The next generation of talent management
As we come out of the recession, companies are cautiously planning their next moves with one key goal in mind: re-igniting growth. In previous eras, business leaders have focused on driving growth through innovation, R&D, and customer centricity. Talent management was rarely high on the agenda. However, this time around, businesses are recognising that a […]
Career management for retention and engagement
It might seem a bit out of place for an employer to get involved in career managing its employees – after all, isn’t a career a personal thing? However that’s no longer the case. Despite economic pessimism, there is still demand for talent and the skills gap means there will always be demand for those […]
Motivating employees – are shares an option for you?
Trying to be creative with benefits and renumeration? Jonathan Oxley has noticed a trend in requests for guidance on what share options work for employers and different companies. In this short video he explains that HR professionals don't need to know a huge amount about share schemes to be able to use them as a […]
Tackling inequality may require quotas
The European Commission has hinted that it may introduce quotas to boost the number of women at board level at the same time as a report indicated that the employment gap for ethnic minorities is only set to widen. The Commission has just unveiled a new five year strategy in a bid to tackle gender […]
DRA should be kept to protect SMEs
Not only will coalition government proposals to abolish the Default Retirement Age have a negative impact on small businesses’ employment practices, but pension auto-enrolment will also add significantly to their costs. A new paper by the Institute of Directors argues that the government should scrap plans to abolish the DRA and instead raise it progressively […]
Ask the expert: Sickness and holiday pay
The experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on working out holiday leave for a sick employee. The question: Sickness and holiday pay Situation: Employee off on sick leave for 7.5 months. Received Full pay for 6 months, half pay for the remaining 1.5 months. Company policy) Returned to work on a fit note […]
Milkround still valued by graduates
Graduate recruiters should not dismiss the value of the traditional ‘milk round’ as two thirds of final year students intend to use the experience to help make up their minds as to which employer to go for. According to a survey among 915 students that are about to graduate undertaken by recruitment outsourcers TMP Worldwide, […]
UK employees too embarrassed to work up a sweat
One in three UK employees avoid taking exercise during the working day because they are embarrassed about being hot and sweaty in front of colleagues. But 55% spend more than half of their day sitting or standing still and a huge four out of five fail to take the recommended amount of exercise each week. […]
Employers need to get real about what motivates employees
Employers’ failure to understand what motivates staff to stay with them means that almost a quarter of personnel would be willing to move elsewhere if a more interesting opportunity came up. While employers believe that the key factors behind employee retention relate to the company’s brand, culture and benefits package, in fact, workers are more […]
There is no graduate oversupply, claims Work Foundation
Contrary to popular belief, the UK does not have too many graduates to underpin future economic growth – just the wrong type, according to a report from the Work Foundation. While the recession has exacerbated the number of job losses among manual, administrative and unskilled workers, the country still required expertise in managerial, professional, associate […]
Study finds UK organisations need to modernise their approach to talent management
With a glimpse of economic recovery ahead, organisations are taking stock of their talent. In many companies, restructuring and downsizing have led to low employee morale, putting top talent at risk, jeopardizing employee productivity, and compromising engagement. Companies need to take the time to review their career planning, succession management, development, and rewards programmes to […]
Mission possible: Employee engagement in the public sector
In May of this year, David Cameron and Nick Clegg joined forces to form a coalition government charged with the unenviable task of taking the reins of a country in crisis. At possibly the lowest ebb of a global recession which had gained momentum since the latter half of 2007, the United Kingdom faced high […]
Top tips for mitigating seasonal recruitment risks
Fiona Dawson of Experian Background Checking explores the risks and rewards of recruiting temporary staff and offers top tips for building a reliable and flexible workforce to meet seasonal as well as ongoing business demands. According to the latest figures from the International Confederation of Private Employment Agencies (CIETT), the UK has the highest number […]
Make learning sweet, says Peter Honey
Even the most unwilling can be encouraged to learn, but the experience does not have to be fun to be effective, according to learning styles guru, Dr Peter Honey. Speaking at an event hosted by the Charity Learning Consortium, Honey, who developed the Learning Styles Questionnaire, turned the old adage of ‘you can lead a […]
Cable announces 10% Royal Mail employee shares scheme
Business Secretary Vince Cable today announced that at least 10% of the shares in Royal Mail will go to its employees. This makes it the largest employee shares scheme of any privatisation for 25 years in terms of the number of workers who will benefit – second only to the privatisation of British Telecom in […]
Vince Cable to announce consultation into exec banking pay
Vince Cable is expected to announce a ‘wide-ranging’ consultation into banking executives’ pay today, following warnings that the industry could be heading for a “train crash” if it continues to award staff huge bonuses while refusing to lend money to businesses. On the closing day of the Liberal Democrat party conference in Liverpool, the Business […]
HR taking action but management not owning engagement
Although just over half of HR professionals are concerned about staff motivation levels, the majority of organisations are failing to put practices in place to ensure managers own the issue. According to a survey among HR managers undertaken by law firm Davies Arnold Cooper, some 55% are worried about staff engagement are and are, therefore, […]
Hilton sets up Chef Apprenticeship Academy
An international hotel chain has set up a Chef Apprenticeship Academy, which will fully fund each place and provide participants with a salary during the programme. The Academy, which will be opened by Hilton Worldwide early next month, is to take on 20 apprentices who will undertake a combination of college-based courses and on-the-job training […]
Strike action threatened over pay and conditions
Unions have warned of potential industrial action if Northampton Borough Council tries to impose changes in terms and conditions that they claim would hit the salaries of the local authority’s lowest paid workers. The Council’s approval of new pay structures and cuts in allowances led more than 200 angry workers to stage a demonstration outside […]
What can HR learn from the X Factor?
As we settle into the winter routine of watching the X-Factor on a Saturday night, is there anything that HR professionals can learn from the hugely successful programme? After all, the purpose of the show is to find and nurture talent in a bid to discover the ‘next big thing’. Some people seem destined to […]