Top performers pay 5% less
New research reveals that the best performing companies pay 5% less in wages than the average.This is according to global management consultancy the Hay Group, that studied over 1,467 senior executives and directors in 358 global companies for the 2008 Fortune’s Most Admired Companies (MAC) list. The Hay Group study finds that firms on the […]
Changing employee behaviour: The key to successful change
One of the most challenging aspects of any change programme is the way in which the people aspects are addressed. Clare Roberts and Dr Jamie Ward outline some key considerations and steps for creating lasting behavioural change. Understand what drives behaviours When seeking to create behavioural change we need to recognise the influence of the […]
Ask the expert: Must we provide a reference?
Does an employer have to give a reference about an employee who was suspended from work during an investigation and has since resigned? Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner at Mills & Reeve, advise. The question:Our employee was suspended during investigation, and was about to be disciplined when she resigned. The […]
Five million expected to work from home
Up to 5 million workers are expected to work from home on Thursday 15 May 2008 to mark National Work from Home Day.Across the UK, nearly 3.5 million people now work from home – 12.2% or one-in-eight of the population – an increase of 600,000 since 1997. The highest proportion of home workers is in […]
CIPD urges Brown to extend flexible working to all
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) welcomes a proposal to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children, but say reforms could go further.A new government-commissioned review by Imelda Walsh, the HR director for Sainsburys, is expected to recommend raising the age limit to 12 years-old, even as high […]
Caption competition: And the winner is….
This photo of the prime minister inspired some very funny entries to the caption competition this month, and it was tough deciding on the best one. But, after much consideration, we eventually chose a winner.Congratulations to Rob Falconer – he has chosen a bottle of Italian red (Villa Antinori Toscana 2003) as his prize, which […]
Skills Academy is super-sized
Three new organisations will cover sport and leisure, the creative and cultural industry and hospitality, under an expansion of the National Skills Academy. The move puts the government a step further towards reaching its target of having a Skills Academy in each major sector by the end of 2011. Created in a bid to solve […]
HR fails to take advantage of ‘video snacking’
HR is missing a trick when it comes to capitalising on the rise of ‘video snacking’, according to a new survey. Employers should use the growing appetite for ‘video snacking’ – using phones and PCs for quick online media fixes – to train staff, according to a survey of over 100 HR and training professionals […]
‘Talent drain’ as workers seek jobs abroad
The number of UK professionals choosing to work abroad is on the increase, according to a new report.The NatWest International Personal Banking (IPB) Quality of Life Report, undertaken in conjunction with the Centre for Future Studies, surveyed over 1,000 British expats from all over the globe and found that, out of the 200,000 Britons who […]
Follow the leader: Creating an engaging culture
Organisations that promote engaging leadership styles are usually also the most successful. So what can HR do to encourage and support a healthy culture with inspirational leaders? Lucie Benson reports. The prime minister’s future as leader of our country may be in doubt at the moment, but perhaps HR can learn some lessons from the […]
Learning the business side of HR
How well do you know the business processes in your organisation? Andrew Mayo has some advice on how to become a ‘business-orientated’ HR professional. Dave Ulrich has without doubt been the most powerful driving force behind the business partner/business focus preoccupation of recent years. He has of late become concerned about the misuse of and […]
Case study: Why evaluate training?
Graham Borley presents a case study which illustrates how important it is to carry out regular evaluations of training strategies, using insurance group Aviva as an example. The ability of an organisation to identify and develop talent is often cited as one of the key requirements for future success. In this quest, businesses will frequently […]
Colborn’s Corner: Business ethics – an HR issue?
Quentin Colborn addresses the thorny issue of ethics in business and asks whether HR departments avoid having to face up to ethical dilemmas because it is just too risky to tackle. The recent press comment about BAE Systems, relating to the acquisition of a contract to supply aircraft to Saudi Arabia, has thrown up the […]
HR tip: Recovering training costs from departing employee
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:"We paid for a new employee to go on an expensive four-week training course. Two weeks later, he handed in his notice and is joining another company on the basis of his newly […]
Mistrust of senior managers strangles business
New research suggests that the current economic uncertainty within business could be compounded by a growing mistrust of senior managers.HR consultancy BlessingWhite found that while almost three quarters of workers trust their immediate managers, less than half feel the same way about their organisation’s senior management team. Worryingly, the survey also found that 51% of […]
Vulnerable workers report reveals true horror
Two million workers are trapped in a cycle of low pay and insecure work, according to findings from the Trades Union Congress (TUC).The Commission on Vulnerable Employment, set up by the TUC and involving employers and independent experts as well as trade unionists, says government, unions, employers and consumers must now all play a part […]
Training spend is record breaker
A whopping training spend by organisations of £38.6 billion – up 16% from 2005 – has broken all records, according to a new survey.The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) released the findings, which show that the increase equates to £3.5 billion in real terms after inflation. The research also shows that the proportion of vacancies […]
Tech-savvy workers do it for free
Armed with WiFi, a Blackberry and a mobile phone, employees are notching up an extra 20 working days per year.According to latest research by recruiters Office Angels, workers are effectively giving up their holiday for free. One in 10 ‘up-teched’ office workers admit to checking-in constantly outside working hours.Yet despite the findings, 40% feel grateful […]
Blue Tuesday triggers job hunt
Weary workers are returning from the bank holiday weekend with renewed motivation to jump ship.This is according to online recruiters Monster.co.uk, that said the first Tuesday after the bank holiday is the prime day for job hunting. Monster’s life coach Jenny Ungless said: “People use their weekends to recover from the week at work, catch […]
Managers fail to measure home workers’ performance
Almost half of managers in small businesses struggle to assess how remote or home workers are performing, according to a new report.The findings from BT Business’ IT Skills for Flexible Working report also showed that 88% of small business managers have no formal training on managing home workers, even though three quarters of small and […]
