A letter to L&D: HR is your BFF
L&D professionals must view HR as a strategic partner rather than adversary to succeed, according to Nigel Paine. By focusing on demonstrable business impact, embracing organizational engagement, and avoiding isolation, trainers can bridge the gap between promised and delivered value that often undermines both functions.
Over 2/3 of organisations fail to evaluate training
A CIPD survey reveals that over two-thirds of organisations fail to evaluate their coaching programmes, leaving initiatives vulnerable to financial and resource pressures. The CIPD plans to release evaluation guidance to address this gap.
Ask the experts: we’re asking you
HRzone is celebrating 10 years and seeking community input to shape its future. The HR resource site invites readers to share ideas for improvements, suggest missing features, and highlight favorite content areas. Contributors will be entered to win prizes.
Ask the expert: Restrictive covenants
Learn whether restrictive covenants limiting work with competitors can be enforced. Experts explain that non-competition clauses must protect legitimate business interests like customer relationships or trade secrets to be enforceable, and may be challenged if they’re overly broad.
Overseas labour still in demand to fill skills gap despite jobless Britons
UK employers are hiring overseas workers and outsourcing jobs to fill skills gaps despite high domestic unemployment, according to a CIPD survey. Nearly 45% of organisations report hard-to-fill vacancies, with 21% having hired migrants in recent months, primarily for engineering, IT, and finance roles.
NHS needs funding to ‘even out’ training
The Royal College of Physicians warns that the NHS needs adequate funding to balance specialist medical trainee distribution across England and prevent skills shortages in underserved areas, as recommended in a new workforce report.
BBC HR exec quits over move north
BBC HR executive Paul Gaskin has quit his £190,000-a-year role after less than two months, refusing to relocate from London to Manchester despite being contractually obliged to move as part of the broadcaster’s expansion to Salford Quays.
Undercover Boss: Will new Crown Relocations FD Narin Ganesh pack it up – or in?
Crown Relocations’ Finance Director Narin Ganesh goes undercover on tonight’s final Undercover Boss episode to assess the international moving company’s people management, communication, and customer experience across its UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia operations.
Financial education in the workplace – the real employer/employee benefit
Workplace financial education reduces employee stress and improves productivity while addressing a critical skills gap. With seven in ten employees bringing money worries to work, employers who provide budgeting and debt management training gain a less anxious, more focused workforce—yet fewer than half currently do so.
Equal pay for women in HR 107 years away
UK female HR managers face a 107-year wait to earn equal pay with male counterparts, according to a 2010 survey of 43,000 managers. Women managers overall earned 24% less than men, with the largest pay gaps in IT and smallest in engineering.
Apprenticeships for ‘other people’s children’
Parents overwhelmingly view university as the superior career path for their children, with only 19% actively advocating apprenticeships despite their practical benefits. A YouGov survey reveals significant bias against vocational training, which many see as a backup option “for other people’s children” rather than a legitimate first choice.
Recruiting? There’s an app for that
Mobile recruitment apps now allow job seekers to search and apply for positions on-the-go, reflecting how technology is transforming the hiring landscape. Social media platforms like LinkedIn enable candidates to network, market themselves, and connect directly with employers, while recruiters increasingly use these tools to find talent and strengthen client relationships alongside traditional recruitment methods.
Employees exposed to contract and pay issues
Nearly a third of employees don’t read their employment contracts properly, and one in ten fail to understand their payslips, leaving them vulnerable to pay errors and unfair treatment. The introduction of e-payslips is creating additional confusion, while upcoming changes to the Equality Act will ban pay confidentiality clauses, helping expose wage inequality.
NHS to roll out ‘competency passport’ scheme
The NHS plans to roll out a national ‘Skills Passport for Health’ scheme following a successful pilot with nursing staff. The online system allows workers to maintain verified records of their qualifications and experience, enabling employers to reduce training duplication and streamline hiring processes while helping nurses advance their careers more efficiently.
UK may face technology skills gap
The UK faces a potential technology skills gap as insufficient numbers of state school pupils study science, technology, engineering, and maths subjects, despite better job prospects and higher salaries. Private school students are significantly more likely to pursue these subjects than comprehensive school peers, raising concerns about Britain’s long-term economic competitiveness.
BT may expand apprenticeship scheme
BT is considering expanding its apprenticeship scheme after receiving over 100,000 applications for just 221 positions this year, far exceeding university demand. The telecoms company plans to tap into youth interest to support its £2.5 billion fibre broadband rollout, offering salaries between £11,000 and £14,000 with training in IT, telecoms, or customer service.
Pay offer halts proposed BAA strike
Unite union has called off proposed strikes by 6,000 BAA airport workers at six UK airports after the operator agreed to an improved pay offer following negotiations. The deal was reached after 74% of workers voted to strike over BAA’s initial 1% pay increase proposal.
Undercover Boss – Narin Ganesh’s filming diary
Crown Relocations’ Finance Director Narin Ganesh went undercover in his own company for Channel 4’s Undercover Boss, documenting his behind-the-scenes filming experience. His diary reveals the challenges of appearing natural on camera while working alongside employees who didn’t know his true identity.
Influencing engagement: the role of the line manager
Line managers are the primary drivers of employee engagement, influencing how valued and supported staff feel at work. Effective managers increase engagement through role modeling, clear purpose, encouragement, and creating opportunities for growth, while HR provides essential support for these efforts.
Ask the expert: Successive fixed term contracts
Experts advise on whether successive fixed-term contracts can be objectively justified, particularly when reliant on external government funding. Learn when employees have the right to convert to permanent employment after four years.
