News: HRDs excluded from public company boardrooms due to “prejudice”
HR directors hold less than 1% of board positions at UK’s top public companies, with only five of 595 FTSE 50 board directors coming from HR backgrounds. Experts attribute the underrepresentation to prejudice against the HR function, despite its critical role in organizational success.
Blog: The power of the personal relationship
Personal relationships built on genuine friendship, not transactional gain, create unexpected opportunities and long-term success. In business and networking, authentic connections formed through consistent engagement matter far more than accumulating contacts or reaching out only when you need something.
Blog: Six rules to govern company car etiquette
Establish six key etiquette rules for company car users to protect your business reputation and assets. From defensive driving and vehicle maintenance to cleanliness standards and proper documentation, these guidelines ensure employees represent your company professionally while operating vehicles.
TV Review: The Apprentice Week 8 – Confidence and enthusiasm go a long way
In week 8 of The Apprentice, teams compete to source urban artists and sell their work in London galleries. Team leaders Gabrielle and Tom pursue different strategies, with Gabrielle’s collaborative approach and engagement tactics proving more effective than Tom’s overconfidence in securing high-value sales.
Legal Insight: Positive discrimination – A trap for the well intentioned?
Section 159 of the Equality Act 2010 permits positive action in hiring and promotion to address underrepresentation of protected groups, but employers face significant legal hurdles. The rules require candidates to be “as qualified,” yet lack clear definition of what constitutes a genuine tiebreak, creating substantial discrimination claim risks for well-intentioned employers.
News: Expert verdicts on the Queen’s Speech Bill by Bill
The Queen’s Speech introduced key HR Bills including the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which reforms employment tribunals and introduces binding shareholder votes on director pay, and the Pensions Bill, which raises the state pension age to 66 by 2020 and simplifies pension benefits.
News: Up to 33,000 City jobs axed already this year
The City of London has lost up to 33,000 jobs this year, with employment falling to 255,000—the lowest level since 1996. Economic experts predict UK unemployment will continue rising until 2016, particularly in northern regions facing public sector job cuts.
Blog: CEO confessions – What it takes to create a successful company culture
Learn from CEOs how to build a successful company culture through executive involvement, living core values daily, and integrating culture into recruiting and onboarding processes.
Blog: M&A success – It’s a people thing
Mergers and acquisitions fail 83% of the time, primarily due to people and cultural differences rather than financial issues. Successful M&A requires dedicated leadership focused on culture and change management alongside financial expertise, following the formula: People + Culture + Numbers = Success.
Talent Spot: Kevin Fisher, HR director at Blemain Group
Kevin Fisher was hired as an interim HR director at specialist lender Blemain Group but impressed the company enough to land the permanent role. His career path shifted unexpectedly from sales to learning and development, eventually leading to HR leadership across multiple sectors.
How to beat a counter job offer
When employees receive counter offers from their current employers, research shows most leave within months anyway. Counter offers typically address only salary concerns rather than the underlying reasons employees want to leave, making them ineffective long-term solutions for retaining talent.
Book Review: Leadership team coaching – Developing collective transformational leaders by Peter Hawkins
This comprehensive guide by Peter Hawkins equips HR directors, L&D professionals, and line managers with tools and frameworks for implementing team coaching to develop collective leadership and enhance organizational performance. Drawing on real consulting experience, the book covers high-performing teams, team coaching processes, and coach development across four practical sections.
In a Nutshell: Five steps for managing workplace conflict
Workplace conflict reduces productivity and employee engagement. Learn five practical steps to manage it effectively: understand why it matters, recognize warning signs, speak with parties separately, separate people from problems, and prevent conflicts through open communication and staff training.
News: Informal training as effective as traditional methods – study
A study by XpertHR finds that informal training methods like mentoring and work-shadowing are as effective as traditional approaches, with 31% of employers reporting improved L&D effectiveness after cutting costs and 47% seeing no decline in results.
News: HMRC worker sacked after being found guilty of sharing tax credit details
An HMRC administrative officer has been sacked and faces potential imprisonment after pleading guilty to illegally sharing confidential tax credit information with her landlord. Natalie Brennan, 41, disclosed details about a tax credits claim to help her landlord challenge the claimants’ benefits eligibility.
The HRZone Interview: CIPD’s Stephanie Bird on the evolution of HR
CIPD’s Stephanie Bird discusses how HR directors increasingly bring diverse career backgrounds to the function, acting as boundary-less leaders who apply insights from other disciplines. This cross-functional approach is driving HR’s evolution toward a more business-focused, globally-oriented profession that requires directors to demonstrate business acumen and strategic thinking.
Blog: HR – Where has all the passion gone?
The HR profession appears to have lost much of its passion for people in favor of processes, procedures, and metrics. While passionate HR professionals exist, they represent a small minority, suggesting the industry has prioritized commercial credentials over genuine human connection and relationships.
Blog: Abandon principles – Your friend is after a job
A Telegraph article reveals how a former Transport for London communications director secured his position through personal connections rather than merit, bypassing formal application processes entirely. The case raises serious questions about HR’s role in hiring practices and whether nepotism undermines fair recruitment standards.
The senior HR interim recruitment market: An insight
The senior HR interim recruitment market remains highly competitive, with more candidates than opportunities globally. Organizations prioritize cost control through fixed-term contracts while seeking specialized talent in recruitment, change management, and HR systems project roles, though AVP/VP-level interims remain difficult to source.
Three ways for HR leaders to thrive in today’s changing business landscape
HR leaders can thrive in today’s complex business environment by developing strategic thinking, adopting new collaborative approaches, and building resilience. As organizations face increasingly “wicked problems” that traditional solutions can’t solve, HR professionals must broaden their horizons, think systemically, and leverage their unique position to drive organizational change.
