“When I was told that I would never walk or talk again it put fire in my belly.”
In the BBC 2 series Employable Me, a programme that follows people with disabilities as they attempt to find work, Speakers Corner opens up a public speaking career for disabled businessman Andy Ibbott. Below, HRZone speaks to Andy about his inspirational journey to recovery and reemployment, and with Managing Director of Speakers Corner Nick Gold […]
How HR can help close the gender savings gap
Despite the 1970 Equal Pay Act and 2010 Equality Act, women today still earn about 10% less per hour than men. Policy is changing, driven by years of activism, enlightenment and regulatory changes, including the April 2018 mandate on gender pay gap reporting, but progress is slow. The pay gap is the red flag at the […]
How to achieve diversity through fair assessment
Aspiring to achieve a diverse workforce, which reflects the diversity of the population, is a worthy goal. However, positively discriminating by recruiting individuals from selected groups to achieve diversity targets is illegal and unfair. Instead, today’s employers should aim to attract a diverse range of applicants and ensure that every person has an equal chance […]
How to tackle workplace discrimination against people with cancer
For those going through an illness such as cancer, discrimination can unfortunately be a very real and stressful part of their experience. This is despite the fact that if you have or have had cancer, you are protected by law from unfair treatment at work. Research from Macmillan Cancer Support, exploring the impact of cancer […]
Thinking differently: neurodiversity can help companies thrive
Nancy Doyle is a Chartered Psychologist and CEO of Genius Within, a social enterprise that supports neurodiverse people with finding employment and helps companies access this untapped talent. She has recently worked with the BBC to create and deliver the TV series Employable Me 2. Not all great minds think alike. Making neurodiversity part of […]
Quarter of women “forced to take time off due to period pain.”
A recent UK study of 2,000 British women has revealed how much periods are affecting women during their daily lives, particularly in the workplace. New research by Bupa reveals over a third of women (36%) lie when justifying missing work and often disguise period pain as a stomach bug, having the flu or a cold. […]
Don’t go with your gut: overcoming unconscious bias in hiring decisions
Years ago, a friend of mine, Helen, went for a job interview. It was for a Swiss arts and cultural organisation, and Helen was half Swiss and could speak German reasonably well. She got the job. But she realised that the job wasn’t for her (it didn’t really match her interests), and she told the […]
Why hiring for cultural fit is holding back your company
Many organisations believe in hiring for cultural fit, following a methodology and thought process where ‘fit’ relates to a strong alignment to the company values and where an employee can come in and work collaboratively. For these organisations, cultural fit works just fine. But ‘fit’ also has a connotation to it, implying that somebody should […]
“LGBT people still get a raw deal.”
Mercer’s UK & Ireland HR Director and Board Member, Dr Siobhan Martin, has made the Top 100 OUTstanding Leading LGBT+ Executives List for the fourth year running, this year making it into the Top 10. She was nominated for her continuous efforts around ensuring Mercer is an inclusive company and her activism for equal rights […]
Gender bias: stop stating the problem and focus on the solution
Gender parity is a major focus for many organisations. But while the willingness to take action is there, the results have been patchy. The typical response to the issue of gender inequality is to emphasise the problem and focus on improving processes, leaving the root causes of gender bias alone. Attitudes and gender stereotypes play […]
Equal Pay Day 2017: How to close the gender pay gap in your company
The 10th November marks this year’s Equal Pay Day, when women in the UK effectively start working for free until 2018 because of the gender pay gap. Despite equal pay regulations being established last century, the gender pay gap still stands at 26.8% today, according to CMI. The pay gap is a historic issue that stems […]
Why the apprenticeship levy means more for your seniors than juniors
At first glance, the apprenticeships levy for large employers only looks important for traditional ‘apprentices’ coming into a business and entry-level training. But the implications are more far-reaching – maybe transformational when it comes to L&D budgets – and have a particular importance for more experienced staff. The levy means employers are going to need […]
Six top tips on how to be more emotionally intelligent at work
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the way we manage emotions, both our own and those of others and it can play a critical role in determining our happiness, success, motivation and productivity at work and home. To reap the benefits of Emotional Intelligence training or make significant and meaningful changes to develop our EI, we need […]
Five ways to combat prejudice in your recruitment process
Speak to 500 HR managers about discrimination in the recruitment process and what do you get? Almost half of recruiters who admit their own hiring process may be prejudiced, three quarters who have witnessed bias or discrimination amongst others first-hand, and 25% who say it’s a regular thing. We all make judgments. We all have […]
Why the built environment sector needs to attract diverse talent
With an ageing workforce and ever-growing competition for skilled labour within the construction industry, the need to attract more talent from diverse backgrounds is greater than ever. As Equalities Manager at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), I passionately believe that the built environment, as well as all business sectors, must put inclusivity at […]
How to speak up about sexual harassment
Following the hundreds of thousands of people that have joined the #MeToo movement, uncovering the magnitude of sexual harassment at work, what should you say or do if you encounter the problem? The first thing to bear in mind is that the sheer volume of people speaking out about the problem means that a new […]
Managing change at Swinton Insurance
As part of Working Transitions regular ‘5 minutes with…’ series, Zoe Bull, Head of Marketing, talks to Hilary Burns, People Director at Swinton, about a recent change programme at Swinton. Zoe Bull, Head of Marketing, Working Transitions: Hi Hilary! Can you talk us through the change programme that you have been involved in recently? Hilary […]
Why diversity initiatives fail
Many laudable attempts to make our workplaces more inclusive end up having the opposite effect – and it’s worth understanding why and how they fail. Diversity is a reality; it’s not just groups of people as the census might have us believe. It’s also infinite; no two people are the same. But inclusion is a […]
Is there a ‘Harvey’ in your company? What are you going to do about it?
We have all, I’m sure, been shocked by the headlines and the details around the sexual harassment allegations made about Harvey Weinstein. Whilst I knew this kind of behaviour was not entirely a thing of the past it’s still hard to believe that so many people knew and said nothing or at least nothing effective. […]
OCD Awareness week: challenging the stigma at work
Let’s celebrate OCD Awareness Week as OCD is such a brilliant disorder to have. It means you’re neat, clean and organised. Polish your desks, check your work for typos and stand in order of who loves the disorder the most to show we’re all “a little bit OCD”. It will be the quiet ones at […]
