The art of influencing and making your ideas stick
1. Steve Martin on influence & communication Steve Martin is fascinated by the science of decision making and the power of influence. He explains: “I’m not interested in what people tell me they want to do; I’m interested in how they act.” He also states that information alone as an attempt to influence clients, […]
News: NHS “pay cartel” proposes staff pay cuts and longer hours
Thousands of NHS staff in the South West of England could face the sack unless they agree to take pay cuts and work longer hours under a new money-saving scheme. A document leaked to the Sunday Times showed that NHS managers from 19 Trusts in the region have joined forces to form what is being […]
News: Pressure mounts on Adidas over alleged worker exploitation
Pressure is mounting on Adidas after stores across the country were targeted on Saturday by protesters angry about claims over how little the Olympic sponsor pays its workers in the developing world. The move came as the London Organising Committee for the Games also launched an investigation into practices at the sportwear brand’s Shen Zhou […]
News: Start-up scheme targeted at redundant public sector workers
Public sector employees facing redundancy are being encouraged to start their own business with the help of a new government-backed initiative. The Ready for Business scheme, funded with £15 million from the Regional Growth Fund and £1 million from Barclays, is targeting areas "disproportionately affected by the downturn in the economy". It is offering […]
Ask the Expert: Can a pregnant worker sue for unfair dismissal after 4 month’s employment?
The question An employee has been sacked who is four-and-a-half months pregnant. She had no formal warnings and there were no sanctions on her record. She was also out of her probationary period, which ended three-and-a-half weeks earlier. Her manager was informed of her pregnancy only five days before she was dismissed. No legitimate […]
Blog: Why ‘The town that never retired’ should be compulsory viewing for HR pros
Viewing BBC1’s two-part programme, ‘The town that never retired’, should be made compulsory for all employers and HR professionals. Shown last week as part of the BBC’s current series on ageing, 'When I’m 65', it brought into the spotlight many of the issues and stereotypes surrounding older and younger people in today’s workforce. Episode […]
Blog: Crappy performance management rule 4 – Job descriptions should be old and vague
If you really want to make a disconnect between performance management and your staff here are three must haves for your teams Job Descriptions: 1. The old ones are the good ones: Why go to the bother of updating perfectly good JD’s? If you’ve an old one that’s been faithful in the past, then save yourself […]
Blog: Punk rock HR – Top 10 HR tips from music
Whilst we were preparing for a leadership event the other week, the media asked me to offer them some punchy (and short of course) punk rock tips for business. Here’s the ones that got through the press filter on the BBC One News piece with Dolly Parton introducing: BBC NEWS. And here’s 10 […]
Legal Insight: How to accommodate Ramadan
Over recent years, workforces have become increasingly diverse. This means that employers now need to take account of a wider range of cultural and religious sensitivities, not least for staff motivation purposes. One important such consideration among Muslim workers is Ramadan, which starts this year on Friday 20 July. Ramadan takes place during the […]
How to cope with Friday the 13th (and other superstitions)
Fear of the number 13 is so common that there’s actually a word for it: Triskaidekaphobia. Many employers are affected by peoples’ fear of this number and have had to change their practices to accommodate it. For example, buildings often avoid naming a 13th floor, while airlines report that every time a Friday 13th […]
News: New tribunal fees spark outrage across political spectrum
A decision to make claimants pay up to £1,200 to take an employment tribunal claim all the way to a full hearing from next year has sparked outrage across the political spectrum. While unions branded the decision a “disgrace”, employers’ groups attested that the move would have little impact on plans to make workers think […]
News: Whitehall cleaners demand living wage from ministers
Government ministers and the most senior judge in England and Wales were presented with letters from their cleaners yesterday asking to be paid a London Living Wage. The initiative, which is the latest in a series to be organised by campaign group, London Citizens, saw more than 150 cleaners across Whitehall sign and personally deliver […]
Three tips to ensure your social recruitment strategy is effective
Social media has been a game-changer for many hiring companies. Recruitment agents increasingly appear to have lost control of their little black books as professionals after new jobs and companies looking for fresh candidate pools start to make the most of online channels such as LinkedIn, Viadeo, Xing and Twitter. This week, news also […]
Blog: How to offer a benefits package that staff actually want
If your company has an employee benefits package, is it offering your employees what they really want? For employers finding the right employee benefits scheme that helps to motivate and retain staff and that employees actually want can be quite a difficult task, particularly when there are discrepancies between what employers care about and what […]
TV Review: Show Me Your Money
Discussing money with friends, or wages with colleagues, has long been a taboo subject in this country. But in Channel 4’s eye-opening documentary entitled ‘Show Me Your Money’, viewers were introduced to Charlie Mullins, business mogal, founder and owner of Pimlico Plumbers, who has his own ideas on the matter. The story is based […]
Blog: Exclusive HRzone survey – What’s your leadership style?
Successful, high performing organisations don’t just happen. They are created and sustained by leaders and managers who build cultures that enable the talent, energy and skills of their workforce to thrive. From my experience working with some of the best global leaders, I know there are five clear roles that managers and leaders need […]
News: Equal pay TV experiment branded “risky” by legal expert
A Channel 4 television programme that challenged the employees of a plumbing company to share how much they earn with each other has been slammed by a legal expert. During the show entitled ‘Show Me Your Money’ which was screened on Wednesday, staff at Pimlico Plumbers swapped salary information in an attempt to create a […]
News: G4S to face penalties over Olympic staffing failures
G4S is expected to face financial penalties for failing to recruit, train and deploy enough security guards in time for the start of the Olympics in a fortnight’s time. As a result of the situation, the coalition government confirmed today that it would have to draft in an additional 3,500 soldiers, many of whom have […]
News: PM pledges legal changes to allow crosses at work
Even if two British Christians lose a landmark European Court case to allow them to wear symbols of their faith at work, David Cameron plans to change UK legislation to let them do so. His stance came to light yesterday during exchanges at Prime Minister’s Question Time, when he was asked about the case of […]
Blog: Sacked for acting on instinct: Lessons from a lifeguard
His answer was simple: Thanks, but no thanks. “They are trying to fix the wrong that they did. On a personal level, I just don’t want to work for that company anymore,” said Tomas Lopez, 21, of Davie, Florida. “It’s not out of spite against the company. I really just want to move on and get another […]