Developing staff through overseas assignments
“Locating employees overseas removes them from their ‘comfort zone’ and forces them to take a fresh look at how they do things and why,” says Eoghan Mackie of Challenges Worldwide. Here he looks at how you can get the most out of overseas assignments as a staff development tool. The central tenet of HRM, that […]
40% of workers willing to work overseas
Only 40% of UK workers would be willing to work overseas… but over three quarters of these want to get as far away as possible! Research undertaken by Black Mountain, international HR and employee benefits outsourcers, discovered that 40% of us would be willing to work overseas if asked by our current employers. Of those […]
The 10 key problems with competencies
Peter Goodge of the360.co.uk highlights some of the common problems with competencies and explains some the pitfalls. In principle, there is nothing wrong with competencies – clear, helpful competencies make a huge difference to HR’s business contribution. But, in practice there is sometimes a lot wrong with competencies! An organisation often discovers its competencies are […]
Flexing the benefits?
Amanda Stainton, a reward strategy specialist at cdatransform, has been involved in the design and implementation of UK-wide flexible benefits schemes. In this article, she reflects on that experience and considers some of the practical aspects of such an implementation. As organisations continue to strive to find their USPs in terms of the employment proposition […]
Recruitment is increasingly a shared responsibility
More than half of employers surveyed have made changes to the roles of key people within the recruitment process, according to new research.Line managers have experienced the biggest shift; more than four in five employers surveyed are now involving line managers to a greater degree when recruiting some or all vacancies. The IRS research, conducted […]
Failing to act on employee surveys destroys commitment
Companies that conduct employee surveys but fail to take action on the results could seriously damage employee commitment, according to research which questioned 3500 employees.In organisations where employee surveys are conducted regularly but no follow-up action is taken, only 4 in 10 employees report a high degree of commitment, according to the research by Mercer […]
HR Tip – Garden leave
HRD & Payroll Solutions continues to bring HR Zone members a range of HR tips. This week’s tip looks at garden leave. Q: What is “garden leave” and is it lawful?A: Ordinarily if you give notice to an employee, he or she continues to work throughout the notice period in the normal way and leaves […]
HR trends for Spring
Nearly two in five employers expect to be employing more staff this year yet few anticipate a significant rise in wage costs, according to a CIPD survey.The quarterly HR Trends and Indicators survey, involving almost 2000 employees, found that more than half of employers plan to recruit this Spring. Recruitment intentions are strongest in the […]
Review: HR Strategy: Business Focused, Individually Centred
Title: HR Strategy: Business Focused Individually CentredAuthor: Paul KearnsPublisher: Butterworth-HeinemannISBN: 0750657685 Price: £21.99Review by: Denis W BarnardFor some time now, Paul Kearns has contributed some very stimulating articles in various management and HR journals. In this book, he sets out to clarify the direct lines of sight needed to ensure that the HR and Business […]
Information and consultation
A recent IPA survey found that only a quarter of UK companies have plans in place to deal with the forthcoming information and consultation legislation. Annabel Mackay of Charles Russell Solicitors helps employers get to grips with the new law by providing an overview of the legislation and employers’ obligations. In July 2003, the DTI […]
2020: future of work predictions
A new report, Surviving and Thriving in the Future World of Work identifies the action today, which will prepare for the future world of work. In addition to eldercare, it considers the impact of outsourcing, technology and generation X and Y, on the workplace.It predicts that by 2020… The cost of absenteeism due to stress […]
Eldercare is fast becoming key work-life balance issue
A new report published today predicts that by 2020, eldercare will have replaced childcare as the major work-life balance issue. Surviving and Thriving in the Future World of Work by Ceridian Centrefile warns that changing demographics and an ageing population will create a unique situation – the first generation of employees expected to spend more […]
Study finds e-learners ‘get what they need’
Almost all IT e-learners in a new study said they got what they needed out of their course, regardless of whether they finished it.The survey, by e-learning provider SkillSoft showed that many wanting to update their IT skills tended to learn on-the-job and apply their new skills immediately.Only 23% of employees actually completed an IT […]
Learning Solutions 2004 – 25 & 26 May 2004
Taking place on 25 & 26 May 2004 at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, Learning Solutions 2004 is a national event dedicated to learning.Learning Solutions will feature an exhibition of over 50 of the industry’s leading companies and a conference programme focusing on the practicalities of implementing integrated solutions. Visitors will be able […]
Flexible working at Asda
Asda topped The Sunday Times Top Company to Work for Survey poll in 2002, and was named Britain’s best company for flexibility in 2003.So what does Asda’s flexible working package include? Seasonal SquadAsda is aiming to increase its number of older workers by offering seasonal jobs where colleagues need only work for 10 weeks of […]
Firms ‘breaking the law’ over bank holiday rights
With the Easter weekend fast approaching, a new survey has found that more than one in five British employers could be breaking the law when it comes to withholding bank holiday rights from part-time workers.The survey of HR professionals by Croner Consulting found that 21% don’t offer their part-time staff the same bank holiday rights […]
Review: Management Teams
Title: Management TeamsPublisher: Elsevier Butterworth – HeinemannAuthor: R.Meredith BelbinISBN: 0750659106Price: £16.99Review by: Dr Colin ThompsonThe review on the back cover perfectly describes the intended audience of the text that says “It should be read by all that have responsibility and authority for guiding organisations in their selection of management teams.” An essential book for building […]
How Did I Get Here? Adrian Glynn, Wilkins Kennedy
Currently the HR Director at Wilkins Kennedy, Adrian Glynn spills the beans on his career to date. All the previous career profiles can also be seen in the special How Did I Get Here? page. Current job titleDirector of HR, Wilkins KennedyDescribe your initial training within the professionI transferred into HR when I was working […]
Flexible working – one year on
Almost three-quarters of employers have received requests for flexible working since April 2003 yet two-thirds of employers believe that the new law has had little impact on their business, according to research published today. Employers also anticipate an increased demand from their workforce for flexible working over the next three years, with 73% of respondents […]
Report calls for extension of right to request to work flexibly
A new report on the impact of the first year of the Right to Request legislation has found that many employers still fail to understand it or are deliberately flouting its requirements. The report recommends: The age restrictions on the Right to Request should be removed and the right extended to all employees. There should […]
