How you should handle resistance to change
In the first of two articles on change, Valerie Nichols explains how HR practitioners can support managers in helping their teams overcome the fear of change. You can read the second article here, "How can HR support managers in helping their teams support change?" Here’s a key challenge for HR. Imagine a manager in your […]
Only a quarter of employers achieve long-term gains from change management initiatives
Just a quarter of organisations are able to keep the momentum of their change management initiatives going over the long-term. This is according to a new survey by professional services firm Towers Watson, which found 55% of employers say change management initiatives meet their initial objectives. However, just one in four (25%) say the gains […]
Psychological first-aid in the workplace – responding to traumatic events
This article was written by Mandy Rutter, head of the critical incident team at wellbeing company The Validium Group. The Boston marathon bombing has been an example of the kind of shock incident that is not only traumatic for those involved, but sends waves through networks of friends, colleagues, family and whole communities. For employees, the implications […]
What stops intentional change from succeeding?
Intentional change is hard to implement, measure and quantify. It’s one of the most difficult challenges facing HR. Yet change is inevitable. If businesses are to respond quickly enough to the future business landscape, they must become comfortable with change management. The first step is understanding what drives intentional change and where these align with […]
In a nutshell: making changes without ruffling feathers
When you join a new company, the temptation is to change everything at once. Marcus Powell, group organisation development and HR director at Nuffield Health, shares his tips on making changes without ruffling too many feathers. Be appreciative Seek out what is working well and learn how to amplify the good things and dampen […]
In a nutshell: Lorraine Makepeace, Head of Amazing at The Chemistry Group
Lorraine Makepeace is Head of Amazing at Chemistry Group, which provides predictive assessment to solve complex people problems in large businesses. It’s a small company with 21 staff, but has put in a lot of effort getting the culture right and worked hard to describe its values and ensure that employees live by them every […]
The art of change management
When an organisation has to effect fundamental change, it usually implements it from top to bottom. Typically back room operations as well as the products and/or services that it offers will all be affected. As a result, a 360 degree investigation and feedback process can be a good place from which to start. […]
In a Nutshell: Five considerations when setting up an HR department from scratch
When Jennifer Longden joined Cititec, the technology recruitment firm did not have an HR department and she had no experience of HR. Nearly four years later, the HR department that she subsequently set up has become integral to the firm’s business strategy. Longden shares the personal lessons that she’s learned from having to establish an […]
Is it worth doing an MBA?
What is an MBA? Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE It’s a question that I have been asked a number of times over the years. Candidates who want to accelerate their careers look at the options available and many decide to look closer at the value of an MBA. The first MBA […]
A five-step programme for creating a healthy corporate culture
Each company has a corporate culture that will work either for you or against you – but don’t even think about ignoring it. Corporate cultures comprise a collection of attitudes, policies and values that steer the way in which employees behave. An HR director who believes that a healthy culture is important and takes […]
In a Nutshell: Five ways to encourage a positive attitude
In the current climate, a lot of workers are feeling demotivated and dissatisfied. As a result, employee engagement activity has never been so important, particularly as there is overwhelming evidence to suggest that it can be linked to improved financial and staff performance. But how can you encourage better engagement within your workforce? According […]
Four easy steps to plan for career change
Of course skills, qualifications and abilities are vital, but when I am coaching people who want to change career, it often transpires that they have not stopped to consider what they really want. It’s natural to some extent to want to just move on quickly, but this research and reflection time will be time very […]
Blog: How not to have to make a New Year’s resolution ever again
Don’t get me wrong there are some fantastic articles out there about New Year resolutions and I’ve shared many of them with my social media connections. I just don’t subscribe to the whole phenomena about making resolutions in the New Year. It’s not because they don’t work, sometimes they do. It’s just that […]
How new technologies are changing the behaviour of people in the workplace.
As CEO of a global software company, I spend a significant proportion of my life travelling and visiting our various offices and the companies we serve around the world. No matter what industry sector our customers play in, I see all of them experiencing an immense change in the way they operate and compete and […]
In a Nutshell: Five tips for becoming a staff motivation expert
A lot of managers consider themselves to be experts in the area of employee motivation. This is because we are all employees of one type or another and so we believe that everyone feels the same way that we do, explains John Sylvester, executive director of motivation and performance improvement agency, P&MM. However, the […]
In a Nutshell: Five ways for HR to be true partners with the business
As HR director of British Gas, one of the UK’s best-known organisations and a key employer of 35,000 staff, Angela Williams needs to be on top of her game. Here she shares her views on the key attributes and skills that an HR director needs to become a true, valued partner to the business: 1. […]
Blog: I’ve got an underperformer – Get them out of here!
At some point in their career, most HR profressionals and managers have the challenge of dealing with a persistent underperformer. Clearly it isn’t acceptable to get them to eat creepy crawlies in order to “Get them out of here!” – however much you may feel like it at the time. Managing someone out of […]
The skills paradox flourishes
We are in a skills paradox. On the one hand, headlines have screamed all year of redundancies, high unemployment, and graduates struggling to get a foot through the corporate door. On the other, they have also been warning of rising skills shortages and on-going talent wars. While there has and always will be […]
Making the right choices to ensure career success
In order to consistently perform to the peak of your ability and have the best chance of delivering the results that you crave, it’s really important that you understand where to focus the power of choice. Having worked with Olympians over the past 15 years, we’ve learnt some very important lessons regarding the choices that […]
In a Nutshell: Four ways to create a motivated workforce
The closer that HR is to the workforce, the more positive the benefit that it can have on the business, believes Carol Carson, HR director at vehicle glass repair and replacement specialist, Autoglass. With this in mind, she outlines her views on how to foster a loyal and motivated workforce: 1. Listen Being […]
