Four-year central government HR framework deal goes to Logica
Logica has won a four-year central government framework contract valued between £50m and £500m to provide transactional HR, payroll and finance services across UK government organisations. The scalable deal allows participating agencies to select their own service levels and HCM platforms, with costs decreasing as more organisations join.
2011 – The year of social learning: Five keys to realise true ROI
Social learning addresses three critical workplace challenges: organizational knowledge loss, generational learning differences, and the inability to develop skills as fast as business changes. Employees need immediate access to expert insights and real-time problem-solving rather than waiting for formal training courses to stay competitive.
News Analysis: The HCM battle begins – Will HRDs finally get technology they like using?
SAP’s $3.4 billion acquisition of SuccessFactors signals a major shift in human capital management software, as cloud-based SaaS solutions challenge traditional on-premise vendors. The move reflects growing demand for more user-friendly HR technology as Oracle and SAP compete for HR directors’ attention in an increasingly competitive market.
More private sector collaboration will lead to brain drain, warn public sector bosses
Public sector leaders warn that increased private sector collaboration risks brain drain and staff morale damage. A new study found that while such partnerships are expected to double over three years, nearly half of public sector bosses doubt they’ll deliver value for money and fear quality service losses.
Pressure rises on banks for more pay transparency
UK banks could be forced to disclose pay packages of their eight highest-paid executives under new government proposals aimed at tackling excessive bonuses in the financial sector. The rules would apply to institutions with assets over £15 million and take effect in 2012.
Blog: The golden thread – aligning HR and business strategy
HR strategy must align with business objectives to create real organizational value, not function as an afterthought. By connecting training, reward systems, and leadership practices directly to strategic goals, companies can ensure the “golden thread” runs through all business decisions and drives measurable success.
News Analysis: ‘Glimmers of hope’ for jobs market as incomes set to drop
Despite signs of hiring optimism with 54% of employers planning to hire permanently in the next three months, real household incomes are forecast to fall 7.4% over the next three years, creating a challenging economic landscape for workers and businesses alike.
HRD Insight: Dan Grant on Dell’s ‘Connected Workplace’ scheme
Dell’s ‘Connected Workplace’ scheme enables flexible working arrangements focused on outputs rather than visibility, allowing staff autonomy over when and where they work. Introduced by UK HR director Dan Grant, the initiative has been adopted by 60% of Dell’s 2,200 UK employees across various working arrangements, supported by consistent policies and technology frameworks.
Talent Spot: Ann Pickering, HR director at O2
Ann Pickering, HR director at O2, believes successful HR professionals must be business-focused first. Her pragmatic approach to HR combined with emphasis on employee engagement has helped O2 achieve consistent recognition as one of the UK’s best companies to work for.
Staff engagement: Systems versus the human factor
Effective staff engagement relies on human connection and leadership principles, not just data systems. One successful company prioritized treating employees as friends and creating a collaborative workplace culture, demonstrating that personal relationships and management values often matter more than sophisticated HR analytics and measurement tools.
Blog: Top tips for presenting with panache
Learn practical presentation skills to command the room with confidence. From owning your space to managing nervousness through breathing and body awareness, these tips help you deliver impactful speeches that build leadership credibility and engage your audience effectively.
Creating a sunny workplace ‘climate’
Effective leaders create a workplace “climate” that energizes employees and boosts performance by up to 30%. Research identifies six key factors—clarity, standards, responsibility, flexibility, rewards, and team commitment—that impact team performance, with leadership behavior accounting for 70% of workplace climate variation.
Talent Spot: Damian Hughes, HR author, speaker and consultant
Damian Hughes is an HR author, speaker, and consultant who founded Liquid Thinker after extensive careers as a footballer, Manchester United coach, sports psychologist, and HR director at Unilever. Recently awarded a professorship by Manchester Metropolitan University, Hughes transformed his early impostor syndrome into rapid career advancement and published works on realizing personal and professional ambitions.
Blog: Why you should stop motivating staff
Research shows demotivators have stronger impact than motivators on employee performance. Rather than focusing on motivation, effective leaders eliminate key demotivators like unclear communication, lack of purpose, and absence of progress recognition to maintain workforce engagement and productivity.
Blog: A new role for HR?
HR professionals are redefining their role to bridge the growing disconnect between business and talent functions. Key insights from industry leaders highlight the need for data-driven strategies, personalized approaches to talent management, and closer collaboration between HR and line managers as strategic partners.
Communication: the secret to recruitment success
Effective communication throughout the hiring process is crucial to recruitment success. Many candidates withdraw after experiencing delays, poor coordination, or lack of updates during lengthy recruitment periods. Keeping candidates informed and maintaining professionalism at every stage—from interviews to contract—directly impacts hiring outcomes and organizational reputation.
CEO Video Insight: NetApp UK’s Dave Allen on staff engagement
NetApp’s UK managing director Dave Allen shares insights on maintaining staff engagement and motivation during challenging economic times when many organizations face cutbacks and austerity pressures.
Attrition rates for contact centre staff leap
UK contact centre staff attrition rates increased to 21% in 2011 from 16% the previous year, with further rises predicted to reach 26% by 2014. While higher turnover often signals economic growth creating new opportunities, outsourcing, retail, services and telecoms sectors face the greatest impact.
CIPD Conference: Developing business savvy
HR professionals must develop business savvy to support organizational performance effectively. A CIPD survey found that 60% of HR leaders agree their function needs stronger business understanding, with employers increasingly hiring HR directors from non-HR backgrounds to drive strategic impact.
CIPD Conference: ‘No one-size-fits-all for leadership practices’
Leadership practices cannot be one-size-fits-all, according to Marcus Buckingham at the CIPD annual conference. Instead of formulaic approaches, he advocates using a strengths-based model that filters leadership through individual personality traits and dominant characteristics.
