Infographic: HR pros among most unhappy in their career
Credit: City & Guilds
News: NHS “sleepwalking” into workforce crisis within 3 years
The NHS is “sleepwalking” into a "workforce crisis" within three years due to cuts to existing staff numbers and the axing of thousands of nurse training posts, the government has been warned. The coalition had pledged to protect frontline staff from such cuts even as it demanded £20 billion in efficiency savings. But a […]
News: Flexible parental leave branded an “administrative nightmare”
Government plans to introduce flexible parental leave have been variously described as “disappointing” and an “administrative nightmare” for employers. The legislation, which is due to come into force in England, Scotland and Wales in 2015, will enable parents to share up to a year’s leave in order to look after their new-born children. New […]
Blog: US election – The need for charismatic leaders during times of austerity
“I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting.” My Vision by Barack Obama. In Chicago last week a rejuvenated and […]
Blog: Do you know how to be happy?
It was pitch dark and cold as we scrambled up Mount Batur at 4.30am. We were in a rush to the top of the Volcano up in the Balinese highlands to see the spectacular sunrise that greets the people who endure the vigorous climb. At full pelt, my lungs were straining to get more air […]
The HRZone Interview: David MacLeod on employee engagement
David MacLeod is co-chair of the employer-led Taskforce on Employee Engagement. He, together with Nita Clarke, director of the Involvement and Participation Association, was responsible for compiling an influential report for the government on engagement in 2009, which was followed by the launch of the Taskforce to carry on promoting and developing some of the […]
Relationship building – The power of feedback
Everyone has issues with people at work that make them angry, dissatisfied, annoyed or distracted such as a boss that doesn’t provide clear expectations or appreciation. Work can be a nightmare when relationships are in trouble. Equally, there are pleasant teams where people are kind, respectful and cheerfully collude with ideas that are ultimately […]
News: Impact of flexible working extension will be “limited”, says lawyer
Government plans to extend flexible working rights to all employees in a bid to stop women being “locked out of the workplace” and boost GDP may have a “more limited” impact than expected, a lawyer has warned. The government estimates that the forthcoming changes will bring a net benefit of £222.5 million to employers as […]
News: CIPD 2012 – HR acts as an ‘inhibitor to innovation’
For innovation to flourish, HR professionals must stop acting as the “custodians of consistency” and start helping to break down the general view of organisations as single, uniform monoliths with no room for difference. To this end, Graham Abbey, director of executive development at Bath University, told attendees at a panel discussion entitled 'Networking across […]
Blog: Dealing with tax and the contractor issue
The BBC have recently announced their intention to review the type of contract they provide to their staff following a tax review. Issuing the correct type of contract is important to avoid the heartache of tax implications for both employer and employee if it’s wrong. The BBC currently have lots of staff who are […]
Book Review: Lead with a story
Storytelling is regaining its rightful place as a key leadership skill, especially in relation to employee engagement. The idea is that a PowerPoint slide presentation, complete with salient bullet points, is much less likely to win over hearts and minds than a good story. So I was really excited to receive a copy of […]
How to rebuild staff morale following a crisis
There have been plenty of instances of organisations lately in which bad news can only have damaged employee morale and confidence and had a negative impact on overall effectiveness and efficiency. Cases in point include the four figure job losses experienced at Ford and the BBC’s handling of investigations into sexual abuse claims surrounding Sir […]
News: CIPD 2012 – Engage for Success movement unveiled
On Monday 12 November, three years after the publication of the MacLeod Report on employee engagement, a series of events around the new ‘Engage for Success’ campaign will be launched in a bid to make the promise a reality. For example, about 30 chief executives have signed a letter that will be published in The […]
News: CIPD 2012 – Four ways to ensure positive industrial relations
Even with just a threat of industrial action, the stakes are high because people are forced to take sides, which is damaging for employee engagement and the credibility of the organisation and its managers. This was just one of the insights provided by Darren Hockaday, HR director for London Overground, at the Chartered Institute of […]
Blog: CIPD 2012 – Impose company values at your own risk
During a Question & Answer session at the CIPD conference yesterday, Simon Jones tweeted something that caught my eye. Peter Cheese, the recently appointed CIPD CEO, asked a gathering of around a hundred people, ‘How many of you can recite your company values?’ Three people raised their hands. There was some surprise about the low response among the audience, but I’m […]
Blog: CIPD 2012 – A view from the fringe
In recent years, the CIPD has put on a number of free mini seminars to attend, which is great for those who can’t afford to attend the ‘full’ conference. I consider this (along with the exhibition) the ‘fringe’ event, and my impressions from this were: 1. Change in emphasis Last year, I felt like […]
Redundancies and how to reduce the risk of insider fraud
Last week, UBS announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs. This week, companies as diverse as Ericsson, ING and steel group, Kloeckner, have also announced big job losses. But managing large-scale redundancies clearly presents a number of challenges for HR, not least the increased likelihood of staff fraud taking place. In fact, the latest figures […]
News: CIPD 2012 – ‘Contingency risk-based approach key to Olympics success’
One of the key reasons for the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in HR terms was the decision to take a contingency risk-based approach, which involved planning for every eventuality. Jean Tomlin, HR director for the London 2012 Organising Committee who took part in the closing keynote panel discussion at the Chartered Institute […]
News: Permanent placements rise at fastest rate for 17 months
Business leaders were given more encouraging news about the state of the economy today after the latest KPMG/ REC ‘Report on Jobs’ showed that appointments to permanent positions have risen for the first time since the Spring. Data from across the country shows that appointments of permanent staff increased for the first time since May, […]
In a Nutshell: Four tips for raising engagement levels
Successfully raising engagement in an organisation involves more than doing an annual engagement survey. Louise Rooney, head of HR at IT firm, ServiceSource, outlines her top tips for motivating staff to commit to the business. 1. Alignment Identifying and being explicit about the company vision and values definitely helps employees connect with the business. This […]
