A week in HR: A winter of discontent?
It’s been another week of outrage at the UK banking sector, with Gordon Brown reported as “very angry” and even a suggestion that HR is partly to blame for the current bonus rows. With more depressing figures on the state of the UK job market, Christiana Tollast reports that there is however a silver grey […]
The HR information system: The heartbeat of the organisation
The IT system within HR departments forms the lifeblood of any business, says Caroline Attwood, who has some tips for HR on how to choose the right system for your organisation. The HR information system (HRIS) is the most important application in any organisation. You may think this is a bold statement, but if you […]
Opinion: The trouble with HR
These tough economic conditions can be challenging for HR professionals, with cut backs and redundancies top of the agenda at the moment. But who looks after the wellbeing of HR during these difficult times? Wendy Reeves provides some coaching advice for the weary HR executive. As a former HR manager, and latterly in my employment […]
Ask the expert: Ignored on maternity
Whilst on maternity leave, an employee was not kept informed about new job vacancies, despite asking her employer on numerous occasions to ensure she was kept in the loop. Esther Smith and Martin Brewer advise on raising a grievance in this instance. The question:I am now 11 months into my maternity leave, due to return […]
Caption competition: And the winner is…
This month’s competition was inspired by the amount of snow that fell earlier this month.It was tough deciding on a winner this time, but there was one caption that really did raise a laugh, and that was submitted by Lee Clayburn. His winning entry was: It quickly became evident that the new anti dandruff shampoo […]
Women in the workplace: A career in interim management
This article forms part of our series on women in the workplace. Take a look at the full content series for more information, including insight into impostor syndrome, sick leave and much more. One reason why there is a lack of women in the boardroom is because many are becoming interim managers, which allows them to work at […]
ASR Computers (a COA Solutions Company) Showcases New Human Capital Management System for SMEs at Softworld North 2009
Leading UK provider of human capital management (HCM) systems, ASR Computers (a COA Solutions company), is showcasing its new HCM system for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), on stand 30 at Softworld HR and Payroll North 2009 (10 February 2009, Reebok Stadium, Bolton). This new HCM system – OpenPeople Lite – is an ‘out […]
Cost-effective employee engagement
Employee engagement is absolutely crucial during a recession, yet when HR budgets are being cut and the business landscape is becoming ever more competitive, how can HR ensure staff are engaged, motivated and loyal during a downturn? Nick Golding talks to the experts. As the recession continues to bite, organisations are becoming increasingly reliant on […]
HR tip: Pin-ups in the machine shop
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: "The lads in our packing department have some quite racy pin-ups on the walls. A female member of staff, who works in another department and never needs to go into packing, nevertheless […]
The role of HR in turbulent times
How is HR faring as a strategic business partner during the downturn? Mark Barlow reveals the results of a recently published report on this topic, which examined the efficiency and effectiveness of HR during these tough economic conditions. The Role of HR in Turbulent Times is a newly published report from Qikker Solutions. Launched at […]
HR admits to spying on potential recruits online
HR professionals have admitted to searching online profiles of potential applicants for further information on them during the recruitment process, a new study has found.In a survey of almost 1,000 HR practitioners and business managers by people search website www.yasni.co.uk, it was found that one-third admit to searching social networking sites such as Facebook and […]
No pay rises please, we’re British
Tim Holden examines the effect of reward on performance, the benefits and downsides of rewarding employees, and how – especially in this current climate – reward can be used to motivate staff. With an increased emphasis on no-cost benefits such as praise, recognition and flexible working, a growing number of employers are seeking to compensate […]
Internal threats: Are you protected?
David Chernick explains how fraudsters are making the most of the recession – thanks to scaled down HR, compliance and security – and warns both employers and employees to beware of the risks. With around 300,000 more unemployed competing for 150,000 fewer vacancies than this time last year, it's easy to see why jobseekers, desperate […]
Talent mapping: Navigating through the downturn
Having a clear understanding of the talents, skills and behaviours of every employee could be the difference between your organisation successfully emerging at the end of the downturn, or it failing, says Mark Hopkins, who recommends talent mapping as a means of ensuring success. It is important to recognise that the skills […]
Ask the expert: Suspending an employee
An employee has been suspended due to mistakes made, but was not informed of these errors until the meeting at which he was suspended. Should another course of action have been taken? Esther Smith and Matthew Whelan advise. The question:We have recently suspended one of our employees due to mistakes they have made over the […]
Software Satisfaction Awards 2009: The race is on
Now in its fourth year, the race is now on for Sift Media’s prestigious Software Satisfaction Awards 2009. Based on the UK’s biggest single market research survey, the Software Satisfaction Awards are based on ratings from business software users of the products they use in the following areas: ease of use; functionality; reliability; and value […]
A week in HR: It’s s’no’w joke as weather keeps workers at home
It was a double whammy for absence on Monday, with the worst snow for 18 years causing commuting havoc – and it just happened to be ‘National Sickie Day’ too. Annie Hayes reports on all this plus news on rising tribunal payouts and the comedians that got the last laugh in the dock. It’s not […]
How a referee reacts to negative feedback
Referees have been on my mind a lot recently. At a recent football (soccer) game the West Bromwich Albion fans (for those overseas think of a team perenially struggling to make it into the big time) took considerable offence at how the referree – Rob Styles – handled the game against Manchester United. Ignoring the […]
Downturn downtime? Organisation development in a recession
With jobs haemorrhaging at every turn, organisation development (OD) can seem laughable, but creating a robust outfit that can surface from the recession as fit and healthy as before is important for those that wish to build capable businesses for the future. Annie Hayes looks at recession-beating OD strategies. To make matters complex, it is […]
Flexible working extension: How will it affect you?
This April could see many more employees asking to work flexibly, when parents of children aged up to 16 will be given the right to request flexible working. Amy Fielding explains how this extension will affect employers. On 1 April 2009, the government is intending to extend the right to request flexible working hours for […]
