Infographic: Some Olympic facts
This infographic presents interesting facts about the Olympic Games, including historical data and notable statistics. Click the image to view the full-size version for complete details about Olympic history and achievements.
Blog: Attracting and retaining talent across borders
Global organizations face growing complexity in recruiting and retaining skilled employees across borders. Employers seek candidates with understanding of global markets, local economies, language skills, and cultural adaptability. Ongoing support and robust HR management processes are essential for retaining international talent.
News: EU – Employers must assess staff well-being during redundancy
EU draft proposals would require employers to assess employees’ psychological well-being when considering redundancies and evaluate the impact on local communities. The directive, set for a European Parliament vote in November, aims to ensure companies monitor staff mental health during restructuring and implement regular evaluation tools in cooperation with employee representatives.
News: Google’s 10-year “death benefits” have legal implications, warns lawyer
Google’s 10-year death benefits program—paying surviving spouses 50% annual salary and providing stock vesting and child support—raises legal concerns for employers considering similar policies. Legal experts warn companies must ensure equal treatment across all employee groups to avoid discrimination claims and should formalize such benefits as contractual obligations.
Blog: What are your staff non-verbals really saying to customers?
Employee body language and behaviors significantly influence customer perception of a company’s values. Common non-verbal cues—from reluctance to help with large orders to prioritizing tasks over customers—send unintended negative messages that undermine customer service efforts and loyalty.
Blog: Recommended reading on HR, culture, recognition and engagement
Explore curated book recommendations across HR, management, company culture, recognition, and employee engagement. This collection includes essential reads like “First, Break All the Rules” and “Drive” to enhance leadership skills and organizational performance.
The HR Headmistress: Is it time to change the way we train HR pros?
The author questions whether university degrees adequately prepare HR professionals for entry-level roles, citing graduates’ lack of basic practical knowledge and understanding of operational priorities. Russell HR Consulting is addressing this gap through work-based training and mentoring programs focused on real-world skills development.
Do you get commercial?
HR professionals must demonstrate commercial acumen by focusing on measurable business outcomes rather than best practices alone. Being commercial means understanding business strategy and delivering targeted interventions that directly impact company performance and productivity.
News: Social media undervalued as employee comms tool
Most employers underutilize social media for internal communications despite strong employee interest. A survey found only 17.4% of workers were aware of employer attempts to use social networking tools internally, while 42.3% would welcome direct communication with managers via Facebook.
News: Employers face “make-or-break” in next 12 months
Employers face a critical decision point in the next 12 months: if the economy doesn’t improve, 62% of businesses plan to cut skilled staff, potentially reversing recent unemployment gains. This could have generational consequences for Britain’s economic competitiveness.
Blog: Are your staff proud of where they work?
Only 40 percent of UK employees feel proud to work for their employer, according to new research. The drop in job satisfaction is particularly affecting women and younger workers, with engagement declining due to economic pressures and lack of managerial support.
Ask the Expert: What happens about holiday for staff on temporarily reduced working hours?
When employees temporarily reduce their working hours, holiday entitlement depends on what was negotiated. Unless the contract was formally varied to reflect the temporary reduction, employees typically retain their original holiday entitlement as stated in their initial contract, including bank holiday pay.
Blog: Should we name and shame bad managers?
Bad managers significantly damage employee engagement, with research showing single-digit engagement levels under poor leadership. Should organizations publicly name and shame underperforming managers, or does this create unfair career-long consequences? This article explores the debate around accountability versus redemption.
Cornerstone’s CEO: Taking on SAP and Oracle in the HCM apps space
Cornerstone OnDemand’s CEO discusses how workforce dynamics—including baby boomer retirements and millennial career expectations—are driving demand for talent management solutions. The company is competing with SAP and Oracle by expanding its cloud-based learning, performance, and recruiting platforms across enterprise and mid-market customers.
News: HMRC to recruit 1000 call centre agents amid low staff morale
HMRC is recruiting 1,000 call centre agents and investing up to £25 million to answer 90% of calls, following a report revealing critically low staff morale with only 18% recommending it as a great workplace.
News: Aegis Media turns HQ entry gates into staff feedback system
Aegis Media converted its London headquarters security gates into a real-time employee feedback system called Swipe Survey, allowing staff to vote on questions by using different turnstiles. The technology, developed by its advertising agency glue Isobar, will be used to gather employee opinions and conduct client research beyond the initial Olympic-themed rollout.
In a Nutshell: Five ways to make the most of your older workers
Employers can maximize the potential of older workers by treating them as individuals, building trust, keeping their roles engaging, and leveraging their experience. Five practical strategies help address ageism while ensuring both productivity and job satisfaction across all ages.
Blog: Punk rock HR – Reasons to be cheerful, part 3: Good job design
Good job design is key to workplace happiness. Applying Hackman and Oldham’s principles—skill variety, task identity, significance, autonomy, and feedback—creates more motivated employees than typical HR initiatives. Companies like Pret A Manger succeed by designing work that lets people use diverse skills, see whole tasks, and understand their impact.
Legal Insight: Privacy matters in the Underhill employment tribunal review
The Underhill employment tribunal review proposes significant changes to privacy protections, requiring tribunals to balance Article 8 rights to private life against Article 10 freedom of expression. These changes could substantially increase privacy orders, affecting how HR directors handle sensitive tribunal cases and confidential information disclosure.
News: UK workers put in £157.2bn of unpaid overtime each year
UK workers are putting in £157.2 billion annually in unpaid overtime, with two-thirds experiencing elevated stress levels. A survey reveals employees work an average of 9.1 extra hours weekly without pay, equivalent to £5,276 per person yearly, prompting concerns about burnout and workaholism.
