HR salaries on the rise
HR directors take home an impressive £120,000 a year, with HR officers pulling in £25,832, a new survey has revealed.In good news for those working in the profession, average earnings rose by 6.8 per cent over the last year, a figure that compares to a rise of 5.6 per cent in 2006.Remuneration Economics, publishers of […]
Ordinary job is the dream for most workers
Workers in the UK are happy with their lot and wouldn’t leave their job for the world.These are the findings of a new survey which quizzed five different industry sectors including engineering, sales, IT, construction and accountancy to find out about their dream job. Each sector was given the choice out of film star, footballer, […]
Government unveils plans for 7.5m new training places
The government plans to fund 7.5 million training places in England in a bid to raise the skills of the least qualified.Just under half of the places – 3.5 million – will be in basic skills, while 120,000 will be apprenticeships for young people, and 30,000 new places for the over-25s.There will be another 95,000 […]
Skills shortages hit two-thirds of London businesses
Businesses in London struggling to meet their skills needs are increasingly looking overseas for both graduates and lower-skilled staff, according to the CBI and KPMG.Results from the London business survey show that two out of three firms in the capital (65 per cent) expect to be troubled by skills shortages over the next six months, […]
Startling gap between HR and business
A large gap exists between the opinions of HR professionals and those in business management roles, according to a recent survey.A total of 96 organisations were surveyed and results showed that 72 per cent of HR people believed that the statement, ‘anything that gets vacancies filled more quickly’, was a high priority, whereas only 28 […]
What’s in a name?
HR professionals believe the HR name debate is nothing more than a distraction, a survey has highlighted.HR consultancy, HR with Guts, quizzed 250 senior HR professionals about how they felt about adopting a new name to indicate its change in focus. The findings showed that 77 per cent of people felt this was merely a […]
HR: The easy solution to staff development?
Leaning towards a ‘David Brent’ style of staff development is not exactly a recipe for success, so how can HR ensure that line managers play out their part effectively? Annie Hayes reports. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) around two-fifths of organisations say that their line managers are not very effective […]
Age discrimination cases put on hold
The president of the employment tribunals service has announced that all cases relating to dismissal on grounds of retirement, under regulation 30 of the age discrimination laws, must be ‘stayed’ pending the outcome of the Heyday case, expected sometime in 2009. The announcement is a direct repercussion of a recent employment appeal tribunal decision in […]
Engagement is not enough
Employee engagement is a high priority for most HR professionals, but Jeremy Starling, managing director of INVOLVE, explains why engagement is no longer good enough and shares some tips on getting employees involved. “Our people are our most valuable asset” is a sound bite uttered by many a corporate executive, but for businesses that aspire […]
Serving up performance management
Tony Hayward discusses how successful performance management can ensure staff motivation and retention is more inventive, thereby resulting in greater employee confidence and job satisfaction. Take a couple of minutes to think about your last interaction with a contact centre. Can you remember it, for reasons good or bad? Some of you will, but […]
Are you in touch with your clients?
Like most valuable ideas, the simple ones often produce the most impressive results. It’s agreed that HR business partners (HRBPs) need to know their business and their client to ensure they give valuable and sound strategic input. But how is this done and how much time is usually given to it? Jan Hills provides some […]
HR tip: References for redundant employees
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 give all redundant employees a good reference in order to help them get alternative employment. Is this safe?" HR Tip:No, this is dangerous. You must not mislead the reader of a reference […]
Growing businesses fail to support staff
Staff play a vital role in growing businesses yet receive inadequate support from senior management, according to a new survey.The research by the Forum Corporation reveals that at top-performing firms, 80 per cent of senior executives cite the importance of staff in bringing about growth, with two-thirds of top players saying the same at less […]
Childless should have flexible working rights too, says TUC
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is calling for an extension of flexible working rights for all, not just working parents.Speaking later today at a work-life balance conference, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber will make the case for all workers to have the right to request a better balance between work and the rest of their […]
Crucifix wearer accuses BA of discrimination
A British Airways check-in worker, suspended for wearing a cross the size of a 5p piece around her neck, is accusing the airline of discrimination.Reported by The Times newspaper, Nadia Eweida was put on unpaid leave from her post at Heathrow in September after refusing to conceal the cross. The suspension followed a written warning […]
Estranged by change?
Change is one of the only certainties on today’s fast moving business highway. But mismanage it, and you could be speeding towards a multi-lane pileup. Matt Henkes looks at how HR can mitigate the risks. One of the fundamental truths of modern business is that the flat-footed will flounder. It is only those firms that […]
Office parties: Are you headed for crisis?
It’s that time of year again, when HR must set about organising the good old Christmas shindig, but how can you ensure everyone is kept happy, religious pitfalls are avoided and all goes smoothly? Sarah Fletcher talks to some festive HR Zone members. Every Christmas the same warnings are dealt out to HR professionals: Plan […]
Bosses go on hiring spree despite ‘credit crunch’ gloom
Eighty-six per cent of employers intend to recruit staff this autumn in a sign that caution is not being heeded in the wake of the ‘credit crunch’. The latest quarterly CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook survey finds a surprising degree of optimism amongst employers about short and medium employment prospects. Just under half of respondents plan […]
Succession planning: Where are your future leaders?
How do you select future leaders in your organisation without giving false expectations or unfulfilled promises? If you say nothing, the potential leader may leave. If you make the promise, what if the person fails to deliver? Mike Shreeve and Neil Kirby provide some answers. Succession planning is a dilemma for many organisations. Many centuries […]
How to retain and develop graduates
Consultant John Pope has some helpful advice on how to attract, develop and retain high-calibre graduates in your organisation. How are the graduates you recruited over the last two or three years? You bought the best you could find, at a price you could afford. It was probably expensive and difficult to get the ones […]