Fancy a reward-ing career?
2011 was a difficult year for reward. Both permanent and interim reward recruitment began solidly. Then the Eurozone crisis arrived – and with it an adverse impact on confidence in all recruitment markets, particularly in the financial services sector in the UK and across Europe. Challenging times need to be put into context. […]
Talent Spot: Community blogger, Bob Bannister
Being stuck at airports for hours on end is one of the most energy-sapping and irritating things about traveling. Yet for Bob Bannister, managing director of training provider, iManage Performance, it proved to be fortuitous. He explains: “In the mid-90s, I was working for Philips and doing a lot of sourcing from Eastern Europe, which […]
News: Cautious hiring and low pay awards the “new normal”
A cautious approach to hiring and low pay awards are the “new normal”, with median wage rises across the economy expected to continue at around 2.8% over the coming quarter. According to a survey of 319 UK employers conducted by the CBI and recruitment consultancy, Harvey Nash, pay restraint appears to remain the norm, with […]
News: HR employers do little to keep staff despite skills shortage fears
While two out of five employers in the HR sector are worried about losing staff, around the same number are doing nothing to keep them, according to a study. Unsurprisingly then, Reed’s HR 2012 Salary and Market Insight report also revealed that nearly half of all junior HR managers were either actively searching or plan […]
Christina’s Counsel: How can I make my workplace more family-friendly?
The challenge If you are struggling to get the best people to come and work for you, have a high rate of unexplained absence or believe that your employees aren’t giving their best, not least due to stress because their work and domestic lives conflict, it may be worth reviewing how family-friendly your workplace culture […]
Blog: The employee impact of a recognition desert – survey
Recognise This! – The only qualifier for needing recognition in the workplace is being a member of the human race. Last week I had the pleasure of co-presenting with Thad Peterson the results of the Globoforce Spring 2012 Mood Tracker survey (which tracks the perceptions of full-time, currently employed U.S. workers). Now available on […]
Blog: Three ways to help new hires settle in
A new employee in the workplace is exciting for everybody. Besides the fact that there’s just something intangibly nice about having a fresh face around the office, a new employee also brings with him or her a kind of vitality to the work setting. They have a fresh perspective and a whole new set of […]
Five reasons why HR should adopt social media
Over recent years, social media has crept into the workings of many a business department, and HR is no exception. Some HR professionals have been using social media as part of their day-to-day activities for a while, but those that haven’t are likely to need to do so in the near future in order to […]
News: Lessons from IBM in going social
With the latest IDC figures predicting that the social enterprise market will reach $200 billion by 2013, it looks like social is set to become an increasingly important part of your business, according to IBM‘s vice president of social business evangelism and sales. Speaking at the Social Business Strategy Summit in London yesterday, Sandy Carter […]
News: Hospital staff stick two fingers up to Kit Kat reward
Managers at Torbay Hospital have been accused of “insensitivity” after giving employees a Kit Kat each for winning a prestigious award. South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, was recognised in the Health Service Journal awards for “best innovation, ideas and dedication”, while the hospital itself was named acute healthcare organisation of […]
Blog: When laying off staff, remember – people are watching
“In the end, I want to know that the next paycheck is coming. Everything else is secondary.” I thought of that statement from an employee who was afraid that they could be laid off. When I read about Hewlett-Packard’s impending layoff of 27,000 plus employees, I had a flash back. The subtitle of this announcement […]
TV Review: The Apprentice Week 11 – Think strategically
The penultimate episode. The somewhat fantastic five battled it out for a precious place in the final. This week the task was to create an affordable luxury product range. The team with the best idea and business plan would win. The teams were split – Adam, Jade and Nick on team Phoenix and Tom […]
Legal Insight: Expect the unexpected when hiring
Most HR departments already have efficient recruitment policies in place that outline the whole process, from the initial decision to hire through to making an appointment. If this sounds like you, you may be feeling quite smug that you’ve got the process more or less sorted out – and in part, you could be right. […]
Blog: Can you really learn to have confidence?
I lost count a long time ago of the number of people who ask me the question ‘surely you’re born with self confidence?’ They’re convinced that some people are just lucky because they’re ‘born’ with confidence. This just isn’t true. This is one of the best confidence tips you’ll hear. The first thing to accept […]
Blog: Steve Jobs and valuing the ‘B’ players
Recognise This! – There are always B players in any organisation who are just as important to your success as A players, if in a different way. During the last few months, one of the top books has been the Steve Jobs autobiography. It’s a fascinating read and doesn’t hold back on both the […]
The value of networking
Lynda Gratton, professor of management practice at the London Business School, believes that “building networks, especially those outside the organisation will be another key leadership skill”. We used to do our ‘schmoozing’ face-to-face but these days social networking sites are what we use to foster collaboration, within the company, and well beyond. A good networker […]
In a Nutshell: Five tips for doing an MBA while working full-time
Stephanie Murphy, currently an interim HR business partner at EDF Energy, has just graduated from the Open University with an MBA. She acknowledges that the things she learned while undertaking the course have proved invaluable in her work as an HR and business professional. But completing a qualification like this while in full-time employment […]
Book Review: Doing the right thing: The importance of wellbeing in the workplace
Although economists and psychologists have been fascinated by the relationship between productivity and wellbeing in the workplace for many years, the publication of this book by business consultant, Theo Theobald, and psychologist, Cary Cooper, is timely. As its authors explain, it coincides with wellbeing’s “flavour of the month” status, emerging as it currently is as […]
Talent Spot: Lisa Sarjeant, HR director at the CIPD
As HR director at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development – Europe’s largest chartered professional HR body – it’s no surprise that Lisa Sarjeant sits on the executive team and is instrumental in setting organisational strategy. While those HR professionals who are struggling to make their voices heard at the top table may envy […]
News: Former Olympus CEO settles unfair dismissal case out-of-court
Former Olympus chief executive Michael Woodford has reached an out-of-court settlement with his ex-employer for unfair dismissal. Woodford was sacked just two weeks after his appointment on blowing the cover on a $1.7bn accounting scandal at the Japanese company. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, but the Financial Times has reported […]