Build trust by understanding the rules of engagement

Managing expectations successfully is a skill that can usefully be applied in virtually all elements of life, from work, to social to home relationships. At its very essence are two elements: clarity and trust. In this article we’ll explore both what makes it easy and what to avoid if you want to manage expectations successfully. […]
Inclusive surveys: bedrock of engagement?

In the past the staff survey has come under attack as some organisations have cobbled together a set of questions, sent them out via Mail Chimp and sat upon the results. Fortunately the industry has moved on since then, but there’s still work to be done to ensure your survey is fully inclusive and gives […]
Benefits realisation: what does success look like for you?

In the politically incorrect shambles of the Miss World contest, there is a segment which has caused much amusement for comedians over the years, in which the hapless contestants are asked for their life ambitions. Traditionally, at least one will soberly reply: “World peace”. Quite how the Miss World contest contributes to world peace is […]
Improving employee satisfaction in transportation and logistics

A looming driver shortage could bring the £74bn transportation industry in the UK to a grinding halt – and do serious damage to the local economy. One suspected cause is the £2,000 cost of the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC), which is required for all bus, coach and lorry drivers. Yet, even when employers […]
Older workers: what do they offer & need?

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 […]
Three ways best employers show their people they are valued

Top performing organisations strive for employee engagement excellence as they know they’ll be more productive, grow faster and innovate more. They develop thriving cultures and winning people practices that propel them into the upper quartile of engaging employers. But how exactly do they do this? People Insight supports hundreds of the UK’s top organisations measure […]
What are the regulations regarding annual leave entitlement?

Every worker is entitled a period of paid annual leave under the Working Time Regulations 1998. Annual leave starts to accrue from the beginning of the employment contract and continues to accrue throughout its duration. Even employees working their notice period continue to accumulate their annual leave entitlement. Statutory entitlement The statutory holiday entitlement for […]
Knowledge spreading key to employee engagement

Interested in employee engagement? We’re gathering the views of HR professionals across the UK who are passionate about improving engagement – we’ve got responses from HR professionals on what’s working with engagement and at the end we’ll compile a report to help UK organisations improve engagement. Be part of the movement and give us your […]
Josh Bersin: “HR must stop being order takers.”

Josh Bersin is one of the most recognisable faces in the HR industry and is currently Principal & Founder of Bersin by Deloitte, who provide consultancy on people strategies based on research. We conducted this interview with Josh at HR Tech World Congress, which took place in Paris in October 2015. You’ve got nine specific focuses for […]
What can be learned from being a mutual company?

While there are more than 10,000 mutual societies in the UK including building societies, co-operatives and community benefit societies, credit unions, friendly societies and registered societies, MyCSP is the first Government mutual joint venture – a former public sector department, ‘spun out’ into a private organisation, but importantly one with a mutual structure and I […]
Interview: John Timpson, Chairman, Timpson

This is an interview with John Timpson, Chairman of the Timpson high street chain. How do you see your role at Timpson now? My son James is the Chief Executive and so he deals with all the detail. My role is to support him really: I don't get involved in day to day stuff but […]
Engagement myth #3: it’s solely about the individual’s link with the company

Do you work in the voluntary sector? In conjunction with LVSC and Business Unusual, I’ll be running a free surgery where we look at engagement in the five spheres specifically in terms of dealing with internal change and engaging the private sector. Register here for this event on 27th November. The term “employee engagement” is […]
Are you dreaming of a compliant Christmas party?

Christmas parties are a great way to let off some steam at the end of a busy year. But if you’re not careful, hidden tax costs can make for a much more expensive celebration than you first expect. We all look forward to Christmas party season. But company parties can be tricky – and not […]
Get comfortable with changing the world of work – now’s the time to act

The world of work needs to change and in a series of articles over the last few weeks, I’ve explained why and how. Change is always a challenge to introduce and implement, and the transformational change that I advocate, which really alters outcome for organisations and their stakeholders, can be a major undertaking. Why […]
Engagement causes high performance, or vice versa?

This is an interview with Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School. Alex will be speaking at Engage or Bust! on November 24th, a one-day event run by government taskforce Engage for Success. The event will look at ways organisations can improve engagement and features senior HR directors alongside academics giving you practical […]
Are you creating purpose for your employees?

How do 28% of the 150 million-strong US workforce primarily define the role of work in their lives? The answer: a source of personal fulfilment and a way to help others. These are purpose-oriented workers. You may not have heard of them. Yet new research from Imperative and New York University suggests these workers are […]
If you’re a reward manager, no news is good news

One of the odd things about pay is that you know there’s something wrong when people start getting excited about it. The aim of the reward manager is to conduct his or her business engendering as little fuss or emotion as possible. If your people start punching the air with glee when you give them […]
How to include every one – without involving them

Firstly, the challenge… You are director of a small, creative start-up. You have a last minute opportunity to pitch for a sizable piece of work and must pull together a group of people to write a winning proposal overnight. You need your best creative minds in the room as well as people who can work […]
Multinationals: How managers can engage employees

Throughout the majority of our engagement research, we’ve seen that immediate managers continually play a key role in employees’ engagement and commitment. The questions we’re often asked are: what makes a great manager and how can managers increase engagement? During the previous two articles I examined engagement in multinationals and outlined why engagement needs CEOs. […]
What can we learn from Denmark on happiness at work?

After years of international study, Danish workplaces continue to top polls and remain among the happiest in the world. What can we learn from their continued success? During the UN General Assembly in 2011, Jigme Thinley, the Prime Minister of Bhutan, offered to lead a panel discussion on the theme of happiness and wellbeing, inviting member […]