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 […]
Three ways to help solve the HR productivity problem
How can HR professionals improve their technology use, workflow and communications to enhance their productivity? Recent research has revealed that HR workers spend seven hours a week manually checking, responding to and keeping up with different HR applications – the equivalent of 367 hours a year. With these workflow interruptions, it comes as no surprise […]
AI for recruitment: can robots really offer HR teams complete bias-free hiring?
While AI offers many possibilities for the HR sector, it is problematic when it comes to bias-free recruitment. Artificial intelligence (AI) is seemingly ubiquitous these days, with potential uses for it rearing their head in pretty much every business sector, and talent management is no exception. The latest development in this regard has been an […]
Mental health awareness: spotting the signs and starting the conversation
Two in three managers feel confident promoting wellbeing, but less than half of staff think managers would spot their mental health problems. For the last three years, we’ve been delivering our Workplace Wellbeing Index, a benchmark of best policy and practice when it comes to employers promoting good mental health among their employees. This year, […]
Wellbeing at work: why we need a culture shift, not just a policy change
Wellbeing isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ – it should be a core part of your employee strategy. Here, we look at the business drivers for this and how to implement good wellbeing practices in your organisation. Bereavement, sleep loss, relationship issues, stress, anxiety and depression – these are just some of the common mental […]
Nudging: what HR professionals should understand about behavioural science
Getting people to change their behaviour or make certain choices requires a ‘nudge’ – but how can HR teams make sure that they are not only nudging effectively, but ethically too? You may have noticed that there is a buzz around ‘nudging’, or behavioural economics as it is more formally called. You will doubtless have […]
