Before we fix the gender pay gap, let’s fix gender opportunities

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As HR professionals around the country are busy helping their organisations comply with the gender pay gap legislation that comes into force in April, new research tells a story of another burning platform that if left unaddressed, threatens to marginalise a highly educated, highly experienced and talented group of people both now and for future […]

The case for and against: should we get rid of unpaid internships?

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There are plenty of contentious issues in HR and the workplace, and we think it's important to get a balanced discussion going on some of the bigger questions out there. In this series, we'll be asking HR experts and practitioners to give us opposing viewpoints on a key issue, and we welcome your input too! […]

The grey area of the parent trap and the failure of work to tackle it

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I’m going to make a bit of a generalisation and say that there are really only two ways of working in our society. One way is task-orientated and the other way is clock-based. You can imagine this as the difference between a freelancer’s life and an office worker’s life. Task-orientated work If you’ve ever worked […]

“It’s nice to have an ad-hoc conversation where you can help someone”

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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 […]

Book review: Thinking Machines by Luke Dormehl

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HRZone has a range of books available for review. If you would like to receive one of our business books, free of charge, please contact the editor on [email protected] and we can send you a list of what's available. In return, we ask for a 400-700 word review of the book, its content and whether it's […]

Why employees resign: recognising disengagement, and what to do about it

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Martin Baker is the Chief Executive of the Corporate eLearning Consortium. He’s recognised as being one of the top ten most influential people working in learning technologies in the UK. Here he shares an analysis from the Toolkit for Managers on the work of Leigh Branham – a key contributor to the debate on employee […]

Recruiting for a role with an 85 year old legacy at stake

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The opening line of Peter Pan reads: “All children, except one, grow up.” But he did grow up, on the day author JM Barrie gifted the copyright to the world's most famous children’s hospital, Great Ormond Street (GOSH). Since then, the copyright has provided GOSH with a sustainable income because every novelisation and performance yields royalties for […]

Unpicking Angela Merkel’s ‘connected’ leadership style

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For many years, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has had a reputation for being cautious. But her response to the refugee crisis has shown her to be a bold and very connected leader. What attributes have placed her at the centre of the world stage? Angela Merkel has led Germany for ten years and has long […]

Book review: will the future workplace still need you?

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HRZone has a range of books available for review. If you would like to receive one of our business books, free of charge, please contact the editor on editor at hrzone dot com and we can send you a list of what’s available. In return, we ask for a 400-700 word review of the book, […]

Six questions to match candidate and employer expectations

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Recruitment interviews are pivotal in the selection process and play a crucial part in the assessment of professional expertise, competencies, skills and motivators. Having a goal-oriented conversation, understanding the requirements of a vacant position, bringing this into the interview and extracting the maximum of relevant information needed for making a good choice, is a challenging […]

How to change the way you feel about work

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Five measurable elements can improve motivation and meaning at work – and bring competitive advantage. Structural changes and a requirement to ‘do more with less’ have created a more demanding workplace for many employees. To help individuals cope with the resultant pressure and adversity, some organisations are introducing resilience training. This is important but sometimes […]

It’s time to remember the value that middle managers bring

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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 […]

Job specifications – too many boxes to tick?

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It’s easy to see how it happens – conversations over time, stakeholders consulted, various vested interests expressing opinions and an internally focussed view of the tasks and priorities. The output? Three pages of very detailed minimum requirements of the ideal candidate’s experiences, knowledge and technical skills. By preparing the ultimate corporate wish list, rather than […]

The Science Museum has chosen a brilliant name for their staff members

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I went to the well-known Science Museum in the “museum quarter” in London in late September and was very impressed with the staff there. They’re called Explainers. It’s a brilliant job title. From that one word we learn: Employee purpose: The fundamental aim of their job is to increase public understanding of science Organisational values: The Science […]

UK salaries grow for first time since downturn

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Salaries offered in job adverts have increased year-on-year for the first time since the recession, according to new research. The average advertised UK salary stood at £33,873 in July, a rise of 0.9% on the previous year, the report by UK jobs website Adzuna found. The number of advertised vacancies grew by over a quarter […]

Social media screening – is it ethical?

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Social media is one of the most popular forms of communication in the 21st century, with over 1.6 billion monthly users. Anyone can connect with anyone else, or find out information about them that may not otherwise be available. Social media and recruitment With this in mind, it was only a matter of time before […]

How will new technology affect the digital jobs market in 2014?

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Cast your mind back five years and the notion of ‘digital jobs’ seemed like a distant dream – something which only the most technically-minded developers would ever be awarded and which would only ever account for a tiny percentage of a brand’s staffing numbers. Five years on, it’s safe to say that has all changed. […]

Why your job description is a lie

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What if I told you that your entire working life was based on a myth? Let me explain…Remember back to your first few days in a new job. Whether you were an experienced professional or new to the workforce, you quickly discovered that the “job description” that explained your role was quite different from the […]

A guide to creating employment ads that stick to the rules

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Recruitment can be a huge task, and when you’re looking for new candidates you want to be as pro-active as possible. Effective job ads are key to attracting the right candidates, and in a highly competitive market a good ad can make your job spec stand out from the crowd. It’s fine to use your […]