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Article Summaries: Organisations and HR Strategy
The articles are listed in the order they were originally published on our website. If you would like further information on any of the areas please contact our consultants on +44(0)20 3402 2335 or by email at enquiries@humanassets.co.uk
Today's successful organisations have a strategy to be flexible and adaptive. This is a core message from a recent article in the Financial Times. Such a strategy requires an appropriate organisational design and the right people. Our newsletter this month explores the compatibility of traditional competency frameworks with the requirements of being flexible and adaptive.
Two thirds of mergers fail. The reason generally is the people failing to work together. This month's newsletter examines steps you can take to get people in the two merging businesses to identify fully with the new merged organisation.
A recent report by the think tank Tomorrow's Company argues that the War for Talent is over and that talent is, in fact, abundant. This month's newsletter examines this argument in relation to the inclusive and exclusive definitions of talent discussed in our recent book on talent management, Holding on while letting go.
A recent article in the Harvard Business Review is a reminder that a strength can be overdone to the point of it becoming a liability. For example, the confident person can become arrogant, a phenomenon familiar to some of our erstwhile 'masters of the universe'. HR practitioners need to be vigilant and act when they spot overdone strengths and this month's newsletter offers guidance on how they should approach the matter.
Amid a time of redundancies and cut-backs, are you concerned about how to engage those people that matter most to your business? This month's article looks at how to keep your talent fully engaged - helping you energise your business right now and ensuring you're first off the starting blocks when the good times return.
Charles Woodruffe recommends accepting the reality that there will be cuts to talent programmes for many employers and trying to ensure that such cuts are well-considered and orderly. This month's newsletter considers this advice in the context of an open letter published on 23 October by the Chairs of BT, M&S and Standard Chartered that urges UK Employers to 'keep investing in the skills and talents of our people'.
Ensuring that you have a strong diversity climate is an investment that will pay off in terms of raising performance. The research reported in this month's newsletter shows the extent of the pay-off by comparing sales performance across retail branches with different diversity climates. The results make compelling reading.
Inevitably, you cannot precisely forecast your future talent requirements. So should you err in the direction of developing too few or too many? A recent article in the Harvard Business Review advises that too few is the better alternative. We beg to disagree and offer our views in this month's newsletter...
20. Diversity Climate: A Key to Reducing Staff Turnover?
Statistics show that organisations have a higher turnover of ethnic minority staff compared to their White counterparts. Turnover not only has significant cost implications, but the loss of ethnic minority employees specifically results in poor attainment of organisations' diversity targets. This month we examine research that suggests diversity climate, a measure of employees' perceptions regarding integration of ethnic minorities in the workplace and organisational adherence to fair personnel practices could be a key to reducing turnover, particularly amongst minority staff.
As diversity increases in the workplace, a growing number of diversity training programmes are being introduced within organisations. The effectiveness of many of the techniques used within these programmes has however been called into question. This month's newsletter looks at a recent review paper which highlights some areas in which diversity training is falling down and suggests a new way forward based on the latest research into prejudice and stereotype reduction.
18. Age Discrimination Legislation: A Springboard for Changing Attitudes
Instead of the age discrimination laws being viewed as a new hurdle to overcome, they should instead be seen as a springboard for changing attitudes towards ageism. A new research model aims to challenge attitudes by arguing that the additional human capital that older workers bring to an organisation can be of measurable benefit to organisations.
17. Retaining Top Talent: Slow down - The headhunter's looking
Retaining top performers is core to talent management. We review research that illustrates the importance of being well-informed before implementing retention tactics because they might easily, and perversely, be a recipe for losing people rather than keeping them.
Human Assets provides some practical advice that can help employers motivate and engage their existing talent.
This article summarises two pieces of research that will help you address the top priority of Chief Executives - Retention. The first article makes clear the importance of tracking change in turnover intention and the second stresses the vital role that supervision plays in people's job satisfaction and in their decision to stay or go.
