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 […]
2017 trends, extreme talent acquisition and the struggle between HR & marketing
Welcome to 2017, and your latest round up of HR articles and blogs for you to enjoy over your your morning coffee or lunchtime break. Let us know what you think of the articles we've shared in the comments below, or tell us what you've enjoyed reading! Strategy – Is Universal Basic Income the answer to an […]
Is there such a thing as a natural born leader?
Regardless of what position you’re currently recruiting for, every great hiring manager recognises the value of recruiting for potential. Ideally, we are all looking to recruit tomorrow’s leaders. We want to know that the time, money and effort spent recruiting an employee today will likely result in a competent, decisive and motivated manager in the […]
Why businesses need lessons in love: making your people feel appreciated
The very best relationships rely on a mutual feeling of being recognised, appreciated and respected. If one partner in a relationship starts taking the other for granted and the lines of communication breakdown, the relationship will either crumble or turn destructive. Businesses can learn a lot from personal relationships, especially the importance of recognition and […]
Agile HR, digital leadership and why ‘compulsory happiness’ is bad for business
Welcome to another one of our Coffee Break round-ups, where we'll be listing our favourite bits of news and opinion from across the HR world. Let us know what you think of the articles we've shared, and tell us what you've enjoyed reading this week too! Strategy – The death of internal communication roles? (Dillan Shikotra, […]
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 […]
Leading from the front: how to focus a workforce during uncertain times
Stuart Duff, head of development at business psychologists Pearn Kandola, explains how senior managers can lead by example and set a clear agenda for their workforce, even during times of uncertainty. As human beings, we need to be able to understand and make sense of our surroundings. It is this understanding that allows us to […]
“Leadership isn’t just a role; it’s a mindset with a specific set of behaviours that isn’t limited to how we run our businesses.”
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 to tell […]
Coffee Break: Bad hires, emotional culture and payroll pet hates
Our latest round up of HR news, opinion, blogs and assorted tidbits is here for you to enjoy once you have five minutes spare. Let us know what you think of the articles we've shared, and tell us what else you've enjoyed reading this week! Recruitment – Made a bad hire (or two?). Don't worry, […]
Coaching for leadership – how to make it work
What are the building blocks for confident, focussed and trusted leadership? This series, 'Building great leadership' covers everything you need to know, from identifying and developing leaders, to giving effective feedback and measuring success. When does the leadership journey start? Is there some sort of magic mirror that we pass through on our way from […]
Coffee Break: CVs, HR business partners and millennial misconceptions
Get up to speed with the top news, research and opinion from across the HR world. Let us know what you think of the articles below, and don't forget to tell us what you've enjoyed reading too! Tech – Robots and automation may not take your job after all (HBR) – Why companies are struggling to […]
What is a leader? A learner…
What are the building blocks for confident, focussed and trusted leadership? This series, 'Building great leadership' covers everything you need to know, from identifying and developing leaders, to giving effective feedback and measuring success. What makes a great leader and more importantly, how do you know if you are one? It’s a question which many leaders struggle […]
Giving feedback to promote confidence and learning
What are the building blocks for confident, focussed and trusted leadership? This series, 'Building great leadership' covers everything you need to know, from identifying and developing leaders, to giving effective feedback and measuring success. “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” Aristotle’s words may be a wake-up […]
Measuring leadership: how can we do it effectively?
What are the building blocks for confident, focussed and trusted leadership? This series 'Building great leadership' covers everything you need to know, from identifying and developing leaders, to giving effective feedback and measuring success. How do you measure leadership? Analysts may look at purely financial outcomes or the longevity of a company. Marketeers may instead concentrate […]
“The gig economy is risky but rewarding. All the mistakes are yours to fix, but you can also be proud of your results.”
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 […]
Just how can you quickly spin up teams on the fly and make them more efficiently?
In response to today’s rapidly changing contexts, businesses are regularly reviewing their lists of projects, closing down some and kick-starting others. With this constant flux, building teams on the fly and expecting quick results is becoming a common occurrence in modern organisations. What type of leader is best suited to build them and what should […]
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 […]
Talent management: what can we learn from the Olympic ‘Atlanta debacle?’
UK Sport has been basking in glow of Team GB’s success in Rio with celebrations in London and Manchester recently. How times have changed. When Team GB returned from the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, there were no parades. We finished in 36th position, further down the medal table than Nigeria, Norway, and Bulgaria. It […]
Artificial intelligence and HR: partnering now for better business tomorrow
Let’s be honest. Human resources departments rarely, if ever, are thought of as cutting edge when it comes to the use of technology. A closer look, however, shows the implementation of new technologies, including solutions powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), in almost every aspect of the talent function. According to a recent Towers Watson HR […]
Donald Trump’s emotional intelligence – let’s take a look…
Donald Trump is certainly a contentious figure. Increasingly I hear or read the perception that Mr Trump has low Emotional Intelligence (measured by EQ) yet, clearly, to be in the position he is, the man has ‘something’. I want to throw some light on this as it’s not quite as clear-cut as first seems. In […]