HR director and CEO partnership is key
The relationship between the HR director and the chief executive is key to a successful, high performing organisation, said Matthew Brearley, HR director for Vodafone UK.“I strongly believe that the critical component in the HR function, when delivering through the organisation, is the partnership the HR director has with the CEO,” he told delegates at […]
Increasing pressure means long hours for HR
HR professionals are working longers hours than ever before, according to a new report.The survey of 6,000 HR professionals by Croner Reward, and in association with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), found that 56 per cent of respondents are now working 40 to 45 hours, which is a 20 per cent increase […]
HR Tip: Transfer of undertakings
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 are transferring a function out to a contractor but one of the employees affected does not wish to transfer. We have no job we can offer him. How do we stand?" HR […]
Put on your creativity head
We all need new, creative ideas to ensure continued business success, and the secret lies in a set of two particular principles, says business creativity practitioner David Weeks. We can thank Nobel Prize winning neurologist Roger Sperry’s 1960’s split brain experiments for our fascination in labelling people ‘left’ or ‘right’ brained. It is only a […]
Colborn’s Corner: Happy in HR?
Many HR professionals are unhappy in their current job and believe they are being paid less than the average salary for their role, according to recent research by recruitment consultancy Badenoch & Clark. So is life in HR too tough? Quentin Colborn addresses happiness in HR and asks: "Do we have the right to be […]
CIPD qualification is not the Holy Grail
Career-minded HR professionals gleaned the secrets of how to make it at a career seminar held at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) annual conference and exhibition, where they learned that the CIPD qualification is not all that is required.Simon Howard, of Work Group plc, chaired the interactive ‘career’ seminar in which Mike […]
Big-smoke top for work-life balance
Despite the English capital’s unfriendly image, Londoners believe they have the best work-life balance in the UK, according to a report from Working Families Ram-packed tube trains and rocketing property prices have failed to put off almost two thirds of London’s workers, who feel they have the best equilibrium between their time at the office […]
UK managers ‘thirst for change’
A thirst for knowledge and development rather than academic prowess could be key to better job prospects, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has found.The CMI study revealed that while almost two thirds of employers and 74% of individuals believed management qualifications will become more important over the next five years, 95% of those polled were […]
Brisk HR sees Dyke tune in
Sacked former director-general of the BBC Greg Dyke told quiz master Jeremy Paxman and delegates at the CIPD’s opening keynote address that he wished HR was ‘brisker’ and braver in identifying when the rules needed to be broken.The remarks came on the close of the first day of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s […]
Room for improvement – ‘talent management’ fails to score top marks
This is the conclusion of a year-long study by the CIPD into talent management.Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) annual conference today, Victoria Winkler and Rebecca Clake from the organisation said that progress could still be made with 65 per cent saying talent management efforts were effective or at best very […]
Are temps feeling the benefits? By Louise Druce
Just because you employ a temporary worker, it doesn’t mean their entitlements are just as fleeting. With controversial changes to the law on the agenda, Louise Druce looks at what firms need to do to better manage their benefits to ensure a successful relationship for all. With threats to resurrect a directive giving temporary workers […]
Could do ‘more’ – bosses ignore alcohol and drug problems
A new survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) exposes employers for failing to support employees with substance dependency problems.Just 38 per cent pay enough attention to the problem by co-ordinating rehabilitation support to help individuals with drug or alcohol problems return to work. The findings also show that four out of […]
Move to boost young people taking up IT
e-skills UK, the employer-led Sector Skills Council for IT and telecoms, is launching a drive to transform the attitudes of young people to IT-related education and careers.Supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the ‘Revitalise IT’ initiative brings together employers, universities and schools to help prepare the UK’s future IT professionals.Karen Price, […]
Voice from the workplace: Why do we mismanage people?
In a new series looking at an employee’s view of the workplace, we explore the various problems and issues experienced by this member of staff and highlight how HR and management can help to put it right. This week, management consultant John Pope responds to the problem of bad management when handling change. Introduction by […]
HR struggling to become business partner
Many HR professionals are still finding it difficult to make the move from traditional HR to strategic business partner.These are comments made by Shirley Dalziel, co-author of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) toolkit, ‘HR Business Partnering’, which aims to assist HR professionals to identify skills gaps and apply those skills to become […]
Relocation, Relocation, Relocation
HR Zone member Sandra Beale advises on how organisations can best handle a relocation of offices so that all runs smoothly and employee motivation and productivity stays in tact. In today’s competitive age many companies seek to cut costs to improve profits, which is linked to business strategy. One way of reducing overheads is to […]
Hundreds call learning advice line
A new advice line from Unionlearn has attracted 700 enquiries in its first month.The line, formally launched at the TUC conference earlier this month, offers union members advice on how to further their education, available courses and new career directions.It was accessed by trade union members across England and Wales, with psychology and law being […]
HR ‘lacks strategic skills’
The biggest challenge that HR departments face in their bid to become more strategic is a lack of skills, according to research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Institute of Employment Studies.In a poll, the CIPD found that 53 per cent of organisations had restructured their HR function in the last […]
Negotiating exit packages
Paul Archer, head of employment law at Lemon & Co Solicitors, advises on parting company with employees by negotiating exit packages, particularly in light of recent developments in the law concerning the ‘without prejudice’ rule. All HR professionals know that there are sometimes cases when it is important for an employer to part company with […]
Ask the expert: Casual labour
Esther Smith, partner at Thomas Eggar, and Martin Brewer, partner and employment law specialist at Mills & Reeve, discuss the issues surrounding continuity of service for employees on short-term contracts. The question:We employ staff in open competition for up to 11 months, through adverts placed on the website. Some posts can be for a number […]