Hiring executive leaders in the US: What foreign companies need to know
If you’re organisation is looking to break into the US market, securing a strong leadership team in America is essential. Without external recruitment support, you risk making a bad hire and delaying your expansion. Thomas Lore from Pact and Partners highlights the complexities of hiring US executives and how a smart search partner can help you navigate the confusing world of compliance, pay and employer rules.
Almost half of disabled workers say it’s harder to hold down a job due to their disability
New research from Business Disability Forum reveals the persistent barriers disabled employees face at every stage of their workplace journey – from job hunting to career progression. The findings reveal an urgent need for senior leaders to proactively build an inclusive workplace through role-modelling and removing barriers.
Should HR own the organisation’s AI strategy?
As AI tightens its grip on our workplaces, who should own the organisation’s AI strategy? And, what is the role for HR as organisations embrace this disruptive technology? Quentin Millington of Marble Brook looks at what makes sense, in terms of both strategy and practice.
Are staff surveys making employees too entitled?
When you use employee surveys as ‘happy meters’ you risk making employees entitled, warns Natasha Johnson, Founder of Organic P&O Solutions.
Asking ‘what do you want?’ is a slippery slope towards bold demands that don’t drive performance or enhance organisational culture. So what should you ask instead?
Essential lessons from 2025’s employment tribunals: What HR needs to know before 2026
With employment tribunal claims having shot up by almost a third in 2025, what lessons should HR take from the firmer lines being drawn? Here, legal expert Nicholas Jones shares five key tribunal trends to help you prepare for the Employment Rights Bill and a shifting legal landscape in 2026.
Restoration strategies for those who really need it: A guide to finding rest in the age of exhaustion
Too drained to even think about rest? Executive and leadership coach Karen Liebenguth presents four neuroscience-backed strategies for finding restoration when you need it most – from tiny daily habits that rebalance your nervous system to culture-shifting practices that make rest a non-negotiable.
HRZone’s 2025 most popular reads
Which HR and work issues caught your attention in 2025? It’s time to reveal HRZone’s 12 most popular reads…
Stop the skills obsession: The six human states that drive real outcomes
Have you jumped on the skills bandwagon? Most employers have. But skills alone won’t bring organisational success, warns Culture Transformation Leader Zhanna Zhuravleva. As AI increasingly picks up functional work, it’s the human state – our lived experiences, attitudes and energy – that create the real value for organisations.
Strike action reforms are coming – here’s what HR should really focus on
With the Employment Rights Bill set to make industrial action easier to organise, many employers are bracing for more disputes. But Paul O’Donnell, Managing Director at CMP, argues that the real focus shouldn’t be on process changes – it should be on building a culture of trust, open conversation, and early conflict resolution.
Five ways to tackle rising healthcare costs and boost employee wellbeing
With healthcare costs climbing and employee wellbeing under pressure, waiting isn’t an option. Oliver Atkinson, Senior Wellbeing Lead at Benifex, shares five practical strategies to protect your people and your bottom line – starting with prevention, early intervention, and smarter communication.
2025 in review: Did the HR pros get it right?
At the start of 2025, we asked 10 people and culture experts to share their work predictions for the year ahead. With December almost here, they’ve returned to assess their forecasts and reflect on how the world of work has changed – for better or worse – over the past year.
A new People and Culture Function for 2026: In conversation with David Liddle, The TCM Group
Is your HR function stuck in a cycle of risk mitigation and retribution? David Liddle, CEO of The TCM Group, argues it’s time for a radical shift. In this Culture Pioneers conversation, he reveals how transforming HR into a strategic People and Culture function can unlock high performance and make you the trusted partner your organisation needs.
Polymorphic organisations: The next evolution of people-centric design
What if your company could shift shape as quickly as the world around it? Here, Perry Timms and Kirsten Buck of PTHR introduce the polymorphic organisation – a living system that adapts to multiple forms based on context – and why HR’s role must evolve from maintaining order to orchestrating continuous transformation.
From sore heads to disciplinary hangovers: Time to rethink your work Christmas party?
As Christmas party season approaches, HR adviser Kate Palmer explores how changing drinking habits – particularly among Gen Z – are reshaping workplace celebrations. With one in three UK workers calling in sick after drinking with colleagues, and younger staff feeling pressured to drink, it’s time to rethink traditional festivities and ensure inclusive alternatives.
The perfect storm: Middle-aged men, AI disruption and mental health
Men aged 45–49 have the highest suicide rate in the UK, and many now watch AI tools replicate expertise they spent decades building – all while shouldering peak financial pressures. Thom Dennis, CEO of Serenity in Leadership, explains why generic wellbeing initiatives aren’t working, and what you need to do differently this Movember.
Your absence policy isn’t enough: Why cancer needs its own framework
With 96% of UK organisations lacking dedicated cancer policies, more than one million working-age employees are left navigating life-threatening illness through generic frameworks. Veronica Foote from Working With Cancer explains why this gap matters and how cancer-specific policies can transform workplace support.
If Gen Z needs AI to speak to colleagues, maybe it’s not them who’ve lost the plot
Half of Gen Z workers use AI to prepare for work conversations, a new study finds. Is this the demise of social skills? Or is something else going on? Culture consultant Deborah Hartung explores where Gen Z’s anxiety for perfection might be coming from.
Intrinsic motivation: Rethink your rewards strategy
Are your people truly doing their best work? Managers often rely on extrinsic rewards such as performance-related pay to motivate their team members. But research shows such bureaucratic systems are too rigid for modern work. Here, Quentin Millington of Marble Brook looks at intrinsic motivation and how HR can encourage people to value activities for their own sake.
The UK’s financial inclusion strategy signals a new era for workplace financial wellbeing
Following the launch of the HM Treasury’s strategy on boosting UK financial resilience, Gethin Nadin highlights the central role of employers in this mission. Companies like Bupa and Suez are already making strides here – will your organisation follow suit?
When ‘too slow’ becomes discrimination: What an NHS trainee’s tribunal win teaches HR about inclusion
A recent tribunal ruling has redefined what counts as disability discrimination and reminded organisations that inclusion begins with culture, not compliance. Here, inclusion specialist Atif Choudhury explores how HR can move from reacting to complaints to designing workplaces that prevent them.
