Expert voice: reaping the value of soft benefits
When budgets limit salary increases, organizations are turning to soft benefits like gym memberships, wellness programs, and on-site massages to boost employee satisfaction and retention. A survey found 88% of workers want more health and wellbeing support, with 45% willing to switch jobs for better benefits packages.
Blog: 3 tips for better feedback reception
Learn how to receive feedback more effectively with three key strategies: make it timely rather than delayed, ensure it’s specific with clear examples, and provide actionable next steps. Improving your feedback reception skills helps you grow professionally and respond constructively to criticism.
Talent Spot: Michael Doolin, HR director at DHL’s Tradeteam
Michael Doolin, HR director at DHL’s Tradeteam, shares his unconventional path from aspiring lawyer to HR professional. After initially rejecting his father’s career in industrial relations, Doolin discovered his passion through a university lecturer and has spent 34 years building expertise across Ford, the RAC, investment banking, and logistics.
Blog: leadership personified by inspirational mothers
Two mothers who lost sons to knife crime demonstrate transformative leadership by turning their grief into action through the Release the Peace project, inspiring communities to create safer neighborhoods rather than waiting for others to drive change.
Blog: The followers guide to what your leaders want
Leaders often overlook defining what they need from followers. This guide explores the expectations great leaders have of their teams—from taking responsibility and understanding organizational goals to supporting colleagues and maintaining commitment during challenges.
Living Leader Learnings: The Redundancy Challenge
An HR director navigates upcoming redundancies by balancing authentic communication with team members while maintaining company alignment. The key lies in active listening, asking thoughtful questions rather than offering advice, and demonstrating genuine support during organizational change.
Blog: who are the best leaders – men or women?
Research analyzing 360° feedback from nearly 14,000 UK leaders reveals distinct leadership differences between men and women. Women score higher in planning, empathy, and personal responsibility, while men excel in strategic vision, commercial focus, and personal impact. The study shows these contrasting styles reflect different approaches to organizational leadership rather than determining who makes the better leader.
News: Police shared service move could see 1,100 jobs outsourced
Three police forces in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire are considering outsourcing around 1,100 back office jobs, including HR, finance, and IT services, to help address a combined £73 million funding shortfall. The forces plan to develop a full business case and seek formal approval from their police authorities in late June.
In a Nutshell: Five top tips for staying stress-free
Stress is the leading cause of long-term sickness absence in UK workplaces. HR experts recommend five practical strategies to manage workplace stress: address changeable issues, talk to your manager about workload, use employee support programs, delegate tasks, and maintain healthy habits like exercise and good nutrition.
News: Lessons from IBM in going social
IBM’s social business strategy emphasizes culture, leadership, and embedding social practices into daily workflows. With 4 million IBMers using social media internally, the company prioritizes engagement, reputation management, and analytics to drive business impact across the enterprise.
Blog: Steve Jobs and valuing the ‘B’ players
Steve Jobs’ demanding leadership style motivated top performers but alienated B players, who constitute the majority of organizational capacity. While A players are crucial, B players are essential for grinding out the work that enables stars to succeed, making their engagement and support vital for long-term success.
Talent Spot: Lisa Sarjeant, HR director at the CIPD
Lisa Sarjeant is HR director at the CIPD, Europe’s largest chartered professional HR body, where she sits on the executive team and shapes organizational strategy. She has been with the organization since 1990, witnessing its evolution through mergers and gaining its royal charter in 2000, while her own role has expanded to include oversight of facilities and HR.
News: Former Olympus CEO settles unfair dismissal case out-of-court
Former Olympus CEO Michael Woodford has settled his unfair dismissal case against the Japanese company out of court. Woodford was fired two weeks after exposing a $1.7bn accounting scandal. The settlement terms remain undisclosed, though reports suggest he could receive up to £10m in remaining contract pay.
Blog: Punk rock HR – A no-nonsense guide to hiring, inspiring and firing
Discover “Punk Rock People Management,” a no-nonsense guide to hiring, inspiring, and firing that strips HR leadership down to simplicity, brevity, and authenticity. This practical resource covers the essential HR cycle in concise, two-page chapters ideal for busy professionals.
Blog: Seven tips for navigating murky M&A waters
Mike Lynch’s departure from Hewlett-Packard a year after HP’s £7bn acquisition of Autonomy highlights critical HR challenges in mergers and acquisitions. A robust HR strategy and early employee engagement are essential to navigate cultural differences, retain talent, and maximize post-merger success.
News: Three police forces adopt shared HR services for first time
Three UK police forces—Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Derbyshire—are adopting a shared HR system called Origin for the first time, a £2.3 million deal with Capita expected to save approximately £900,000 annually once fully implemented.
Blog: You may call yourself an HR business partner, but are you – really?
Simply changing an HR generalist’s title to Business Partner without redefining responsibilities and organizational alignment fails to create genuine value. True HR business partners must demonstrate measurable impact, build real relationships with stakeholders, and align HR strategies with overall business priorities.
News: Half of pubic sector workers got zilch in April pay settlement
Over half of public sector workers received zero pay increases in April 2012 pay settlements, according to XpertHR data covering 29 reviews. This contrasts sharply with the private sector, where only 15.1% of deals resulted in no wage rises, with median pay awards reaching 2.5%.
A typical HRD: Part 2 – The third sector
The third sector’s HR landscape has evolved significantly, with HR directors now expected to be commercially savvy business leaders who drive organizational growth, rather than administrative traditionalists. Economic pressures have transformed charity roles into demanding positions where HR professionals can make substantial impact by combining business acumen with genuine commitment to organizational values.
Living Leader Learnings: How can I make all of my team equally motivated?
True motivation comes from within, so leaders must inspire all team members to motivate themselves. Rather than focusing only on criticizing underperformers, effective leaders should recognize their strengths and potential, as constant negative feedback creates a downward spiral that widens performance gaps.
