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 […]
Blog: Does Boris demonstrate the five fundamentals of leadership? Part 2
The hype surrounding the Boris Johnson shows no sign waning, especially after his attention-grabbing speech at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham a couple of weeks ago. As mentioned in part 1, Johnson is a performer – though, when you look beneath the gags and standard routines, is there something far more complex and substantial […]
What political leaders can teach us about presenting
Not only do HR directors and other senior executives need to be able to present well, but they also have to convince their audience that they are natural born leaders. Whether giving a presentation at an Annual General Meeting, to the entire workforce at a staff away day or to the great and the good […]
Ask the Expert: Are we legally obliged to have a health and safety policy?
The question Although my employer does not have a health and safety policy, the internal website says that: "As an employee, you have a personal responsibility to take care of yourself and others and to avoid placing yourself or others in a situation that is hazardous or a risk to health." I have […]
Blog: Body language – Actions speak louder than words
The way someone looks, the way they stand, the way they sit, the way they dress – all of these say something about that person. If we take the time to look and observe with interest we can understand and appreciate so much about a person without them even saying a word. I believe […]
Blog: Five steps to ensure your recruitment process is a positive experience
“I don’t understand it. They told me that they were just looking now and that they would not make a decision for at least another three months. Why would you have me make this effort? If I find the role I am looking for, do they honestly think I will stick around for their call? […]
Case Study: Novo Nordisk revamps to enable proactive recruitment
Novo Nordisk has revamped its entire recruitment process in a bid to make its sourcing and pipelining activities more proactive, particularly in relation to hard-to-fill posts. The global healthcare company specialises in diabetes care, but also works in the fields of hemophilia, growth hormone therapy and hormone therapy for women. Headquartered in Denmark, the firm, […]
How to recognise workplace bullying
Workplace bullying is definitely on the rise, not least because of the ample opportunities for cyber-bullying in our increasingly high tech work environments. The situation is also not helped by the tough economic climate, which tends to have an impact on management behaviour and can lead to increased levels of stress throughout the organisation, not […]
News: Decision to retire ageing chairman could open FA to legal challenge
The failure of the Football Association’s chairman to extend his tenure beyond his 70th birthday could leave the organisation open to legal challenge, a lawyer has warned. The FA’s Council voted by 45 votes to 40 to reject a proposal both to waive a rule requiring directors to stand down when they turned 70 and […]
News: Apprenticeship scheme for spooks unveiled
The UK’s top spy agencies are to offer 100 school-leavers a two-year apprenticeship in becoming a spook in a bid to protect the country from cyber-criminals. According to the Foreign Office, MI5, MI6 and GCHQ will all offer on-the-job work placements in an attempt to “harness experts from the ‘X-box’ generation who have grown up […]
In a Nutshell: Five ways to make the right impression when hiring talent
Every business wants to hire the best talent, but the problem is that the best talent can be selective. As a result, Olivia Hill, head of HR at the Association of Accounting Technicians, believes that it’s important for employers to give jobseekers the right impression during the recruitment process and shares her insights into how […]
Legal Insight: How to deal with long-term sick leave
Although the holiday season may have ended, the holiday-related pain for those employing people on long-term sick leave has not. This is because European law enables UK employees to save up the holiday leave entitlement accruing to them while on sick leave and take it when they are well enough to return to work. […]
News: HR needs to break out of its comfort zone, warns report
Too many HR professionals are struggling to meet the needs of a constantly changing global business environment and feel themselves paralysed in the face of seemingly monumental challenges, research has warned. The study mirrors the findings of a report published earlier this week by management consultancy, KPMG, which revealed that the majority of senior executives […]
News: Met’s tattoo ban could be “indirectly discriminatory”, warns lawyer
The Metropolitan Police’s decision to ban both officers and civilian staff from having visible tattoos could be indirectly discriminatory in certain circumstances, a lawyer has warned. The Met’s commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, has ordered personnel who already have visible body art to cover it up as it could “damage the professional image” of the UK’s largest […]
Blog: How to stop a lacklustre induction process creating an induction crisis
A recent survey has apparently shown that 2 out of 5 new starters at senior level seriously consider jacking in the new job within 3 months, due to rubbish onboarding processes by HR – in other words, ‘induction crisis’. It’s no revelation that the first few months in any job are critical – if you get […]
Blog: Remember your manners – The benefits of just saying ‘thank you’
“All I want is for someone, sometime, just one time, to say thank you.” She works late every night, and pulls long hours. This particular morning she left home at 5:30 to make sure she got in to prepare for the big meeting. She left at 8 that night to go home. As she […]
Talent Spot: Ella Bennett, HR director for Fujitsu UK and Ireland
Since taking over as Fujitsu’s HR director for the UK and Ireland in 2009, Ella Bennett has achieved a lot. She’s reorganised the HR function, helped set up a new leadership team and employed social media to enable better communication between staff and the executive team. “I’ve learnt a huge amount being in ICL and […]
How to reframe your performance review
Imagine the scene… your annual performance review is due tomorrow afternoon. Lots of new projects have kicked off in the last few months and you have been working your socks off. Work is still very chaotic and busy which means you have very little time to do much preparation for your review. So you […]
News: 1 in 5 Londoners get poverty wages as MPs go for 4 times average
Even though one in five Londoners now receive poverty wages, the Parliamentary watchdog has proposed that MPs’ pay should leap by a huge 40% to ensure earnings of four times the national average. Despite the recent Westminster expenses scandal and pay freezes across many parts of the country, a consultation document published by the Independent […]
News: Childcare costs biggest employment barrier for single parents
The biggest barriers to work for single parents are childcare costs and a shortage of flexible and well-paid enough jobs, a study has revealed. According to research published by charity Gingerbread, single parents with children over the age of 12 face double the rate of long-term unemployment as the rest of the population (8%). […]
