CIPD Conference Blog: Eight steps to enhance resilience at work
Recent reports that Lloyds Banking Group’s Chief Executive has been signed off with stress and ‘extreme fatigue’ re-enforce the need for a resilient workforce to face the challenges in the changing economic climate. At the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition this week resilience was a hot topic and two of our experts, Dan Hughes and […]
CIPD Conference Blog: O2 on linking engagement and customer service
I’ve been guest blogging at the CIPD conference this week, here’s a write up of a great story about connecting the employee and customer experience. Hope you like it. When Nicky Brimmer of O2 first took to the stage to talk about ‘Turning customers into fans: linking employee engagement to customer service’, Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s […]
CIPD Conference Blog: Sir Terry Leahy on how Tesco pulled ahead of the pack
The other morning at the CIPD 2011 conference I listened to the speech given by Sir Terry Leahy, former CEO of Tesco. Tesco’s dominance concerns me, and when he showed us the 2010 market capitalisation comparison between Tesco (about 6 times bigger than both), Sainsbury’s and M&S I winced a little. Terry spoke sincerely and […]
The future of work: what the world will look like in 2025
Even with three decades of research into work under my belt, I still find the future of work incredibly difficult to predict. That’s why I created a research consortium designed to tap into ideas and knowledge from across the world. Each year, my research team and I begin by identifying the five forces that will […]
CIPD Conference: People management key to Tesco’s success, says Leahy
Tesco’s success has been based on good people management and the simple act of giving workers what they want, believes Sir Terry Leahy, former chief executive of the supermarket chain. In his keynote speech at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in Manchester this week, he said that employees fundamentally desired four key things: […]
Shortage of truck driver trainers could lead to UK transport crisis
If UK employers do not insist that their truck drivers undertake Driver Certificate of Professional Competence Training in the near future, the country will face a potential freight and transportation crisis when new European Union legislation comes into force. According to provider 24-7 Training, a shortage of trainers exists already, which means that, unless they start […]
Case Study: Lancaster Landmark Hotels focuses on attitude to boost retention
The Lancaster Landmark Hotel Group has boosted both staff retention and customer service levels by focusing on recruiting and developing personnel who it believes have the right attitude and behaviour. The organisation operates three high-end London hotels, each of which is managed independently and caters to different types of customers, which made it difficult to […]
Talent Spot: David Smith, HR director at LV=
When David Smith, HR and communications director at LV=, first joined the UK’s largest friendly society he was faced with the ultimate challenge: a blank sheet of paper. At that point, in 2008, the company had outsourced its entire HR function. Smith’s first job was to bring HR back in-house. It was a time of […]
Blog: Five measures for creating an environmental impact
According to a report from Lancaster University’s management school, today the HR director forms part of the “golden triangle” in the boardroom, along with the CEO and the finance director. For the finance department, every move made will reflect the present state of the company, from releasing funds to hire more staff when business is […]
CIPD Conference: “HR must become business leaders and strategists”
If HR professionals are to take up their rightful mantle as agents of change, they must become “first and foremost business leaders and strategists driving performance and change through people”. Gill Rider, president of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, warned in her keynote speech to open the organisation’s annual conference in Manchester today […]
Melody Hossaini’s verdict on the Young Apprentice: Episode three
Melody Hossaini, a candidate in the last series of BBC TV’s The Apprentice, social entrepreneur and founder of InspirEngage International, blogs about the third episode in the new season of Young Apprentice: Week three task: £800 to start up their own floristry businesses. Each must pitch to three corporate clients set up by Lord Sugar, […]
Half of public sector workers fail to recommend it as career choice
Nearly half of all public sector workers would not recommend working in the area to either those just embarking on their career or people fancying a career change. According to a study of more than 1,000 staff by recruiter Badenoch & Clark, disillusionment was particularly high among central and local government staff, with 63.3% and […]
E-learning charity goes into administration due to government cuts
The 25-year-old Learning and Skills Network has been pushed into administration due to cuts in government expenditure. The charity, which provided private sector companies and educationalists with research, training and consultancy services around e-learning, saw its income drop from £27.5 million for the financial year that ended in March 2010 to around £13 million in […]
Blog: Three lessons for measuring HR success
Recognise This! – What you measure and how you report the results is critical to proving the HR value proposition. In a recent article in TLNT, Lance Haun did an exceptional job highlighting recent research showing HR reports the most important measures for gauging HR’s value to the organisation are retention and employee satisfaction. […]
Seven secrets to staff engagement
The fundamental role of HR is to motivate the right people to do the right things at the right time. This situation puts the spotlight on how to boost employee engagement and ensure that workers are committed to the organisation. If you want staff to perform effectively, what are you going to give them in […]
Mediation: Part Four – How to deal with the outcome
When destructive workplace conflict rears its ugly head, it will typically be an HR professional who suggests mediation as an option to try and resolve the situation By the time the case gets to mediation, this ‘referrer’ will probably have invested significant time and emotion in it and will most likely have expectations about the […]
Legal Insight: Dealing with the aftermath of whistle-blowing
The Court of Appeal has issued an important judgment on the subject of vicarious liability in whistle-blowing cases that result in accusations of victimisation. The ruling, which was handed down on Tuesday 25 October in the case of NHS Manchester v Fecitt and others [2011] EWCA Civ 1190, has led to calls for the Public […]
Blog: Why bother with managing staff careers?
In today’s tough economic circumstances, organisations are seeking competitive advantage through the best use of their people more than ever before. In a time when the job market is uncertain many companies and business leaders may feel that career management is not a priority, seeing it as something that is personal to employees. But […]
Creating a supportive culture in stressful times
Stress is now the most common cause of long-term sick leave in the UK, which means that organisations can no longer afford to ignore the issue. But line managers need clear guidance from the HR department on how to identify early signs of stress within their teams and manage the situation so that it works […]
Ask the Expert: Do staff accrue holiday while on unpaid leave?
The question We have a part-time employee who has asked to take two periods of unpaid leave during the next calendar year so that she can go travelling. We are happy to grant her these periods of unpaid leave, but the question is, will she continue to accrue holiday leave entitlement during this period […]