Connecting candidate, employee and customer experience through a strong culture

Ahead of the 5th Annual Spring UNLEASH Conference & Expo, we spoke to Danielle Harmer, Chief People Officer at Metro Bank, about joining up the experiences of candidates, employees and customers through company culture. Danielle will be leading a roundtable discussion on this topic on Day 2 of the conference (20th March) at 11:15am on […]

Are leaders really committed to talent development?

Are senior leaders only paying lip service to talent development? If so, it may be wasting time, money and be jeopardising the success of your programme. Discover tips on how to gain real commitment from the important people in your organisation. A talent development strategy may feel like it is yours to deliver but it […]

How to support LGBT+ employees throughout the year

Businesses have realised the importance and profitability of working with the LGBT+ communities. But employers should recognise that popping up during Pride and disappearing for the rest of the year is unhelpful. Support for LGBT+ employees must be provided on a consistent basis throughout the year. There has been an increasing need for businesses to […]

The danger of cognitive biases in the aviation industry

At Academics’ Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. If you’re an academic with a relevant story, please get in touch on academicscorner@hrzone.com. We all make decisions every day. Get up now or grab an extra few […]

Rise to the top: how to nurture successful teams

Performance management strategies would benefit from embracing Carol Dweck’s theory: developing a growth mindset that actively encourages talent to learn and improve. Imagine a world in which ‘know-it-alls’ are replaced with ‘learn-it-alls’. Not a bad vision, is it?  As a topic of conversation in the HR world, it’s encouraging to see that ongoing learning is increasingly being […]

Transformational HR: why we need a people-centred approach

We hear about transformation all the time, and mainly it’s about digital transformation. The next wave of automation, technology that’s more virtual, slick and seamless – that kind of thing. A big programme is built, maybe a division setup for it and then we unleash our plans on our people and the world. It seems like the […]

How can HR travel the right road to future work?

In the first of this three-part series, Mike Hammer – aka ‘The Gig Doctor’ – defines a mapping process for HR leaders on the road to future work. Road signs and people skills necessary to survive and thrive with future work environments are offered. His hope with this series is to help HR professionals and […]

Technology to boost team blend and performance

Advances in technology are enabling employers to select teams with a complementary blend of skills, experience and personality – vital when it comes to improving business performance. Research by Gallup shows that highly engaged business units achieve a 10% increase in customer metrics and a 20% increase in sales. But this balance can be difficult to achieve.  A poorly blended […]

Onboarding: How to succeed with your remote team

Hiring a remote candidate poses unique recruitment issues, so you need to search for dedicated and motivated workers, preferably with prior experience working remotely, who seem like a good fit for your culture.  Hiring checks will be for nought if you don’t apply the same care and special remote consideration to your employee onboarding process. Remote employees are […]

Good Work Plan: what are the implications for employers?

Changes in the law regarding employment rights will come into force on 6 April 2020, so it’s vital that HR teams prepare well in advance. After the flurry of announcements at the end of last year about the outcome of the Taylor Review, the Employment Rights (Employment Particulars and Paid Annual Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 (SI […]

How women can succeed: changing gender perceptions

Many acknowledge there is a gender diversity problem in Britain’s boardrooms, in fact less than 5% of executive directors at FTSE 250 index companies are female. But what are the reasons for the imbalance?   Perhaps men have better leadership qualities? Our latest research suggests not. Indeed it shows that, contrary to popular opinion, male and female leaders […]

Company transition: three ways HR leaders can get on the right road

HR leaders need to find ways to support employees during periods of company transition – with the best strategies built into an organisation’s overall culture, not hastily created at the last minute. Over 50 major retail chains went bankrupt in 2017 – up from 47 filings in 2016 and 30 in 2014.  It seems as though retailers across the nation are […]

What really happens in leadership coaching sessions?

Do organisations really understand the value of leadership coaching and how can employees get the most out of the experience? Increasingly I find the stated objectives of coaching (what we have to tell the organisation in order to get the investment) are out of sync with what we’ll actually be working on and where the actual value […]

Why do we naturally delegate based on personality?

The ability to delegate effectively is the cornerstone of excellent leadership, so why does it so often become clouded by poor personal judgement. This article examines ways to avoid the personality trap and become a better delegator. Whether we like it or not, we naturally delegate based on personality. Put another way, would we really […]

Microchipping employees: the next big thing?

How might the emerging trend of employers microchipping employees impact the workplace and can it ever be justified? Ever since the 1990s, convicted criminals have been ‘tagged’ to ensure compliance with bail conditions and tagging continues to this day.  The fact that the Ministry of Justice is scaling back the tagging system, at a time when […]

Reward and recognition: the changing expectations of employees

If your company’s reward and recognition programme is somewhat outdated and lacklustre, then it’s probably time for a refresh. A shift in approach goes beyond boosting engagement levels, playing a key role in enhancing the wider employee experience. Recognition. It regularly crops up on lists featuring tips on how to keep your employees happy. Entrepreneur.com suggests it […]

Three ways to make your employee benefits provider work for you

On the face of it, all benefits providers can look pretty much the same. Of course, this isn’t true (otherwise we would all be in trouble), but companies need to make sure that they don’t lose sight of what they want to achieve when working with a provider. It’s all too easy to fall into […]

Digital devices: what does the future hold for employee benefits?

The rise in popularity of wearable technology shows no sign of abating. So, how can employers embrace this new set of digital tools to improve the employee experience and enhance productivity levels? Whilst sales of smartphones have plateaued, the adoption of wearable technology by consumers has skyrocketed.  Today, people can use their wearable devices to control and monitor […]

HR technology: are we facing a digital employee experience divide?

Employees are starting to expect that the standard of technology they use at home is accessible to them in the workplace. How can HR match and meet their workforce’s demand for a premium digital experience? There are two change curves gently rising when it comes to employee experience, and their compound effect means that HR […]

Why building trust can improve employee engagement

In a world where a job for life no longer exists, staff need more subtle forms of motivation to improve their performance. Although a financial package is still a key factor, now it’s also about a company’s culture – is it built on a bond of trust? Worker engagement: it’s that the elusive Holy Grail that every CEO, manager and […]