Blog: Do you recognise your “plumbers” as well as your “poets”?
Organizations need both visionary leaders and competent employees who handle daily operations. While top performers deserve recognition, neglecting the middle 80% who execute essential work undermines organizational success and employee engagement.
Talking Point: Why are there still so few women in the workplace?
Despite women’s improved education levels, workplace gender gaps persist across Europe due to childcare responsibilities. Only 58.2% of women are employed compared to 70.1% of men in the EU, with significant variation by region. Nordic countries demonstrate that flexible working policies enable higher female workforce participation.
Blog: Crappy performance management rule 2 – Never attempt to motivate staff
Failing to motivate staff is a critical mistake in poor performance management. This article explores how avoiding motivation attempts—combined with excessive control, isolation, and lack of recognition—undermines employee engagement and retention. Employees need to feel valued and appreciated to remain committed to their work.
A day in the life of…an HR professional
UK HR professionals work longer hours than two decades ago, arriving at 8:07am and leaving at 5:05pm. They spend most of their day at desks handling 45 calls and 62 emails, taking shortened lunch breaks of under 30 minutes, yet report higher job satisfaction than the average worker at 59%.
Legal Insight: How will changes to apprenticeship laws affect you?
New apprenticeship laws effective April 6, 2012 give employers greater flexibility in managing apprentices by allowing apprenticeship agreements to be treated as standard employment contracts. Employers must understand the distinction between traditional apprenticeships and the new regulatory framework to avoid costly compensation claims.
Charities increasingly look to private sector for HR skills
Charities are increasingly hiring HR professionals from the private sector to manage organizational change, with 28% actively seeking commercial candidates. Traditional funding constraints and rising professionalism standards are driving this shift, as charities value private sector experience in change management and fresh approaches.
Jealous HR staff ‘bin CVs with pics of pretty rivals’
Research reveals that women face hiring discrimination when attaching photos to CVs. A study of 2,656 job applications found that attractive women who included pictures were called back 30% less frequently than those without photos, while only 12% of applications with women’s photos received positive responses from recruiters.
Legal Insight: The verdict on April’s employment law changes
UK employment law changes effective April 2012 include extending the unfair dismissal qualifying period from one to two years for new employees and reforming tribunal procedures. These changes aim to reduce claims and accelerate dispute resolution, though employers should note that discrimination and whistleblowing protections remain available regardless of service length.
Blog: How well would you do if ranked by former employees?
A Glassdoor survey showed Tim Cook has a 97% CEO approval rating, but the real question is how leaders would be rated by their own former employees. The gap between how managers view themselves and how their staff actually perceives them can be as wide as the Grand Canyon.
Ask the Expert: Who is responsible for providing personal protective equipment on site?
Employers are responsible for providing and maintaining personal protective equipment to agency workers unless they are genuinely self-employed. Under health and safety law, PPE must be supplied, replaced, and maintained in good working order for all workers exposed to risks at work.
Blog: Workforce career development – Are we getting it right?
Most workers lack formal development plans and regular manager feedback, raising questions about whether organizations are truly delivering on career development promises. New research aims to understand how companies and employees perceive career growth opportunities.
TV Review: The Apprentice Week 3 – Stick to your guns
In week 3 of The Apprentice, candidates faced a condiment manufacturing challenge. Team Phoenix’s spelling error and production issues cost them dearly, while team Sterling’s chutney proved more profitable despite early setbacks. Michael was fired after failing to sell sufficient stock.
Case Study: JT bases leadership development scheme on ideal boss profile
JT has launched a leadership development program based on an aspirational senior manager profile to drive organizational change. The scheme uses five core competencies defined by senior leaders themselves, assessment metrics, and personalized development plans to foster measurable improvement beyond traditional training approaches.
Performance psychology: Developing the power of the mind
Performance psychology combines business, sports, and positive psychology to help individuals and teams reach peak performance through daily mental skills training. Organizations use evidence-based techniques like the Mindset 12 framework to boost employee engagement, efficiency, and resilience while reducing turnover costs.
Experts welcome two-year freeze on skilled migrant cap
The UK government will freeze the skilled migrant cap at 20,700 annually until April 2014, maintaining current limits rather than reducing them. Experts welcomed the decision as providing employers with greater certainty and access to specialist talent needed for business recovery, though skill requirements have been tightened.
How to spot a maverick (and channel their talents)
Mavericks are creative, independent thinkers who display distinctive traits including extroversion, risk-taking, and low agreeableness—making them innovative but challenging employees. Research from LSE and UNSW suggests employers can benefit by channeling their unconventional talents while setting appropriate boundaries.
Most employers believe fit notes don’t work, studies reveal
Two studies reveal that most employers doubt fit notes effectively reduce sickness absence. While the CIPP poll found nine in ten employers question their effectiveness, research suggests the problem may lie with GPs providing inadequate information rather than the notes themselves.
Blog: Growing your brain with the help of a ‘little online learning video’
The Little Online Learning Video (LOL_V) project is a library of short, engaging learning videos designed to help grow your brain. Based on neuroscience showing that mental exercise strengthens cognition like physical exercise, the platform invites trainers and learners to contribute and share innovative, helpful, or entertaining learning moments.
Blog: What will increasing the unfair dismissal qualifying period mean in reality?
From April 6, 2012, new employees must work two years before claiming unfair dismissal, up from one year. Existing employees retain the one-year qualifying period. Employers should use probationary periods effectively and maintain fair procedures to manage performance issues, as discrimination claims have no qualifying period.
Talent Spot: Community blogger, Doug Shaw
Doug Shaw, a workplace consultant and blogger, believes organizations can improve engagement and productivity by fostering better communication between leaders and employees. His consultancy, “What Goes Around,” is built on the principle that treating staff well creates positive ripple effects throughout the workplace.
