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 […]
The workplace showdown: me vs you
We all have to work alongside difficult people from time to time. But what is the best approach to dealing with your workplace rival? If your career were a movie you could rewind, erase and skip to the highlights to create a perfect cinematic experience. But your biopic is incomplete; one pivotal scene is missing. […]
Professional development: the challenges of introducing a coaching culture
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, discusses research on the issues faced with introducing a coaching culture. According to a new study from the International Centre for Leadership Coaching, most managers don’t understand what coaching […]
Are you a horrible boss? How to tell if your team is engaged
You may think you’re a good manager, but have you sat down with each member of your team and directly asked? The answers you recieve may difficult to swallow, but they will also be key to improving your team’s engagement and productivity. No one sets out to become a bad boss. However, it is almost inevitable […]
Relationship intelligence: “We need to put the human element back into the workplace,” says Esther Perel
In her closing keynote session on day one of UNLEASH 2018, renowned psychotherapist and author Esther Perel warned us not to forget the value that human relationships bring to our professional and personal lives. What better way to illustrate the importance of humans as social, collaborative beings in today’s technology-driven workplace than to have renowned […]
Book review – Mind Flip: Change the Way You Think About Yourself and Reinvent Your Future by Zena Everett
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, […]
The role of emotional intelligence for supporting mental health at work
One of the biggest challenges employers face with addressing poor mental health at work is lack of disclosure from affected individuals due to stigma. Could emotional intelligence training help solve this problem? A major new survey from the mental health charity Mind has found that poor mental health at work is widespread. Half of all […]
The borrowing behaviours of your employees: what you need to know
As an increasing number of working people find themselves in debt, it’s ever more important for employers to understand the borrowing habits of their people, so that they can offer the right support. Many people in the UK will have borrowed money at some point throughout their lives. But we are increasingly seeing evidence to […]
Behavioural science: joined-up brain dots for the joined-up HR professional
Didn’t get the chance to attend CIPD’s 2018 Behavioural Science at Work Conference and Workshop? We’ve got you covered – here’s a round up of the key themes, topics and takeaways from the event. Behavioural Science is safely established on the business agenda and established too with its annual place on the CIPD events calendar. I […]
How unconscious bias means that we get in our own way
Are women’s own unconscious biases stopping them from pursuing what they truly want in their lives? Businesses are certainly beginning to understand how unconscious bias means that some groups of people may have to ‘jump higher’ for certain roles within their companies. What is talked about less is another, more internalised, form of bias. The […]
Work/life balance: why checking emails on holiday is bad for business
Our latest research revealed that 65% of respondents admitted to checking work emails while on holiday, with various degrees of frequency, and 75% said they have taken or made a work call while on leave. The higher up the organisation you are the more likely you are to be ‘checking-in’, with only 19% of senior […]
Office conflicts: when to address the passive aggressive post its
Office conflicts often begin with small, passive-aggressive behaviours that can escalate if left unchecked. Here’s how to deal with the problem at its source before this happens. When faced with the post-it note on the office photocopier saying, ‘did you ever think to refill the paper?’ some might scoff and ignore it. Others may confront […]
Employee engagement: why flow is the key to boosting productivity and performance
According to psychology experts, the best way to motivate employees and inspire them to do their best work is to encourage them to reach a state of ‘flow’. In the relatively new field of positive psychology, the concept of ‘flow’ stands out as a practical way for organisations to boost productivity, performance, creativity and satisfaction […]
The seven pillars of building a successful company culture
Building an organisational culture is like making a house of cards. It’s both simple and complex. If you have all the elements in place and you reinforce them, nurturing culture is easy. If you don’t, the house collapses into its many parts. So business leaders, ask yourselves: how sturdy is your company’s cultural foundation? I use […]
Have we got authenticity wrong?
What do successful leaders need more than anything? Well according to the Harvard Business Review in January 2015, “Authenticity has emerged as the gold standard for leadership.” Most leading companies provide programmes or coaching to develop “authentic leaders”. And reams of paper and internet columns have been devoted to describing what authenticity is and how you achieve […]
Appraisals: why employees should assess their manager’s performance
The traditional top-down assessment method is on its way out – today’s workplace needs a more nuanced approach to appraisals. The debate on annual appraisals is ongoing and for good reason; HR and managers are realising the benefit of continuous mutual dialogue throughout the year, and not just once at the end of it. HR […]
Diversity at work: the business case for an inclusive culture
Exclusion can seriously damage your business, which is why inclusion needs to be a consistent and deliberate part of your HR strategy. Head Heart + Brian recently conducted research with companies about their diversity and inclusion initiatives to learn how these successful ‘lighthouse’ organisations are moving the dial on creating an inclusive culture, with particular […]
Crying at work: new research reveals insight
There’s so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. 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. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Employee behaviour: the real secret behind engagement
Employers are ramping up the range of benefits on offer to employees in a mad scramble to find that elusive engagement silver bullet. As Facebook announces its latest offering, up to £15,000 for female employees to freeze their eggs, we’ve surely reached peak perk – and the moment to say, enough! A recent global report […]
Anti-bullying week 2017: stopping the timer on workplace bullying
What constitutes workplace bullying? The most likely things that come to mind are threatening, abusive or patronising behaviours at work. Increasingly, these behaviours are reinforced by email or online work forums, and may even continue outside of work on social media sites. This all constitutes workplace bullying, but what is less spoken of is the workplace […]
