Blog: Fancy contributing to a book on corporate politics, anyone?
We’re working on a new book, which we are planning to launch later this year, on the subject of corporate politics, hidden agendas and manipulation in business. It’s a thorny topic, we know, and we believe that HR professionals are best placed to observe and comment on these activities. In the book, we cover three important […]
Blog: Workplace relationships – just like in personal life, you want a good match
“You were too aggressive and I do not like aggressive.” My wife and I laughed so hard that I almost had to pull over on the side of the road with laughter. On Friday, my wife Janetta and I celebrated 39 years of marriage. The line above was referring to when we first met […]
Demand for temporary and migrant labour is on the up
Demand for both temporary and migrant workers is on the up as employers focus on maintaining flexibility and filling skills gaps during the uncertain economic times ahead. According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s latest JobsOutlook survey of 600 employers, 83% expect that their use of agency workers will either increase or stay the same […]
Sponsoring A level leavers – finders, keepers?
The latest round of A-level results last week highlighted a growing trend. Employers are progressively not only ‘acquiring’ talent among A-level students, but also influencing the content of some degree courses. So what can they do to ensure that they are in the best position to attract – and retain – this talent that has […]
Blog: “But what if they cry…?” How to handle interviewees from hell
You may be a great interviewer, but what if the other person isn’t a great interviewee – in fact they’re an interviewer’s worst nightmare! How you deal with difficult interviewees will depend on the circumstances of the interview – e.g. whether it is a recruitment interview, a disciplinary, grievance or investigation interview etc. – but […]
Empowering call centre workers boosts morale – and the bottom line
If call centre workers are given the power to provide customers with a personalised service rather being subject to scripts or call time targets not only does staff morale rise, but the bottom line improves too, a new study has found. Researchers from Loughborough University studied operations at the Velux Company Ltd contact centre in […]
Second wave of enterprise zones to create 30,000 high-tech jobs
The Coalition Government has announced its second wave of enterprise zones, which are intended to kick-start the UK’s sluggish economy and create 30,000 jobs in high-tech industries. The first 10 zones located in English cities such as Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle were named in the spring, but a further 11 have now been added to […]
CEO Insight: Stinkyink.com’s John Sollars on staff engagement
Keeping staff motivated in the workplace can be difficult enough, but when money is tight and you can’t dole out bonuses and expensive gifts, the task can present even more difficulties. The managing director of Stinkyink.com John Sollars talks to our sister site www.BusinessZone.co.uk about his strategy for ensuring that personnel stay engaged. Over […]
HR to play vital role in managing public service change
Public sector employers must ensure that they have the right HR capabilities in place to ensure staff engagement and manage industrial relations during a period of unprecedented change, an Acas report has warned. A discussion paper commissioned by the conciliation service entitled ‘A new era of public service employment relations? The challenges ahead’ pointed out […]
Book review: The Great Workplace – How to Build it, How to keep it and Why it matters
Title: The Great Workplace – How to Build it, How to keep it and Why it mattersAuthor: Michael Burchell and Jennifer Robin The Great Workplace sets out to explain how working in a “great” place adds value to business results. The book is written by Michael Burchell and Jennifer Robin – founding consultants at the […]
How is James Murdoch conducting himself?
In light of the News International scandal there is an important question that all organisations should be asking themselves: Is the code of conduct an effective tool that actively helps protect your reputation, or a fig leaf whose shortcomings risk leaving you woefully exposed if things turn tricky? According to James Murdoch’s testimony before the […]
Employment downturn imminent, say experts
Conditions in the labour market are weaker than earlier in the year and evidence suggests that a renewed employment downturn is imminent, experts have warned. Although figures from the Office of National Statistics indicated that UK unemployment fell by 26,000 to 2.45 million or 7.7% of the total workforce in the three months to May, […]
Ask the expert: Am I really redundant?
This week the experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether this HR practitioner is being made redundant fairly. The question: Am I really redundant? I have worked for my current employer for 19 years as their HR/Payroll & Benefits Manager. Four weeks ago I was called into a meeting with the […]
Creating calm after the storm: employee engagement best practice following major organisational change
A disenfranchised workforce poses a significant problem to an organisation. In the HR industry it has been widely recognised that employees who are no longer engaged in an organisation are less likely to be flexible, work overtime or take on additional work or responsibilities. This can then have a knock-on effect on an organisation’s overall […]
Agency workers: looking less attractive
The Government has published detailed guidance on the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (“the Regulations”) which are due to become law on 1st October 2011. During the recession many employers have taken advantage of the greater flexibility and cheaper costs associated with agency workers on short term temporary contracts. However, after the Agency Workers Regulations become […]
Communicating with your employees – don’t be anti-social!
Employee engagement should be high on business leaders’ agenda, especially given the economic uncertainty of recent years. This has been particularly challenging with a number of companies being unable to offer their staff a pay increase to maintain levels of engagement. However, an attractive employee benefits scheme can be a cost-effective alternative to a pay […]
Under 30s feel exploited and disengaged
The under-30s are the most disengaged age group in the workforce, feeling forced to do jobs they are not interested in as a result of the current economic climate as well as put upon by exploitative employers. According to a survey among 30,556 adults in 29 countries undertaken by market research firm GfK Custom Research, […]
Report reveals engagement more complicated than we thought
The problem with trying to motivate employees and ensure that they remain motivated is that engagement consists of many different facets and is a movable feast, according to a new report. The research undertaken by Kingston University’s Employee Engagement Consortium Project on behalf of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development revealed that staff engagement […]
BA employee sacked after YouTube threats to poison ‘scab’ pilot
A British Airways employee was sacked after threatening to poison a strike-breaking pilot’s food and posting a series of other sinister threats on YouTube, an employment tribunal has heard. Bryan Benning, who was based at Heathrow’s Terminal Five, is suing the airline for unfair dismissal, claiming that it was his brother rather than himself who […]
Engagement matters – HR and L&D can work together when they get engaged
At the Plateau Insights user conference – which took place in the ancient city of Rome – learning experts took on an age-old issue. Is the LMS dead? Plateau CEO, Paul Sparta, quizzed the panel of Clive Shepherd, Donald Taylor and Nigel Paine for their expert knowledge. One of the themes they picked up […]