“I am proud of my ability to gain the trust of both the leadership team and my colleagues”
Petra Silber, newly appointed HR Director of Europe at Lombard International Assurance, discusses how she plans to build trust with stakeholders, orient herself to the company culture, and prioritize learning and development, talent management, and employee recognition in her first six months.
Why is financial wellbeing growing and what are employers doing?
Financial wellbeing is becoming a priority for employers due to rising living costs, younger workers lacking financial literacy, and the connection between financial stress and mental health. Organizations are expanding support through flexible benefits, financial education programs, and practical solutions like housing loans and pension planning to improve employee engagement and retention.
Book review: Employee Engagement – A Little Book of Big Ideas
This book review examines “Employee Engagement – A Little Book of Big Ideas” by Jamsine Gartner, rating it 4 out of 5 stars. The book addresses widespread workplace disengagement by exploring five spheres of engagement—company, work, team, network, and society—offering practical checklists for HR directors and business professionals seeking to boost employee commitment and productivity.
7 things you need to know about project governance in HR
Project governance is essential for successful HR technology initiatives, helping organizations avoid decision-making delays, scope creep, and budget overruns. Key considerations include establishing clear decision-making authority, defining what governance means for your team, and avoiding unnecessary processes that constrain agility.
The case for and against… soft benefits
Soft benefits like flexible work policies, professional development, and wellness perks help build positive workplace culture and attract top talent. As employee priorities shift toward work-life balance, companies using non-traditional benefits stand out in competitive talent markets.
Let’s get political: harnessing post-election office debates
A recent study found 72% of UK employees feel comfortable discussing politics at work. Employers can harness these conversations constructively by creating open, respectful workplace environments that encourage productive debate and build trust among colleagues.
System selection: how to make the right choice
Selecting the right HR system requires careful consideration of your organization’s unique needs rather than relying on general recommendations. With expanding options across all company sizes, the modern HR technology market offers more flexibility than the traditional tiered framework, making it essential to approach vendor selection with open questions and proper evaluation criteria.
Is there a need for HR to form a strategic partnership with IT to get value from big data?
There is an argument – sometimes called the ‘law of requisite variety’ – that if the technological changes going on outside organisations are relatively complex, then the internal environments of those organisations need to be equally complex to keep up, matching and engaging the outside with the proper degree of internal sophistication. In short, external […]
Reality bites: when culture and brand don’t align
Research reveals a significant disconnect between organizational brand values and employee understanding, with 64% of workers lacking clarity on company purpose. When senior marketing and HR leaders fail to align on brand messaging and culture, the gap between external promises and internal execution undermines reputation and sales performance.
Treading on eggshells? Autism in the workplace
Employing autistic spectrum employees can enrich workplace culture and improve communication, but requires personalized support to succeed. With proper accommodations and reframed strategies, autistic workers can thrive while organizations tap into a diverse, underutilized talent pool.
How to make the case for HR technology implementation
Learn how to build a compelling business case for HR technology implementation. This guide covers identifying genuine benefits, structuring your argument, and persuading stakeholders—moving beyond checkbox homework to create meaningful change aligned with organizational strategy.
Five ways to ensure your feedback has impact
Learn five practical strategies for delivering feedback that actually improves performance. Effective feedback closes the gap between actions and results while building motivation and engagement, but requires careful planning, keen observation, and balancing guidance with inquiry to drive meaningful change.
How to navigate toxic behaviours during conflict
Learn to identify and respond to toxic behaviors during workplace conflict. Research on interpersonal dynamics reveals that labeling emotional behaviors and recognizing destructive patterns helps you stay calm and find productive resolutions when colleagues become aggressive or defensive.
The secrets of simple graphics
Simple graphics don’t require artistic skill—just basic shapes and clear communication. Success means helping people understand your message, not impressing them with fancy drawings. Focus on simplicity, consistency, and purposeful design to create effective visual content.
HR, up your impact: what happens when reality bites?
When HR implements strategic changes in organizational design and leadership, reality often reveals gaps in planning. This article explores how to adapt when inevitable deviations occur, emphasizing the importance of staying engaged with stakeholders, remaining flexible to improvements, and ensuring accountability during implementation.
Transaction cycles: a simpler future for an effective HR function?
Transaction cycles organize HR processes around complete employee journeys rather than departmental silos, offering employees simpler interactions and enabling HR to accurately track costs, improve services, and demonstrate strategic value to the business.
The sharing block: how restricting employees from sharing ideas is holding back business
Restrictive communication practices and formal-only idea-sharing channels are disconnecting employees from leadership and stifling innovation. Research reveals UK businesses rely too heavily on one-way broadcasts while limiting when and how workers can contribute ideas, harming motivation and job satisfaction.
Millennials aren’t from Mars; employers aren’t from Venus
Millennials aren’t fundamentally different from previous generations—they simply reflect evolving social norms shaped by the information age. Rather than viewing them as uniquely challenging, employers should recognize that meaningful work, purpose, and clear opportunities engage young people across generations.
Change leadership: how to give employees a sense of control
When implementing organizational change, giving employees a sense of control is critical to success. Rather than imposing changes, involve leaders and teams in the decision-making process so they understand the reasons for change and can influence implementation, helping them feel part of the solution.
How to transfer accountability when giving autonomy: Part 1
Giving team members autonomy requires more than just delegating tasks—they must also take on accountability. This first part of a two-part series explores the common trap that prevents accountability in teams and explains why both autonomy and responsibility are essential for sustainable delegation.
