What makes a successful management team?
This piece was written by Alison McSparron-Edwards, founder and managing director of Consultrix. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. It is important for business owners to recognise this. Although many people have different management and leadership skills, there are qualities that must be identified in order to culminate in a successful management team and therefore […]
Six insights into Performance Management best practice
A few years ago, the CIPD report ‘Performance Management in Action’ revealed the shocking statistic that less than 20 percent of organisations said they realised ‘some’ benefit from their investment in performance management. Just pause a moment and think about that number: this means that more than 80 percent of organisations see no benefit at […]
The difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ performance management
Guest post by Simon North, Founder of Position Ignition and the Career Ignition Club.What does good and bad performance management look like and how do we ensure that our organisations have good performance management at every stage and in every element of what is a significant process? At one level it is easy to see […]
Taming the raging bull
Can the Power of Emotional Intelligence be used to deal with a ‘classic’ type of boss? Philip Gimmack, Director Certified EQ & NLP Coach at eqworks says yes. What is Emotional Intelligence and EQ? Someone’s Emotional Intelligence is the balance of their personal, social and coping skills. These are based around their awareness and management of […]
Ask the Expert: can you refuse to interview an unsatisfactory former worker?
Question: Can you refuse to interview an unsatisfactory former worker? What is the legal position if a former employee who had a poor performance/attendance record but left of their own accord rather than having formal action taken against them, applies to work for your company again? I can’t seem to find any guidance relating […]
Blog: how fiefdoms destroy company cultures
This morning I had breakfast with a friend, Martha. As friends do over coffee and pastry, we filled each other in on the latest happenings in our work and personal lives. I was particularly concerned about Martha’s work experiences as her company has gone through some “right sizing” in recent months. As part of the […]
HRZone interview – Linda Holbeche, director The Holbeche Partnership
A chance meeting at a conference between Linda Holbeche, director of HR consultancy The Holbeche Partnership and Geoff Matthews, vice president for HR at Merck KGaA, led to a collaboration on a book that has become shortlisted for the CMI management book of the year. The idea behind the book, Engaged, unleashing your organisation’s potential […]
Business meet HR, HR meet the Business – you’ve got a lot in common!
A failure to demonstrate strategic value is damaging HR’s reputation with business leaders, warns a new Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report. HR is perceived as implementing rather than devising strategy by business leaders, according to the CIPD survey of 369 business leaders and 107 senior HR professionals. This means […]
News: Management on the move in 2013
Almost a third of UK senior managers are looking to switch jobs this year, according to an independent report commissioned by career advisor AGM Transitions. The research found that the desire for a new job was high among senior managers, prompted by the prospect of better pay (37%) as well as a fresh challenge (18%). […]
News: ‘Sign up to ethical code or quit,’ Barclays’ CEO warns staff
Barclays’ new chief executive issued employees with an ultimatum today to either sign up to an ethical code of conduct or quit, as part of the bank’s attempt to try and repair its battered reputation. In a memo sent to its 140,000 staff worldwide, Antony Jenkins warned that, in future, performance would be judged on […]
Talking Point: Is motivation the secret to employee engagement?
Employee engagement appears to be top of the agenda for today’s enlightened HR manager. It seems that, at every turn, there are consultants and articles in the business press telling us how to create an ‘engaged workforce’ and how much benefit such a workforce will have on your bottom line. Naturally, business academics have […]
News: Banks angle for tax-efficient bonuses amid change to police and teachers’ pay
As a row broke out over attempts by bankers to defer bonus payments in order to exploit forthcoming tax cuts, it was announced that the starting salaries of police officers were to be cut by a fifth. According to the Daily Telegraph, the outgoing Bank of England governor, Mervyn King, warned the banks that they […]
News: UK’s oil and gas industry to create 85,000 jobs over next 3 years
The UK’s oil and gas industry is forecast to create 50,000 new jobs this year, with another 35,000 likely to be added in the shale gas sector over the next 24 to 36 months. The jobs “boom” will cover roles ranging from engineers and drillers to geologists and support services staff and will take the […]
Three ways to make the most of your older workers
Times are changing and, henceforth, employers will need to be smarter. This is because a potentially explosive mixture of issues is starting to bubble under. Older workers now comprise a much bigger cohort than those coming up behind them. The imminent retirement of the Baby Boomer generation has been known about for years as […]
Information security: The role of HR
In 2004, Royal Bank of Scotland found itself and its email policy under scrutiny when an employment tribunal found in favour of an ex-employee. The individual concerned had been dismissed after an investigation into several staff members who had been using the company email system to send pornographic images. Around 30 employees were identified […]
Blog: Why are annual performance appraisals so stressful?
Recognise This! – The 5 top drivers of stress in the annual performance appraisal process are easily overcome through crowdsourcing with social recognition. Why does the traditional annual performance review continue to fail as both a performance measurement and management device? There are a litany of reasons but by far the greatest, most overriding […]
Four easy steps to plan for career change
Of course skills, qualifications and abilities are vital, but when I am coaching people who want to change career, it often transpires that they have not stopped to consider what they really want. It’s natural to some extent to want to just move on quickly, but this research and reflection time will be time very […]
In a Nutshell: Four considerations when holding a tricky conversation
As an HR pro, being able to talk about sensitive and emotive issues is an important part of the job, but it’s also one of the toughest. If handled badly, such conversations, ranging from performance and conduct to personal matters, can damage team dynamics, lower morale and have a negative impact on attendance and performance […]
Talking Point: Why put all your eggs in one talent management basket?
Talent management has traditionally focussed on the individual. Employers identify potential shining stars who they can train, mentor and coach in order to excel and take over key positions in the business. This is how it has always been, but is it necessarily how it should always remain? The question is, does this approach […]
Case Study: Inchcape Shipping Services standardises global HR to boost efficiency
Inchcape Shipping Services is in the process of standardising its HR processes in a bid to boost efficiency and better understand its workforce across the 67 countries in which it operates. Rapid growth and global expansion meant that the maritime services provider had so far failed to introduce global HR or any other IT systems […]
