Are you sitting comfortably?
Most employees asked these days would probably answer yes: companies invest hundreds of thousands of pounds in high quality adjustable chairs with ergonomic desks all complying to the latest legislation, so why are muscular skeletal problems still the biggest cause of sickness absence in the UK today and on the rise? The modern day workstation […]
Active rest and recovery for competitive advantage at work
If you are searching for competitive advantage and sometimes wonder “how do I achieve more?” then part of the answer could well be counter-intuitive. Keith Hatter explains why we should protect our sleep. In both the corporate and sporting arenas, an important part of the recipe for achieving consistent, intense and sustained high performance is […]
Skills gap worst in leadership, management and technical roles
While the UK is suffering from wider skills gaps than ever, it is a particular problem among those in leadership, management and technical roles because investment in training is not being targeted correctly – or simply not being made available at all. A report, which was commissioned by the government and has just been published by […]
Public sector management must improve, say experts
While a number of local authorities are introducing performance-related pay structures across their workforces, it appears that front line management will need to improve if staff are to see the benefits. According to a report by the Local Government Chronicle, Camden London Borough Council and both Essex and Kent County Councils are among a group […]
Recession leaves managers demanding more work with menaces
The recession has led to a big increase in bullying in the workplace, with the number of cases doubling from a decade ago, according to a new survey. A poll conducted by the union Unison indicated that more than a third of workers experienced bullying in the last six months – twice the figure of […]
We all need improvement plans
Improving performance – only for the struggling? We should all be taking responsibility for our performance, says Jim Constable. Many years ago one of our coaches was working with a sales consultant. He overheard a conversation between the consultant and his client discussing the training of the client’s staff: "Where I work, we’ve been given […]
Performance management: From measurement to alignment and beyond
Angela Baron, OD and Engagement adviser for CIPD explains how performance management has established itself and what role it has in HR’s future. Performance management is not a new concept. The idea of measuring how well individuals perform has been around at least since the third century when the emperors of the Wei dynasty in […]
10 new leader let downs
The so-called ‘new brooms’ in an organisation might bring new blood and enthusiasm, but they don’t always get it right. Sarah Lewis investigates common pitfalls – and how to avoid them. The pressure on new leaders or senior appointments to make an impact, and quickly, is tremendous. The organisation has spent time and money attracting, […]
HR tip: Bad attitude at work?
These questions are being answered by Learn HR, a market leader in the provision of HR and payroll training and nationally-recognised professional qualifications. Question: One of our employees has a poor attitude to work. He makes mistakes and is frequently critical of management, especially in meetings. He has done nothing seriously wrong, so what can we […]
HR tip: Can we withdraw notice?
We gave a worker his notice, but would now like to continue his employment. Can we take back the notice? Withdrawing notice Because our order book has dried up a bit, we recently gave notice to three of our short-serving employees but we now find that we want to keep one of them after all. […]
Beat stress on National Stress Awareness Day
National Stress Awareness day is a chance for HR to show they care by helping their employees manage their stress. This year why not help your managers spot and deal with stress? Stress has become a major factor in many people's lives as the recession has increased employment and financial worries. It is reported that […]
Ask the expert: Paternity leave starts…now
If a worker is a birthing partner at a prolonged labour, where do the employers stand? Martin Brewer and Esther Smith advise on when and how paternity leave comes into effect. The question: When a woman goes into labour but does not have the baby until the following day can an […]
When opposites frustrate – don’t give up!
Diversity can bring huge benefits to an organisation, but are you getting the most from it? Matthew Hill gives advice and guidance on managing diverse teams. When the pressure is on within a team, the cracks will begin to show. This is often evidenced by escalating displays of emotion and tension. Sometimes a negative spiral […]
How talent development drives a high-performance culture
A united, high-performance workforce is not just a pipe dream, says Erik Finch, who examines the recommended steps of unified talent development to help achieve this goal. The pinnacle of any talent development initiative is, or at least should be, the creation of a high-performance culture. All businesses should aspire to this ‘utopia’. In […]
Caption competition: And the winner is…
City bonuses have dominated the headlines this year, and a recent inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission has pushed the topic into the spotlight once more. It has found that women working in the UK’s financial sector receive around 80% less in performance-related pay than men – a shocking statistic. We have now […]
Achieving value-add performance management
For performance management to add value to an organisation, it must become a part of our day-to-day working lives, says Lisette Howlett, who explains how to inspire high performance in your people. Few organisations these days do not put time, effort and money into performance management in some form or another, and many operate highly […]
How to celebrate success when there isn’t any
It’s always easy to celebrate the good times, but what happens when the results aren’t so great? Claire Logan outlines some of the options available to reward and recognise in challenging times. It has been accepted wisdom for many years that the culture of an organisation can affect its performance. Throughout the late 80s […]
Opinion: Let’s undermine HR
John Pope shares his opinion and thoughts on the dangers of senior management undermining HR policies and procedures, to the detriment of employee morale. Do organisations deliberately try to undermine the basis of HR? I had always thought that they wanted happy, engaged staff who were committed, to a reasonable extent, to the success […]
HR in the future: The impact of technology
Joanne Christie examines how technology will shape the way HR departments operate over the next decade, and exactly what impact technology will have over the years to come. Like it or not, technology is advancing at an unstoppable rate, especially when it comes to information technology. While HR professionals can undoubtedly benefit from new software developments, […]
What is the cost of employee under-performance?
What’s an employee worth? Can we measure it? Dr Nikos Bozionelos explains how to assess performance and what methods to implement to ensure employers recruit ‘high performers’. Managers need to know both the price and the value of their employees. In fact given the huge financial losses or gains that depend upon employee performance, […]
