Blog: How to hold on to good employees – Part 1
If you want to attract and retain good employees, you need to (1) understand why employees leave a company, and (2) implement employee retention strategies to get them to stay. This article examines the reasons why employees leave their companies. In my next article, I will set out five strategies for keeping hold of your […]
Cultivating emotional intelligence: Lessons from two public resignations
There was a time when the manner and timing of your arrival was the coup de grace moment. But, if two recent articles that are getting considerable attention in online circles are anything to go by, the golden moment might now actually be the method of your departure. It all began when Greg Smith […]
Blog: What economic impact is ‘gross national happiness’ likely to have?
Happiness is a tangible outcome! Because of my commitment to great people management and engagement, I was heartened to discover that the UN conference on happiness and wellbeing which began in New York City on 2nd April came to the conclusion that good performance on GNP (Gross National Product) didn’t automatically mean that GNH (Gross National […]
In a Nutshell: Seven tips for managing stress-related illness
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is one of the largest NHS organisations in the UK, providing health services for those living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Board employs around 14,500 staff and manages nine hospitals and 17 health centres among other responsibilities. Its aim is to take a preventative approach […]
Blog: Most employers spend more on office cleaning than staff motivation
Does having a clean office improve your profits and where am I going with this? Most HR professionals recognise that happy employees are more effective, hence our performance equation mantra, happy employees = happy customers = happy profits. Motivated employees are by default happier and many studies prove that employers with highly motivated workforces outperform […]
Talent Spot: Rebekah Wallis, HR director at Ricoh
Back-to-back company and employee integration programmes have kept Rebekah Wallis, HR director at printing and IT services firm Ricoh, pretty busy over the last four years or so. This is because HR has been considered core to the success of such integration work by ensuring that staff are supported and helped to make the necessary […]
Blog: Career development part one – Why employers are investing in it
What does career development mean to you and to your company? Why is it important? How to do it? This is the first of two posts on the subject of career development practices in companies. First, I want to discuss the reasons why companies are interested in career development. In the next post I […]
Blog: Crappy performance management rule 3 – Set objectives that staff can never hit
In my previous two blogs I articulated rule 1 of crappy performance management: Don’t tell anyone about the vision and rule 2: Never attempt to motivate staff as it will merely be seen as patronising. In this final instalment of the trilogy the hero of crappy performance management wins the day and their "precious" drops away into the […]
Living Leader Learnings: Why saying ‘well done’ just isn’t enough
The challenge A sales team leader at a mobile technology company asks: “I am constantly telling people at work that they have done a good job. I say ‘well done’ all the time, but it doesn’t really seem to make a difference. I do sometimes feel a bit like a broken record. How can […]
How to overcome six employee engagement challenges
Employee engagement should not be seen as a goal in and of itself. It should instead be treated as a vehicle to help fulfil the corporate vision and achieve business success. As such, it is essential to translate the concept into what this specifically means for your organisation. So what would the experience of […]
Training is ‘key to boosting staff morale’ – study
The main objective in providing staff with training at the moment is to enhance the capabilities of the business as well as improve employee morale, a study has found. The ‘Digital Learning for Business’ report published by training provider, the ILX Group, after conducting a survey of 100 HR decision-makers from some of the UK’s […]
Blog: The power of trust
The bloodshed and killing in Syria goes on unabated. Yesterday the news was full of stories casting doubt on whether the peace plan will be respected and hostilities suspended. And as the deadline for the withdrawal of government troops and weaponry from population centres approaches, the government and the opposition forces continue to trade demands […]
Talking Point: Why are there still so few women in the workplace?
Once upon a time, real work was for men and women were expected to stay at home and look after the wellbeing of their families. If anything, they were regarded as the ‘silent reserve’ of the labour market. In the 21st century, however, policy makers and businesses no longer need the devastating impact of the […]
Blog: Crappy performance management rule 2 – Never attempt to motivate staff
In my previous blog I articulated rule 1 of crappy performance management: Don’t tell anyone about the vision. In this article we step up a gear and think about the 2nd most important of rules when designing a ‘wet lettuce’ performance management mindset. Crappy Performance Management Rule 2: Never attempt to motivate staff – […]
Ask the Expert: Who is responsible for providing personal protective equipment on site?
The question In the case of agency staff, can you advise who is responsible for the provision of basic non-task specific personal protective equipment such as hard hats, gloves, coveralls, eye protection, high vis vests, cold weather jackets etc? These workers normally arrive on site with their own kit initially. However, my query has […]
How to spot a maverick (and channel their talents)
Ever wondered how to spot a maverick? Look for someone who uses their left rather than their right ear to listen at a closed door or at a colleague’s chest to hear their heartbeat. According to the London School of Economics and Political Science and the University of New South Wales in Australia, the […]
Talent Spot: Community blogger, Doug Shaw
Doug Shaw has his nine-year-old daughter to thank for coming up with the most appropriate description of his job: “I make work better,” he says. The clue to how he performs this feat is in the name of his consultancy – ‘What Goes Around’. Treat staff well and they will treat their employer and its […]
In a Nutshell: Five legal tips for easing Diamond Jubilee holiday headaches
Marks & Spencer, Edinburgh Woollen Mills and Dorchester NHS Trust have been named and shamed for refusing to give staff paid leave on both days of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend at the start of June. The TUC criticised all three organisations for requiring personnel to work on Tuesday 5 June, the final day of […]
Blog: What to do if your staff win the lottery
As recent events at a certain bus company have shown, it’s sometimes the case that when employees are winners, it’s their employer that loses – usually losing a bunch of staff! With so many staff syndicates playing the lottery, how can employers mitigate the risks of big-time winners all downing tools (or stopping their buses) […]
Five characteristics of an effective leader in times of crisis
The Bradford Bulls rugby league club is an organisation in crisis. Mounting financial pressure has painted its leadership into a corner, forcing it to make a desperate request to loyal supporters to put their hands into their pockets and dig deep to help fill a £1 million black hole. And the pressure is on because, […]
