’s previous high by one percent. In total there were nine percent more job opportunities on offer […]
News: Nine out of ten executives label talent management a priority
Eighty-nine percent of UK executives responding to a new survey said that talent management is their most important corporate strategy, ahead of marketing (11 percent), financial management (0 percent) and capitalisation (0 percent). These are the findings of a survey of UK executives conducted from February 6 to March 8, 2013 by Korn/Ferry International, a […]
Death of the summer party?
This article was written by Dina Green, MD of inVNT UK. The summer party, once an established event in all office diaries, has become something of a rarity. It used to be the essential six month breather; celebrating the successes of spring while preparing for the autumn and winter. But with the financial crisis it became the […]
News: Competitive salary replaces job security as top priority for employees
Employees are increasingly prioritising a competitive salary over job security when it comes to employment requirements, according to new research from recruiter Randstad. The survey found that pay and benefits are now the top priorities for UK employees, ahead of job security – the top factor for the last three years. In 2012, 27 percent […]
Six top lifestyle changes for reducing stress in the workplace
This article was written by Jeff Archer, Director of The Tonic Corporate Wellness. On any given day, in any office around the country, you’ll hear staff complain about how stressed they are. It’s a phrase that trips off the tongue and has become a catch all term for all manner of frustrations at work and beyond. […]
Talent spot: Annabel Jones, Head of HR at Framestore
Fans of Skyfall and the Harry Potter movies will be familiar with the work of Framestore, even if they’ve never heard of the company itself. The visual effects house is responsible for crafting some of the most mind-blowing effects in film, TV and music videos. As head of HR, it’s Annabel Jones’s job to attract […]
News: organisations use career opportunities to reward talent
New research from Mercer suggests organisations are increasingly using career frameworks to more effectively develop, manage and reward talent. Career frameworks are organisation-wide series of career levels including accountabilities and competencies that guide individual growth. They provide effective rewards management as well as helping to identify paths that prepare employees for more senior roles. Within […]
News: Firms turn to tech for employee health engagement
Employers have an appetite for new technologies to promote health engagement and positive behavioural change in the workplace, according to new research. “Emerging Technology in Health Engagement,” released by Buck Consultants and WorldatWork, examined current use and future potential of gamification, mobile apps and social media. Gamification was the most prevalent solution (62 percent) and […]
Building an effective onboarding process
This article was written by David Richter, Marketing Manager at Octopus HR. Onboarding is about more than running an orientation day for new starters at your company. It’s a longer term, holistic approach that assimilates an employee into your organisation’s culture, reduces turnover and maximises an employee’s impact in their new role. The onboarding process […]
Book Review: Modern Life Skills by Liggy Webb
Title: Modern Life Skills: how to deal with the demands and challenges of everyday lifeAuthors: Liggy WebbISBN: 978-1781485514 Reviewed by Robert Evans I was expecting quite a lot from an author who is profiled by the book as an international consultant for the United Nations and a widely respected and leading expert in the field of modern life […]
Five steps to success in difficult conversations
Difficult conversations crop up often, particularly as organisations grow. Some managers shy away from difficult conversations, preferring to use email. Others, apprehensive about making the issue worse, fail to be direct and become frustrated when employees do not take appropriate action. This creates ill-feeling on both sides and can lead to disengagement and productivity losses. […]
News: Interview technique & identifying skills key challenges for young jobseekers
Two of the biggest hurdles to employment for young job seekers are identifying their skills and poor interview technique, according to new research from job site Fish4jobs. Two in five (42 percent) of the 16 – 24-year-olds surveyed said that poor interview technique let them down, while close to a quarter (23 percent) said they […]
News: Renewed optimism in the workplace?
Employees are feeling more empowered to do their jobs than at any other time during 2012, according to new research. Well over half (58.6 percent) of UK workers are proud to work for their current organisation, up on the 41.7 percent reported in summer 2012. Over three quarters (76.1 percent) believe their manager gives them […]
What stops intentional change from succeeding?
Intentional change is hard to implement, measure and quantify. It’s one of the most difficult challenges facing HR. Yet change is inevitable. If businesses are to respond quickly enough to the future business landscape, they must become comfortable with change management. The first step is understanding what drives intentional change and where these align with […]
Talent Management in practice: WDS seeks global alignment for talent
WDS is part of the wider Xerox Company and positions itself as a provider of customer experience management expertise to the wireless industry, helping both service providers and end-users get the most from their wireless products and services. Its approach is to focus attention away from ‘managing’ customer experience problems and towards resolving the cause […]
