Checking the facts: why background screening is crucial
We may be facing a skills shortage, but that doesn’t mean we should settle for subpar standards when hiring new candidates. Hiring talent is resource intensive and business critical. Although HR teams are under increasing pressure to recruit quickly to ensure the best people are not lost to other businesses – while also providing a […]
Is your dress code fit for 2017?
Recently the media has been full of reports about MPs calling for tougher laws on dress code discrimination. Gary Cattermole, Director of award-winning employee engagement and employee research provider, The Survey Initiative, discusses why the issue is so vital and provides advice on how to create an inclusive dress code in your organisation. I think […]
True Colours: is personality testing at work useful, or even desirable?
From the court of Henry VIII to the Reagan administration, the cast of someone’s horoscope has, throughout history, played a significant role in whether they have been perceived as viable, valuable talent. Are modern day psychometric tests any different – or any more robust? We love to play amateur psychologist, don’t we? It’s what keeps us […]
Why every business needs a comprehensive social media policy
As well as individuals, most businesses now have their own social media presence, but these new channels bring their own potential problems. In this series, Social media policy & law: a guide for HR, we'll share some examples of employee misbehaviour, changes to law & organisational policy off the back of these incidents, and what […]
Freedom of expression, or not – what are the risks of using social media at work?
As well as individuals, most businesses now have their own social media presence, but these new channels bring their own potential problems. In this series, Social media policy & law: a guide for HR, we'll share some examples of employee misbehaviour, changes to law & organisational policy off the back of these incidents, and what […]
How immersive Corporate Social Responsibility can make the (working) world a happier place
A staff survey we ran a few years ago highlighted that among other internal programmes, our staff really wanted to do more for charity. We already have a Charity of the Year programme, whereby the whole team spends time and money supporting a cause local to Milton Keynes – but it was clear from this […]
25 top tips from Grant Thornton’s Talent Mobility team
Following Grant Thornton's Talent Mobility team recently being awarded HR Team of the Year at the Re:locate awards 2016, Susan Gregory, Head of Talent Mobility, shares her 25 top tips for HR professionals to consider when co-ordinating international assignments: It’s all about the employee experience. You are moving people not objects; each are different so […]
What are the causes & nature of employee disengagement?
According to Gallup, just 13% of employees are engaged at work. Increasing this number and finding out what makes people engagement at work is therefore high on HR's priority list. But the first step is really understanding workplace disengagement and the factors that causally contribute to poor perceptions and experiences in the workplace. These reports, articles, […]
Employee engagement trends: our curated list of insight reports
Employee engagement trends continue to point to a significant and evidenced link between the levels of engagement and overall organisational performance. With this in mind, we've collated some of the best and most respected reports into employee engagement trends in one place so you can access what you need. Whether you're building a business case […]
How to deal with frequent short-term absences
Absence of any kind can cause headaches for employers. Even the odd single day off can have a significant impact; absence does not need to get to the ‘long-term’ stage before it becomes a problem. Short term absences can be a result of a number of different reasons, such as short term sickness absence, unauthorised […]
Are competencies really dead?
Love them or hate them, most organisations have to use competency frameworks – but often they are decried by managers and staff. Is it time to shake them up, give them a different name and get them adding more value? Jo Ayoubi, CEO of Track Surveys, looks at the issue in more detail. Amongst HR […]
How should I conduct a disciplinary procedure?
Every business should have a disciplinary procedure to help employers deal with situations of misconduct or poor performance in the workplace. While some employers may have a separate capability procedure, others may address performance issues under their disciplinary rules. Implementing a good disciplinary procedure will promote fairness and transparency across the workforce, as it ensures […]
Do I need to have a redundancy procedure in place?
Making an employee redundant is a difficult situation to face and while it is not a legal requirement to have a redundancy procedure as part of employment documentation, employers often feel it provides clarity to employees in what can be a very difficult time. Terminating employment because of a redundancy is still considered to be […]
Corporate scandals: how HR can help avoid them
The diesel emissions scandal that’s rocking the automotive world is the latest reminder of the damage that can be done to corporate reputations – and bottom line results – by unscrupulous individuals and rogue teams in any organisation. Of course, the vast majority of your employees are likely to be wholly professional and honest but […]
Is your first aid kit up to scratch?
The law states that all employers must provide adequate and appropriate first aid facilities to assist employees who are injured or become ill at work – and failure to do so could result in litigation or fines. But what exactly does ‘adequate and appropriate’ mean, and how can you ensure this is implemented in your […]
Settlement agreements: are they being overused?
There are circumstances when negotiating the exit of an individual from the organisation via a settlement agreement is exactly the right action to take. The most obvious being a senior official where a drawn out exit would be costly in terms of disruption and public image. Also some high octane, fast paced cultures regularly use […]
Your questions on proactive wellbeing answered
HR professionals looking to improve the wellbeing of their staff attended one of our webinars on prevention, intervention and protection and learned from our expert panel the best strategies for long-term improvement. Some questions didn’t get answered in the timeframe. Take a look below or check out the on-demand version of the webinar and get […]
HR titles are disappearing and here’s why
Forbes contributor Jacob Morgan and author of The Future of Work thinks that traditional HR titles are disappearing. Why is this happening? Partly it’s the language… “The reason for this,” says Jacob, “lies in the term ‘Human Resources’. The title sounds makes employees sound like they are fruits – lemons that companies should squeeze every […]
Interview: Air Commodore Warren James CBE
In this interview with Air Commodore Warren James CBE, we look at what military defence is really like and discuss the skills that ex-defence personnel bring to the workplace. Warren James is Head of the Directorate of Training, Education, Skills, Recruiting & Resettlement (TESRR) in the Ministry of Defence. “With the best will in the world […]
Unfair treatment experienced by pregnant women “astounds me”
There's so much rich insight coming out of the academic sector that HR professionals need to know. At Academics' Corner we feature the best HR researchers that tell you what they’ve found and what you need to do differently on the back of the research. Get connected to the academic sector through Academics’ Corner and […]
