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 […]
Engaging customer-facing employees to improve performance
Educating and engaging staff within the workplace is key to improving performance. Ian Luxford offers tips to help improve performance, ensure better service for customers: what better way of aligning your strategy with the business plans? If outstanding customer service is a must for successful businesses today, it’s also one of the biggest challenges they […]
Agency worker directive ‘not for review’
The coalition government has lost its standoff with the CBI and the TUC over attempts to water down legislation giving 1.3 million agency workers the same employment rights as permanent staff. Employment relations minster Ed Davey said that the government would not proceed with any amendments to the regulations, which come into force in October […]
Career management for retention and engagement
It might seem a bit out of place for an employer to get involved in career managing its employees – after all, isn’t a career a personal thing? However that’s no longer the case. Despite economic pessimism, there is still demand for talent and the skills gap means there will always be demand for those […]
Employers need to get real about what motivates employees
Employers’ failure to understand what motivates staff to stay with them means that almost a quarter of personnel would be willing to move elsewhere if a more interesting opportunity came up. While employers believe that the key factors behind employee retention relate to the company’s brand, culture and benefits package, in fact, workers are more […]
Mission possible: Employee engagement in the public sector
In May of this year, David Cameron and Nick Clegg joined forces to form a coalition government charged with the unenviable task of taking the reins of a country in crisis. At possibly the lowest ebb of a global recession which had gained momentum since the latter half of 2007, the United Kingdom faced high […]
HR taking action but management not owning engagement
Although just over half of HR professionals are concerned about staff motivation levels, the majority of organisations are failing to put practices in place to ensure managers own the issue. According to a survey among HR managers undertaken by law firm Davies Arnold Cooper, some 55% are worried about staff engagement are and are, therefore, […]
Employees win over lack of redundancy consultation
About 60 workers made redundant in January after their employer went into liquidation have been awarded 90 days’ back pay due to inadequate consultation over the situation. Electrical contractors J&G Engineering had debts of around £2.3 million when it went into liquidation just after Christmas. But Unite brought a case against it because staff were […]
Employees exposed to contract and pay issues
Too many personnel are potentially leaving themselves exposed, with just under a third not reading their employment contracts adequately and one in 10 failing to understand the details of their payslips. The Institute of Payroll Professionals (IPP) also warned that the increasing number of e-payslips currently being introduced by employers could lead to even more […]
Influencing engagement: the role of the line manager
John Pope offers advice on how managers can work with their teams to maximise engagement, supported by the HR function. I thought that the subject of engagement had had enough debate; we have read about its importance and its measurement by engagement surveys; we have heard about the importance of bringing new staff into an […]