Red light for BA performance appraisal system
British Airways faces potential industrial action over a new performance appraisal system that uses red, amber, and green ratings to evaluate cabin crew. Union officials argue the “never-ending continual improvement” scoring makes it nearly impossible for employees to succeed, creating feelings of constant judgment and inadequacy.
Make employee feedback more actionable and productive
Move beyond annual employee surveys to embrace continuous, real-time feedback that addresses specific business challenges and delivers actionable insights. An always-on approach captures employee perspectives at critical moments in the employee journey, enabling managers to make faster, better-informed decisions that enhance engagement and drive meaningful organizational change.
Shoring up employee relations in the Brexit aftermath
Brexit creates workplace uncertainty affecting employee relations and trust. Employers should provide clear, consistent communications and develop a strategic approach to managing staff concerns about job security, finances, and workplace conflicts arising from diverging political views.
Employee engagement at a 100-year-old retail motor group
Marshall Motor Holdings, a 100-year-old UK motor dealer group with 4,000 employees, has climbed from good to great on the Best Workplaces list through a simple philosophy: listening to employees, taking action, and genuinely caring about what matters to them. Their bottom-up, inclusive approach to engagement has driven improvements in trust scores and business results year-on-year.
Employee engagement trends: our curated list of insight reports
Discover key employee engagement trends and insights from respected research reports. This curated collection of studies from leading organizations examines the relationship between engagement and organizational performance, highlighting critical drivers like leadership effectiveness, fair compensation, and career development opportunities.
Employee engagement research – the master list
Explore a comprehensive library of employee engagement research, including whitepapers and reports covering disengagement trends, engagement drivers, manager roles, and the link between engagement and business performance. Find key statistics and insights to support your engagement strategy at any stage.
Hey bae! – Why brand tone is one of the most important parts of recruitment
Brand tone is crucial in recruitment—attempting to seem relatable through misguided language, like Microsoft’s infamous intern email, can damage your employer brand and make your organization appear out of touch rather than appealing to young talent.
Breakfast Insight: A new collaborative mindset
Breakfast Insight explores a new collaborative mindset transforming the workplace through teamwork and trusted relationships. Chief Joy Bringer Karin Volo discusses embedding collaboration, reducing turnover, and creating family-like work environments.
We can do this the easy way or the hard way…
Informal conflict resolution at work is cheaper, better for team morale, and less disruptive than formal processes, but managers often lack confidence and emotional intelligence skills needed to handle difficult conversations effectively.
Employee engagement at the world’s third-largest charitable foundation, the Wellcome Trust
The Wellcome Trust, a leading biomedical research charity, appears on the Best Workplaces list due to its powerful mission to improve health, strong organizational culture, and shift from paternalistic management to a values-based approach that empowers employees. The foundation has focused on evolving its workplace environment to drive engagement and foster pride among staff.
How the brain works and the link to good business
Neuroscience reveals that social connection is as essential to human survival as food and water, and that social rejection activates the same brain networks as physical pain. Understanding these principles can transform how we manage and structure businesses, creating environments where social bonds and employee wellbeing drive better outcomes.
How to pass your CIPD exams
Discover effective strategies for passing your CIPD exams, including studying HR theories, analyzing case studies, and staying current with business news. Learn revision tips and resources like YouTube lectures, industry publications, and CIPD podcasts to help you achieve the 50% pass mark.
How HR can use storytelling to create customer centricity
HR professionals play a vital role in building customer-centric organizations by empowering employees and fostering a culture where customers are prioritized across all departments. Using storytelling—particularly by positioning employees as heroes within the business narrative—HR can help teams understand their strategic journey and empower them to make customer-focused decisions.
How to present a stronger business case to the board
Learn how to strengthen your HR business case to the board by aligning initiatives with company strategy and addressing the employee retention crisis. Discover why communicating your organization’s purpose and investing in employee growth are critical for keeping top talent and winning board approval.
Gossip in your workplace probably does you more good than harm
Research suggests workplace gossip may benefit employees more than harm them. Rather than a character flaw, gossip functions as a social skill that helps build trust and group cohesion. While excessive negative gossip can be problematic, eliminating it entirely overlooks its essential role in workplace dynamics.
Are competencies really dead?
Competency frameworks remain essential for organizations despite criticism from managers, but their value depends on active implementation and updating. Rather than abandoning them, HR professionals should modernize these frameworks to create meaningful behavioral change and support talent development strategies.
Corporate values are everywhere: how do you really get people to live those values, and how will know when they do?
Corporate values statements are everywhere, but many organizations fail to truly embed them in daily operations and employee behavior. Discover what mature companies do differently to achieve genuine buy-in, maintain accountability, and ensure values actually guide decisions and actions.
Studying politicians: emotionally-intelligent leadership can be taxing
Emotionally intelligent leadership requires processing emotions transparently rather than suppressing them. When public figures like politicians fail to acknowledge and express their feelings, they create perceptions of insincerity that can damage trust and allow suspicion to grow among the public.
Do you understand the ‘illusion of inclusion?’
The “illusion of inclusion” occurs when organizations ask employees for input but fail to communicate what they do with it, destroying engagement. Two critical mistakes in staff engagement are ignoring employee feedback and communicating unclearly about pay—even when compensation is fair, perception matters significantly.
Coffee Break: Productivity, beanbag chairs & communicating in a crisis
This weekly HR roundup covers key workplace topics including productivity challenges, crisis communication strategies, talent acquisition trends, and the evolving future of work. Curated articles and blogs explore performance improvement, organizational culture, and emerging employment opportunities across industries.
