News: Aegis Media turns HQ entry gates into staff feedback system
Aegis Media has turned the security gates at its Regents Place headquarters in London into a voting system, with the aim of collecting employee feedback in real-time. As each of the digital marketing and communications agency’s 1,000 staff has entered the building over the last couple of weeks, they have been presented with screens asking […]
In a Nutshell: Five ways to make the most of your older workers
The UK’s working population is aging but attitudes towards older workers – despite legislation – are taking a long time to catch up with the change. Therefore, Dianne Bown-Wilson, who set up consultancy, in my prime, to help address just such issues, shares her top tips to help employers get the most out of their […]
Blog: Punk rock HR – Reasons to be cheerful, part 3: Good job design
This is the third extract of my new book “Punk Rock People Management – a no-nonsense guide to hiring, inspiring and firing staff”. Here’s an extract on the topic of motivation: In the words of honorary punk rockers, Rogers, Hammerstein and Captain Sensible, “Happy talk”. Yes, it’s nice to be happy at work, […]
Legal Insight: Privacy matters in the Underhill employment tribunal review
On 11 July 2012, the Honourable Mr Justice Underhill unveiled his Fundamental Review of Employment Tribunal Rules, which included recommendations and new draft regulations. One area of the Review that has attracted a lot of interest over recent months relates to matters of privacy, restricted reporting and anonymity during and after tribunal cases, particularly if […]
News: UK workers put in £157.2bn of unpaid overtime each year
UK workers are now putting in around £157.2 billion per year in unpaid overtime every year, with two thirds experiencing soaring stress levels as a result. According to a survey conducted by hotel chain Travelodge, one in ten employees are now cramming in the equivalent of an entire week’s extra work on top of their […]
News: NHS Trust fined £175,000 for publishing staff details online
An NHS Trust has been fined £175,000 by the Information Commissioner’s Office after it published a spreadsheet containing highly sensitive information about more than 1,000 of its staff online. Last April, the Torbay Care Trust posted the equality and diversity details of 1,373 workers on its website alongside their name, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, national […]
Lessons from Olympians: Seb Coe, the ultimate expert-turned-leader
The concept of an expert becoming a leader is scarcely unexplored territory. But the focus is usually on the skills that the erstwhile expert needs to acquire and demonstrate as they move from one role – and mind-set – to another. There are other attributes that are just as critical to the success, not […]
Blog: Lessons from Mars – How to prevent staff burn-out
As Curiosity touched down on Mars we all saw an elated NASA team jumping for joy that their lengthy mission had successfully reached a fundamental milestone. The passion of the engineers, scientists and astronauts involved in the project was obvious for all watched the news that day, but back down here on Earth there a […]
Book Review: How not to worry by Paul McGee
‘How not to worry – The remarkable truth of how a small change can help you stress less and enjoy life more’ – a long title, but a good one. A lot of people in my circle seem worried – about major issues such as the economy, their weight/health, job security, the spread of war […]
Case Study: LV= focuses on staff enagement to negotiate change
LV= (London Victoria) has nearly tripled its workforce from 2,000 employees in 2007 to 5,600 in 2012 and now insures one in 10 cars on the road. But its HR director, David Smith, recognises that such fast growth can foster uncertainty and anxiety as well as generate cultural change that is not always positive. […]
News: Prisoners allegedly paid £3 per day to replace call centre staff
A business in Wales that is paying inmates from an open prison just £3 per day to undertake work experience has sparked controversy amid claims that it sacked other staff to take them on. According to the Guardian, the Ministry of Justice confirmed that dozens of people from Prescoed gaol in Monmouthshire, South Wales, had […]
Blog: How to stop your talent from becoming tea leaves
A recent report from CIFAS has shown that the dire economic climate has had another impact – staff who may not normally stray from the straight and narrow are turning to fraud and various acts of ‘low level dishonesty’ against their employers, and justifying it to themselves through resentment of payfreezes, insecurity, unemployment and other […]
Blog: Lessons from Olympians – The danger of perverse incentives
Recognise This! – After-the-fact recognition delivers better results than if/then incentives, which can be easily gamed. I’ve written before about the difference between recognition and incentives. This is an important distinction to understand, as is the distinction between incentives and motivation. This was brought home to me in particular this week in two ways […]
Talent Spot: Caroline Waters, BT’s director of people and policy
Because Caroline Waters has only been at BT for 33 years, she classes herself as a bit of a newcomer in an organisation where two people are celebrating 50 years of service and 3,500 have clocked up 40 or more. Today, as director of people and policy, Waters has a long list of responsibilities outside […]
News: UK employers do little to tackle poor internal management skills
Even though the vast majority of UK businesses believe that their performance is at risk of being held back by a shortage of skilled managers, all too few are doing anything much about it. According to a survey conducted among 750 managers with responsibility for talent management by the Institute of Leadership & Management, the […]
News: Liberty threatens to sue ICO over blacklisted construction workers
A human rights charity is threatening to sue the privacy watchdog unless it takes immediate action on behalf of thousands of blacklisted construction workers in a scandal that it compares in stature to phone hacking. According to the Independent, Liberty has written to the Information Commissioner, Sir Christopher Graham, accusing him of failing to act […]
News: Sainbury’s evaluates value of “micro-exercise” in cutting sickness rates
Sainsbury’s is currently evaluating whether encouraging its staff to become more active by taking “micro-exercise” breaks can help cut levels of sickness absence. The supermarket chain introduced a six-month pilot project at its Coventry satellite office earlier this year, which saw 85 workers perform a series of three-minute stretches using Power Plate‘s vibration training machine […]
Blog: Entertainment, media and tech are HR hiring hotspots
There is no doubt the economy is fragile. Last week it was reported that the UK recession has deepened as latest official figures show the national GDP fell by 0.7% between April and June. Despite this, sectors such as high-end retail, entertainment and media are still seeing growth, and in times of financial insecurity, […]
Blog: The secret of good networking
Most people know that networking is an important business skill but most people avoid and dislike it. That's because most people fail to understand what networking is all about and only network with people they like. Networking success depends on reciprocity – it works because you are willing and able to trade or […]
Diary of a misfit: For hire – One creative/HR director hybrid
I am a misfit, a freak of nature, the result of a three-year HR experiment gone badly wrong. Either that or I am the future, a ground-breaking trailblazer to lead HR into a new era. I’m not sure which – and this is why I need your help. You see, after more […]