HR professionals exploit the potential of social media
HR is becoming the next key function after sales and marketing to explore the potential of social media and other Web 2.0 technologies as managers increasingly set their sights on acquiring and retaining high quality staff. According to Rachel Philips, technology director for Oracle’s Enterprise 2.0 collaboration software, HR professionals are now "starting to realise that […]
Blue Monday: go on, give us a smile!
How did you cope with Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year? Aaron Ross has five top tips for survivingthe winter blues. In 2010, ‘Blue Monday’ falls on Monday 18 January and thanks to a combination of depressing events in January – including wintry weather, credit card bills following the Christmas splurge, and […]
Make 2010 your year: Leadership, personal development and talent
New year means new you: personal development is never wasted, making you a better employee, manager and leader: with succession planning a key aim for many HR directors this year, now is the time to invest in you and be part of the plan. With the prospect of a better year and a brighter future […]
Recession leaves managers demanding more work with menaces
The recession has led to a big increase in bullying in the workplace, with the number of cases doubling from a decade ago, according to a new survey. A poll conducted by the union Unison indicated that more than a third of workers experienced bullying in the last six months – twice the figure of […]
Suspended sentence for NHS CV liar
In a reminder that HR professionals are not above the law, one senior NHS manager in Devon has just received a suspended prison sentence for lying about her qualifications. Kerrie Devine was a senior HR manager at East Devon Primary Care Trust (PCT) between 2003 and 2006, but had to reapply for her post […]
We all need improvement plans
Improving performance – only for the struggling? We should all be taking responsibility for our performance, says Jim Constable. Many years ago one of our coaches was working with a sales consultant. He overheard a conversation between the consultant and his client discussing the training of the client’s staff: "Where I work, we’ve been given […]
Gender Lens – How ‘what good looks like’ differs at work for men and women
Women and men probably have more in common than they know – however it is not their similarities that get the most attention, it is the differences. Rory Fidgeon summarises research which highlights the differing priorities between men and women. In a recent study, designed to surface the true underlying beliefs and assumptions people hold […]
Beyond belief? Faith and work – the legal considerations
No matter what your employees believe, they need to be dealt with correctly – or you will face the legal consequences, explain lawyers Natasha Koshnitsky and Rob McCreath. Picture the scene: the interview has gone well and the candidate has come across as well-qualified and suitable for the senior and highly sensitive vacancy. In the […]
It’s never too late to learn informally
Julie Bellinger, Employee Affairs, Change and Learning & Development Manager at Ford Motor Company’s Dagenham Engine Plant, urges all employers to sit up and take notice of the value that informal adult learning (IAL) brings to businesses of all sizes. The Learning RevolutionIn March 2009, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) launched The […]
The whole bunch of carrots: what is an employee value proposition?
Dr Anton Franckeiss explains Employment Value Proposition, how to strengthen yours and why you should always keep your promises. An Employment Value Proposition (EVP) defines what an employee receives from their employer in return for the effort and performance they give. In a nutshell, the EVP is the ‘what’s in it for me?’ as […]
Managing people in 2009
We’re looking back over the year here at HRzone and it’s safe to say the recession has had a tremendous effect on business and how we manage people. Some of the most popular articles on HRzone this year have been to do with motivating in the recession. In many ways HR has had to work […]
Leadership culture: Stephen Covey speaks
Changing an ingrained culture isn’t easy, but leadership expert Stephen Covey has made it his life’s work to empower employees and improve performance. He told LeadershipZone how organisations can bring the change they wish to see. As someone who has dedicated his life to demonstrating how anybody – at any level – can […]
Defining an engaging leader
Andy Lowe provides an exploration of the kind of qualities HR need to cultivate to harvest a crop of great leaders of the future. When it comes to leadership, there are so many questions to be answered. Test yourself: what criteria do you use to decide how to you invest in tomorrow’s leaders? Do you […]
Beat stress on National Stress Awareness Day
National Stress Awareness day is a chance for HR to show they care by helping their employees manage their stress. This year why not help your managers spot and deal with stress? Stress has become a major factor in many people's lives as the recession has increased employment and financial worries. It is reported that […]
Coping with cancer at work
The HR department of a large employer will see more new cancer diagnoses in a year than a GP. To address this, Macmillan has launched a pilot scheme with Nationwide and Ford to provide information and evidence on current practices and issues within the workplace. Dealing with cancer is hard not only for the person […]
Recession continues: Don’t forget your workforce
Many were expecting news of a small, but not insignificant, recovery of the recession when the lastest quarterly results were released. When, in fact, the economy was found to have contracted by a futher 0.4% it was a surprise to many who had predicted ‘green shoots’, and not without evidence. According to the recent 2009 […]
It’s HR, not a magic pill
Continuing his series, Paul Kearns explains how HR can work wonders, but the temptation of ‘magic pill’ quick fixes must be avoided. Some of us might like to think we can work miracles for our organisations but none of us should ever fool ourselves into thinking we can perform magic. Yet in practice that is […]
Risk for employees as businesses cut insurance
Desperation to cut costs has led to some organisations skimping on insurance, leaving employees and businesses at risk, claims new research from AXA and British chambers of Commerce (BCC). Only a third of businesses understand their legal requirement to cover employees with employer’s liability insurance, leaving over half a million employees uninsured, according to […]
Disciplinary and grievances in the aftermath of redundancy
Dealing with redundancies for businesses can be tough, but staff who remain pose challenges of their own. Laura Livingstone and Christopher DelaMare examine the correct procedures for dealing with employees using the ACAS Code. For many employees, job security seems like a thing of the past. Staff may be demoralised or fearful of […]
How to be a great HR director
All leaders want it, many aspire to possess it, and without it, few succeed. Having courage is vital if you want to be a successful HR director, says Andrew Leigh. Recently, Battalia Winston International, an organisation that employs over 5,000 people worldwide, wanted to appoint a human resources director. If you had fancied the job, you would need to have been: […]
