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 […]
Blog: Five ways to ensure your meetings are effective
HR can play a big role in improving organisational communication simply by establishing a precedent for office meetings. Effective office meetings lead to improved communication in the workplace, higher levels of productivity, and increased employee morale. So how can you get the most out of meetings in your company? 1. Establish a Meeting Objective: The meeting organiser should […]
Blog: Getting your champagne stories ready for Christmas
December is a time of celebration, thanks and appreciation for many people in business. For others it’s also the end of a financial year and so appraisals are happening too. One leader I am working with described the appraisal season as the most remarkable time where she’s been reminded of what her team […]
What can HR learn from the sales team?
Every business professional could improve their performance by adopting tried-and-tested selling techniques. But it is particularly true of those working in HR, a profession that requires top quality people and communication skills and the ability to win boardroom buy-in on often alien concepts ranging from workplace wellbeing strategies to the latest employee benefits. But […]
Seasonal workers – How to ensure many happy returns
Many organisations look forward to the festive season as a time of generating major revenues – and, despite the difficult economic climate, it appears that business was brisker for many in November than had been expected. To ensure that things run smoothly during this busy time, however, most rely on temporary labour to help them […]
Blog: Punk Rock HR – Counting down the top 10 Christmas HR tips
In this mini series, I’m going to count down 10 HR tips as seen through the eyes and ears of Punk Rock. A kind of "HR Top of the Pops" but without the DJ. No need to pogo whilst reading these unless you must. Punk HR refers to brevity, simplicity and purity of thought […]
Making the right choices to ensure career success
In order to consistently perform to the peak of your ability and have the best chance of delivering the results that you crave, it’s really important that you understand where to focus the power of choice. Having worked with Olympians over the past 15 years, we’ve learnt some very important lessons regarding the choices that […]
How to limit the financial risk of salary sacrifice schemes
As salary sacrifice schemes provide the opportunity to offer cost-neutral employee benefits, it’s no surprise that they are becoming an increasingly popular option for many businesses, especially as a way of funding high-value benefits such as company cars. As appealing as such schemes may seem, however, without a carefully thought through approach to management and […]
Three considerations for effective succession planning
In the wake of the crisis that engulfed the BBC following the Jimmy Savile scandal, the broadcaster’s director general, George Entwistle, was forced to resign after only 54 days in the job. But less than a fortnight later, the BBC Trust was able to announce his replacement. Lord Tony Hall of Birkenhead, chief executive […]
Blog: How best to protect your staff when travelling abroad
Having offices in multiple countries, our employees travel between countries with relative frequency. It got me thinking about the importance of having a good system in place for sending employees abroad. So I asked Dan Skilken of Trip Insurance to offer some advice on the business of… well, business travel. This is what he […]
Talking Point: If we are what we eat, what kind of workforce have you got?
What we eat has a big impact on our performance at work in relation to everything from mental clarity and energy to stamina and productivity. This is because food governs how well both our bodies and our brains function. Food makes our mood. Yet all too many employers treat the food issue as an […]
Relationship building – The power of feedback
Everyone has issues with people at work that make them angry, dissatisfied, annoyed or distracted such as a boss that doesn’t provide clear expectations or appreciation. Work can be a nightmare when relationships are in trouble. Equally, there are pleasant teams where people are kind, respectful and cheerfully collude with ideas that are ultimately […]
Infographic: How staff engagement boosts business performance
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News: Eight ways to cope with the clocks going back
As the clocks go back this Sunday and the days continue to darken, millions of workers will once again find themselves suffering from the winter blues as British summertime officially ends. The short days can have a significant impact on some employees’ health and wellbeing, but the time change can also lead to short-term complications […]
The HRZone Interview: Jon Ingham on where HR is going wrong
In the view of Jon Ingham, HR consultant, author and blogger, the current obsession of HR practitioners to be seen as business people first and HR professionals second could seriously backfire. The danger is that, by becoming too much like everyone else in the business, HR will lose sight of what its key focus should […]
Unified HCM: Why it matters
Unified HCM. Unified talent. Integrated talent management. So many terms. So many definitions. Does it all really matter? The answer is yes! Many companies have deployed core HR systems with separate “best-of-breed” talent management solutions. All too often this approach doesn’t have the positive impact on business performance that is expected. A commonly cited reason […]
News: HR needs to break out of its comfort zone, warns report
Too many HR professionals are struggling to meet the needs of a constantly changing global business environment and feel themselves paralysed in the face of seemingly monumental challenges, research has warned. The study mirrors the findings of a report published earlier this week by management consultancy, KPMG, which revealed that the majority of senior executives […]
