Do you do a Basil Fawlty when talking to foreign partners?
UK employers underestimate the importance of language and business communication skills, risking competitive disadvantage in global markets. Research reveals that while most believe non-native English speakers communicate adequately, few provide necessary training or help native speakers adapt their communication for international partners.
News: Holt Review calls for overhaul of SME apprenticeship system
The Holt Review reveals fewer than 10% of UK SMEs take on apprentices due to misunderstanding and inaccessibility of existing programmes. The report calls for a complete system overhaul, including greater SME involvement in designing apprenticeship content and direct control over funding to ensure training meets employer needs.
News: UK staff spend 24 mins bonding daily over a cup of tea
UK workers spend an average of 24 minutes daily bonding over tea, consuming about 46 million mugs per day according to a Travelodge survey of 5,000 employees. The research reveals tea breaks remain popular at 10am and 3pm, with most preferring builder’s brew, though office politics around tea duties can create tension among colleagues.
Blog: Never underestimate the value of the great British tea break
Tea and coffee breaks cost employers around £276 per employee annually, but research shows they provide significant returns through employee networking and work-related conversations. Psychologists found 72% of break-takers engaged in colleague discussions, with 69% involving work topics that boost productivity and problem-solving.
Blog: How to build rapport during a job interview
Building rapport with your interviewer is crucial to interview success, as many hiring decisions are made within the first few minutes. By preparing thoroughly, listening actively, and viewing the interview as a two-way conversation rather than an interrogation, you can establish genuine connection and demonstrate you’re a credible fit for the role.
Infographic: How much time do you waste at work?
Discover how much time employees waste during the workday through this infographic breaking down common workplace distractions. Learn where productivity loss occurs and how it impacts overall business efficiency.
Talent Spot: Carole Jones, acting group HR director at Aviva
Carole Jones, acting group HR director at Aviva, has progressed through various roles since joining Commercial Union 22 years ago to cover a maternity leave position. After careers in accounting, IT recruitment, and entrepreneurship, she learned critical management lessons that shaped her approach to leading HR in a large organization.
News: Marketing agency installs employee ‘mood monitor’
A marketing agency ranked among the UK’s best small companies to work for has installed an iPad-based ‘mood monitor’ to track employee satisfaction. The touch screen device allows staff to anonymously log their daily moods using facial icons, providing management with informal insights into workplace morale alongside formal appraisals.
News: Employers risk prosecution over lack of disabled evacuation plans
About a third of UK employers are breaking fire safety law by failing to create evacuation plans for disabled workers, risking prosecution. A survey reveals many lack proper equipment and staff training for safely evacuating mobility-impaired employees during emergencies.
Blog: Back to basics – Getting to the essence of HR
Challenging traditional HR responsibilities, this article argues that administrative basics like payroll and hiring should shift to other departments, freeing HR to focus on core competencies like organizational effectiveness, governance, and leadership development.
Blog: What value do you bring to the table?
Discover how to demonstrate your professional value during job interviews and in your current role. Beyond credentials and resumes, learn why showcasing tangible examples of your work and articulating a clear value statement is essential for career advancement and securing opportunities.
Analysis: IBM buys Kenexa to create ‘Smarter Workforce’
IBM acquired Kenexa for $1.3 billion to expand its cloud-based human capital management offerings and compete with SAP, Salesforce, and Oracle. The acquisition adds social media and collaboration tools to IBM’s HR software portfolio, positioning it as a services-backed software play rather than traditional HR software alone.
Infographic: The impact of a misaligned HR and management team
When HR and management teams aren’t aligned, organizations face serious consequences including reduced productivity, poor employee retention, and inconsistent company culture. This infographic illustrates the key impacts of misalignment and why collaboration between these departments is essential for business success.
Diary of a misfit: Becoming a wildcard
Job hunting requires strategic positioning and authentic self-presentation. After a month of job searching and iterating his CV, the author shifted from being perceived as a misfit to a promising wildcard candidate by narrowing his focus to creative industries where his unconventional background becomes an asset.
Making a difference by mentoring
Andy Coxall shares his year-long mentoring experience with an eight-year-old boy facing behavioral and emotional challenges through Chance UK. He explains how early intervention and providing a positive male role model can create lasting impact on vulnerable children’s lives.
News: HR remains “messenger” rather than co-creator of corporate strategy
Research reveals that HR remains excluded from corporate strategy development, acting as a “messenger” rather than a strategic partner. This exclusion contributes to significant misalignment between employee and business objectives, with only one in ten workers’ goals fully aligned with company aims.
Blog: A final lesson from Olympians: Turning ideas into results
The true Olympic lesson isn’t any single idea, but the skill of turning ideas into results. By adopting this principle, businesses can develop better judgment about which ideas deliver tangible outcomes and sustain efforts to achieve their goals.
Blog: One suggestion for tackling the workplace gender imbalance
Women make up just six percent of UK engineers despite forming half the workforce. A Career Advancement and Progression Programme addresses gender imbalance by providing female employees with skills, confidence, and career progression support in engineering and manufacturing sectors.
Book Review: There is an I in team by Mark de Rond
Mark de Rond challenges conventional team management wisdom, arguing that inequality and internal competition can enhance performance. Drawing on rowing and sports research, he contends that high-performing teams benefit from individual distinction and managed conflict rather than excessive harmony and cohesion.
Legal Insight: How to employ migrant workers legally
UK employers must verify all employees have valid work rights or face fines up to £10,000 per illegal worker, or unlimited fines if knowingly employed. The UKBA is actively enforcing compliance through workplace raids, making proper documentation checks and record-keeping essential HR practices.
