Due to the resources available to a global company, outsourcing is not something that they frequently need to consider. However, approximately six months ago BASF Coatings came across a service called Outsourced Reception, provided by Moneypenny, which appeared to offer real benefits.
| Published: 3 September 2008
When two organisations, employing hundreds or thousands of people, merge, a great deal of effort is given over to due diligence. Much time is devoted to poring over finances, integrating IT systems, telling the stock market about synergies and drawing up new structure charts. However, it may take some time to dawn on leaders that people change more slowly and in more complex ways than systems and processes.
| Published: 3 September 2008
At start-up, a company develops its personality by identifying the products and services it wants to offer, which will, hopefully, result in sales. Once the company’s identity is in place, it can begin to assert itself by focusing on creating a large customer base, selling to that customer base and making lots of money in the meantime. But problems often occur when a business decides to merge with or acquire a business which is not a good cultural fit.
| Published: 29 July 2008
Rarely has a topic received such overwhelming interest from HR practitioners and line managers as employee engagement. Organisations are queuing up to purchase ‘snake oil’ solutions to try to eek out additional discretionary effort and performance from employees.
| Published: 29 July 2008
The crisis in the UK pension system often leads to calls for employers to do more. This is because companies have in the past played a major part in retirement provision because it suited them to do so. But times have changed and so has the role that companies play in providing pensions. By Lee Jagger, partner and head of corporate pension advisory, KPMG.
| Published: 29 July 2008
Everyone likes to be recognised and thanked for a job well done or to be acknowledged for continued loyal service to an organisation. It makes people feel good about themselves, happy in the workplace and more motivated to continue working hard and improving.
| Published: 23 July 2008
The Government has estimated that around seven million people are not saving enough for their retirement and in order to tackle this problem and prevent future generations from retiring in poverty, the decision was taken to introduce automatic enrolment and the Personal Accounts scheme in 2012.
| Published: 27 June 2008
Based on my (admittedly unscientific) vox pops over the years talking to taxi drivers and the like, people see little distinction between the Mirror Group scandal, Personal Pension misselling, the Equitable Life collapse as well as other more minor industry failings, lumping them all together under the general perception that ‘pensions are a rip-off’.
| Published: 27 June 2008
Successful employee recognition programmes reinforce a company’s core values by recognising and rewarding employee results that reflect those values. A powerful approach to recognition can align an entire workforce behind a company’s key goals and mission, directly impacting company performance and building a satisfied employee – and customer – base.
| Published: 24 June 2008
HR professionals spend most of their time developing their personnel. But they can’t afford to forget about their own progression. Professor Khalid Aziz, chairman of The Aziz Corporation explains that HR directors need to share good and bad news, communicate change and implement strategies amongst seniors and staff. In short, their communication skills must be second to none.
| Published: 11 April 2008
