HRD Summit: BT develops own internal Olympics legacy
BT is already working on the internal legacy of being an Olympics sponsor, with plans to introduce a redeployment initiative for project staff as well as a community scheme to enhance the overall working environment. The telco, which is the official communication services provider for both the Olympics and Paralympic Games, explained its rationale during […]
Trends 2012: Modern life skills
The demands and challenges that HR professionals face at the moment are becoming increasingly complex. Stress-related illness and mental health problems have a huge impact on staff morale, not to mention their effect on productivity and, therefore, business success. The cost of absenteeism is huge and the issues surrounding presenteeism are both time-consuming and […]
Blog: Forget employee surveys – Social ‘sentiment’ is where it’s at
At the beginning of June I attended the Inspire Conference, London, a great event organised by a the very smart and thoroughly charming Adil Mohammed, whom I have the pleasure of working with of late. It was a great day that lived up to its name. There were many great presentations but one that stood out […]
Blog: Social media and the workforce – Can you hear me now?
Can you hear me now? That ubiquitous phrase made famous by Verizon became quite apropos at the end of 2011. After the most embarrassing debacle in history of marketing/pricing, Verizon was forced to backtrack, put their tail between their legs, and somberly walk away from what they thought would be another revenue steam. Netflix […]
Trends 2012: The talent issue
Prime Minister David Cameron predicts that 2012 will be another tough year for the UK economy. With this in mind, employers should be considering the implications of financial austerity measures, particularly with regards to selecting and nurturing talent. Selecting talent: In 2012, the ‘try before you buy’ trend will become increasingly prevalent due to two […]
Blog: Global recognition stereotyping – don’t believe the lie
Recognise This! – The power of employee recognition and appreciation knows no geographic or cultural boundaries. I hear time and again that “it’s different over there.” Or “They do things differently. They don’t have the same expectations our employees here have.” I hear this most often about the Asia/Pacific region and usually specifically about […]
Talent Spot: Darren Hockaday, HR director at London Overground
“I’ve made it my business to get as close to the business and operations as possible. As an HR director, it’s not desirable, it’s essential that I know every role in the organisation and that I’m out there speaking to people and knowing how things are done,” says Darren Hockaday, HR director at London Overground […]
1000s of private sector jobs ‘at risk’ across all industries
As the Ministry of Defence revealed plans for a second round of redundancies in the armed forces, thousands of jobs also appeared to be at risk across the private sector. The government department announced that 2,900 personnel were to go in the Army, along with up to 1,000 RAF jobs and up to 300 positions […]
Accord Energy Solutions: Becoming an employee-owned company
If your organisation has ambitious plans for the future and wants to employ the most talented and productive people, then making the transition to employee-ownership could be for you. In 2010, we set up Accord Energy Solutions, an independent hydrocarbon accounting company to provide services to the international oil and gas industry. The aim […]
Blog: Do employee benefits really improve recruitment and retention?
A good deal of businesses see their benefits packages as tools to enhance their retention and recruitment strategies, and employees don’t disagree with them; according to a 2010 survey by MetLife, 43% of employees state that their benefits package has kept them in their current role. Staff turnover costs businesses money, there’s no escaping that, […]
Blog: The art of communication in tough economic times
We all felt it. The incredible desire to get 2012 off to a great start, this Olympic year that’s full of hope, only to be confronted with headlines indicating that the next 12 months could in fact be far worse in terms of the economy and employment market than the ones that have passed. Not […]
Blog: 7 guidelines for employee engagement – lessons from Stryker
Recognise This! – A desire to increase employee engagement is useless without commitment and follow-through. Gallup issued a brilliant case study of Stryker, a global medical devices company. Focussing on just one unit in New Jersey, the case study highlights several key tenets of success for an employee engagement or strategic employee recognition programme. 1. […]
Blog: Question for 2102 – why would someone work for you?
As we enter the doors of 2012, the prognosticators have all given their respective thoughts on what is coming into focus for the year. These are all great readings, but if you have survived these past few years of economic turmoil (and the aftermath), you know that, really, who knows? All organizations have basically […]
20,000 financial services jobs to be axed by end of quarter
The speed at which the UK’s financial services sector is shedding jobs will accelerate over the next quarter due to growing concerns about the escalating Eurozone crisis and the state of the global economy. According to a survey undertaken by employers lobby group the CBI and auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers, UK banks, insurance firms and asset management […]
Trends 2012: Health and wellbeing
Coming up with wellbeing trends for 2012 during a period of such uncertainty seems like something of a poisoned chalice. But a number of themes that started to emerge during 2011 are likely to gather momentum over the coming year and, therefore, are worthy of mention. Not only were such topics talked about by […]
Update: Royal Mail Christmas temps threaten walk-out
Seasonal temp staff at a Royal Mail sorting office in Birmingham are threatening a second walk-out after delays in paying their wages. According to the BBC, thirty four workers at the postal service’s Newtown depot already walked out on Monday over unpaid or incorrect wage payments as did personnel in Essex. Similar action was taken […]
3m jobs rely on UK being at Europe’s heart, warn businessmen
More than three million jobs will be put at risk unless the UK maintains its place at the heart of Europe, a group of 20 British businessmen have warned. In a letter to the Daily Telegraph that was co-ordinated by lobby group Business for New Europe, the businessmen argued that the European Union was vital […]
Only a third of employers handle staff mental health issues well
Although about a quarter of employees have experienced mental health problems while in employment, only just over a third believe that their employer is supportive of such issues. An online poll of 2,068 UK workers undertaken by YouGov on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development revealed that a worrying one in five […]
Gamification: How to play ball with staff engagement
Engaged employees are more effective and innovative because they are showing their true selves at work. Involvement is key to engagement and games have always epitomised that. So it stands to reason that an effective route to employee engagement is to encourage people to play games. In our recent international executive survey, which explored […]
Blog: Doing the festive season on a shoestring
With the recession still in force, many organisations this year will be cost-saving by cutting back on the Christmas celebrations. Asking people to pay for the staff party, or even cancelling it altogether; not putting up a decorated tree; cutting back on Christmas bonuses; these are all difficult decisions facing cash-strapped companies at the moment. […]