When planning your career…choose your boss
A three-step process to look at your next assignment.As I work in Human Resources, many people ask me for career advice, and the way I try to do that is in three steps:The first step is knowing where do they want to go, and this is directionally of course, as the business environment changes so […]
A week in HR: Wrapping up the ‘bad’ news for staff
There’s some great tips this week on how to craft that difficult Christmas message to staff – just don’t post it on the web – ‘cyber cynicism’ is growing daily, according to a new survey. In other news, the TUC is banging the drum once again for a hike in the NMW. Annie Hayes reports. […]
360 degree appraisal completion rates
For whatever reason we have a number of our clients all coming to the end of a 360 degree appraisal process at the same time. We are therefore looking at completion rates, deciding on what makes a quorum, deciding how hard to chase respondents all at the same time. I happened yesterday to be reviewing […]
The great escape: Retaining talent in a recession
As belts tighten, budgets get slashed and redundancies loom, how can HR ensure that its talent doesn’t drain away with its profits? It’s time to think creatively, says Verity Gough. If ever there was a time for organisations to secure their top talent it’s now – in fact according to KPMG’s recent poll of nearly […]
HR tip: Smoke breaks and unfairness on non-smokers
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: "Since the ban on smoking indoors, we insist that anyone wishing to smoke must do so outside in the yard. Several smokers therefore disappear into the yard now and again for a […]
The employee engagement dilemma
In today's rapidly changing economic climate, many employers are facing an acute dilemma – how do they make the necessary people changes to improve performance and profitability, whilst maintaining employee motivation and engagement? Ben Thornton has some answers. There is a wealth of evidence linking business performance and employee behaviour. A recent […]
Queen’s Speech: Equality, skills and flexible working
The Queen’s Speech on Wednesday included the much-anticipated Equality Bill and Welfare Reform Bill, as well as an announcement that there will be no delay to flexible working proposals, yet the focus was certainly on the global economic downturn.In her speech in the House of Lords, to outline the government’s proposed legislation for the year […]
Are you undermining your managers?
All organisations want managers who are in control, can effectively manage their team, and can take the initiative. But this isn’t always what you get, says John Pope, who suggests that perhaps it is because your managers are being undermined. You want managers who are tough, who can make good decisions in your absence, handle […]
Profile: SSA winner – Octopus
Chris Beaumont, sales director at Octopus HR, speaks to Lucie Mitchell about success at the Software Satisfaction Awards this year, and how the business keeps its customers satisfied. When Octopus picked up the mid-range HR software gong at the Software Satisfaction Awards in October, it was a culmination of three years’ hard work, says the […]
Redundancy: The elephant in your boardroom?
Roger Tynan examines how businesses can work with staff to avoid making redundancies, through other agreed cost-cutting measures. As unemployment continues to rise and many sectors feel the pinch of the global financial downturn, employers and employees alike are acutely sensitive to the possibility of redundancies in the difficult months ahead. But, as unpalatable as […]
Addressing core health and safety issues in a financial crisis
Current health and safety figures hide the losses to people and employers, says Lawrence Waterman, who warns that the new statistics show a worrying plateau of injuries. At first glance, the most recent data on ill health, injuries and working days lost from work look reassuring. Fatalities are down, injuries are at about the same […]
Ask the expert: Internet monitoring
How can an employer allow managers to monitor internet usage, without breaching any data protection principles? Esther Smith and Martin Brewer provide some legal advice. The question:We have been asked whether the IT department can make available to managers access to internet monitoring within the workplace, therefore allowing them to view internet usage by their […]
A week in HR: Matters of the heart blamed on bad bosses
The traditional ‘sick note’ is being ditched in favour of a ‘fit note’; whilst a separate study reveals that bad bosses are contributing to heart problems. And in news from the dock, a lesbian soldier has scooped £187,000 for sexual harassment. Annie Hayes reports. The ‘sick note’ is being ditched in a bid to get […]
Vote in the Best of HRZone.co.uk 2008 awards
There’s been frenzied voting so far in the Best of HRZone.co.uk 2008 awards: “Men in HR” is making a strong comeback in the Hot Potato category, nipping at the heels of “Do Looks Matter?”Have your say in the final result by casting your votes in the ‘Best Of’ categories. If you vote for a winner, […]
Yule be redundant: Crisis at Christmas
Having to make people redundant just before Christmas is especially hard, but is it best to play Scrooge on Christmas Eve or wait until the new year to impart the ill tidings? Annie Hayes talks to the experts. SensitivityRedundancy is obviously big news at the moment, especially during the current economic climate, so how can […]
Performance management: How appraisals can add business value
Performance management should be a central part of any organisation’s HR process, particularly in a downturn when talent needs to be maximised. The appraisal process plays a key role in this, says Richard Doherty. Creating and maintaining a comprehensive and uniform performance management programme enables HR departments to align line managers and employees with the […]
HR tip: Qualifying to claim unfair dismissal
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: "Following a full investigation and properly conducted disciplinary interview, we dismissed a man for gross misconduct. At that point, he was actually one week short of one year's service. He has told […]
Using people development to prove HR’s worth
Natalie Benjamin explains how HR can prove its value in tough economic times and become an essential asset to any organisation, through effective investment in its workforce. 2008 has been a tough year and with the credit crunch and its consequences looking likely to rumble on into 2009, there is unquestionably more challenge ahead on […]
HR management in a recession
Don’t get bogged down with the bleak outlook of these challenging economic times and risk making hasty HR decisions, says Sandra Beale, who points out some of the other options available instead. The buzz words of 2008 are ‘credit crunch’ and ‘recession’. In the media it is all doom and gloom with several years of […]
The new disciplinary and grievance procedures: A simple success
The new draft statutory disciplinary and grievance procedures are due to come into effect in April 2009, with a promise of being far more simple and far less time-consuming. Charles Price examines whether this is indeed the case and what HR professionals need to know about the new Acas code. The new Acas Code to […]
