CIPD Conference: People management key to Tesco’s success, says Leahy
Former Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy credits the supermarket’s success to effective people management, stating employees need interesting work, respect, advancement opportunities, and supportive leadership. Speaking at the CIPD Conference, Leahy outlined key lessons including embracing truth, setting ambitious goals, and prioritizing vision and culture.
Talent Spot: David Smith, HR director at LV=
David Smith transformed HR at LV=, bringing the function in-house in 2008 and helping the company grow from 2,000 to 5,000 employees while becoming a top-four UK car insurer. He shifted recruitment from 80% agency-based to 80% direct hiring, reducing costs by £1 million despite doubling staff numbers.
CIPD Conference: “HR must become business leaders and strategists”
HR professionals must evolve into business leaders and strategists to drive organizational performance and change through people, according to CIPD president Gill Rider. Speaking at the organization’s annual conference, she emphasized that economic challenges, demographic shifts, and declining trust in leadership have made strong business acumen essential for HR professionals.
Melody Hossaini’s verdict on the Young Apprentice: Episode three
Melody Hossaini reviews Young Apprentice episode three, where contestants launched floristry businesses with £800 startup funds. She analyzes the winning team’s pricing strategy and critiques the losing project manager’s boardroom decisions.
The changing face of the European HR technology market
European HR departments are transforming their technology infrastructure to balance cost management with service quality across diverse markets. Key trends include implementing talent and performance systems, expanding shared services models, and elevating HR’s role as a strategic business enabler rather than purely transactional function.
Lincolnshire shared services deal to save £1.3m by axing 20 posts
North and North East Lincolnshire councils plan to merge local taxation and benefits services, saving £1.3m through 20 job cuts. The shared agreement covering council tax, benefits administration, and related functions is expected to launch by July 2012, with affected employees offered retraining and redeployment options.
Talent Spot: John Ainley, group HR director at Aviva
John Ainley, group HR director at Aviva, believes authenticity is crucial for HR leaders. With a career spanning employment law, retail, and insurance, Ainley champions people-focused decision-making and strong employer branding at the UK’s largest insurance provider.
Blog: Does HR belong in finance?
HR departments increasingly report to CFOs at midsize firms, raising questions about HR’s strategic independence. For HR to claim a place on the executive team, it must demonstrate strategic value beyond administrative functions, with collaboration between finance and talent leadership essential for organizational success.
Melody Hossaini’s verdict on the Young Apprentice: Episode two
Melody Hossaini reviews Young Apprentice episode two, where teams design baby products and pitch to retailers. The girls’ “Comfy Curve” sling outsells the boys’ “Harris the Hippo” bottle warmer, with project managers’ glory-hunting undermining team performance.
Talent Spot: John Hardman, HR director at HSS Hire
John Hardman, HR director at HSS Hire, combines deep people expertise with broader business operations experience. Throughout his career at NatWest, Pfizer, and Phones 4U, he has consistently expanded beyond traditional HR roles while championing internal talent development and investment in employee growth.
Getting women on the board is not about quick fixes
Achieving gender balance on corporate boards requires sustainable, long-term cultural change rather than quick fixes. HR leaders must build strong foundations through mentoring, coaching, and demonstrating the business value of diversity, while securing buy-in across all organizational levels.
The HR Headmistress: Coping with ET1 tribunal claim documents
Employment tribunal claims are rising, but HR professionals can effectively handle most ET1 documents themselves rather than automatically referring them to solicitors. By getting actively involved in managing claims and understanding the straightforward issues typically involved—such as unfair dismissal or wage disputes—HR can add significant business value while reducing costly legal fees.
SAP appoints new head of HR for UK and Ireland
Laura Burton has been appointed as the new HR director for SAP UK and Ireland, replacing Terri Ellison. She will oversee recruitment, training, and benefits for approximately 1,100 staff while leading the organization’s HR business partners to support the company’s global growth ambitions.
Leadership development is top L&D priority over next 12 months
Leadership development ranks as the top L&D priority for the next 12 months, with 61% of learning professionals planning to provide this training. A survey of 417 L&D specialists also found that classroom training remains the most popular delivery method at 90%, while mobile learning is the fastest-growing medium despite currently lower adoption rates.
Building much-needed business savvy
HR professionals need to develop stronger business savvy to drive organizational influence and strategic impact. A new research initiative explores how to build commercial awareness and embed it as standard practice across HR functions.
“Institutional inertia” leads to slow progress on female board directors
Institutional inertia is slowing progress on female board representation, with only 33 FTSE 100 companies setting targets to increase female directors following Lord Davies’ 2015 recommendation of 25% representation. Current trends suggest women will comprise just 21% of board positions by 2015 at existing rates.
Blog: Steve Jobs – lessons in talent management
Steve Jobs built Apple’s culture around his influential leadership, raising questions about succession planning and talent management. This post examines how organizations can prepare for the departure of charismatic leaders by developing strong talent pipelines and recruiting people who embody the company’s core values and innovation principles.
Blog: Strategies for dealing with a workplace bully
Learn practical strategies for addressing workplace bullying, including reviewing your organization’s policies, documenting incidents, and deciding whether to confront the bully directly or report to HR based on your safety and support system.
Talent Spot: Dominic Ceraldi, head of HR at Pimlico Plumbers
Dominic Ceraldi, HR and general manager at Pimlico Plumbers, has transformed the family-run business by building an HR department from scratch over four years. His efforts in recruitment, learning and development have significantly improved staff retention rates among plumbers and call centre employees.
Navigating the choppy waters of cultural difference
Cultural differences significantly impact business conduct in multinational companies. HR directors should prepare employees by teaching basic etiquette, encouraging language learning, understanding religious practices, and accommodating dietary needs to create favorable first impressions and professional relationships.
