Even thin cats need calories: Making the recession work
The recession is an excellent opportunity to look at the performance of your staff and cut the metaphorical fat by losing those who are not performing to their full potential, says Anton Franckeiss. What does a recession give you? For company owner, director, manager or employee alike, it will undoubtedly bring stress and anxiety, but – at […]
Keeping your survivors engaged
Despite firms wanting to retain their key talent, up to 10% of the workforce can leave a company after keeping their jobs through the redundancy programme. Chris Philips explains how best to engage – and keep – talent. Recent weeks have seen optimistic predictions that the worst of the recession is over and that the […]
Default retirement age review to take place in 2010
A review of the default retirement age is to be brought forward by a year, the government has announced. The review had been expected to take place in 2011, but will now take place next year in response to changing demographic and economic circumstances, ministers said. Denise Keating, chief executive of leading age campaigners […]
BERR and DIUS merger: Implications for employers
Just two years after it was created, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills was scrapped last month in favour of the new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Pam Loch and Wendy Hayes discuss whether employers are right to be sceptical. Last month, in yet another revamp by the government, the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) […]
Rewarding the recession-weary
During these tough times the question around how to keep the troops motivated is on everyone’s mind. The HayGroup’s latest study reveals how rewards can boost engagement. The latest study: World at Work has given some great insights into the reward practices companies are planning in the future. Of the 763 organisations surveyed in 66 […]
Beyond the crossroads: How to avoid a recession culture
When the economy improves, top talent will leave if they feel they were treated badly during the recession. Bettina Pickering and Amy Finn stress that all measures taken during the downturn are done with the long-term consequences in mind. In the face of the recession, it is unsurprising that a number of companies […]
Recruitment: Overcoming budget cuts
The recession has meant that recruitment and selection processes have to be more slick than ever. Sophie Pritchard advises how to get more bang for your assessment buck. Talks of the worst recession since the Second World War have left the economy drained and deflated. It’s forced a large number of organisations to review recruitment […]
Recruitment in a downturn: Planning for the future
Employers must spend time now examining how best to attract talent to nurture the business and invest in the future. Raj Tulsiani explains how organisations can get it right. A disturbingly large number of organisations have reacted to uncertain economic times by downsizing with an axe rather than a scalpel. To a certain extent, that […]
Using temporary workers in a recession
As the culling of staff continues and the availability of permanent roles remains sparse, the number of individuals going it alone, whether in a freelance capacity or as a temporary employee, is climbing. Nick Golding investigates. The latest Report on Jobs survey (June 2009) by KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), reports […]
Success in a recession: What not to do
What are the biggest obstacles to success? Blaire Palmer examines how certain approaches can stand in the way of success for both individuals and organisations, and suggests ways to change those attitudes. So far in this series I have looked at some of the qualities needed to succeed, particularly the qualities needed […]
Unemployment figures hit a 12-year high
UK unemployment has hit the highest level since 1997, with the numbers of jobless having risen to 2.261 million in the three months to April, the Office for National Statistics has said. The official figures published today show that the UK employment rate has fallen to 73.3 percent, down 0.8 from the previous quarter and […]
Retaining the talent in a recession
John Pope explains how employers can best attract, retain and motivate the high performers in times which have become tough all round. Too many of us thought that the good times were here to stay. As a result, many organisations became sloppy in managing their talented people; some even thought that talent was an asset […]
HR agenda critical to UK economic success
HR’s role in the effort to keep the UK economy afloat during the recession should not be under estimated, was the key message from the Acas and CIPD ‘Resilience Through Recession’ conference held today in London. Keynote speakers, including Lord Young, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Business, Innovation and Skills; Ed Sweeney, chair […]
Brown creates new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
The prime minister has created a new Department for Business, Innovation and Skills after scrapping the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) just two years after it was formed. Friday’s Cabinet reshuffle saw the DIUS merge with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) to form the new Department for Business, Innovation and […]
Opinion: The recruitment industry must change
As the recession continues to set new rules in the job market, there’s never been a greater need for a trusted, professional recruitment industry. Yet, many companies still view recruiters as a necessary evil. Neil Wilson explains why he thinks this must change. Make no doubt about it; recruitment is a huge part of […]
Seven ways to recession-proof your HR department
A recent report showed 82% of HR staff do not measure the return on investment of their own practices. Denis Barnard reveals seven questions you should be asking to ensure your HR department is recession-proof. It’s an unpalatable truth that some HR directors are failing to make business cases that resonate with their […]
The impact of the recession on recruitment
Whether levels have dropped or increased, recruitment processes have definitely changed since we entered into the recession. Lucie Mitchell examines exactly what impact the downturn has had on recruitment and retention in UK organisations. The most obvious impact of the recession on organisations is that employers are recruiting less and making more redundancies. […]
Preparing your organisation for the upturn
The survivors of a redundancy process are the springboard for the future of the organisation, so employers must ensure they remain motivated and loyal to enable the business to come out on top when the upturn eventually arrives. Nick Golding reports. From politicians to journalists and from business leaders to academics, many have put forward their predictions, but no one […]
Jaded jobseeker pledges to work 365 jobs in 365 days
A 30-year-old unemployed father of three from Lancashire is attempting a record-breaking challenge by working 365 different jobs, one each day, for an entire year. Jamie Dodd, supported by online recruitment resource Monster.co.uk, decided to set up ‘Project-365’ in an attempt to find his dream career after getting disheartened by the job-seeking process. The project […]
Success in a recession: Elbow grease and hard slog
Organisations with employees who work very hard are usually the ones which succeed. However, in a recession, how do you get people to put in the long hours without losing their commitment and loyalty? Blaire Palmer explains how to communicate the need for hard work effectively. In the last 20 years, the number of people working […]
