News: CIOs increasingly collaborate in face of changing business environment
New research highlights the increasing need for business divisions to collaborate in order to respond to the changing business environment. A Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Colt Technology Services, which investigated the relationships between IT and other business divisions, revealed that insufficient engagement between IT and customer-facing business departments is affecting positive business transformation. Despite […]
A practical view to the pitfalls of auto-enrolment
After what has felt for many like an eternity, auto-enrolment has finally arrived. As the UK’s largest employers complete the process, now is an ideal time to consider some of the lessons learned so that employers with auto-enrolment on the agenda for 2013 can avoid some of the pain and pitfalls that may occur along […]
News: study suggests mismatched employer/employee perceptions around sick leave
A new study points to a difference in perception between UK employers and employees over sick leave in the workplace. “Looking Ahead,” released by Adecco Retail, found that while 87 percent of employers think employees shouldn’t work at home when ill, 31 percent of employees think employers expect them to do so. And despite the […]
News: just half of British firms vet suppliers for Bribery Act compliance
Close to half of British firms (48 percent) fail to vet their suppliers for compliance with the UK Bribery Act, yet only six percent would re-tender if they found out their suppliers were not compliant. These findings were revealed by the Fraud Investigation & Dispute Services team at Ernst & Young, who polled procurement managers […]
Understanding employee healthcare leads to better management
Article by Pamela Gellatly, CEO of Healthcare RM When Dame Carol Black first put absenteeism on the Government agenda in 2008, the market for employee health and wellbeing services really took hold. Over the last few years, we have seen huge investment in this area as employers seek to manage sickness absence better and improve employee […]
News: women non-execs carve very different route to the top
Women non-executive directors (NEDs) are recruited from far wider backgrounds than their male counterparts, a report by headhunters Ashton Partnership reveals. Only 16 percent of the women in the analysis – Women on boards: where is the new NED talent coming from? – hailed from the traditional group CEO or CFO background, compared with 60 […]
Talent Spot: Mark Simmons, HR director at supply & logistics firm Norbert Dentressangle Logistics UK Ltd
Norbert Dentressangle may not be a household name in the UK, but this colossal international logistics and supply chain firm has major ambition and is growing fast. Mark Simmons, HR director of Norbert Dentressangle Logistics UK Ltd since 2007, is part of the team spearheading that growth. Today, the UK business employs 10,000 people across […]
News: students entering job market lack intercultural skills despite employer demand
Intercultural skills are valued as highly by employers as formal qualifications, yet many employers say that education providers do not develop these skills in students before they enter the workforce. These findings are from new global research published by the British Council in partnership with Ipsos Public Affairs and Booz Allen Hamilton. The research, which […]
News: engagement key to combat salary and morale doldrums
HR must prioritise engagement, leadership and talent retention in 2013 to combat sluggish salary increases and poor morale, suggests Hay Group research. The survey found many HR professionals were worried current reward and talent initiatives were off kilter. One in five of the reward specialist respondents believed their organisation’s incentive programme did not deliver, while […]
Case study: AQA improves recruitment process with psychometric testing
As the number of applications per role increases, businesses must find new ways to find the right candidates for the job. New techniques are emerging all the time, often centred in the online sphere which can reduce costs. This case study looks at exam board AQA and how they used psychometric testing and a list […]
News: failure to attract and develop talent is undermining business strategy
Executives’ priority to define business strategy is being seriously undermined by their failure to invest in attracting and developing the talent needed to deliver those plans. This is one of the main findings in a Harvard Business Publishing survey, which calls on organisations to urgently rethink their leadership development models. Over a third of the […]
News: workplace bullies targeting disabled employees
Disabled employees are more likely to be physically and mentally bullied at work – often by their manager – a UK academic study finds. The research from Cardiff and Plymouth universities revealed that employees with physical and mental disabilities or long-term illness are twice as likely to be physically attacked at work. They also endure […]
The difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ performance management
Guest post by Simon North, Founder of Position Ignition and the Career Ignition Club.What does good and bad performance management look like and how do we ensure that our organisations have good performance management at every stage and in every element of what is a significant process? At one level it is easy to see […]
News: flexible working tightens grip on UK firms
Flexible working has taken hold in 94 percent of UK firms, but a few niggling negative attitudes must be snuffed out if it is to deliver maximum business benefits, finds an Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) report. The survey’s findings suggest the days of the 9 to 5 grind are numbered. Half of the […]
Blog: top tips for training finance staff
The NHS Foundation Trust is a big believer in staff development. Helen Rourke, Assistant Finance Director at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, shares her tips on training finance staff of all skill levels and abilities through a formal qualification. The NHS Foundation Trust has supported a significant number of finance staff through formal […]
Six top tips for preventing employee burnout
There's a lot in the press at the moment about staff burning out, feeling overwhelmed or suffering from lack of engagement. It's not surprising, with budget cuts, staff cuts, restructuring and a general sense of uncertainty in many sectors, there's pressure for employees to know more, do more and achieve more than ever before. Many […]
TUPE reform: Building bridges or creating hurdles?
As part of its “Red Tape Challenge”, in September 2012, the Coalition Government published the response to their call for views on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (“TUPE”). At first glance, the response was distinctly unimpressive. It identified concerns expressed by employers and business groups, before stating that there were […]
News: HR directors could be left with uninsured employees due to data errors
Data errors may be unintentionally causing UK employees to become uninsured, according to new research from Punter Southall Health & Protection (PSHPC). The company, which is just about to launch a new software package, conducted a pre-launch trial of 13 employers, which revealed 74 percent of the sample have identifiable data issues that could leave […]
Book review: Global HR by Peter Reilly & Tony Williams
Title: Global HRAuthors: Peter Reilly & Tony WilliamsISBN: 978-1409402787 Reviewed by Alan Warner, MTP plc This book fills an important gap by trying to capture all the challenges faced by those in key positions in the HR function of global companies. It is very well researched, has an impressive list of examples from a wide range […]
After ER, HR – the tv series
The intrigue, adventures and romance of human resources is to be immortalised on the small screen – probably. A pilot for a new US television show, called simply and emphatically, HR, has been given the go-ahead, hoping no doubt to follow in the success of the equally succinctly and dramatically named ER. But […]
