Bonuses and allowances compensate council bosses for pay cuts
Local authority bosses were compensated for promised pay cuts last year by having their bonuses and allowances boosted instead. The move came despite calls by Eric Pickles, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, for town hall chiefs to take a 10% wage reduction. An analysis of accounts published by 128 of the largest council’s […]
Workers uninspired by business leaders, finds study
Although good communication skills, demonstrating integrity and having the ability to motivate are the top three most desirable leadership attributes, few UK workers believe that their boss displays them. Instead a survey among 1,047 employees undertaken by ICM Research on behalf of executive search and leadership consultancy Korn/Ferry Whitehead Mann revealed that just under one […]
The secret to staff satisfaction
The current climate is not only affecting business profitability but also staff morale, with employee satisfaction rates at their lowest since 2009, according to a recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Further research carried out by mental health charity, Mind, revealed that 41% of people are stressed by their jobs, with […]
No ‘time to train’ in SMEs, say Government
The coalition government has ruled out extending the right to request time for training to employees in small to medium businesses until at least 2015. Under proposals made by the last government, staff in companies with less than 250 personnel would have been entitled to the same rights as those in larger organisations by April […]
Difference in earnings between public and private sector widens in poor job market
Although public sector workers are now paid an average of 7.8% more than their private sector counterparts, the number of people finding work in either area has slowed to a 22-month low. According to the Office for National Statistics, by April 2010 the difference in average earnings between public and private sector staff has widened […]
Employees have too much holiday, say 25% of SMEs
Around a quarter of small-to-medium employers believe that workers get too much holiday and would like to prune their entitlement by about four days in a bid to cut costs. According to a survey among 403 SMEs undertaken by BDRC Continental Research on behalf of insurance company MetLife, some 27% believe they are too generous […]
Wanted: HR mentors to support SMEs
The coalition government is hoping to create an “informal” nationwide network of 40,000 business mentors over the year ahead to support small-to-medium enterprises in areas such as HR, marketing and finance. The initial plank of the scheme, launched by the British Banking Association yesterday, is expected to see 1,000 current and retired employees from Barclays, […]
Leadership forecast gloomy – development needed
Employers must employ a mix of development techniques if they are to improve leadership quality levels that have changed little over the last six years despite an estimated £14 billion in annual investment worldwide. According to a survey among 12,000 leaders and 1,800 HR professionals working in 2,600 organisations across 74 countries undertaken by talent […]
Coalition to spend £60 million on private sector apprenticeships
In a bid to deflect criticism over scrapping a £1 billion fund aimed at tackling youth unemployment, the coalition government has pledged to spend £60 million on creating apprenticeships and work placements in private companies. The ‘Supporting Youth Employment’ scheme is intended to fund 250,000 apprenticeship places for 16- to 24-year olds over the next […]
Recruitment ROI in the ‘new normal’
When I talk to HR leaders across the private and public sectors, and even in the not for profit space, it’s quite clear that attitudes towards recruitment have changed significantly in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis. In my opinion, the change is entirely positive for the recruitment industry, which has been greedy and […]
Financial Times to offer first non-exec director post grad course
The Financial Times will start offering the UK’s first formally accredited post-graduate qualification for non-executives directors from 1 September this year. The six-month-long Non-Executive Director Certificate is based on the UK Corporate Governance Code and will be accredited by Edexcel in a bid to support the professionalisation of the sector. Lesley Stephenson, a Financial Times publisher […]
Organisations could use social tools to aid ROI and engagement
Enterprise social media and collaboration tools could help employers to obtain a better return on investment from their knowledge workers and improve engagement, a study has found. A survey among 150 managers and knowledge workers undertaken by Forrester Research on behalf of project and portfolio management software provider AtTask revealed that, despite often high levels […]
New study highlights decision-making differences between genders
Men are prone to make black-or-white judgements when making decisions, while women are more inclined to see shades of grey, according to a study from Warwick University. This means that the former gender appear more suited to work environments that require decisive action, while the latter are likely to be more effective in occupations where […]
HR at a crossroads: can we collaborate to improve business execution?
Successful organisations need strategic HR people working with IT people to create systems that empower the alignment of workforces through a combination of goals, targets, pay for performance, reviews and effective communication of strategy. That’s the theory anyway. The reality – as exposed by a new study from Cloud Computing firm SuccessFactors and services giant […]
Finding new roles for existing staff within your organisation
In spite of many economies being under pressure to grow and the problem of high unemployment levels, acquiring and retaining good people is a constant challenge. Simon North explains. Why is the issue of finding new roles for individuals who are already within your organisation worth discussing? Clearly the issue of keeping what we typically […]
Exclusive: Alan Sugar to star in next ‘Undercover Boss’ TV series
After a barrage of criticism from leading HR thinkers and bloggers, HRzone can today reveal that Alan Sugar is swapping his dictatorial style of ‘You’re fired’ in The Apprentice for the approach taken by the bosses in the UK and US TV series and has gone ‘undercover’ at Amstrad. HRzone.co.uk was able to gain this […]
Skills Active funding cut despite employer satisfaction
The sport and active leisure Skills Sector Council has reacted angrily to the coalition government’s decision to axe its apprenticeship funding despite pledges to create 100,000 new on-the-job training places over the next two years. The Young Apprenticeship scheme in Sports Management, Leadership and Coaching, which is led by Skills Active, the […]
SMEs claim coalition bad for business
Just under half of small-to-medium employers believe that the coalition government’s policies to date have had a negative impact on their business, while just less than a third feel that today’s Budget will make things worse. A survey undertaken by pollster YouGov among 523 senior SME decision-makers revealed that 48% were unhappy with the impact […]
Government plans to drop maternity for SMEs and weaken bribery act revealed
Controversial proposals by the coalition government to exempt some foreign companies from prosecution under the Bribery Act and drop maternity and paternity regulations for small businesses could bring it into conflict with other administrations. Draft guidance being drawn up by the Minister of Justice and seen by the Guardian appears to indicate that foreign companies […]
Asda launches leadership programme
Asda is about to introduce a company-wide leadership programme just as a study revealed that one in four managers have in the past knowingly breached professional conduct guidelines at work. The supermarket chain intends to provide management training to 10,000 bosses across the UK under the auspices of its Asda Leadership Event developed in conjunction […]