Why the human-focused workplace leads to competitive success
In part two of this three-part series on ‘Making HR truly strategic’, Jon Ingham explores how HR transitioned from being a support function of the business to being the key driver of business success. It is an exciting time in HR currently, as so many shifts towards a more human-focused workplace are all taking place at the […]
Workplace mental health: how to be caring, not just compliant
Providing meaningful mental health support does not have to be complicated or costly for employers. By taking a simple three-staged approach to wellbeing, businesses can reap the benefits of a healthier, happier and more productive workforce. The average person today is said to spend roughly a third of their life at work – so it’s […]
Dig deeper: how to take our humanity out of hiding
Our inability to re-humanise our workplaces stems from three detrimental behavioural traps. How can we release ourselves from these harmful habits and get back in touch with our humanity? We’re not making sustainable shifts towards human-focused workplaces because we’re staying superficial when we need to dig deeper. If you’ve been involved in personal development for […]
Celebrating individualism in the workplace
The whole may be greater than the sum of its parts, but that doesn’t mean we should view and treat our workers as one and the same. Allowing your employees’ idiosyncrasies to shine in the workplace is key to creating a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Workplace culture is on nearly every people professional’s […]
Mental health: why a digital detox is essential for both wellbeing and productivity
Our ‘always on’ digital culture is having a negative effect on our mental health. It’s time to switch off. Here are three top tips to help you detach from that smartphone and start living in the real world again. Most of us use technology every day at work, at home and on the move. Modern […]
Workplace culture: why it’s time to bust the myth of the ‘ideal worker’
Many company cultures require people to compartmentalise their lives and prioritise work over all else, but research has proven that this is detrimental not just to employee wellbeing, but to the bottom line as well. I just got off the phone from my daughter who is travelling for work. This week she flew overnight, had […]
Are you really awake? Why conscious leaders are key to unlocking wellbeing
Positive wellbeing in the workplace does not come from discounted gym memberships and free fruit. It comes from a healthy working culture spearheaded by conscious leaders who instill good habits and value people’s need to switch off. We’re facing increasing complexity and stress in the modern world of work. Everywhere we’re seeing headlines about increasing […]
It’s not JUST emotions: putting energy and feelings at the heart of your work
For centuries we’ve been in denial about our human nature when it comes to work. Some of the most basic norms of the workplace are incompatible with peak human performance. Sitting down for large portions of the day, lack of natural light and air, wearing restrictive clothes and shoes, and being separated from our families […]
GDPR and HR one year on: three things you need to know
HR professionals have, on the whole, successfully jumped the hurdle of GDPR, but just as one challenge has been overcome, the prospect of a no deal Brexit raises more potential barriers that need to be addressed. One year on from GDPR coming into effect, an impressive 95% of UK HR professionals feel confident in their […]
The last mile: turning insights into actions in workplace learning analytics
In part three of a six-part series on workplace learning analytics, Trish Uhl explains how to overcome this common issue – known as ‘the last mile problem’ – transforming insights into positive action that will help steer the business in the right direction DDI research estimates that 79% of analytics programmes fail due to ‘the last mile […]
Do we really need to measure the ROI of our people?
The answer to this article’s question, through my experience to date, is no, we need to stop trying to measure the ROI on our people. Through my experience to date in international sales and strategic HR, there has been a considerable amount of human potential, and therefore organisational potential, being left on the table. The […]
Workplace stress: why good leadership is key to stress management
Work-related stress is on the rise, so it’s down to leadership teams to set a good example and take mental health more seriously. In today’s ‘always-on’ and hyper-connected workplace, work-related stress is becoming a real problem – so much so, it’s become the top cause of absenteeism for UK businesses. According to NHS Employers, stress […]
How to grow your own data scientists: a practical guide for the data-driven C-Suite
Demand for data and analytics skills is increasing, but existing leadership teams admit they often struggle with this. How can organisations upskill their existing teams while ensuring their future workforce is prepared? Data today is the fuel driving the modern business world. It therefore stands to reason that the ability to read and speak the […]
Employee engagement: how HR leaders can restore employees’ faith in career opportunities
The key to retaining talent is to offer continued career progression, but how can HR do this in the face of increased economic pressure and a volatile trading environment? Nearly half (45.6%) of UK employees who departed their jobs at the end of 2018 reported they left due to a lack of future career opportunities […]
Supporting the business isn’t strategic HR – people centricity is
HR practitioners sometimes report being conflicted about whether to align with the business to be more strategic or to better support their people. However, it is actually much more useful to see these poles as a paradox rather than a dilemma. That is, we need to do both – to focus on the business and […]
Taking communication offline to improve workplace relationships and productivity
Are you a slave to your inbox? Take part in the Miticom Friday challenge to uncover the value of putting your technology aside to have more genuine conversations. I have a challenge for you. Next Friday, while you’re at work, don’t send any emails. Not one. Every time you share some information, it has to […]
Recruitment: five problems with competency-based interviewing and a few solutions
It’s time to give traditional competency-based interviewing the sack. Here’s how to recruit better using more in-depth, conversational techniques. Most of us are familiar with competency-based interviewing, having either been on the receiving end of it as an interviewee, or as the person asking the questions. Questions like these are among the most common: […]
De-stressing the business: getting managers and workloads in check
Stressful working environments harm employee wellbeing and productivity. To get a handle on this, businesses need to address their management style and how they approach workloads. A recent CIPD study has revealed that poor management and heavy workloads are the biggest causes of workplace stress. These findings will raise some important questions for businesses, but […]
Feel the benefit: why it’s time to embrace the rewards and benefits technology sector
In the past, technology to support employee benefits initiatives has often fallen short. But today a new breed of reward platforms has emerged that frees up HR time and improves take-up. Is it therefore time for practitioners to renew their faith in modern benefits systems? Cast your mind back ten, even five, years ago and […]
Modern leadership: is neuroscience the solution to toxic leadership?
A toxic work environment is detrimental to workers’ mental health and productivity, so how can you recognise the signs and reform your office culture into a healthy and happy one? It’s all too easy to ignore a toxic culture and dismiss low level grumbling as the unfounded complaints of an insignificant minority. It’s also common […]
