CEO Insight: Briggs Equipment’s Richard Close on staff engagement
Richard Close, CEO of Briggs Equipment, reveals how prioritizing staff engagement transformed the company from a £5 million loss to a £3 million profit over six years. He outlines key strategies including training, approachable management, and autonomous decision-making to boost employee satisfaction and business performance.
Bridging the leadership communication gap
Senior leaders often fail to communicate transparently with employees, creating a trust gap between management and staff. HR must bridge this divide by focusing on organizational culture and helping leaders explain the reasoning behind their decisions.
Legal Insight: How to guard against constructive dismissal claims
Constructive dismissal occurs when an employee resigns due to serious employer misconduct, such as breach of contract terms. Employers can reduce these claim risks by maintaining updated policies, training managers properly, promptly addressing employee issues, and ensuring consistent implementation of procedures.
Blog: How to make the most of an international labour pool
Hiring remote workers expands your candidate pool and reduces office costs, but requires careful consideration. Prioritize positions suited for remote work, seek candidates with remote experience, arrange occasional in-person meetings, and prioritize strong communication skills to mitigate the risks of hiring sight unseen.
Change programmes: Asking the awkward questions
As organizations face economic pressures, change programmes often require cost-cutting and restructuring. HR directors must ask critical questions about staff impact, redundancies, and consultation to ensure changes are implemented effectively while managing the human and organizational consequences fairly across all levels.
Seven secrets to managing change effectively
Successful organizational change requires clear vision, visible leadership alignment, employee engagement, and honest communication. These seven principles help manage transitions smoothly and transform potential fear into positive organizational outcomes when properly implemented.
Blog: The link between culture, brand and PR
Effective diversity management requires engaging all stakeholders with business-focused messaging rather than relying solely on values-based appeals. A cereal company’s PR crisis demonstrates how reframing diversity through customer perspective and brand impact can gain executive buy-in where traditional approaches fail.
Blog: How to embed a learning culture
A learning culture helps organizations stay competitive by encouraging employees to develop skills and capabilities. Key strategies include securing management sponsorship, rewarding learning behaviors, measuring progress in appraisals, and establishing learning as a core organizational value.
Blog: Managing change during an office move
Successful office moves require careful change management to support staff through the transition. HR should maintain clear communication, involve employees in the process, and address concerns to maintain morale and productivity during relocation.
Blog: Social media and the workforce – Can you hear me now?
Social media has become a critical force in business and workforce engagement, as demonstrated by major companies like Netflix and Verizon that were forced to reverse decisions after public backlash. Organizations can no longer ignore social media’s role in internal communications, employee engagement, and corporate culture, as employees will engage with these platforms regardless of company control.
Blog: Do employee benefits really improve recruitment and retention?
Employee benefits packages significantly influence recruitment and retention, with 43% of employees reporting their benefits kept them in their current role. Competitive, flexible benefits tailored to diverse employee needs can be as attractive as higher salaries, while clear communication about available benefits maximizes their impact on engagement and loyalty.
Blog: The art of communication in tough economic times
Effective communication is crucial for maintaining employee morale and productivity during economic downturns. Research shows that employees who receive explanations for workplace decisions report significantly higher satisfaction levels than those kept in the dark, regardless of the actual outcome.
Capita plans to offshore TV Licensing jobs branded as “callous”
Capita plans to relocate 350 TV Licensing jobs from Bristol to Lancashire and India, prompting union criticism of the “callous” move. The offshoring proposal comes just weeks after the company secured a £560 million, 10-year contract renewal with TV Licensing.
Communication key to morale in face of ongoing pay restraint, advises CIPD
As pay freezes become widespread, employers must improve communication with staff about compensation decisions to maintain morale and engagement, according to a CIPD survey of over 3,000 workers showing satisfaction levels are declining sharply.
Update: Royal Mail Christmas temps threaten walk-out
Royal Mail Christmas temporary staff in Birmingham, Essex, and Wolverhampton are threatening a second walk-out over unpaid or incorrect wages. The postal service blamed payroll system problems and offered to issue vouchers, but complaints also highlight administration failures by its in-house staffing agency Anguard.
Police officers left “directionless” during riots due to equipment failure
Equipment failures and Airwave digital radio network problems left police officers “directionless” during summer riots, a leaked Police Federation report reveals. Communication breakdowns caused officers to arrive at locations after rioters had moved on, hindering the police response across the country.
HRD Insight: Jack Morton’s Fiona Lawlor on sustainable engagement
Genuine employee engagement requires embedding connection into corporate culture rather than relying on one-off programs. According to Jack Morton’s Fiona Lawlor, sustainable engagement demands understanding employee satisfaction and alignment with company vision, while ensuring staff understand and live the brand’s significance daily.
Blog: Facebook will never replace face-time
Despite the rise of social media, face-to-face communication remains irreplaceable in business and innovation. While technology transforms how we connect, the most successful organizations blend digital tools with in-person interaction, recognizing that genuine engagement requires both virtual and physical presence.
Social media to revolutionise HR, says study
Social media technologies can transform HR, customer service, and product development by improving communication and collaboration while reducing travel costs and training time, according to an IBM study. The research shows these tools break down organizational communication barriers and provide real-time insights into customer trends and employee engagement.
‘Protected conversations’ will create business “nightmare”
Coalition Government proposals to introduce ‘protected conversations’ could create confusion and legal disputes for businesses, employment experts have warned. The plans would allow employers to discuss poor performance and retirement with staff without fear of tribunal claims, but critics argue the changes lack clarity and could increase red tape rather than reduce it.
