Blog: Punk Rock HR – Resilience and the Chumbawumba effect

Good HR people and leaders share what I call the ‘Chumbawumba effect’ in common.   Check out Chumbawumba’s punk folk song “I get knocked down but I get up again” to see / hear what I mean: www.youtube.com/watch   The lyric “I get knocked down but I get up again” summarises the quality of ’emotional […]

Six suggestions for boosting how many women sit on the board

Although women make up 51% of the UK population and just under half of the workforce, only 19% of senior management and 9.6% of executive director positions are held by females.   So it’s clear that the higher up the management hierarchy you go, the fewer women that there are. Is the same true of […]

Infographic: HRZone community survey – What do you think?

What are your most and least favourite things about HRZone? Find out below…..

Editor’s Letter: Finding your way through the HCM applications maze

Even though technology is not exactly the favourite subject of many an HR director, it is rising up the agenda of a goodly number, simply due to the fact that their HR systems are reaching end of life and are starting to need replacing. But even when embarking on a bit of desk research, it […]

News: Birmingham equal pay ruling could open claim floodgates

Thousands of workers could now bring equal pay claims dating back six years rather than six months after 174 women won a “landmark” ruling against Birmingham City Council. The Supreme Court ruled that members of the so-called ‘Abdulla Group’, which was named after the woman whose name was at the top of the list, could […]

News: O2 and Bauer Media to create 30k youth work experience places

O2 has joined forces with Bauer Media in launching a £5 million campaign to provide young people with up to 30,000 work experience or skills development opportunities over the next three years.   The campaign entitled ‘GoThinkBig’ will see the two companies offer placements to 9,000 14-25 year olds across the UK by October 2013. […]

Blog: The dangers of pulling rank – ‘Do you know who I am?’

There have been a couple of well-publicised incidents recently in which well known figures have allegedly pulled rank – whether it be Andrew Mitchell and his altercation with a policeman or George Osborne using a first class seat with a standard class ticket asking the ticket inspector ‘do you know who I am?’ (according to […]

Blog: Ten signs that you love your job (really)

One blogger in the HR space I’ve enjoyed reading for years now is Alexander Kjerulf (aka The Chief Happiness Officer). I just received through my feed his post celebrating 10 years of blogging (a feat I hope to accomplish someday) in which he highlighted his 10 most popular posts.   Near the top of the […]

Talent Spot: Liz Reynolds, HR director at Trustmarque Solutions

The wonderful if daunting thing about dealing with people for a living is their unpredictability, which can pose problems for even the most seasoned of HR professionals. Liz Reynolds, HR director at technology reseller, Trustmarque Solutions, learned this lesson early on in her career.   Looking through an office window, she glimpsed a very senior […]

Talking Point: Isn’t it time HR focused on solutions rather than problems?

HR professionals often find themselves carrying out administrative and operational tasks that are the responsibility of line managers. They also end up being dragged into other people’s problems, which is both time-wasting and exhausting.   How many times have you found yourself doing something that was somebody else’s responsibility, getting bogged down in negativity and […]

Unified HCM: Why it matters

Unified HCM. Unified talent. Integrated talent management. So many terms. So many definitions. Does it all really matter? The answer is yes! Many companies have deployed core HR systems with separate “best-of-breed” talent management solutions. All too often this approach doesn’t have the positive impact on business performance that is expected. A commonly cited reason […]

News: Afternoon naps boost staff health and productivity

Allowing employees to take an afternoon nap is not only good for their health, but also improves their ability to concentrate and learn, a study has found. A review of US and European research revealed that if workers took a 30 minute siesta three times a week, they were 37% less likely to die of […]

News: EU debate on female board quotas postponed

A European Union debate on proposals that would force female quotas of 40% on company boards across Europe has been postponed amid concerns that they could be unlawful. The move will give EU Justice commissioner, Viviane Reding, a chance to review her plans, which are opposed by at least 11 of the 27 commissioners, including […]

Blog: Wasabi – A lesson in effective staff communications

For global companies spanning international locations, or large organisations spread across multiple sites one of the hardest, yet most important areas to keep on top of is the stream of corporate internal communication – making sure your company delivers and receives consistent messages throughout the entire business, no matter how many locations you have. Managing […]

Blog: What are the benefits of hiring a recovering alcoholic or drug user?

DrugScope’s London Drug and Alcohol Network, a membership body for drug and alcohol services in the capital, is entering the second phase of a Trust for London-funded project to improve access to employment for people recovering from substance misuse problems.  In our last blog, we discussed the barriers that can hold people back. So are […]

HRD Insight: Allianz’s Philip Gennoy on aligning HR and business goals

For Allianz Insurance’s HR director, Philip Gennoy, the key to ensuring that HR strategy and business goals knit tightly together is to keep a close eye on both the day-to-day nitty-gritty as well as the bigger, more long-term picture. The idea is that by breaking strategy down into bite-sized tactical pieces, it becomes possible to […]

How to ensure social media doesn’t stop you from being hired

The recruitment process is continually evolving as technology advances, and it’s increasingly common for hiring managers to employ a numbers of ways to find out about their candidate, which might include online searches. So, even if a candidate’s knowledge and skills are a perfect match for the role, employers may be put off by social […]

News: Mobile commerce joint venture outsources HR

A newly formed mobile commerce joint venture dubbed ‘Project Oscar’ has outsourced its transactional HR activities in a bid to set up a cost-effective HR function quickly. The joint venture between Everything Everywhere, O2 and Vodafone will enable in-store shoppers to purchase goods using their smartphones as an alternative to cash, credit cards or loyalty […]

News: BBC HR whistleblower “bullied and harassed” into resigning

A former head of HR at the BBC claims that he was “bullied and harassed” into resigning after allegedly blowing the whistle on his boss for sexually discriminating against a female employee. Byron Myers quit his £77,000 per year job as head of HR at BBC studios and post-production unit last December, following an internal […]

Book Review: HR Strategy – Creating business strategy with human capital

‘HR Strategy’ takes a critical look at people management issues mainly in the UK and US. The author, Paul Kearns, starts with the premise that much of the work undertaken by HR departments is transactional and bureaucratic rather than strategic, adding that organisations “get the HR department they deserve”.   The major theme is that […]