HRDs unconvinced by social recruitment – study

The majority of HR directors are failing to use social media for recruitment purposes, with a huge 70% unsure of whether it is effective or not. A survey of 200 UK HRDs conducted by recruitment consultancy, Robert Half, revealed that a mere three out of 10 were using social networking sites to either source or […]

Employers getting more relaxed about staff social media usage

The number of large organisations planning to block employees’ access to social media is continuing to drop as corporate attitudes towards social networks become more relaxed, according to Gartner. New research by the analyst organisation indicated that less than 30% of large firms intend to prevent staff from accessing social network sites by 2014 compared […]

Analysis: SAP’s SuccessFactors’ roadmap draws mixed analyst reaction

Even though SAP revealed initial plans for its SuccessFactors acquisition last week, analysts have mixed views as to what they are likely to mean for HR directors. The enterprise software vendor clarified that SuccessFactors’ Employee Central would henceforth be its core cloud HR offering going forward, while its own human capital management applications would be […]

Analysis: Oracle unveils plans for its Taleo acquisition

 While last week it was SAP explaining plans for its SuccessFactors acquisition, this week, it was the turn of the application vendor’s arch-enemy Oracle to talk about its Taleo purchase. Earlier this month, Oracle announced that it would buy Software-as-a-Service-based talent management and recruitment software provider, Taleo, for $1.9 billion. The acquisition is expected to […]

Shaping future strategy: Workforce analytics

We see it every day in the headlines, particularly over the last few years – ‘Top Company Cuts 1000s of Staff’.  All too often, there is a knee-jerk reaction after senior executives and managers conclude that headcount equals only cost and they neglect to consider what value their people bring to the business.   They […]

Blog: How to embed a learning culture

I guess many companies have survived over many years without what we’ve started to call a Learning Culture, but without doubt it’s going to be a major help. When Kaplan & Norton first published their balanced score card method in the mid 1990’s it was interesting to note their attention to learning: Customer goals, Finance […]

HRD Summit: ‘HR’s biggest failure has been an over-focus on process’

HR’s biggest single failure over the last 10 years has been an over-focus on process at the expense of outcomes, despite there being little evidence that the majority of such processes even work. This was the key finding of a keynote panel discussion at the HR Directors’ Summit in Birmingham earlier this week entitled ‘Reflections […]

EU data protection law proposals to make “huge demands” on HR

The European Commission is suggesting changes to existing data protection legislation that could see employers fined up to 2% of their global turnover if they and their workers fail to comply with it. The proposals, which will now go before the European Parliament and are expected to take as much as two years to come […]

Vince Cable unveils plans to curb excessive executive pay

Business Secretary Vince Cable has unveiled government plans to curb executive pay and address what he described as “a clear market failing”. In a speech to MPs this week, Cable focused on matters of transparency, shareholder power, diversity and good practice, saying that. although it was “not government’s role to micro-manage company pay”, there were […]

Health worker fined after illegally accessing patient records

A former health worker has been fined for unlawfully obtaining patient information by accessing the medical records of five members of her ex-husband’s family in order to obtain their new telephone numbers.   Juliah Kechil, formerly Merritt, a former health care assistant in the Outpatients Department at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital was convicted under section […]

Trends 2012: Technology ‘consumerisation’ in the workplace

The office parties are over, the leftovers are dealt with and everyone’s had a much-needed break. Before the detail of the daily grind dispels any notions of strategic thought, however, the beginning of the year offers a chance to consider what is changing in the workplace, what new opportunities are presenting themselves and, indeed, what […]

Trends 2012: Talent management

It’s been difficult for the HR industry to keep pace with the multitude of employment law changes this year – a situation compounded by the turbulent economic situation in Europe. The UK Government’s reference to ”six years of austerity” was no empty threat and businesses are continuing to make redundancies, undertake restructuring and redeploy staff […]

Blog: Don’t big bosses need training sometimes too?

Executive level development can be a bit of a touchy topic in some UK businesses – you can see the areas that need polishing but no one is prepared to suggest they get the duster out! At least that’s the case some of the time. In an alternative scenario the suggested development need is highlighted […]

NHS staff expose confidential patient data 5 times per week

NHS staff are revealing highly sensitive information up to five times a week by posting messages about patients on Facebook, discussing their illnesses in public or losing their medical files. The news was relayed in a shock-horror Daily Mail expose, but was derived from a Freedom of Information request submitted by pressure group, Big Brother […]

Ask the Expert: How long do I need to keep emails for?

The question I am trying to find out if any legislation or guidelines have been issued that provide advice on the number of years that emails must be retained. Does it differ depending on the type of email? This is part of my research to find a suitable e-mail archive solution.     The legal […]

Does management by metrics work?

On the frame of my kitchen door are marks of the heights of my children, and now grandchildren, with names and dates written down over the course of years. They were all proud to stand there from time-to-time in order to check how much they had grown. We did not, of course, manage their height, […]

Fewer organisations coach, but advocates use it more, says study

Although fewer organisations may be undertaking coaching activity, those that are, are doing more of it, according to a study. The survey among 332 HR professionals undertaken by the Chartered Insitute of Personnel and Development revealed that some 77% were currently using coaching techniques, down from 90% in 2009 when the body last carried out a […]

Case Study: Acas helps HMRC devise social media usage policy

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs decided to ask Acas for help after it suffered from a couple of high-profile social media-related incidents but authorised the roll-out of blanket internet access to all of its staff for the first time. The findings of the consultation, published in the form of a Workings and social networking report, […]

Blog: How HR can speak the language of the top table

I’m taking Derek Irvine up on his offer to respond to his blog (What are you bringing to the top table? 01.09.11), which I read with great interest. This is certainly a question that the HR community has been and should continue to ask themselves. The question is how do they get and keep the […]

How to create a sustainable L&D strategy

The business environment in many of today’s organisations is more complex, fluid and ambiguous than it was in the second half of the 20th century. Our world is changing so fast that the traditional methods employed in learning and development no longer have the traction and impact they once had – or some may argue […]