Opinion: Let’s undermine HR
John Pope shares his opinion and thoughts on the dangers of senior management undermining HR policies and procedures, to the detriment of employee morale. Do organisations deliberately try to undermine the basis of HR? I had always thought that they wanted happy, engaged staff who were committed, to a reasonable extent, to the success […]
Ask the expert: Alternative positions after redundancy
Can an employer offer a more junior role to a potentially redundant employee and is it obligatory that it is offered? Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise. The question: We may make a role redundant within our organisation in order to reduce costs. A new position with a new focus will be created if we did […]
Managing absence: The critical role of technology
As the full scale of the absence problem becomes apparent in the UK, more and more organisations are looking to technology to help them tackle it cost-effectively, says Chris Berry. What happens when your employees are sick? Are they expected to call their line manager who should then record and monitor the absence? Do they […]
Caption competition: And the winner is…
Think of a true British summer and you probably think of rain and cancelled barbecues. But nobody could fail to be cheered up by Cliff Richard’s dulcet tones in the 1963 hit film, Summer Holiday. This month’s caption competition was designed to lift those spirits and reminisce about the good old days and hot summers gone by. […]
Software-as-a-service and talent management
Erik Finch questions whether software-as-a-service is the right choice for learning and talent development and examines the factors that employers should consider before adopting it. The software-as-a-service (SaaS) delivery model typically involves a vendor developing a web-native software application, and hosting and operating it on behalf of its customers (either independently or through […]
HR tip: Is ‘old boy’ discriminatory?
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: All my life, I have referred to other men to whom I am speaking as 'old boy'. I have been told that this is age discriminatory. Is it? Answer: Yes, it […]
A new era of collaboration technology
Hilary Backwell discusses the rise in collaboration technology, including social media, which in turn demands a new approach to web security. To be successful, today’s business needs to strike a balance between cost-efficiencies, keeping a productive workforce motivated and ensuring that they are mindful of corporate and legislative compliance. However, the way that organisations […]
HR in the future: The impact of technology
Joanne Christie examines how technology will shape the way HR departments operate over the next decade, and exactly what impact technology will have over the years to come. Like it or not, technology is advancing at an unstoppable rate, especially when it comes to information technology. While HR professionals can undoubtedly benefit from new software developments, […]
How to… manage redundancies
Announcing redundancies is a difficult task for any manager, but there are ways to cushion the blow and ensure that those exiting the business do so with dignity. It’s also important to take care of those who remain behind, says Richard Chiumento. It is clear that organisations and managers need to minimise the need for redundancies, […]
Real succession management
Lisette Howlett examines the broad scope of succession management, and points out the common mistakes that can be made and some of the key factors needed for an effective succession process. I have found that in practice within companies, the terms succession planning and succession management can be used to mean broadly the same thing. My choice […]
HR snooping: Facing up to Facebook
Paul Reeves outlines some of the issues involved with viewing employees’ online profiles on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and how HR can manage the impact of this phenomenon. In a recent and high profile example of some of the issues associated with social networking sites, the wife of the […]
Ask the expert: Disciplinary procedure for probationers
Some employees, who are on probation, are not performing well and the employer wants to dismiss them. Matthew Whelan and Esther Smith advise on the correct procedure to follow. The question I have a couple of probationers who are not shaping up. They have been spoken to and one has not changed his […]
Legislation update: Employee dismissals
Many employers assume that once they have sent a letter of dismissal to an employee, the dismissal will be immediately effective. Yet a recent case shows that employers need to be careful when making those assumptions. Richard White explains. Gisda Cyf v Barratt case: The facts Miss Barratt worked for Gisda Cyf. She attended a disciplinary meeting on […]
How to be a great HR director
All leaders want it, many aspire to possess it, and without it, few succeed. Having courage is vital if you want to be a successful HR director, says Andrew Leigh. Recently, Battalia Winston International, an organisation that employs over 5,000 people worldwide, wanted to appoint a human resources director. If you had fancied the job, you would need to have been: […]
Why HR should upgrade their recruitment systems
Alan Whitford outlines the benefits of implementing a recruitment management system that can help your recruitment process run smoothly and be more effective. The evolution of technologies which support HR and, more specifically, recruitment has now reached the point where it should be more difficult to justify not having a purpose-built, professionally-developed and supported system […]
Make change sustainable with ‘change champions’
Often projects are started enthusiastically but fail at implementation or post-implementation stage. The role of the change champion can be invaluable in involving the right people, getting commitment to the change and embedding it, says Bettina Pickering. Change is ever-present in organisations but often important projects which start with enthusiasm, fail to implement sustainable change. The […]
Power methods for developing HR staff
Are you using the most effective methods to develop the skills and careers of your HR team? Jan Hills discusses which methods work best and how you can combine these to achieve more results for your investment. Recent surveys suggest that some 80 to 85% of medium to large companies have already, are in the process […]
Success in a recession: The kitchen cabinet
Successful people rely on a network of close allies who guide and challenge them. So how do they select those in their cabinet and how can HR professionals encourage the right kinds of teams to form around leaders? Blaire Palmer has the answers. Successful people do not become successful alone. We know this is true, which […]
HR tip: Too hot to work?
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: Some of our employees complained during some recent hot weather that it was too hot to work and that they should therefore have been sent home. How do we stand? Answer: […]
Unemployment leaps to 2.43 million
Unemployment soared by 220,000 over the three months to June, official figures have revealed. This takes the total number of people unemployed to 2.43 million, the highest level since 1995, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This means the jobless rate is now 7.8%, higher than the expected 7.7%, and […]