Q&A: how collaboration tools are empowering HR – Geoff Perfect, Workplace by Facebook
Digital technology is connecting people in ways we never thought possible in the past. In an illuminating Q&A on day one of UNLEASH London 2019, Geoff Perfect, global sales director at Workplace by Facebook, explains how technology is paving the way for organisations to embrace and celebrate the ‘human’ elements of doing business. Alongside boosting productivity, […]
Leadership: how to avoid anger hijack with emotional intelligence
Intellect can only get you so far in the workplace – emotional intelligence is what’s required if you want to be an effective manager. Work is good for your health, so we are told. It’s certainly true that a good job can provide meaningful activity and friendship, as well as a means of paying the bills. It […]
Remote working: five top tips for keeping home workers healthy
Think back to archive images of men in grey suits, bowler hats and rolled up umbrellas, marching together like a colony of penguins, all heading in the same direction to offices that were as uniform as their appearance. Communication was limited to meetings, phones and letters. Most people worked their way up in one organisation, […]
Putting the ‘human’ back into human resources
In order for businesses to be truly inclusive they must adapt their attitudes and behaviour towards those with disabilites and embrace human-centred skills. We can see emerging trends form in the HR landscape in terms of leadership and people with disabilities. At a time of increased automation and amid businesses preparing for wider use of artificial intelligence, HR functions are […]
How can HR build new bridges for future work?
The assumptions, strategies and techniques that have helped HR in the past will not suffice for navigating through the disruptive tsunami that is set to impact every business and its workforce. In the second of this series, Mike Hammer – aka ‘The Gig Doctor’ – explores how to sort out the good, the bad and […]
‘The Brain at Work in the 21st Century’ – Baroness Susan Greenfield at UNLEASH London 2019
What do humans do best? We learn. In a fascinating quick-fire lesson on neuroscience at UNLEASH London this year, Baroness Susan Greenfield couldn’t emphasise this enough. One important lesson we’ve not yet learnt though is that technology is having a damaging impact on our brain’s development. Neuroplasticity is a critical feature of our brain’s development. […]
How to take care of people, the planet and profits
Twenty-first century businesses need to prioritise more than the traditional bottom line – the new world order is about the social, environmental and the financial. Traditional businesses are set up with one aim and one aim only: to make as much profit for the shareholders as possible. In fact, in many states it has been illegal to have […]
‘The Wild New World of Technology’ – Josh Bersin at UNLEASH London 2019
If you missed Josh Bersin’s fast-paced, ears-on-the-ground update on the HR tech landscape at UNLEASH London this year, fear not. Here’s a condensed version to get you up to speed. Closing day one of UNLEASH, Bersin’s session ‘A wild new world of HR technology’ endeavoured to help the HR professional make sense of a highly […]
When resilience training isn’t the answer
Resilience training can be hugely beneficial for many – but it has a time and a place. Are some managers offering this training as a solution to a difficult situation just to avoid conflict? Have you ever witnessed someone being asked to go on a resilience training course after bringing up a workplace issue or conflict […]
Management transformation: time for change
In this time of rapid change leaders must remain agile and flexible in their approach. We examine how staff can help management identify ways to lead effective transformation. We are in a new world of unimaginable uncertainty. Not just with our Brexit woes, but with AI tech, emerging markets, globalisation, new competition et al. Monzo, Netflix, […]
Psychological safety: how supportive teams enable innovation
Companies that embrace psychological safety often focus on the positive effect it has on team cohesion. Whilst that is important, it also allows people with different personality types the chance to share innovative ideas. Psychological safety has become something of a trendy topic in management, even though there is much confusion about what it actually means and how it might be measured. […]
Management hierarchies: are they still necessary in the workplace?
Digital technology has transformed the workplace and companies at the cutting edge are embracing flatter hierarchical management structures. It’s time for businesses to unpick bureaucratic processes and focus on developing an innovative and agile workforce. Most employees value clear direction from leaders, but they also value autonomy. In our modern, fast-moving world, the most successful organisations are those who are […]
Groupthink: how to avoid the follower mentality
Businesses must remain vigilant against the dangers of groupthink and create a workplace culture that encourages and listens to diverse opinions. Back in 2007 I ran a session for senior traders in a financial services organisation. A participant was presenting a project about a complex new financial product to the room. As the presentation rolled […]
Are those cliché HR metrics working for you?
Traditional HR metrics focus too much on macro events that HR professionals in reality have little influence over. Here are the micro KPIs you should be working towards instead… When I ask people in HR to talk about achievements, the things that they are proud of and what might make it onto their CV for the […]
Four things you should never say about change
Communicating change requires management to look beyond trite cliches and consider the emotional complexities staff members will experience and support them appropriately. I’ve never liked clichés. Beneath many clichés there is a truth, but there’s also a lie. As HR professionals, we need to look hard at our assumptions if we aren’t going to perpetuate […]
Next-gen performance management: an interview with David Mallon, Bersin by Deloitte
Ahead of the 5th Annual Spring UNLEASH Conference & Expo, we spoke to David Mallon, Chief Analyst at Bersin by Deloitte, about what the future holds for performance management. David will be speaking on this topic in his session ‘Performance Management, Disrupted: An updated look at the evolving state of PM and related technologies’, taking […]
Five ways to ensure a smooth transformation to global HR
Choosing an HR software system that enables you to transform the way you handle data globally requires careful consideration, research and preparation for the complexities that lay ahead. Regardless of whether you have thousands of employees or a just a few hundred, if you operate internationally, you’ll be more than aware that in today’s increasingly connected (and […]
How can HR create change for women at work in the Post-#MeToo era?
Gender equality is not going to be achieved through creating special groups for women. For real change to occur in the workplace, HR professionals must empower both men and women to take shared responsibility for one another. Genetically, we are all born different even though in principle we function in the same way regardless of […]
Strategic data: unlocking HR’s secret weapon
Businesses are failing to recognise the importance of data managed by HR teams. Equally HR professionals are not yet skilled enough in data to harness its power and help secure their future strategic function within an organisation. Something has to change. HR holds some of the most critical data within any organisation. This includes everything from data on employee engagement […]
The future workforce: align your employee benefits to workers’ shifting attitudes
Don’t let your employee benefits offering lose touch with what your people actually want. The workplace is ever-evolving – and at a far greater pace today than we’ve ever seen before, as are the motivations and priorities of the UK workforce. As we speed towards the end of one decade and into the next, UK workers […]
