The naked office is recruiting
A software company in Amersham has shown naked ambition by advertising jobs for “attractive, young” sales people and web programmers who are happy to work in the buff. Nude House, which was set up in 1977 by naturist Chris Taylor and is a division of a larger firm Songbird, sells a promotional ecommerce application called […]
95% of agency workers have no insurance
Industry sectors subject to high numbers of staff injuries such as waste and logistics are starting to be hit with higher premiums because their temps do not take out personal accident or life insurance. A survey undertaken by temp recruitment consultancy de Poel revealed that a huge 95% of agency workers across all industries have […]
Taskforce set up to increase employee engagement
A government-sponsored taskforce has been set up to try and tackle the staff engagement issues identified in the MacLeod Review in order to boost the productivity and competitiveness of UK organisations. The taskforce, which includes representatives from both the public and private sector, will be chaired by David MacLeod himself, who wrote […]
Encouragement from managers increases staff engagement
There is a direct correlation between staff engagement and the amount of guidance, feedback and autonomy that managers are willing to provide workers, according to research. In general terms, employees feel more supported if their bosses focus on what they do, feel good about themselves in their role and act in a way that demonstrates commitment […]
Overworked employees napping in the office
One in ten office workers have slept overnight at their desks over the past year, with a further 10% calling it a day between 12pm-3am as they try to tackle ever-growing workloads. According to a poll undertaken by officebrokers.com, which helps companies find office space, some three out of five also regularly started work ahead […]
Employee engagement – align organisational aims with employee desires
Tim Casserley explores employee engagement and finds it is not as simple as some make out… The steady rise of ‘engagement’ as a way of capturing the hearts and minds not just of employees but of customers, local communities and other stakeholders has been mirrored by ever-decreasing levels of public trust in organisations. […]
Future looks bleak for employee relations
Deteriorating employee relations will be a hallmark of the year ahead as longer working hours for no additional remuneration, growing skills shortages and worsening relations with management lead to increased levels of stress and disengagement. According to a survey among 550 HR professionals undertaken by King’s College London and law firm Speechly Bircham, 46% saw […]
Employee engagement – finding the missing link
It is a truth, almost universally acknowledged, that an organisation full of engaged employees will outperform its competitors. Universally acknowledged it might be, but it seems that few organisations are achieving this. This is despite a great deal of effort including compelling vision and mission statements, leadership training, performance management systems and incentive schemes. Russell […]
What are you doing to prepare for the agency workers regulations?
This year will see the introduction of the new Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) on 1 October 2011. This new piece of legislation is set to have a significant impact on business and performance. But what are HR professionals doing to prepare themselves and their organisations for this change? This new law means that temporary agency […]
Engagement – what’s Sir Isaac Newton got to do with it?
As the effects of the Comprehensive Spending Review now filter into the real economy, and with most organisations facing the challenge of doing the same amount of work with less resource, there has probably never been a more important time to engage the workforce. There is plenty of research that makes the connection between engagement […]
Mums at disadvantage in tough employment market
As unemployment continues to rise, the number of UK employers planning to hire working mums has plummeted over “prejudiced” concerns that family commitments will take precedence over workplace ones. A survey among 1,000 companies undertaken by Regus, which provides outsourced office space, revealed that only just over a quarter intend to hire working mothers over […]
Employee engagement surveys ain’t no fad – there’s too much evidence that proves their worth
Employee engagement has been high on employers’ agendas for a few years now. Last year even the Government got in on the act by publishing the independent MacLeod Review. The HR community has been discussing the review widely ever since. The report was published at a time when private sector companies were addressing the damage […]
Sealing the black hole in HR and careers advice
There is a looming black hole in HR, careers advice and skills development that could blight a generation. HR professionals, in particular, will be facing some of the most challenging conditions seen in the UK since the 1930s. The UK government wants to help but funds are limited. It wants people to embrace the […]
Profit-sharing affects female employee-boss relationships
Relations between female workers and their bosses deteriorate markedly when profit-sharing schemes are introduced, although the same is not true of men, according to research. A paper released by Dr Colin Green from Lancaster University’s Management School revealed that males were largely unaffected by pressure from their line managers and colleagues to hit group […]
Employees still dogged by money worries
Although fewer employees are likely to be subject to pay freezes next year, six out of 10 are worried that they will not be able to make ends meet financially. According to a study entitled ‘Employee Attitudes to Pay’ published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), even though the economy has remained […]
Employee engagement: the pursuit of workplace happiness
When an employee’s own self-interest is aligned with the interests of the organisation, that employee is engaged. So your workforce is engaged if a critical mass pro-actively furthers the interests of the business while simultaneously furthering their own interests. That’s a working definition of employee engagement and while it won’t resonate with everyone, it is […]
Take the pain out of training seasonal staff
The customers that pack your stores during the festive period don’t know – or care – whether a member of staff is seasonal or permanent. They just know that the employee represents your business. And that means, as well as compelling product range and product availability, customers expect prompt answers to any queries they have […]
Happy workers have a sense of shared purpose
Business strategy must be based on a shared sense of purpose between employers and workers in order to boost staff engagement, job satisfaction and organisational performance. According to a survey undertaken among more than 2,000 employees by YouGov on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), 84% of those working in organisations […]
Employees exit – and take confidential data
A huge seven out of 10 workers intend to take confidential company data away with them when they resign or are given the push because they believe that it belongs to them, according to research. A survey undertaken among 1,000 UK employees by security software company Imperva revealed that the most likely information to be […]
3/5 workers overestimate their value to employers
Although nearly four out of five UK workers would like to change employer, three fifths overestimate their financial value. According to a survey undertaken by vocational distance learning provider the Home Learning College, while some 78% of staff would like a new job, just over a third are actively looking. Some 27% have chosen not […]