Talent Spot: Community blogger, Tara Daynes
Tara Daynes is a freelance HR professional, employment law consultant, and corporate trainer who draws on her early stage school experience to confidently present to large audiences. A regular HRzone blogger, she built her HR expertise across major companies before establishing her own consulting practice.
News: Temp hiring on the up as employers continue to shed permanent jobs
Temporary hiring surged 33% in early 2012 as UK employers shed permanent positions across financial services, commerce, and the public sector. The North West led growth at 61%, while HR and IT professionals faced particularly strong demand despite the double-dip recession.
News: UK’s long-term unemployment levels could ‘trigger social unrest’
A UN study warns that the UK’s long-term unemployment at a 16-year high could trigger widespread social unrest as jobless individuals become increasingly alienated. The research found that prolonged joblessness leads to demoralisation and anger toward authority, with five developed nations—including the UK, US, Spain, Ireland, and Denmark—identified as at-risk.
Blog: Four tips for handling a difficult boss
Poor management is a leading cause of job dissatisfaction. Learn four practical strategies for handling a difficult boss, including depersonalizing their behavior, communicating feedback tactfully, requesting specific criticism, and reinforcing positive actions.
Blog: Cultivating your personal brand
Develop a strong personal brand through intentional style choices that reflect your values and professional goals. Your appearance influences how colleagues perceive you, so align your workplace wardrobe with the impression you want to create about yourself.
Analysis: Oracle’s future product roadmap for Taleo
Oracle’s acquisition of Taleo will enhance recruitment and talent management through improved integrations with core HR systems, mobile-friendly career websites, and predictive analytics to optimize sourcing costs. The company plans to invest in learning and development tools integrated with performance management to support employee development and internal talent nurturing.
Social Media Guide Part 1: How to get started with Twitter
Learn how Twitter works as a communication tool and get started with your first account. This guide covers the basics of tweets, followers, and streams, plus tips for setting clear objectives and creating accounts for your business.
Breaking down HR silos to boost efficiency
HR departments operating as isolated silos reduce organizational efficiency and productivity. Breaking down these barriers through shared enterprise systems and automated processes enables better communication, eliminates duplicated effort, and helps HR function as a strategic partner across the business.
News: 75p/hr P&O staff to lose tips unless they hit performance targets
P&O Cruises staff earning 75p per hour will lose performance bonuses if they fail to meet customer feedback targets of up to 96%, as the cruise line shifts from cash tips to automatic electronic gratuities tied to employee ratings.
News: KPMG HR blunder #3: Failing to pay staff salaries
KPMG apologized to 11,000 UK staff after failing to pay salaries on the expected date in April due to human error. This payroll mishap marks the third HR blunder for the Big Four firm in recent months, following bonus cuts for trainees and a leaked redundancy announcement.
Blog: How to hold on to good employees – Part 2
Discover key employee retention strategies including creating an open, values-driven workplace culture and developing effective manager-employee relationships. Learn how to make your company a place where talented people want to stay.
Blog: Will pensions auto-enrolment hit the spot?
Pension auto-enrolment, rolling out from October 2012 through 2017, will require UK employers to automatically enrol eligible employees in workplace pension schemes. However, research suggests up to a third of workers may opt out, despite the scheme’s aim to address inadequate retirement savings among millions of British workers.
The value of flexible benefits
Flexible benefits packages are increasingly popular due to changing employee needs and economic pressures. They help boost engagement and morale while accommodating diverse generational and lifestyle requirements, though careful implementation and measurement of ROI are essential for success.
Ask the Expert: Can a sacked employee with less than a year’s service claim discrimination?
Employees with less than one year’s service generally cannot claim unfair dismissal, but they may have discrimination claims if treated less favorably than colleagues with protected characteristics. Dismissal for prohibited reasons like whistleblowing can qualify as automatically unfair regardless of service length.
News: Male air steward loses BA lawsuit over colleague calling him ‘darling’
A British Airways male air steward’s employment tribunal claim alleging religious discrimination over a colleague calling him “darling” has been dismissed. Judge Jessica Hill ruled the complaint had no legal basis and found the airline’s use of the term was standard practice among cabin crew. The tribunal also rejected his allegations of harassment related to Bible reading at work.
News: Social networking site unveiled to connect volunteers with charities
Ivo, a social networking platform launched following an 18-month pilot project, connects volunteers with charities, each other, and local community initiatives. The site aims to facilitate social action without the commercial focus of mainstream social networks, and is offering £1,000 in grants to fund community-change events.
News: Kate Bleasdale v Healthcare Locums case turns dirty
Former Healthcare Locums CEO Kate Bleasdale is suing the company’s chairman and board members for sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal, alleging inappropriate conduct and accounting irregularities. The disputed claims emerged during her £12 million legal action at the London employment tribunal.
Film Review: Headhunters
Headhunters is a fast-moving Norwegian thriller about a corporate headhunter who leads a secret double life stealing valuable artworks from wealthy clients. When a mysterious job candidate enters the picture, Roger’s carefully constructed world begins to unravel in this entertaining adaptation of Jo Nesbo’s crime novel.
Analysis: Oracle – Why we bought Taleo
Oracle acquired talent management and recruitment firm Taleo to strengthen its human capital management capabilities amid intensifying competition from Workday and SAP’s SuccessFactors. The company aims to help organizations make data-driven HR decisions and automate strategic talent management, which executives argue is critical to business profitability and employee retention.
Blog: How to make your verbal communications sticky
Make your verbal communications sticky through consistent practice rather than one-off training courses. In-house speakers’ clubs provide a supportive environment for professionals to develop communication skills at their own pace, with objective feedback and structured guidance leading to measurable improvement.
