Why we should embrace the six-hour working day
Gary Cattermole, Director, The Survey Initiative, discusses how some companies in Scandinavia are introducing a six-hour day to boost levels of employee engagement and how this could really benefit businesses in the UK too. No doubt if we held a referendum on who is fed-up with the 9-5 there would be a majority eager to embrace […]
Keeping diversity and inclusion on the agenda during uncertain times
During uncertain times, such as the recent fallout from the decision on the European referendum, leaders tend to opt for the ‘tried-and-tested’ policy, often to the detriment of their diversity and inclusion (D&I) work. But keeping D&I at the forefront of our minds is even more important for leaders when the future is looking unclear. People […]
How to achieve diversity through merit-based hiring
Employers worldwide are recognising that to grow their businesses and address the challenges and opportunities they face, they need to be diverse and inclusive. This is not just to fulfil legal compliance or their moral obligation. There are sound commercial reasons why today’s workplaces should reflect the diversity of the population. With a diverse talent […]
American tech entrepeneur Vivek Wadhwa on diversity, the future of education and Apple’s innovation model
Vivek Wadhwa is an American technology entrepreneur, thinker and academic. He is a fellow at the Rock Center for Corporate Governance and wrote the 2014 book 'Innovating Women: The Changing Face of Technology.' Vivek is a regular columnist for the Washington Post and Bloomberg BusinessWeek and he is a strong proponent of greater diversity in organisations. […]
Breakfast Insight: Talent breadth v depth
Breakfast Insight is your short dose of new ideas and food for thought, perfect to watch with your morning coffee. Today we're chatting to Caroline Gourlay, an experienced business psychologist and founder of Bath-based Caroline Gourlay Consulting. Contact or ask Caroline a question on Twitter at @carolinegourlay. Caroline tells us about: Whether people are predisposed to a […]
We will only get truly inclusive organisations if we question the way work works
The Women and Equalities Select Committee recently estimated that a failure to use women’s skills is costing the UK £36 billion a year. This is clearly a problematic issue that we need to address as a society, but it isn’t just the skills of women that are being underutilised. It is the skills of anyone […]
Are female senior managers really paid less?
There's so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics' Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Coffee Break: Brand engagement, exit surveys and the fall of holocracy
Welcome to another Friday Coffee Break round up, where we top up your glass with a generous splash of news, opinion and general tidbits from across the online HR world. Let us know what you've found interesting this week – or if you have any thoughts on the posts we've shared! Leadership & development – How a […]
Coffee Break: Fun Fridays, productivity & the benefits of a younger workforce
I hope you're sitting comfortably, because we've got the latest round up of HR news, opinion and research for you to peruse over your morning coffee or lunchtime break. Let us know what you've enjoyed reading this week, or what you think of any of the articles we've shared below. Enjoy! Diversity & Support – […]
Workplace conflict: Is the workplace itself part of the problem?
We all know that workplace stress can have long-lasting negative consequences on employees. Long hours, unrealistic demands, and looming layoffs can lead to an increase in workplace conflict and health problems. But these issues are compounded when the workplace itself is a part of the problem. Academic research highlights the importance of the workplace environment on employees’ […]
Are you minding the disability employment gap?
It’s common knowledge there’s a big gap between the employment rate for disabled people and non-disabled people. The government wants to halve this gap and has criticised employers for being both reluctant to take on disabled employees, and too quick to write off employees who fall ill. So what’s the solution? Making the case for […]
A personal account of my suicide attempt
Josh Quigley survived a suicide attempt. Now he spends his life trying to save millions of others around the globe. He’s known as The Tartan Explorer, a global ambassador for mental health awareness, and he is trying to wipe out the mental health stigma one step at a time. Jamie Lawrence, Editor, HRZone: There’s thinking about […]
How to create flexible working arragements for older workers
The ageing workforce constitutes one of the most influential contemporary labour market trends. Falling birth rates and increasing lifespans mean that fewer younger workers are entering the labour market and older worker numbers are growing. Older workers are aged between 50 and State Pension Age (SPA), although this definition is broadening as, with the removal […]
What are the requirements to qualify for shared parental leave?
Adding a new dimension of flexibility to the work environment, shared parental leave (SPL) was introduced to allow parents to share their parental responsibilities in a way convenient for them during the first year of their child’s life. A mother can share her leave with one of the following: the baby’s father, her husband, her civil partner […]
25 years’ experience, now struggling to find a job
Paul served a short prison sentence earlier this year and is still on probation. Since leaving prison in June he has applied for countless jobs, but is struggling to get past the tick box. Prior to his sentence, Paul worked for over 25 years in the financial industry. Like many others, Paul is qualified, experienced […]
Can sponsorship help the female talent pipeline?
Women are entering the consulting industry in unprecedented numbers, but the proportion of them who’ve made it to the top of the organisation remains small. Source Information Services and nbi recently teamed up to try and understand why. “Having to sell my soul” Two-thirds of the 40 senior people in leading consulting firms around the world […]
Unfair treatment experienced by pregnant women “astounds me”
There's so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics' Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
Why aren’t young workers engaged by online learning?
It’s often assumed that young people will gravitate towards online learning. However, a new study from the CIPD, which examines the challenges of developing 16-24-year-olds in the workplace, reveals that online training is their least favourite way to learn. This finding, on the face of it, is surprising, but what’s the full story? The study […]
How can we improve the female talent pipeline?
To address the issue of a less than productive female talent pipeline across UK businesses, www.WeAreTheCity.com has launched a new awards programme – the WATC Top 50 Rising Stars Awards for 2015. These awards are the first to focus on the UK’s female talent pipeline below management level and will celebrate 50 women across multiple industries who […]
Why do we still debate the composition of boards?
The debate around the composition of Europe’s boards continues. The new wisdom says we need more women, younger executives, and more people with less traditional backgrounds on the boards of some of our biggest businesses. But why? And why now? According to the PwC CEO survey released in January, the competitive landscape is hugely turbulent, […]