Blog: What value do you bring to the table?

“Can we speak later? I have a big interview next week and I have some thoughts that I want to run by you. My response was that I would be more than glad to hear what is on her mind.   When we spoke later that afternoon, she told me about the value that she […]

Talent Spot: Karl Jolly, director of people at the Welcome Break Group

Karl Jolly has spent his whole career in the hospitality and food and drink industries. Today, he is director of people at Welcome Break Group, helping to ensure that the 80 million people who pass through the motorway service station and hotel operator’s doors have as good an experience as possible. “About 98% of 80 […]

News: Few employers exploit youth digital skills worth £6.7bn

Even though the UK’s unemployed youth have underexploited digital skills estimated to be worth about £6.7 billion, less than a quarter of employers plan to take them on despite a lack of in-house expertise. According to a survey undertaken by mobile phone operator O2, although organisations expect to generate about a fifth of their revenues […]

Blog: Learning to manage sickness absence more creatively

Newly published figures by the Health and Social Care Information Centre have revealed that NHS workers took an average of 15 days of sickness absence over the last year – an improvement on figures from three years ago.  Sceptics have been quick to note that the level of sickness absence in the NHS is considerably […]

Lessons from Olympians: Seb Coe, the ultimate expert-turned-leader

The concept of an expert becoming a leader is scarcely unexplored territory. But the focus is usually on the skills that the erstwhile expert needs to acquire and demonstrate as they move from one role – and mind-set – to another.   There are other attributes that are just as critical to the success, not […]

News: UK employers do little to tackle poor internal management skills

Even though the vast majority of UK businesses believe that their performance is at risk of being held back by a shortage of skilled managers, all too few are doing anything much about it. According to a survey conducted among 750 managers with responsibility for talent management by the Institute of Leadership & Management, the […]

Blog: Kite Foundation encourages learning transfer through charitable donations

It is widely accepted that the biggest challenge facing trainers is not so much what goes on in the classroom but what doesn’t go on in the workplace. For a myriad of entirely understandable reasons, learners struggle to find the time, opportunity and motivation to use their nascent capabilities in the crucial first few days […]

News: Clear link between HR effectiveness and financial growth – study

Organisations with an effective HR function generate revenues that are up to 3.5 times higher and profits that are about 2.1 times greater than rivals, according to research. These are the key findings of a survey among more than 4,200 HR and non-HR managers based in over 100 countries across the world conducted by The […]

News: Doctor shadowing scheme introduced to cut NHS ‘killing season’

The NHS has introduced a scheme in which junior doctors will shadow senior colleagues for at least four days in a bid to curtail the impact of the annual ‘killing season’. The initiative was introduced following pilot projects across the country and will run in late July from this year onwards.   Senior doctors will […]

Is it worth bothering with a CIPD qualification?

Although a CIPD qualification isn’t always requested by employers, there are always some hiring managers who include it as a prerequisite on their job specs and adverts. If you already have an HR-related degree or extensive industry experience, the CIPD may be less of a necessity – but it’s a well-respected qualification that could open […]

Blog: The crucial role of line managers in beating employee stress

Stress is a big problem within the workplace in the UK and it is not being tackled effectively. Many people are concerned about their jobs and many organisations have to take measures to reduce costs; stress needs to be tackled from the boardroom to ensure that it is a priority.   So often it is […]

Blog: Seven reasons to employ a pregnant CEO

Last week’s announcement that Marissa Mayer had been appointed CEO at Yahoo! while pregnant should send a message to the Lord Sugar brigade; business leaders who believe that you shouldn’t employ women of a certain age in case they get pregnant. We’ve been thinking about the benefits that employing a senior woman while she is […]

Talking Point: Is it better to outsource training or offer it in-house?

Although employee performance may have improved over the last two years, individuals are still not working to their full potential, a recent poll of HR directors revealed. With the economic climate as it is, however, it is clear that employers must ensure that they get the most out of the talent they already have.   […]

News: RIP Jackie Orme, former head of the CIPD

Jackie Orme, former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, died yesterday evening after losing the battle with pancreatic cancer.   Orme, who was only 46, headed the organisation from April 2008 until her condition was diagnosed in the summer of 2011.   She had worked in HR for 17 years, starting […]

Blog: How family-friendly is your organisation?

Any organisation with more than a few employees will have staff that are having children.  It’s a big deal, not only for them, but for the employer too.   Even though this is the case, many organisations provide little in the way of learning support for these staff. Interestingly those employers that do assist their […]

Talent Spot: Eivind Slaaen, Hilti’s head of people and culture development

For Eivind Slaaen, head of people and culture development at Hilti, creating the right company environment is imperative. But the irony is that, although developing culture is at heart of what his department does, such activity is considered a line management issue rather than an HR one.   “I have HR colleagues who struggle with […]

News: Yahoo appoints pregnant CEO

Female chief executives are still lamentably rare, female chief executives in the hi-tech computer industry even more so.  Female chief executives who are pregnant when appointed are hitherto unknown, however.   But, refreshingly, search engine company Yahoo has broken the mould by appointing Marissa Mayer as its latest CEO knowing full well that she’s six month’s pregnant.   Mayer […]

CEO Insight: Stinkyink’s John Sollars on staff motivation and development

Across the office and warehouse, I have a team of about 16 people. And I think the thing that I am most proud of is the way that I have been able to help them develop and ‘improve’. Small businesses can find it hard to set concrete goals for employees’ performance because they need to […]

News: G4S to face penalties over Olympic staffing failures

G4S is expected to face financial penalties for failing to recruit, train and deploy enough security guards in time for the start of the Olympics in a fortnight’s time. As a result of the situation, the coalition government confirmed today that it would have to draft in an additional 3,500 soldiers, many of whom have […]

Blog: Sacked for acting on instinct: Lessons from a lifeguard

His answer was simple: Thanks, but no thanks. “They are trying to fix the wrong that they did. On a personal level, I just don’t want to work for that company anymore,” said Tomas Lopez, 21, of Davie, Florida. “It’s not out of spite against the company. I really just want to move on and get another […]