Legal Insight: M&A rule changes – an HRD guide to getting it right
New merger and acquisition rules introduced on 19 September mean that companies involved in such activity will have to bring HR into the picture at a much earlier stage of the due diligence process than was previously the case. The changes were introduced by the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers, an independent body that is […]
Six tips for effective talent management
With competition to retain high-potential employees at fever pitch, talent management is firmly occupying the HR, learning and development and leadership agenda. But there are six principles that organisations can adopt to make a real difference in talent management terms in order to ensure that they select, develop and retain their best performers and future […]
HRD Insight: Paul Duncan on managing change at Swissport
When I joined Swissport International as interim HR director in December 2008, the UK arm of the €1.3bn airport ground services business was in the initial stages of a turnaround. This activity was being led by chief executive Mark Faulkner, who had arrived two months earlier from another company in the Ferrovial group, which was […]
Barnardo’s wins e-learning award for staff dedication and support
Barnardo’s has won an award for best overall e-learning programme at the Charity Learning Awards this year due to both its dedication and efforts to support a large number of users compared with the size of the learning and development team. Judges were also particularly impressed with the children's charity's innovative approach to learning, and […]
L&D teams’ poor skills hold back learning technology adoption
Although e-learning is by far the most popular of technological tools to help with training activity, learning and development teams’ poor knowledge, skills and confidence are the top barriers to successful adoption. According to a survey among 600 organisations undertaken by benchmarking organisation, Towards Maturity, 72% were convinced that learning technologies would help them respond […]
The downside of nepotism
Prominent leadership appointments are under more scrutiny than ever before. At the same time as the concept of ‘jobs for the boys’ has become less socially acceptable, today’s sceptical public is taking more and more interest in the appointment of prominent leaders working in both public and private sector organisations. Trust in public figures […]
How to create a sustainable L&D strategy
The business environment in many of today’s organisations is more complex, fluid and ambiguous than it was in the second half of the 20th century. Our world is changing so fast that the traditional methods employed in learning and development no longer have the traction and impact they once had – or some may argue […]
Learndirect launches ‘Make It Count Week’ to boost workplace skills profile
Learndirect launched ‘Make It Count Week’ today to help raise the profile of learning and skills issues among employers and individuals across the UK. The workplace and basic skills provider’s aim is to urge employers to take action so that they help support and encourage their employees to exploit the training opportunities available. Sarah Jones, […]
Skills shortages and unemployment to remain endemic, warns study
The UK’s education system is not fit to meet the changing needs of industry and, as a result, skills shortages and unemployment seem set to remain endemic issues for UK Plc into the foreseeable future. This is the stark warning of a joint study between the Daily Telegraph and think tank The Work Foundation, which […]
Blog: Less than 24 days to go! What do you think about the Agency Regs?
In less than 24 days time, the Temporary Agency Regulations (Regulations) come into force. If reports in the national press this week are correct, the Government is yet again wavering over whether the legislation should be implemented in its current form. This time though, the deadline is so tight that commentators are speculating whether this is […]
Blog: HR must not let uninspiring company cultures set in
Some news that shocked me last week was that which described how over 300,000 children live in homes where no-one had any experience of work. It seems strange to think that so many children could be living in an environment where work is so alien. When this type of culture becomes established it can be […]
Holcim cements behaviour metrics into leadership development scheme
Evidence suggests that HR-sponsored leadership development programmes that are deemed to be high quality are 20 times more likely to measure performance than those rated as ineffective. Despite this, however, only 5% of organisations are able to provide meaningful metrics that effectively demonstrate a correlation between HR and business performance. But if HR is […]
Blog: What are you bringing to the top table?
Recognise This! – If HR wants a seat at the table, then bring metrics the CEO cares about. Over and over again, I hear HR pros talking about “getting a seat at the table.” Laurie Ruettimann’s post last week reminded me again of this highly contentious topic. I’m always astounded that HR doesn’t have […]
Leadership development programmes not up to snuff in too many organisations
Just under a quarter of HR professionals believe that their leadership development programmes are ‘highly effective’, while about one in five admit that they are useless. But according to research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and talent management consultancy, DDI, about a third of UK leaders rate the quality of leadership in […]
Employers must tackle poor awareness of pension changes, warns CIPD
More than half of UK workers are unaware that pensions auto-enrolment will start to be phased in next year, with knowledge of the change particularly low among young people. But because awareness of the reforms, which will be rolled out over four years from October 2012, is predominantly linked to age and managerial status, it […]
London Fire Brigade uses e-learning to improve training and cut costs
The vital role the London Fire Brigade plays was brought into sharp focus recently when its 999 control officers answered 2,168 calls in a 24-hour period at the beginning of August and attended over 100 fires during the four-day period of unrest in the capital. Each of these incidents will be fully reported, and learning […]
Demand for temporary and migrant labour is on the up
Demand for both temporary and migrant workers is on the up as employers focus on maintaining flexibility and filling skills gaps during the uncertain economic times ahead. According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s latest JobsOutlook survey of 600 employers, 83% expect that their use of agency workers will either increase or stay the same […]
Horrible bosses: how to spot them and handle them
The difference between an authentic leader and a horrible boss would appear obvious. But it’s not correct to say it all boils down to behaviour because some of the most authentic leaders I know are capable of behaving ‘poorly’ at times, says Gareth Chick, a director at Spring Partnerships. The fundamental difference for me is […]
BA cabin crew trial iPads to improve customer service
Cabin crew at British Airways are to trial the use of Apple iPads in the air as the UK’s flag carrier airline looks to the technology to try and improve customer service. The iPads will allow cabin crew to have prior awareness of customer preferences and a greater understanding of each customer’s previous travel arrangements, […]
Too much fire-fighting stops L&D teams being strategic
Seven out of ten learning and development teams are too busy fire-fighting and dealing with day-to-day challenges to focus on strategic talent and learning issues, our sister site www.trainingzone.co.uk reports. The survey of 104 L&D managers, carried out by managed learning company KnowledgePool, asked respondents about their perceptions of training in their organisations. Key findings […]
