Recruitment: are first impressions unfairly influencing your hiring process?

Studies have shown that interviewers often make up their minds about candidates within the first few minutes of meeting them – sometimes regardless of how well they perform later on in the interview. It seems that first impressions are indeed powerful – but they don’t tell the whole story. Here’s how to assess whether inaccurate […]

Employee engagement: why flow is the key to boosting productivity and performance

According to psychology experts, the best way to motivate employees and inspire them to do their best work is to encourage them to reach a state of ‘flow’. In the relatively new field of positive psychology, the concept of ‘flow’ stands out as a practical way for organisations to boost productivity, performance, creativity and satisfaction […]

Employee engagement pitfalls: how can we make it more human?

All too often organisations treat employee engagement as a box ticking exercise, but true engagement is about fostering an ongoing two-way dialogue with your team members.  Lately, I’ve been thinking about how to make employee engagement more human. By this I mean that engagement is our attempt to replicate in the workplace something we do in our […]

Recruitment bias: would you hire the handsome fella first?

Despite good intentions, research has shown that a candidate’s looks can often bias the interview process – sometimes without the interviewer even realising it. So how can HR professionals avoid this situation and ensure their organisation is hiring the best person for the job? In today’s working environment we are increasingly aware of encouraging diversity […]

People management: nine ways to unleash staff creativity and intelligence

Co-creative working can yield impressive results for organisations, but it requires effort in order to unlock the untapped potential in your team. Unleashing the creativity and problem solving abilities of your staff often needs a conscious decision on the part of the organisation – and a specific, positive approach. It’s not something that can be left […]

We know about IQ and EQ, but what about PQ?

A species evolves by developing new ways of understanding and responding to its environment. Over the last 20 years or so, the office-dwelling species has taken an evolutionary leap by recognising EQ alongside IQ.  Prior to this, corporate employees were largely recruited, assessed and valued on the basis of their intellect… Then Daniel Goleman offered […]

Is bias holding back effective recruitment and training?

We all like to believe that we are tolerant and open-minded people, but to what extent do we let bias, both conscious and unconscious, get in the way of our recruitment decisions? We’ve come a long way from the prejudice of the past, but there is still a way to go. The latest market research […]

Don’t go with your gut: overcoming unconscious bias in hiring decisions

Years ago, a friend of mine, Helen, went for a job interview. It was for a Swiss arts and cultural organisation, and Helen was half Swiss and could speak German reasonably well. She got the job. But she realised that the job wasn’t for her (it didn’t really match her interests), and she told the […]

Book review: Brain Savvy HR by Jan Hills

HRZone has a range of books available for review. If you would like to receive one of our business books, free of charge, please contact the editor on editor at hrzone dot com and we can send you a list of what’s available. In return, we ask for a 400-700 word review of the book, […]

Is all anger in the workplace bad?

Around 65% of office workers have experienced office rage, and 45% of staff regularly lose their tempers at work say statistics for National Anger Awareness Week which takes place 1-7 December. Of all the emotions, studies suggest that anger is the one that we most easily recognise through facial expression and body language and academics […]

Gender bias: stop stating the problem and focus on the solution

Gender parity is a major focus for many organisations. But while the willingness to take action is there, the results have been patchy. The typical response to the issue of gender inequality is to emphasise the problem and focus on improving processes, leaving the root causes of gender bias alone. Attitudes and gender stereotypes play […]

Book review: Social: Why our brains are wired to connect

HRZone has a range of books available for review. If you would like to receive one of our business books, free of charge, please contact the editor on editor at hrzone dot com and we can send you a list of what’s available. In return, we ask for a 400-700 word review of the book, […]

It’s not personal, just business – reflections on the CIPD’s Essential Interpersonal Skills Course

You either earn a reputation, are given a reputation, or declared missing in action because no one knows what you do. So stop worrying about the rise of the robots as it’s people you have to impress. You can be a tough and resilient executive, but if you become too scary, those who fear you […]

Six top tips on how to be more emotionally intelligent at work

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the way we manage emotions, both our own and those of others and it can play a critical role in determining our happiness, success, motivation and productivity at work and home. To reap the benefits of Emotional Intelligence training or make significant and meaningful changes to develop our EI, we need […]

What does a mindful organisation look like?

Mindfulness may seem like a bit of a fad. There certainly appears to be a mindfulness bandwagon going on, with many more organisations and schools exploring mindful initiatives. So what’s the attraction? And what does mindfulness bring to the workplace? Is it worth the investment? Where mindfulness is no quick fix (it’s a practice, requiring […]

7 essentials for emotionally intelligent customer service

Occasionally people from certain organisations say to me “we’re not looking for emotional intelligence support or training,” And that’s fine. Except when I find I’m interacting with the very same organisation as a customer a while later and my experience follows an all too familiar ‘low EI’ pattern that erodes trust and engagement. It’s that […]

The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence

According to Adam Grant, professor of management and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, our ‘unbridled’ enthusiasm for emotional intelligence has obscured a dark side. New evidence, Grant says, shows that when people hone their emotional skills, they become better at manipulating those around them. And when you’re good at controlling […]

How being selfish, prejudiced and narrow-minded improves emotional intelligence

Combining thinking with feelings to make quality decisions and build authentic relationships underpins your emotional intelligence. And self-awareness is a key component of this. Beyond the obvious awareness of your strengths and liabilities (along with how they play out and the impact that they have) is an awareness of how your attitude can impact upon […]

Even feminists show bias against female leaders

Consider this and notice the images in your mind’s eye. The visit to my doctor from earlier that morning was still on my mind when I found myself slamming the brakes of my car to avoid a collision. A driver was pulling out onto the roundabout just in front of me. Still shaking I carried […]

Attachment in the workplace: do you understand how it works?

“Children are born with a range of innate behaviours to maximise their survival. Among these is attachment behaviour, which allows the child to draw their primary caregivers towards them at moments of need or distress.” Attachment difficulties include insecure attachment patterns and disorganised attachments that often develop into coercive controlling or compulsive caregiving. This theory […]