News: employees still fear redundancy in 2013

Around one in 12 employers fear they may need to make redundancies in the next six months as the stalling economy fails to ignite growth.   This 8% figure represents a marked slide in confidence from 2012 when just 2% of employers were unsure whether redundancies would be needed, according to a survey of 783 […]

Blog: how fiefdoms destroy company cultures

This morning I had breakfast with a friend, Martha. As friends do over coffee and pastry, we filled each other in on the latest happenings in our work and personal lives. I was particularly concerned about Martha’s work experiences as her company has gone through some “right sizing” in recent months. As part of the […]

Talent Spot: Kath Austin, HR and Marketing Director, Pizza Hut

Like so many graduates, when Kath Austin, HR and marketing director at Pizza Hut, left university in 1997, she wasn’t entirely sure which direction to go in. Joining a graduate training scheme seemed like the sensible thing to do and British Airways a good brand to work for. It turned out to be an inspired […]

News: UK jobs market remains in rude health

The UK jobs market remains in rude health and growing steadily, despite dire warnings of torrid times ahead for job seekers and fears of a triple-dip recession.   Defying the doom and gloom merchants, the UK jobs market is up a third compared to 2010 after three years of steady growth, according to Reed Jobs […]

Gay marriage: will a licence to marry really be a licence to sack?

Tonight MPs in the House of Commons will vote on whether or not to make same sex marriage legal. Despite vocal opposition from some elements in the Conservative party, the vote seems certain to be passed with Labour and Liberal Democrat support.  The result will be a landmark one politically and socially.  But what should […]

Ask the Expert: Does my job advert fall foul of age discrimination law?

Question:   Would the wording on a job advert saying something like "at least five years’ experience required in process flow technology" be discriminatory? I think it might fall foul of age discrimination law as it excludes some people because of their age. Is that correct and, if so, what would be permissible in these […]

Is that an auto-enrolment time bomb ticking?

Auto-enrolment is a “ticking time bomb” that could leave 30,000 mid-sized firms with a big, costly mess to mop up, warned a benefits expert.   Companies falling into the 60 to 249 employee bracket have neither the time, money or resources of larger firms to tackle this major shake-up to pensions legislation, warned Michael Whitfield, […]

Social media powers bullying in the workplace

More than half of adults believe privacy in the workplace has been eroded with the proliferation of social media.    According to a new study by AVG Technologies, mis-use of social media infiltrates the workplace with often negative effects on employees’ privacy, forcing many to switch off or limit their use of social networking sites. […]

News: UK firms turn to temporary staff

UK firms are taking on more temporary workers, finds a survey by staffing firm Venn Group. The Venn report noted a 5.2% increase in hiring levels across the UK, but the picture varied greatly according to region and industry.    Altogether, temporary vacancies in commerce and industry across the UK soared 32.% between the fourth […]

Why focus on engaging teams?

Now’s the time to re-energise your teams for a more productive workforce, says Vernon Bryce.   Of the many adverts using the latest ‘must have’ messages like ‘you need’, ‘have you heard’, ‘the essentials of’ and, ‘new to our current ongoing portfolio of e-lessons’, the words ‘team’, also ‘engagement’  must feature strongly in any of […]

Technology and the changing face of work

Stephen Walker dares to gaze into the future and predict the next working revolution and the skills that will be needed. The human race’s story is one of the development of technology. From the discovery of fire and the flint-cutting edge to the iPhone and 3D printing, technological developments have changed the daily tasks of […]

News: Catholic Church threatens to sack teachers in gay marriages

With the UK government on track to push through same sex marriage legislation, the Catholic Church has warned that teachers entering what it calls  “non-chaste” relationships outside of Church-sanctioned marriage face the sack. The guidance – contained in Christ at the Centre: Why the Church provides Catholic Schools – also says that teachers in Catholic […]

News: why we’re all totally stressed out!!!

One in five workers are too busy to take lunch breaks, according to report which aims to lift the lid on the true state of the nation’s workplace health.   The survey by charity the British Heart Foundation (BHF) revealed employees felt let down by their bosses who didn’t prioritise their wellbeing or care about […]

I want to be alone – but it’s not good for business!

UK businesses risk scuppering productivity and profits by failing to support effective team working.   Almost half of the 2,030 UK employees surveyed by talent development firm Cedar felt their organisation did not help develop team working practices. Meanwhile, 37% of respondents said they preferred working alone, suggesting that businesses needed to do more to […]

Blog: Employee engagement needs commitment from both sides

Recognise This! – The ROI of employee engagement is significant and shouldn’t be left on the table out of pride. In my post today on Compensation Café, I shared lessons I learned on yesterday’s excellent HR.com-sponsored webinar, “7 Hidden Reasons Employees Disengage and Leave.” Led by Leigh Branham, author of The Seven Hidden Reasons People […]

How to effectively set goals

It’s that time of year again, when people will be in the process of setting goals for 2012 against a background of uncertain conditions and changing contexts. Motivation and setting goals Goal setting has always been promoted as an optional tool to help harness motivation, rather than an out and out requirement. However, as soon […]

HRZone Interview: Andrew Kakabadse, Cranfield University School of Management

 HR directors have a unique position in the boardroom as the only members of the senior team who need to think and act like a chief executive or chairman. HR alone needs that broad understanding of issues that cross departmental boundaries, believes Andrew Kakabadse, Professor of international management development at Cranfield University’s School of Management. […]

Book Review: ‘Savvy: Dealing with People, Power and Politics at Work’

The term “savvy” is used frequently in the workplace to describe people and their behaviour; “savvy” seems to be a desirable trait to have, with lots of employers looking for this in potential recruits. Maybe you’ve been told that you need to be more “savvy”. But what is “savvy” and how to we get it?  […]

In a nutshell: core values communication

Monica Walls is vice president of HR a Nexenta Systems, a Californian storage software firm with a worldwide presence.    Here she describes the steps she takes to ensure that the company’s core competencies are communicated worldwide using its performance management system.   1. Core values  It was essential to identify the core values and […]

Talent spot: Lorraine Makepeace, head of amazing at The Chemistry Group

 ‘Head of amazing’ is a job title you’re unlikely to come across very often, but The Chemistry Group is not interested in following the crowd.  This unusual job title was created especially for Lorraine Makepeace to reflect her skills of dealing with people and communicate the simple idea that “Amazing people do amazing things.”    […]