If your organisation came to life as a person, how would you describe it?
This is one of the questions that Martin Reddington asks with his employee engagement tool. On March 9th, I went to the launch of the white paper on workforce engagement in the public sector, where Reddington shared his research and work with us. The presentation was interesting in several regards – since I normally work in […]
Why it’s HR’s job to kill organisational complexity
Adam Howe is the founder of Stop., a simplicity consulting and training business. Stop. simplifies organisations by eliminating unnecessary complexity. Jamie Lawrence, Editor, HRZone: What do you mean by simplicity and complexity? Adam Howe, Founder, Stop.: Organisations are, by definition, complex systems. Some of this complexity creates value (e.g. a new product), whilst some complexity […]
Bystanders can’t do the right thing in employee relations
Your journey to work is disturbed by loud mouths, antisocial media and disrespectful behaviour. The warning signs have zero effect and your looks of disapproval are ignored. If you challenge one person, everyone will expect you to challenge the next person who steps out of line. You don’t want that pressure or the potential consequences […]
“If you’re finding another person difficult to work with, start with yourself – you’re the only person you can change.”
We're always curious to hear how our members and contributors tackle the challenges that the ever-changing world of HR throws at them. We've got a wealth of experience and knowledge across the site, and what better way to showcase the diversity of our community than to get them to walk us through an average day? Want […]
Building a workplace that’s fit for the future
Today’s professionals have a new world of work at their fingertips. Unemployment rates are at an 11-year low, and as an ever-increasing number of opportunities open up, employees are able to consider what they want from their workplace – and find an employer that meets their needs. We recently spoke to workers across the UK, […]
Five evidence-based steps to creativity and innovation
This five-step process is based on the thoughts of Mark Batey, Senior Lecturer In Organisational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School. HRZone interviewed Mark in January 2017. His thoughts are based on a decade worth of research and practice with senior teams, helping them be creative and develop new strategies. Mark's approach is to draw […]
How leaders can stir up creativity in meetings
This piece is based on the thoughts of Mark Batey, Senior Lecturer In Organisational Psychology at Alliance Manchester Business School. HRZone interviewed Mark in January 2017. His thoughts are based on a decade worth of research and practice with senior teams, helping them be creative and develop new strategies. Mark's approach is to draw together […]
Organisational development practitioners: beware the silver bullets
Delegates of my facilitated interventions sometimes express a view that what I do is some kind of 'magic'. They reflect on their experience of me not having said much, asking a few questions, getting them talking and, as a result, them experiencing moments of clarity and deepened relationships. I see these observations as a sign […]
What can organisations do to stop older workers disengaging from the workforce?
Early retirement: facts, forces, and erroneous solutions The ageing workforce is creating unprecedented challenges for organizations and governments. By 2030 the number of people aged over 55 in high-income countries will have grown to 500 million. However, it can also present opportunities for policy makers and employers. PricewaterhouseCoopers suggested that “the ageing workforce offers a […]
OD and L&D – the space in the middle is where we all meet
“What’s the difference between L&D and OD, and does it matter?” was the question posed for a recent online chat. (I recommend you follow the hashtag #ldinsight on twitter and join in the conversation each Friday morning 8.00am-9.00am). I got a sense during the conversation that OD practitioners can be seen as making themselves somehow “other” – that they […]
HR’s role in mergers and acquisitions: before it happens
In this in-depth series, Benjamin Black of Blacklarke Consulting gives us the lowdown on how HR should handle mergers and acquisitions at every stage of the cycle. Mergers and acquisitions present a plethora of issues. Most business leaders will focus on the obvious legal and financial implications, usually including costs of employment and any issues […]
The five temptations leaders must avoid
When it comes to working with leaders the most consistently lacking behaviour seems to be discipline. Now I know that most of you are reeling reading this and probably thinking ‘how dare he’ but now’s the time to be really honest with yourself – we all get a little distracted from time to time. In […]
Our values journey: “We put them up on the wall, but we didn’t do that straight away.”
It's HR in Retail month on HRZone! We're focusing on all things retail – check out our HR in retail hub to read all our great content! Kathy Allison is Global HR Director of footwear brand FitFlop and has been instrumental in FitFlop's project to discover and embed their global values. She was previously at […]
Six recruitment challenges that retailers must conquer
It's HR in Retail month on HRZone! We're focusing on all things retail – check out our HR in retail hub to read all our great content! Job seekers have always been attracted to the retail industry because it offers opportunities, variety and flexible working. However, recruiting and retaining the right staff is often tougher in retail […]
“We are beginning to have conversations about ‘good enough’ managers.”
Hedda Bird is the founder and MD of 3C Performance Management, a company focused on taking a 'whole organisation' approach to performance reviews, conversations and processes. They are particularly focused on helping HR professionals engage senior leaders, provide managers with the skills and resources to have effective performance management conversations and enabling people to take […]
Team biases: divorce your ideas
I’m biased. I glaze over when people talk about processes. Learning and Development processes, management processes, the list goes on. Why? Because I haven’t seen one that works. And another thing: When I express an idea, I do so because I think it’s a good idea and I’ll defend it. And when the stakes are […]
Work smarter, not harder – how the housing sector will need to change
Having stayed proudly resilient during the financial crisis, the housing sector is now experiencing the most radical shake up it has seen for decades – no surprise really given the national housing crisis. There are financial challenges, headlined by a government enforced rent cut, regulatory challenges with the introduction last year of a new compliance […]
HR must shift its focus to enhance agility: leadership development is king
Agility – a term discussed more and more in boardrooms, particularly as businesses operate in an increasingly global environment, driven by consumer choice and innovative technologies. It’s the ability to anticipate new opportunities and respond and transform effectively. In our experience, organisations that fail to grasp the importance of agility will fall behind competitors and ultimately […]
Here’s why your digital transformation is failing
This article was co-written by Aoife Kilduff, European Insights Lead at YSC, and Nikita D’Souza, Research Consultant at YSC. The ‘digital age’ is not a new era. It is the world we have been living in for the past 20 years. However in recent years, the effect the ‘digital age’ has on the way we live […]
HR, it’s time for the tail to stop wagging the dog
Jane Sunley is a UK best-selling business author of ‘The People Formula: 12 Steps to Productive, Profitable, Performing Business’ and Founder and Chairman of employee engagement expertise and tech provider, Purple Cubed. Few would argue that the delivery of business strategy is dependent on people; providing a set of circumstances whereby people can do this well […]
