Standing up for the workplace wellbeing profession

The role of health and wellbeing professionals is not to be a positive and shining beacon of light for the company. Their aim is to improve the health of both the business and its people by ensuring employees feel supported, respected and included. Telling people you work in health and wellbeing is like saying you studied leisure and […]
Workplace wellness in 2019: seven quick hacks to ensure maximum engagement

As we embark on a new year, many HR practitioners will be reviewing and refreshing their company’s wellness programmes. For those who are struggling to get started, here are seven useful hacks… Look back on your wellbeing initiatives this year and think about what worked and what didn’t. You might notice that it’s the same […]
Most-read HRZone articles of 2018

Here’s a roundup of the most-read HRZone articles and reports in 2018. Topics span people analytics, employee benefits, wellbeing, employee engagement, remote working and more. Check the list and make sure you haven’t missed out on what your peers have already read! Which HRZone articles grabbed the attention of HR professionals in 2018? Explore our […]
99% perspiration: the challenge of being a midlife professional woman

Mid-life professional women often have to juggle the pressures of work, child care and ageing parents, all while going through the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause. How can HR offer support and flexibility for these women? Most companies today are pretty enlightened about the fact that women with children often want to work, often need to […]
Wearable technology: what’s the impact on workplace wellbeing?

Digital technology is changing how we operate and make decisions every day. In an ‘always connected environment’, we’re seeing apps and wearables playing a more prominent role than ever before. This article was co-authored by Glenn Rankin, CEO of Healthia; Nick Court, Director of The People Experience Hub; and Paul Nash, Head of Clinical Governance at […]
How to help your employees become more resilient

In order to help employees manage stress, organisations should create a culture of openness, provide effective training and role-model healthy working practices. Resilience training has never been so popular. We’re all expected to ‘do more with less’ and no organisation can afford to allow ongoing workplace stress to impact the bottom line. A variety of useful techniques can be […]
Why wellbeing in the workplace is a joint effort

Creating a culture of wellbeing should be a collaborative effort: employers should empower staff to become happier and more productive. Wellbeing at work is a hot topic. Everywhere you look there are new suggestions for employers on how they can support employees’ mental, physical, financial and emotional wellbeing. While getting employers on board is vital in creating […]
Is our use of technology doing more harm than good?

There’s no denying that technology has many benefits, but are we ignoring the damage that comes from our reliance on digital devices? It’s 8.30 in the morning and hundreds of people are crossing London Bridge on their journey to work. Around a fifth of them are looking at their mobile phones as they walk – they’re watching […]
How can HR managers make the case for investing in culture?

Successful businesses have strong cultures that underpin their performance. So, why are some professionals still resistant to investing in this aspect of a business? Great organisations take culture seriously – or are eventually forced to. Companies such as Apple, P&G, Walt Disney and McDonalds have achieved enduring success by investing properly in workplace cultures defined by […]
Book review: Who can you Trust? How Technology Brought Us Together – and Why It Could Drive Us Apart

HRZone has a range of books available for review. If you would like to receive one of our business books, free of charge, please contact the editor on editor at hrzone dot com and we can send you a list of what’s available. In return, we ask for a 400-700 word review of the book, […]
Motivating employees? Start with their four basic emotional needs

In order to build an effective work culture that can improve your business’s bottom line, you must get to know your workforce. If you grasp what drives each of your employees, you can better design policies, procedures, and practices that will appeal to your workforce and improve employee motivation. According to Harvard professors Paul Lawrence and Nitin […]
Talent management: why HR needs to stop promoting based on the Peter Principle

At Academics’ Corner we explore the latest HR research coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know about. Here, Jan Hills, Partner at Head Heart + Brian, looks at research on promotions and the Peter Principle. I’ve been mentoring a number of my daughter’s friends who are hitting challenges in their careers, they are at […]
How visual communications could transform your business

There is a growing body of evidence that suggests employees respond better to visual forms of communication, such as videos and imagery. Improving the way you communicate with staff could also benefit your business. Employees are faced with a constant barrage of email content both internally and from external customers and suppliers, and this can be pretty overwhelming […]
Minimise threat and maximise reward to accelerate change

Discover why it’s important for businesses to develop a sound understanding of neuroscience principles to help employees through periods of change and uncertainty. Is there a leader today who is not involved in a change situation? Most leaders have some form of change project or programme going on. With the amount of uncertainty and the challenging […]
Is there such a thing as emoji-nal intelligence?

Our ability to express emotions in the workplace could be made simpler by using the humble emoji. By no means are they a substitute for real life interactions, but research suggests they could facilitate a more nuanced interpretation of emails and text messages. Being born in the mid-90s, I am a so-called millennial. I am part of the generation that […]
Time to rediscover your values

Organisations must keep their values at the core of everyday operations or risk employees losing a sense of purpose and productivity. In a recent meeting with a client’s staff I was struck by how flat people were when talking about their organisation’s stated purpose and values. I offered the observation that from an outsider’s point of […]
How to solve the diversity crisis in local government leadership

There is a leadership gulf in local government when it comes to BAME representation – a problem caused by institutions and society as a whole. If there were more role models then individuals would be empowered to reach outside their perceived boundaries. In October, the Prime Minister announced that public services, including the NHS, armed forces, schools and the police force will […]
Invisible disabilities: it’s time for HR to get hearing loss on the agenda

People with hidden disabilities, such as deafness and hearing loss, are often overlooked and lack support in the workplace. HR can play a key role in removing any barriers faced by affected individuals and empower these employees to thrive in their job. In recent years, both the government and employers have been actively making strides towards […]
What are the legal implications of managing mental health in the workplace?

With an increasing number of organisations implementing initiatives to support employee mental health and wellbeing, what are the legal implications to be aware of? Recent tribunals have queried the actions of a ‘reasonable employer’, putting management and often named individuals at risk of legal action. Mental health is the largest single cause of absence in […]
Beyond the jargon: is HR tech lost in translation?

Reliance on technology and understanding its language can create communication barriers. To offset this, HR professionals need to develop non-technical tactics. We are all too aware of the vitality of the HR technology upon which we rely, with that tech not only vital, but very much alive and changing all the time. As HR leaders we are often just as aware […]