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 […]

News: research suggests high stress levels among UK office workers

Two new pieces of research, both from small business supplies company Viking, point to high levels of stress among UK office workers. Viking questioned 2000 office workers on their levels of stress throughout the working week. In the separate study, 200 volunteers answered stress-related questions and had their body temperatures measured at different times of […]

Pension reform falters as workers proclaim they are too poor to save

The success of government pension reforms hangs in the balance as Britain’s cash-strapped workers say they can’t afford to save for retirement.   Almost half (45%) of the 4,720 public and private sector employees interviewed in Aviva’s Working Lives report blamed their failure to pay into a workplace pension on lack of funds.   Despite […]

Blog: why Marissa Mayer is right to ban remote working

This week the world has been horrified, apparently, by a leaked memo from Yahoo!’s HR team that instructs staff that they should be working from the Yahoo! offices and not from home. Cue the web coming alive with people criticising the move, including via Twitter, motivational luminaries such as Dan Pink. Some of the criticism […]

Ask the Expert: what is harassment and victimisation based on religious belief?

Question: “Can anyone tell me what’s happened to the f***ing Pope?” is shouted twice across a busy newspaper editorial office by an undoubtedly stressed editor trying to hurry a story up about the Pope, at the time of his 2010 visit to the UK. The story, in the vernacular of the paper, is referred to as […]

Acas seeks views on flexible working for Code of Practice

Acas is seeking input from employers and workers for its draft Code of Practice on the new extended rights for flexible working.   The Government announced changes to flexible working rules in November 2012.   A key change is that the requirement to be a parent or carer to apply for flexible working will no […]

More hoops for job seekers to jump through

Job hunters must jump through more hoops – and higher – plus endure longer interviews to land a new job, research has found.   Post-recession employers can afford to be choosy and are grilling candidates for their long-term potential as well as their ability to do the job advertised, according to research by recruitment firm […]