Does management by metrics work?
On the frame of my kitchen door are marks of the heights of my children, and now grandchildren, with names and dates written down over the course of years. They were all proud to stand there from time-to-time in order to check how much they had grown. We did not, of course, manage their height, […]
US White House launches Fellowship scheme to woo top IT talent
The White House is trying to tempt top computer science post-grads away from high-paid jobs in the private sector by creating the special new job role of Technology Fellow. The aim of creating the fresh category of positions that are due to last for two years is to increase the US government's pool of “qualified […]
Blog: Bullying, politics and manipulation – is it happening in your company?
Do you know what corporate politics, hidden agendas and manipulation are costing your business right now? You might think, "But it doesn’t happen in my company". Well, that’s why they’re called ‘hidden’ agendas. You’re not supposed to know what’s going on. If you did, you’d try to put a stop to it. You […]
Five tips for dealing with auto-enrolment
The gestation period of pension reform – and auto-enrolment in particular – makes that of the African elephant look relatively short. The idea of universal, company-supported pensions for all has been working its way through the machinery of government since the middle of last decade, but much of the definitive detail and legislation is still […]
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: 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 […]
Does performance-related pay provide value for money?
While the average new hire’s salary is 3% down on 18 months ago, pay packages for FTSE 350 bosses have soared 700% since 2002 – despite company share prices spectacularly failing to correspond. A report by The High Pay Commission revealed that most of the jump in directors’ renumeration came in the form of annual […]
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 […]
Blog: Employee performance ratings – the good, the bad and the ugly
Numbers say a lot about your organization, such as how much money it earns or loses, the strength of sales, and the size of the work force. I’ve made no secret recently about one area where numbers do no good: Employee performance appraisals. With very few exceptions, attaching a numerical rating to an individual’s performance […]
Book review: You can manage people
Title: You can manage peopleAuthor: Kieran Maloney & Paul StanfordISBN: 978-1-905823-88-8Price: I read the reviews on the back cover and was pleased at the prospect of reviewing a “straightforward” book and “a very easy read, light and none of the fluffy stuff.” The only problem was that I am a manager with 18 years […]
AA accused of ‘corporate bullying’
The Automobile Association is indulging in “corporate bullying” by attempting to ‘performance manage’ 450 staff out of their jobs in a bid to replace them with cheaper, lower skilled workers, the GMB union has claimed. Patrollers across the country have allegedly been called into meetings and given a “take it or leave it” offer of […]
Coming full circle – the four levels of performance appraisal
Despite widespread usage of annual staff appraisals within all sizes and types of organisations, in the vast majority of cases the process is time-consuming and unpopular because in most people’s experience appraisals deliver little value, to the employee or the organisation itself. Peter McHugh, CEO of Covalent Software suggests that the employee performance review processes […]
Ask the expert: Am I really redundant?
This week the experts, Adam Partington and Esther Smith advise on whether this HR practitioner is being made redundant fairly. The question: Am I really redundant? I have worked for my current employer for 19 years as their HR/Payroll & Benefits Manager. Four weeks ago I was called into a meeting with the […]
Older workers neglected in training and performance
If employers fail to tackle the current widespread neglect of older workers’ training and performance management requirements, they will leave themselves open to discrimination claims when the default retirement age is phased out in October. This is the warning issued by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development after publishing a survey of 2,000 respondents, […]
Managers failing to motivate and communicate
Poor management communication and an inability to motivate staff are key reasons why only a third of UK personnel are currently working to their full potential, a report has claimed. A survey among 2,000 workers undertaken by staff development company European Leaders revealed that a huge two thirds failed to understand their company’s vision, which […]
Serious problems with vocational business courses in schools
There is a “serious problem” with the quality of the vocational business courses being offered by the majority of English schools, inspectors have warned. Ofsted said in a report entitled ‘Economics, business and enterprise education’ that it was unhappy with the courses being provided at 30 out of 39 English schools. Even though students often […]
Book review: How to get top marks in… Managing poor work performance
Jeremy Badcock is our peer reviewer this time and he finds this advice from Kate Russell a useful tool to pass on to new managers. Title: How to get top marks in… Managing poor work performanceAuthor: Kate RussellISBN: 0954605454 It is quite a challenge to review a book written by someone calling herself the HR […]
The success factors: goal setting, execution tools and performance feedback
A study has found that companies which set and align goals, vary performance feedback and use tools effectively to increase business execution see higher stock returns and grow more quickly than those who don’t. The research, which was undertaken with data on goal setting, alignment, and system usage characteristics in 153 of SuccessFactors publicly […]
The promotion card – why your top performers are not always the best candidates
Cris Beswick on why your top performers are not always those you want to promote. Really? Read on and find out… In my experiences of working with businesses, stimulating fresh thinking and new answers comes from diverse viewpoints and perspectives. I encourage businesses to actively seek out and recruit people who offer something different […]
The HR Headmistress asks: Overtime – is it bad for business?
From being a fact of working life, overtime has become a very emotive subject. Perhaps that’s the influence of the rise of the work-life balance lobby. Setting aside business owners, for whom 30-40 hours overtime a week is the norm, in the main there are two discrete groups of workers who regularly work overtime. Historically, […]
