Engaging your talent through embodied leadership
Which qualities does a leader require to inspire engagement of their key talent and harness discretionary effort? Make healthy high performance part of your organisation. In today’s fast-paced, impatient and often stressful world, leaders need to find a way of being and leading that liberates people to contribute their unique talents willingly – thereby giving […]
Engaging Employees – eight steps to become a people engager instead of a people manager

Engaging employees, rather than just managing them, is recognised by many business leaders as a crucial process to pull through the recession successfully. A UK Government report* also acknowledges the importance of employee engagement. So how do you get employee engagement right to help your organisation thrive in the upturn? Will Mitchell, Director of Consulting […]
Happy employees, happy customers – engage and grow
Doug Shaw recently met with Kate Davies, the CEO of Notting Hill Housing, to find out how she is leading and encouraging engagement as a way of improving service. Kate started by observing a key difference between west and east whereby the east seemed to get the concept of sacrifice for the greater or community […]
Re-engagement – now is the time
Strong internal relationships are central to building productive and profitable workforces and the role of HR in helping to create and maintain environments that are conducive to keeping your crucial players is key, says Clive Hyland. However, a recent study shows there may be some challenges for HR professionals to address – research conducted […]
The rules of engagement : Retaining talent’s top 10 blunders
In these changing times, it makes sense that employee engagement is the holy grail of many businesses. However – we so often get it wrong. From badly managed benefit schemes through to poor leadership styles, here are the top 10 errors and how to avoid them. 1. Lack of subtlety Employee engagement is a complex and incredibly […]
Engagement top priority to aid retention, says survey
The top priority for a huge two thirds of HR directors over the year ahead will be boosting employee engagement in order to improve retention rates as businesses start moving out of recession. Second on the list is being able to demonstrate a return on investment on proposed HR projects, which are under more scrutiny […]
Employee engagement neglected in 80% of businesses
While nearly 60 per cent of middle managers believe that an engaged workforce contributes significantly to corporate performance, less than a fifth use employee engagement techniques to any great extent, not least because they do not know any. These are the findings of a survey among 300 middle managers in large national and international organisations […]
Survey and transform absenteeism
A true story of how a biopharmaceutical company in North Wales transformed its fortunes in five years to secure its future with employee surveys. 2004: Ipsen Biopharm ceases manufacture of their core product and makes around 100 people redundant, a third of the workforce. The future success of the company relies on launching its […]
MacLeod steps up engagement
The government-backed campaign to improve employee engagement in Britain’s businesses has stepped up a gear, an audience at the headquarters of the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) heard at the Sustainable employee engagement conference. Held to raise awareness of employee engagement on the recommendation of the government sponsored MacLeod Review, the ‘Sustainable employee […]
2010: The year of interesting jobs?

As HR professionals know only too well, the recent months have been a difficult time for organisations but in 2010, this fluctuating operating environment can actually offer a great chance for HR teams to improve engagement among staff, says Carla Cavanagh of Best Companies. Coping with radical change has been one of the biggest challenges, […]
Employee confidence back on the rise
Employee confidence rose slightly in the fourth quarter of 2009 in all of the world’s 12 largest economies apart from Japan, indicating that the global economy may be on the up again. According to a poll undertaken by HR software provider Kenexa among 15,500 staff across the 12 countries, staff confidence rose to an average […]
Making a Legacy: how HR can create something deeper and more lasting
If you think retention and engagement, particularly of the younger members of your team will be issues for you in 2010, Ian McDermott has an idea for you. Each year millions of pounds from HR and training budgets is poured into people in the hope of improving business performance. From off-site team building and training […]
Engagement despite M&A – the impact on employer brand
Rebecca Clake examines the issues with a merger or acquisition and what HR can do to maintain engagement and keep key staff using recent research from CIPD. CIPD’s new report on mergers and acquisitions defines the employer brand as a ‘two way deal between an organisation and its people – the reason they choose to […]
Make 2010 your ‘year of engagement’
Christian Hasenoehrl of Gallup looks ahead to what the main focus areas of HR should be in the coming year as the market stabilises and business looks once again to growth. As 2009 comes to a close, we can say with certainty that the recession has affected everyone and if not, according to current budget […]
Proactive training – the great motivator

With budgets downsized, employers are looking anywhere they can to save money for the initiatives they deem critical. Research shows that training is a great motivator in the workplace, especially when perceived as a form of recognition. Investing money in a worker’s development increases morale and the confidence needed during times of increased redundancies. But […]
NHS is getting engaged
The NHS is getting serious about employee engagement. Michelle Smith told Charlie Duff what the organisation is doing and how it will achieve its engagement goals. The NHS is one of the best loved – yet most criticised – institutions in the UK. The organisation is responsible for the health of the entire UK population. […]
Working through the floods – employee engagement in action
Newbalance is the only sportswear brand still manufacturing trainers in the UK. When the floods hit in Cumbria the highly engaged workforce pulled together to keep the factory open and support the local area, as their HR Director, Paul Kennedy explains. Manufacturing in the United Kingdom is a tough business and the challenge to remain […]
Engagement key to success – tips from David MacLeod
Improve employee engagement levels, communicate more effectively within the business and help your organisation stand out, all in just in a few weeks – according to David MacLeod, small changes now can make a big difference in 2010. The co-author of ‘Engaging for Success’ gives his tips on leading your organisation into the next decade. […]
10 new leader let downs
The so-called ‘new brooms’ in an organisation might bring new blood and enthusiasm, but they don’t always get it right. Sarah Lewis investigates common pitfalls – and how to avoid them. The pressure on new leaders or senior appointments to make an impact, and quickly, is tremendous. The organisation has spent time and money attracting, […]
HR tip: Bad attitude at work?

These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: One of our employees has a poor attitude to work. He makes mistakes and is frequently critical of management, especially in meetings. He has done nothing seriously wrong, so what can we […]