Colborn’s Corner: Who are the fat cats?
With news about Barclays’ recent profit announcements and headlines about the fat cats being back in town, Quentin Colborn takes a look at fat cat salaries in the light of a recent article in The Times and questions if they are who we were expecting. When you think about it, the expression ‘fat cat’, which is normally used […]
Project management: What a steal!
Matchett’s senior consultant Amanda Brown has taken a novel look at the process of project management and how it relates to George Clooney and Brad Pitt’s Oceans Eleven. Initially, I thought that it was just a good film, she writes, now I realise that it is a case for the well organised project, following the […]
Effective change management: Interims in the driving seat
In these difficult times, businesses need as much help as possible to ensure they are best placed to weather the economic storm, says Paul Botting. The recession has emphasised the need for organisations across the public and private sector to take a fresh look at their inner workings and indeed, their HR policies. There can […]
Undercover Boss: Paying lip service to the skills gap
In the final episode of Channel 4’s Undercover Boss, Steven Martin, CEO of construction giant Clugston goes incognito to find out how his employees really feel about their jobs – and the firm. Penny de Valk shares her views. "Every boss needs to do something like this. Thing is I’m not convinced they want to […]
Undercover boss: It’s worth investing in your people
In a new two-part series on Channel 4, Undercover Boss features a senior executive who goes undercover in their own company to find out what is happening at the coalface and what employees really think about the business. Penny de Valk shares her thoughts on last night’s episode. Channel 4’s new series Undercover Boss, […]
Leaders urged to take their five-a-day in people management
Acas and the CIPD have teamed up to publish a ‘five-a-day’ manual in a bid to encourage business leaders to take a stand against poor people management – a significant factor in the UK’s productivity gap. The joint guidance covers management fundamentals developed from CIPD and Acas research and offers practical experience of management development grouped […]
Exclusive video: Philippa Hird interview
Former group HR director of ITV Philippa Hird talks exclusively to HRzone.co.uk about HR's role within a recession, how it can prepare for the eventual upturn, the role of leadership in driving engagement, and the challenges of working in HR within the television industry.
Seven ways to recession-proof your HR department
A recent report showed 82% of HR staff do not measure the return on investment of their own practices. Denis Barnard reveals seven questions you should be asking to ensure your HR department is recession-proof. It’s an unpalatable truth that some HR directors are failing to make business cases that resonate with their […]
HCM: Using analytics to help organisations fight back
Peter Howes highlights how the use of eight metrics, that have specifically been identified for use in a downturn, can lead to greater workforce insight, improving efficiency and driving cost savings. With the recession in full swing, rapid changes within the global business environment have left many HR directors reeling. Until recently most were […]
Mergers and acquisitions: Creating a stronger HR function
Jan Hills and Stefania Cappello offer practical advice on how merging HR functions can be implemented, and how it should be seen as less of a daunting task and more of an opportunity for a stronger HR function. Most advice on mergers and acquisitions is about HR helping the business. The challenge for HR […]
Adding value through interim management
Raj Tulsiani discusses five things you should know about interim management but perhaps never considered, to help add real value to the business. The growth of interim management over the last three decades has been such that industry best practice has been fighting a losing battle to keep up with the movement of the […]
HR business partnering 2.0: Delivering on the original promise
Simon Constance and Chris O'Brien, from Orion Partners, discuss how HR has missed the real point of Ulrich's work and look at the future for HR business partnering. Research, anecdotal evidence and first hand experience suggests that despite the introduction of the HR business partnering (HRBP) role, HR is still seen as not making […]
HR hits rock bottom in the boredom list
HR is less boring than media or law but not as interesting as accountancy or teaching, according to graduates who work in the profession. The Training and Development Agency for Schools has published its Work Boredom Index which has turned popular myths – such as accountancy being boring and the media being interesting – around. […]
Book review: Why Should Anyone be Led by You? What it Takes to be an Authentic Leader
Title: Why Should Anyone be Led by You? What it Takes to be an Authentic LeaderAuthor: Rob Goffee and Gareth JonesPublisher: Harvard Business School PressISBN: 1 – 57851 – 971 – 3Price: £15.99Reviewer: Rob Sheffield So, if you’re like me and wondering what yet another book on leadership could possibly add to your understanding, pause […]
HR Practitioner’s Diary: Standards
Sue Kingston looks back over her intrepid HR adventures of the last month including rescuing a business from failing its Investors in People reassessment, practical tips on how to manage those World Cup sickies and thoughts on whether HR qualification is all that is needed plus those vital wine, chocolate and boyfriend stats. Month: April […]
How Did I Get Here? Laraine Levin, Head of HR, QA
Laraine Levin discusses HR as the guiding force behind business strategy, falling victim to unpopular managerial decisions and motivational musicals. 1. How strategic is your current role and what does it involve? There is a strong strategic element to my role and, as an important part of this, I work closely with our CEO to […]
How Did I Get Here? Amanda Shaw, Head of Human Resources, Cottrills
Amanda Shaw explains why she believes HR is all about fostering a positive culture and why donning an ambassador’s hat is part and parcel of the job. 1. How strategic is your current role and what does it involve?My current role is a new step for the business and covers broad HR across three business […]
How Did I Get Here? Tom Russell, Director of Strategic Resourcing and Reward, Cancer Research UK
Tom Russell, Director of Strategic Resourcing and Reward at Cancer Research UK, talks “fluffy” personnel, liaising with world class scientists … and 1980s pop. 1. How strategic is your current role and what does it involve?My role is responsible for leading the organisation’s strategy for attracting and retaining high quality people. This primarily involves the […]
How Did I Get Here? Cathy Wilcher, HR Director, CFS
Former Abbey HR Director, Cathy Wilcher reveals the importance of courageous decision making and achieving what no one thought possible. 1. How strategic is your current role and what does it involve?I will be starting my new job with CFS on 18 April and joining their Executive Committee. One of the attractions to the job […]
Linking Training to Business Needs: The Secrets of HMRC Revealed. By Sarah Fletcher
Linda Martin, Head of Learning at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) spoke to Sarah Fletcher about HMRC’s learning and development challenges, how they measure the success of their training investment and crucially just how they tie in their training to business needs. HR Zone Q1: How has the learning and development (L&D) strategy at HM […]
