Review: Managing Talented People
This review examines “Managing Talented People” by Alan Robertson and Graham Abbey, a thought-provoking guide exploring how to attract and develop talented employees. The book combines research, reflection, and real-world examples to challenge managers’ approaches, arguing that talented people require different management styles and continuous engagement to thrive.
News in Brief: The week in HR – 20/05/05
This week’s HR roundup covers employment growth reaching 28.6 million workers, major bonuses for Tesco and Royal Mail staff, Sainsbury’s over-50s recruitment campaign, and the DTI’s brief name change reversal. Key labor market updates and workplace developments affecting UK employers and employees.
Editor’s Comment: Innovate or fail?
Royal Mail’s turnaround from £1.5 million daily losses to £537 million annual profit wasn’t driven by service innovation, but by reinvigorating its workforce through performance-linked pay and improved workplace culture. The case raises the question: is innovation always the key to business success, or can operational excellence and employee engagement deliver results?
HR Zone Briefing #246 – HR Diary – Bridget Jones eat your heart out!
HR Zone Briefing #246 features a new diary column from HR consultant Sue Kingston, chronicling the humorous ups and downs of working in HR. The issue also covers salary errors, health and safety training case studies, and workplace conduct tips.
HR Practitioner’s Diary
Sue Kingston, an experienced HR consultant, shares insights on TUPE transfers during business acquisitions, workplace drug and alcohol policies, and her consulting experiences in this new diary column.
Colborn’s Corner: Employee engagement – realism or wishful thinking?
Employee engagement significantly impacts organizational success beyond HR initiatives—it affects recruitment, reputation, and customer perception. Research shows that engaged employees speak positively about their employer, influencing external market perception and bottom-line performance through effective communication and management practices.
Salary errors – the hidden debt
Millions of pounds are lost annually to salary overpayments caused by communication delays between HR and payroll departments. While employment law often protects ex-employees who spent money in good faith, recovery is typically possible if the overpayment is reported promptly and the employment contract permits it.
Case Study: Health and Safety training at Scottish Power
Scottish Power switched from traditional classroom training to e-learning to reduce costs and improve effectiveness. Their pilot showed e-learning users scored 10% higher on assessments and completed training in half the time, leading to 20+ courses including mandatory health and safety training for new employees.
HR Zone Members Newswire #99 – Drink and drugs – time for tough talking?
Alcohol and substance abuse costs UK business £6.4 billion annually through lost productivity. HR Zone members debate workplace drugs and alcohol policies, examining whether prevention strategies and lifestyle monitoring are the right approach for organizations.
HR Tip: Behaviour at work functions
Employees can face disciplinary action for misbehavior at official company functions held offsite or after hours. Employers should establish clear conduct expectations beforehand and designate a senior manager to oversee events and address misconduct promptly.
Case law: Agency worker status
The Court of Appeal’s decision in Postworth v. Bunce clarifies that agency workers are not automatically employees. The court found that detailed umbrella agreements between agencies and workers can preclude employee status, even when workers maintain regular assignments over extended periods.
How Did I Get Here? Paul Dowie, HR Director at ITN
Paul Dowie, HR Director at ITN, discusses his career path from Sainsbury’s Personnel Manager to leading HR at the news broadcaster, including managing major TUPE transfers when ITN won the London ITV news contract.
Feature: Training Evaluation Part 1 – What’s it all about?
Training evaluation can mean different things depending on perspective: organizations need to assess whether training solves problems and justifies investment, while trainers focus on whether training achieved its objectives. This first article explores Kirkpatrick’s framework and key evaluation questions to clarify the concept.
The Couch?! Big brother house
Imagine a fantasy Big Brother house filled with historical and cultural icons—from Sigmund Freud to Marilyn Monroe to Shakespeare. This entertaining thought experiment explores who would clash, romance, or annoy each other among history’s most famous figures.
Editor’s Comment: Under control?
Alcohol misuse costs UK businesses £6.4 billion annually in lost productivity, with surveys revealing 68% of workers drink during lunch hours. While employers increasingly consider drug and alcohol testing to address workplace substance abuse, experts argue lifestyle policing is impractical and raises ethical concerns.
Review: Strategy
Mark Daniell’s “Strategy” provides a practical step-by-step approach to developing and presenting world-class business strategy, drawing on insights from Porter, McKinsey, and other leading frameworks. The book includes downloadable PowerPoint templates and uses a Swiss watch company case study to illustrate diagnosis, design, and implementation stages at an exceptional value price.
HR Zone Briefing #245 – Equality in danger?
HR Zone Briefing #245 explores current employment law trends, including extended maternity leave proposals and their potential impact on women’s hiring. The issue examines payroll considerations, corporate social responsibility, employee satisfaction, and flexible working best practices for HR professionals.
How ‘FIT’ is your company?
FIT (Framework for Internal Transformation) is a psychology-based approach that determines organizational competitiveness through employee flexibility and adaptive behavior. Companies that embrace FIT principles operate effectively outside their comfort zones, outperforming rigid competitors through greater behavioral range and continuous development in real-world contexts.
Cut and run or stick with it?
Businesses face a key decision: embrace organizational change or maintain the status quo. HR consultant Sandra Beale explores when change drives growth versus when stability preserves efficiency, emphasizing that successful transformation requires consulting employees and clear communication.
Case Study: Tuning into e-learning
ntl, the UK’s largest cable operator, implemented Macromedia Breeze to enhance its e-learning strategy with rapid content delivery and virtual training capabilities. The solution enabled the company to connect subject matter experts with geographically dispersed staff while remaining user-friendly and compatible with their existing learning management system.
