Top Ten CV Howlers Revealed
A survey of over 400 CVs reveals the most common mistakes that damage job applications, including spelling errors, poor formatting, unexplained job gaps, and irrelevant information. Half of all CVs contain spelling or grammatical mistakes, while others fail to tailor content to specific roles or properly organize work experience.
Doing the Business with Coaching
Coaching delivers maximum business value when strategically aligned with organizational goals rather than applied as a standalone intervention. Expert Dianne Bown-Wilson argues that effective coaching requires systematic structure, clear performance measurement, and integration with business needs to move beyond temporary fixes and create lasting organizational change.
The Way I See It…11 Myths about Coaching
Coaching is often misunderstood, confused with mentoring, counseling, or dismissed as a modern fad. Jan Brause clarifies 11 common myths about coaching, explaining how it differs from other development approaches and demonstrating its measurable value for professional and personal growth.
Workers Want More Training
Two-fifths of UK workers lack sufficient training opportunities despite 55% believing structured training would boost their productivity. Research shows younger workers particularly value tailored training programmes for career progression.
First class service for Royal Mail staff
Royal Mail is launching incentive schemes to combat high absenteeism, offering staff weekend breaks and a Ford Focus car for maintaining perfect attendance records. With 10,000 employees absent at any time, the organization faces annual costs of approximately one million pounds and aims to reward good attendance while improving its public image.
Control wage costs, says CIPD
The CIPD warns employers to control wage costs following a quarter-point interest rate increase to 4.75%, as inflation pressures mount and the labor market tightens, despite staff seeking higher pay to offset increased borrowing costs.
Case Study: The Argos Induction Programme
Argos developed a comprehensive induction programme at its Staffordshire distribution centre to build team culture and improve retention. The programme included welcome days, role-based learning, coaching, and workshops designed to engage new staff with company vision and values. Early feedback showed 88% of employees felt fully satisfied and understood their roles.
Chester business supports marriage plans
Chester business The Funding Corporation offers employees an extra week’s paid holiday when they get married, going beyond standard UK entitlements. The initiative aims to reduce wedding-related stress and boost productivity by allowing staff adequate time for planning and preparation.
HR Tip – Gross misconduct
Gross misconduct is behavior so serious it breaches employment contracts fundamentally, making continued employment intolerable. Common examples include harassment, bullying, assault, theft, and serious health and safety violations. Employers must investigate and hold disciplinary hearings before dismissing without notice.
Cash is not king
UK workers prioritize job fulfillment and security over high salaries, according to new research by Investors in People. Nearly 78% of employees report feeling motivated at work, though slow wage growth in HR roles is driving increased resignations.
Discrimination claims may soar
Employers risk discrimination claims if they fail to apply consistent procedures when verifying workers’ eligibility to work in the UK. Cherry-picking candidates by appearance or making random document checks can be deemed discriminatory, despite legal requirements under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.
HR plays major role in mergers and acquisitions
HR involvement is crucial for successful mergers and acquisitions, yet many companies engage human resources too late in the process. Effective preparation and change management during all stages—particularly integration—help prevent culture clashes and employee-related failures that commonly derail deals.
How Did I Get Here? Trevor Lakin, IPPM
Trevor Lakin, Managing Director of the Institute of Payroll and Pensions Management, shares how a frank conversation at a 1984 lunch inspired him to establish the professional organization, which now employs over 40 staff and 70 part-time tutors delivering payroll and pensions qualifications.
Business turns its back on MBAs
Financial services firms are increasingly ditching expensive MBAs in favor of coaching and mentoring programs, according to a survey by business psychologists OPP Ltd. The study of senior officers and HR directors found 34% prefer tailored executive coaching and 30% favor mentoring for developing leadership skills. Businesses are choosing to nurture top performers through tailored internal development schemes rather than traditional MBA routes.
Confusion abounds over management of temp workforce
A recent survey reveals significant gaps in temporary worker management, with 69% of line managers unaware of legal rules and 28% misunderstanding the risks of treating temps like permanent employees. The confusion creates exposure to employment tribunal claims for unfair dismissal and discrimination.
HR Zone Members Newswire #59 – Coaching and mentoring – understanding the difference
Explore the key differences between coaching and mentoring in HR practice. This HR Zone members’ newswire discusses whether organizations recognize these as distinct functions or conflate the terms, alongside debates on HR profession pay trends and outsourcing experiences.
IIP Tells Employers to Make Motivation Their Mantra
Research from Investors in People reveals that job content and challenge motivate employees far more than pay, with 43% citing meaningful work as their primary driver. Poor management communication and lack of recognition emerge as the top demotivators, affecting nearly one-third of workers.
Understanding Coaching and Mentoring
Coaching and mentoring are often used interchangeably, but they differ significantly in purpose, focus, and duration. Coaching targets specific skill or knowledge acquisition through expert instruction, while mentoring emphasizes long-term professional and personal development through relationship-based guidance.
The Challenges for UK Management
UK managers must shift from traditional control-focused approaches to talent development to drive innovation, according to Institute of Leadership and Management Chief Executive Gary Ince. He argues that overemphasis on cost reduction and control has hindered British business competitiveness compared to the US economy.
British public: live for today not for tomorrow
Only half of UK working adults are making pension provisions, with young people citing high costs and older workers ignoring retirement planning altogether. A new survey reveals many prefer spending extra income on leisure rather than securing their financial future.
