If your company isn’t social, then what the heck are you?
It’s 2017. We’re all a little more social than we used to be: 65% of adults now use social networking sites, which is nearly a tenfold jump in the past decade. In that last decade though, social hasn’t just changed us as individuals, but as employers and employees as well. Think about it using an […]
Describing our personal strengths in a post-truth world
LinkedIn's just released a list of the top ten buzzwords used by HR professionals when looking to move jobs. Use of 'buzzwords' in the headline made me expect metaphor-ridden, multi-word combos strung together with hyphens like a chain of fairylights. Except that wasn't the case. Here's the list: Specialised Leadership Focused Strategic Experienced Expert Passionate […]
It’s National Storytelling Week! But has corporate storytelling lost the plot?
This week is National Storytelling Week but with so much emphasis on ‘corporate narrative and the ’customer story’, HR professionals could be forgiven for thinking these terms define the natural limits for storytelling in the corporate world. In corporate life, the business story and storytelling capabilities are often lumped together as one idea and the […]
Five evidence-based steps to creativity and innovation
This five-step process is based on the thoughts of Mark Batey, Senior Lecturer In Organisational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School. HRZone interviewed Mark in January 2017. His thoughts are based on a decade worth of research and practice with senior teams, helping them be creative and develop new strategies. Mark's approach is to draw […]
How leaders can stir up creativity in meetings
This piece is based on the thoughts of Mark Batey, Senior Lecturer In Organisational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School. HRZone interviewed Mark in January 2017. His thoughts are based on a decade worth of research and practice with senior teams, helping them be creative and develop new strategies. Mark's approach is to draw together […]
Achieving gender balance – the practical stuff
This is part two in a two-part series on achieving gender diversity. The first looks at why we need to focus on men, not women. When I first talk to organisations about their gender issues, the conversation usually starts with an explanation of their issue, for example, maternity non-returners or lack of female progress from […]
Achieving gender balance is about men – not women
This is part one in a two-part series on achieving gender diversity. The second part looks at the practical steps organisations can take. Why is it that whenever anyone talks of gender equality, the immediate thought is about women’s rights, feminist chants of discrimination in the workplace, pointing the finger at male leaders creating barriers […]
Contextualising innovation in HR: what do we mean?
Keeping pace with social, cultural and technological progression has always been key for business but these three areas now advance so fast that the task has become harder. Businesses used to keep pace by fortifying: making things stronger so they could better resist change. That’s fine when change is a series of smaller waves, but […]
Organisational development practitioners: beware the silver bullets
Delegates of my facilitated interventions sometimes express a view that what I do is some kind of 'magic'. They reflect on their experience of me not having said much, asking a few questions, getting them talking and, as a result, them experiencing moments of clarity and deepened relationships. I see these observations as a sign […]
Soft skills analysis: Theresa May
It can’t be easy to be Theresa May. The comparisons to Thatcher, the near obsession with her shoe collection rather than her policies and the famous “bloody difficult” aspersions to name but three. But what about leadership and soft skills? May has steadfastly directed herself away from a gregarious style of leadership, some might say […]
Should human resources be managing human rights?
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 […]
8 winning tactics for creating gold medal teamwork
This article was written by Mandy Flint & Elisabet Vinberg Hearn, authors of ”The Team Formula”. The Olympics are now in our rear view mirror. This is a good time to review and learn from the teamwork that goes into making an Olympian successful. Team GB had magnificent success at the Olympics. That kind of success […]
Promoting a quality-driven business culture – a six-step guide
Forming a quality-driven culture at work should be a priority for all business leaders, not only those working in the service sector. Employing a workforce that is motivated and empowered to deliver high-quality customer service is critical for any business looking to achieve long-term goals and secure a position of lasting value in its chosen […]
Job rejection: a silver lining?
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 […]
Business app usage: UK companies trail European counterparts
UK businesses are using more IT tools and apps than a year ago, but usage is lacking compared to counterparts in France and Germany. Just under half of UK workers (46%) saw an increase in tools used, compared to 71% and 60% in France and Germany respectively. This is according to the Wrike Digital Work Report 2016, […]
Internal communications: what is the campaign approach, core metrics, segmentation and more
Tim Vaughan is Head of Content and Corporate Communications at internal communications platform Newsweaver, whose clients include Vodafone, Barclays, Marks & Spencer and Shell. In this interview Tim discusses the ‘campaign’ approach to internal communication, what metrics organisations should be using to measure the success of IC programmes, and the importance of segmentation in effective internal communication campaigns. […]
Workplace hygge: how to embrace it
The Danish art of Hygge has become the latest buzz word in wellbeing. Health and fitness magazines are bursting with stories on how Hygge – pronounced ‘Hooga’ can revitalise your mind and body whilst the world of fashion and interiors is full of features on how to embrace Hygge-style. So, what is Hygge? And, can […]
Employee engagement interview: Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’s CEO, Nick Stace
This is an interview with Nick Stace, CEO of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, about their approach to employee engagement, common mistakes that other organisations make and what their next step on the engagement journey will be. Jamie Lawrence, Editor, HRZone: Why do you think you appeared on the Best Workplaces list? What makes […]
“Truly innovative organisations embrace collaboration”
We're always curious to hear how our members and contributors tackle the challenges that the ever-changing world of HR throws at them. We've got a wealth of experience and knowledge across the site, and what better way to showcase the diversity of our community than to get them to walk us through an average day? Want […]
Music as an HR resource for employee wellbeing
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 […]