How to get a seat on the board
The diversity of the workforce should be reflected at the most senior level. It’s true that almost all businesses need an ultimate decision maker, but the reason most companies are run by boards is that people able to look at problems from different angles tend to come to better decisions than any individual could. […]
Podcast: LOCOG’s CEO Paul Deighton talks diversity and inclusion
Natalie Cooper, the editor of our partner, online jobs board Changeboard, conducts an exclusive interview with Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They talk about the challenges to be faced when trying to ensure that diversity and inclusion are embedded in organisational culture and how such […]
Banking crisis: Should staff pay be linked to customer service?
‘Banking’ and ‘customer service’ aren’t generally words that go together harmoniously. A recent survey by Avanade found a third of banking customers have lodged an official complaint with their primary bank in the last five years, generating a total of 30 million for the industry. According to the report, overdraft and late payment fees were […]
In a Nutshell: Five tips for being an effective manager
As chief executive of the Institute of Leadership & Management, Charles Elvin is responsible for setting the UK’s largest management body’s agenda and striving to improve skills through a focus on qualifications. But he is also a fan of the management style of former Tesco chief executive, Terry Leahy. When asked how that style […]
How business savvy are you – really?
Let’s face it, the phrase ‘HR needs to be commercial’ is nothing new. Yet it’s a theme that keeps recurring. Time and again we hear the argument that HR is not business focused enough and more HR directors need to be on the board. Ellie Rich, operations director at Michael Page Human Resources, comments: […]
HRD Insight: Fujitsu UK’s Ella Bennett on HR’s role in supporting change
The rate of change that organisations face appears to be increasing on a daily basis. At the end of 2011, Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, pronounced: “Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, let alone next month?” And just to confirm the situation, Harvard Business School professor, John Kotter also wrote: […]
Are you being paid what you’re worth?
Most people have a reasonable feel for what they should be paid, though for some it’s not the most important thing keeping them in their role. For many others, however, falling disposable incomes make salary a question of increasing significance. In most organisations, prospects for pay rises look bleak and even if you’re lucky […]
In a Nutshell: Five considerations when creating a welcome pack for new hires
When lastminute.com moved its group headquarters to a swanky new Farringdon office in April, it seemed like a good chance to revamp its welcome pack for new joiners. As a result, it turned to us, the same language consultancy that had worked on the ‘tone of voice’ of its marketing collateral a few years before, […]
Book Review: Judgement Calls by Thomas Davenport and Brook Manville
“Judgement Calls” is a powerful book. It explores the way in which threatening situations for major organisations can be resolved successfully by using staff talents to a much higher degree than is usual. The writers examined how 12 important decisions were taken successfully due to team effort. Their work is in four parts and […]
A typical HRD: Part 4 – FTSE 250 companies
The focus and pressure on top HR directors in commerce and industry has never been greater than it is today. As a result, over recent years, their remit has evolved to require a far broader, more business-oriented background and set of skills than was previously the case. But this situation has, in turn, led […]
In a Nutshell: Five considerations to help boost staff innovation
Although a much over-used term, ‘innovation’ means to invent or apply new ideas, methods, approaches and the like. Although it sounds simple enough, creating an environment in which employees feel empowered, engaged and trusting enough to let their creative juices flow freely is easier said than done. So here Joris Luijke, vice president of […]
In a Nutshell: Five top tips for staying stress-free
Stress is now the leading cause of long-term sickness absence in the workplace. A survey published recently by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and private health insurance company, Simplyhealth, revealed that nearly two-fifths of the 592 UK employers questioned had seen an increase in stress-related absence among their employees over the last year. […]
The value of networking
Lynda Gratton, professor of management practice at the London Business School, believes that “building networks, especially those outside the organisation will be another key leadership skill”. We used to do our ‘schmoozing’ face-to-face but these days social networking sites are what we use to foster collaboration, within the company, and well beyond. A good networker […]
In a Nutshell: Five tips for doing an MBA while working full-time
Stephanie Murphy, currently an interim HR business partner at EDF Energy, has just graduated from the Open University with an MBA. She acknowledges that the things she learned while undertaking the course have proved invaluable in her work as an HR and business professional. But completing a qualification like this while in full-time employment […]
Investing in your career with an MBA
Why invest in an MBA? Samantha Bown, programme director of executive education, London Business School: “Investing in your HR career through a training program, as Lynda Gratton, professor of management, states, will strengthen your ability to leverage culture, create integration and boost morale and allow you to make powerful representations to senior stakeholders.”Dr Lydia Price, […]
Blog: You may call yourself an HR business partner, but are you – really?
“So, what does the new title mean?” She had walked out on Friday as a generalist and returned on Monday with a new title of Business Partner. “It means I am now assigned to a business unit, I am their personal HR representative. “ And with that, a new title took hold, but within the […]
In a Nutshell: Five suggestions to make your meetings more effective
We all spend a good deal of valuable time in meetings. But while there will always be a need to get together with others to discuss problems, share information, exchange ideas and come to decisions, for many people, the prospect of going to a meeting makes their hearts sink. Studies have shown that 49% of […]
News: Youth locked out of jobs due to employers’ changing needs
The education system’s failure to adapt to employers’ requirements for soft skills rather than technical expertise among entry-level job candidates means that many young people are underequipped for today’s world of work. According to a report from the Work Foundation entitled ‘Lost in Transition’, more than 450,000 under-25 year olds have no experience of sustained […]
So you want to be…head of learning and development?
Head of learning and development roles are very popular but also very rare at the moment. Part of the reason for this is the nature of the job – not every organisation will have a Head of L&D. Smaller businesses may instead employ generalists to carry out this work or have L&D specialists at […]
In a Nutshell: Five tips when rolling out HR software
In January, Jack Morton Worldwide completed a global roll-out of a new performance management system from SAP’s Software-as-a-Service acquisition, SuccessFactors. The system replaced bespoke applications so the brand experience agency was determined to reapply the lessons learned from its first implementation in order to ensure that its second one went as smoothly as possible. HR […]
