The future of recruitment: An uncertain world?
Where are we heading when it comes to recruitment? Richard Nott, the website director of CWJobs.co.uk, an IT specialist recruitment site, gives his view. Recruitment, like all elements of business, is very much affected by the constantly evolving economic and political landscape. The industry has been at the forefront of the rollercoaster of uncertainty and […]
Poor recruitment practices damaging brands
Poor recruitment practices are damaging employers’ brands, losing them customers and hitting the bottom line, but are nonetheless becoming increasingly common as organisations find themselves swamped with growing numbers of job applications. According to research undertaken among 1,600 UK adults by psychometric testing specialist SHL, negative recruitment experiences are all too frequent among jobseekers, with nearly […]
Bad communication real culprit of high staff turnover
Although many employers are blaming the recession for increased levels of staff turnover, in reality as many as a third should look to their own poor communication and unsupportive company culture as the main culprits. Nigel Watson, managing director of performance management specialists Q4 Solutions, claimed that many businesses were simply "burying their heads in […]
LV= launch recruitment campaign with a difference
An insurance and pensions firm has unveiled a quirky multi-channel recruitment campaign in which potential applicants take photos of staff on posters using their mobile phones and receive recorded messages about what it is like to work there. The campaign by insurance and pensions company LV=, formerly known as Liverpool Victoria, is based around five […]
Long term planning essential for business recovery
Even though the UK continues to be hit by a “jobless recovery” from recession, a prestigious HR body has warned employers that they must focus on long-term workforce planning to ensure sustained business performance. A survey of 2,100 UK firms by recruitment consultants Manpower showed only “mild optimism” about job prospects over the coming three […]
Ask the expert: Do we need to pay the extra salary?
Do we need to pay the acting up salary if the employee has resigned? Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise. The question: Do we need to pay the extra salary? A colleague has taken on additional responsibilities with the understanding that there will be a pay uplift at the end of a […]
Bonus backlash: Setting the record straight
With ‘bonuses’ out of fashion in the tabloids, how do you communicate and justify using bonuses as rewards in your organisation? Engagement has a part to play, says Dona Roche-Tarry. Whilst it may be some consolation to recession-struck workers that new research shows that overall boardroom pay across the FTSE 350 has fallen "significantly from […]
Is HR too helpful?
Is HR too helpful? HR’s service-led culture is hampering the department in the business and preventing HR making its life easier, claims HR director Ed Golitko. "HR people are very service-oriented and you have to break them of that." So says Ed Golitko, human resources director at technology firm EMC and the man currently […]
Sickies cost economy £2.5 billion
Of the 180 million days that workers took off last year due to illness, 27 million or 15% were ‘sickies’, costing the UK economy a huge £2.5 billion. These are the findings of a study among senior HR personnel at 241 public and private sector organisations undertaken by employer lobby group the CBI and pharmaceutical […]
An introduction to social recruitment with Bill Boorman
Social recruiting – myths, legends and a take on reality from Bill Boorman, social recruiter and TRU Events unconference organiser. You’ve probably heard a lot of noise about social recruiting. From the champions to the naysayers, everyone has a view. With so much written about theory, and what ‘social’ could do, and so few real […]
Recession successes invested in training
Even though there is a direct link between investment in learning and development and financial performance, nearly half of all UK employers made cost-cutting rather than innovation in this area a priority during the recession. According to a survey, among 200 learning and development (L&D) professionals in organisations with more than 1,000 staff, undertaken by […]
Pregnant RAF officer awarded £16,000
A female RAF officer who was removed from her post because she was pregnant has been awarded more than £16,000 by an employment tribunal. In a case funded by the Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the officer – who chose not to be named as she still works for the air force – was […]
Leadership training should be a ‘national priority’
A professional management body has called on employers to commit to investing in leadership training as a national priority in order to spearhead a return to sustained economic growth. The plea from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) followed the launch of a public consultation on Northern Ireland’s skills strategy by Minister for Employment and Learning, […]
Outrage against ‘minority only’ council work placement
A council’s decision to ban white graduates from applying for an £18,000-a-year management training scheme in order to boost staff diversity ratios has caused outrage. The initiative by Bristol City Council, which offers two candidates a two-year placement with the local authority, is only open to people from black or ethnic minority backgrounds. The scheme, […]
Union anger at HP plan to axe 9,000 jobs
Hewlett-Packard’s decision to cut 9,000 jobs worldwide in a bid to save up to $700 million per year has outraged unions, which claim they were not informed of the decision. The IT vendor intends to slash the posts at part of the ongoing restructuring of its EDS services acquisition, which was purchased 20 months ago […]
SMEs could add £15bn by applying HR planning
SMEs could add £15bn to the economy by using HR planning to become more effective and profitable, according to a recent survey. A recent study has concluded HR planning is one of six key principles SMEs should adopt to tap into their competitiveness. A six-month study commissioned by Royal Mail compared growth rates among 500 […]
Employment law issues during the World Cup – playing the odds
The World Cup will bring with it a lot of management concerns, and not just for Capello. Absences, form, motivation and even dreaded yellow cards adding up to a suspension are all likely contenders this summer, and in order to help you make the most of the beautiful game we’re running a book to give […]
Cloud Computing and its effect on the HR industry
The concept of ‘cloud computing’ is fast becoming the darling of the IT world. As one of the biggest changes to hit IT infrastructures since the invention of the personal computer, the rise of cloud-based computing is predicted to have an impact on organisations of all sizes. In the next few years, whether a corporation, […]
Creating and communicating a total reward culture
The statistics say it all – 65% of employees admit to not fully understanding the value of their employee benefits. This is commercial madness when you consider organisations across the UK spend millions in developing and offering employee benefits. However there is a simple solution to this problem. Here Andy Philpott outlines the reasons for […]
McDonald’s flexible football league
Flexible working is being utilised by McDonald's this World cup season to ensure staff are happy to fit their shifts around football. David Fairhurst comments on the ideas behind the policies. We have reported on McDonald's flexible working and apprenticeship policies before on HRzone, but having a great HR function in place is useless without […]