Book Review: Workforce crisis – How to beat the coming shortage of skills and talent
As baby boomers retire and birth rates decline, this book examines workforce demographic shifts and their implications for skills shortages, employee engagement, and HR practices. The authors analyze three career cohorts and offer strategies for creating learning organizations and adapting management practices to meet generational needs.
Dealing with a double whammy: RTI and pension auto-enrolment
HR and payroll departments face major disruptions from two concurrent changes: Real-Time Information (RTI) requiring electronic HMRC submissions with each payroll run starting April 2013, and workplace pension auto-enrolment beginning October 2012. Successful implementation requires proper planning and adequate resources, especially for smaller organizations, as technology alone cannot address the administrative complexity.
News: “Not realistic” to deploy troops as strike-breakers, say defence sources
Defence sources have rejected claims that troops would be deployed as strike-breakers during public sector industrial action, calling the suggestion “not realistic” despite government contingency planning following a TUC vote to explore a potential general strike.
News: Two whistleblowers find themselves vindicated
Two whistleblowers were vindicated this week: Kay Sheldon, a UK health regulator board member whose concerns about patient safety culture were upheld, and Bradley Birkenfeld, a former UBS banker awarded $104 million by US tax authorities for exposing the bank’s tax evasion schemes.
Talent Spot: Karen Gill, co-founder of everywoman
Karen Gill co-founded everywoman, a women’s membership organisation with 40,000 members dedicated to increasing the number and status of females in business. Drawing on her experience building a career across banking, hospitality, and international sales, Gill has become a government advisor on gender equality and MBE recipient.
Blog: Recruitment – The growing trend of asking curveball questions
Employers increasingly use unconventional interview questions to differentiate between equally qualified candidates. Research shows two-thirds of job seekers welcome these curveball questions, as they reveal problem-solving abilities, creativity, and how candidates handle pressure while demonstrating company culture fit.
Blog: Do jerks really make it to the top?
Research shows that while aggressive, intimidating leadership may help managers advance to mid-level positions, considerate leaders are more likely to reach CEO status. Successful top executives use influence rather than intimidation and balance competitiveness with genuine consideration for others’ development.
Infographic: UK workers lose faith in senior management
UK workers are increasingly losing confidence in senior management, according to new data. This infographic reveals declining trust levels among employees toward leadership and the key factors driving this shift in workplace attitudes.
Talking Point: Do you believe in the magic of storytelling?
Great storytellers captivate audiences and drive memorable messages through presentations, sales pitches, and business communications. Stories engage both creative and logical thinking while helping audiences remember key points far better than facts and figures alone.
News: Whitehall to relaunch grad hiring scheme with Facebook Q&A
The civil service is relaunching its Graduate Fast Stream recruitment programme with a Facebook Q&A featuring cabinet secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood. The revamped scheme now offers broader experience through multiple department placements and structured career development for new recruits.
News: HR ‘must find fresh ways of developing tomorrow’s leaders’
HR must move beyond traditional “sheep-dip” training to develop leaders with self-awareness, integrity and strong ethical principles needed for today’s knowledge-based economy, according to the CIPD.
Blog: Learning resilience from going with the flow
Discover how the psychology of flow can build resilience in busy professionals. Learn practical techniques to anchor your mind in the present moment and reduce anxiety caused by dwelling on past failures or future worries.
Blog: Don’t be done yet – HR still has a lot of work to do
Three-quarters of the workforce shows signs of disengagement, yet employers continue paying for full effort while receiving only half. HR faces significant challenges addressing this “done-ness” trend and the productivity gap it creates in today’s uncertain economic climate.
Maximising your emotional capital
Emotional intelligence and employee engagement are key drivers of business success. Research from Gallup’s study of 47,000 employees across 120 countries reveals that companies with high engagement outperform competitors by up to four times on productivity, profitability, and retention metrics.
How to ensure you get that promotion
Learn seven key strategies to position yourself for promotion, including dressing appropriately for your company culture, mastering business terminology, demonstrating people management skills, building strategic relationships across departments, and raising your professional profile.
News: Govt plans to axe employer safety checks garner mixed response
The UK government plans to exempt low-risk businesses from routine health and safety inspections under new proposals, drawing both support from employers and concerns from safety professionals about reducing expert guidance and oversight.
News: Top internship and work experience employers revealed
Financial services and professional services firms dominate the UK’s best employers for internships and work experience, with Barclays Investment Banking ranked first, followed by Grant Thornton and PwC. The rankings, compiled by RateMyPlacement.co.uk, show entertainment and fashion companies like Disney and ASOS entering the top 50 for the first time.
An HRD’s guide to tackling pension auto-enrolment
HR directors must prepare for pension auto-enrolment by understanding the staged implementation timeline, selecting appropriate pension schemes like QWPS or NEST, and establishing robust business processes rather than relying solely on software updates to manage the administrative changes.
Blog: Punk Rock HR – Appraisals (It ain’t what you do, it’s the way that you do it…)
Appraisals are widely disliked because they’re often poorly executed and unnecessarily linked to pay. This extract from “Punk Rock People Management” argues that effective appraisals depend less on what you measure and more on how you communicate feedback—through continuous praise, direct conversations, and future-focused discussions rather than bureaucratic rituals.
Blog: Is HR doing a good job of delivering learning to workers?
Global research reveals HR leaders struggle to deliver learning at the speed of change required by modern organizations. Most HR practitioners don’t feel they’re working to their full potential, with large enterprises particularly challenged to provide training fast enough to keep pace with market demands.