14. Buying Talent?
This article summarises two research papers that quantify the benefits to be reaped from being amongst the best employers to work for and from having a properly designed pay-for-performance scheme. Taken together, they are a powerful argument that the effort and cost of a thorough talent management strategy will be repaid in financial performance. They also clearly suggest that the talent war will not be won simply by handing everyone a large cheque.
This article summarises two research papers that quantify the benefits to be reaped from being amongst the best employers to work for and from having a properly designed pay-for-performance scheme. Taken together, they are a powerful argument that the effort and cost of a thorough talent management strategy will be repaid in financial performance. They also clearly suggest that the talent war will not be won simply by handing everyone a large cheque.
13. Ensuring your People are Motivated to Stay
This article explores different work-related factors that can impact on employee stress levels, motivation, and intention to leave an organisation. The authors examined the relationship between these factors and several aspects of the work environment including type and amount of work, relationships at work, and pay and benefits. The results are discussed in terms of what you should do as employers to ensure you are maximising the likelihood of retaining your employees.
This article explores different work-related factors that can impact on employee stress levels, motivation, and intention to leave an organisation. The authors examined the relationship between these factors and several aspects of the work environment including type and amount of work, relationships at work, and pay and benefits. The results are discussed in terms of what you should do as employers to ensure you are maximising the likelihood of retaining your employees.
12. Does Global Terrorism make a Difference to Work-Attitudes?
This article considers how the increase in the threat of global terrorism may impact on people's attitudes at work. We review a recent article that compared employee work attitudes pre- and post- the September 11th disaster in 2001. The findings are discussed in terms of what steps organisations can take to assist employees affected by traumatic events.
This article considers how the increase in the threat of global terrorism may impact on people's attitudes at work. We review a recent article that compared employee work attitudes pre- and post- the September 11th disaster in 2001. The findings are discussed in terms of what steps organisations can take to assist employees affected by traumatic events.
11. Talent War: Round Two
Western economies seem to be coming through the dark days of the three-year bear market. Stock prices are up around 30 per cent this year and perhaps the first Talent War story for a long time was to be spotted in the Financial Times (14/10/03).
Western economies seem to be coming through the dark days of the three-year bear market. Stock prices are up around 30 per cent this year and perhaps the first Talent War story for a long time was to be spotted in the Financial Times (14/10/03).
10. More than Pay and Rations?: What makes you attractive as an employer?
We summarise recent research which considers the aspects of jobs and organisations most likely to attract job applicants. A study, which was conducted in banks, identified the vital role of the organisation's image, such as its perceived innovativeness in attracting applicants.
We summarise recent research which considers the aspects of jobs and organisations most likely to attract job applicants. A study, which was conducted in banks, identified the vital role of the organisation's image, such as its perceived innovativeness in attracting applicants.
9. To Have and to Hold: Gaining loyalty by being supportive
This article summarises three articles with a common theme: managers and organisations as a whole need to create a culture of support as a part of their strategy to attract, motivate and retain talented people.
This article summarises three articles with a common theme: managers and organisations as a whole need to create a culture of support as a part of their strategy to attract, motivate and retain talented people.
8. Avoid Compound Agony
This article considers how, in times of stress, human psychology can act to impair our coping with business challenges. We discuss the implications this might have for important decision-making groups in your organisation, and suggest how you can overcome these potential difficulties.
This article considers how, in times of stress, human psychology can act to impair our coping with business challenges. We discuss the implications this might have for important decision-making groups in your organisation, and suggest how you can overcome these potential difficulties.
7. Good to Great
This article summarises and discusses one of the current 'business books of the year' - Good to Great.
This article summarises and discusses one of the current 'business books of the year' - Good to Great.
6. Implementing Flexible Work Arrangements
Both flexitime and working from home have been introduced to help organisations win the talent war. However, an article cautions against the blanket application of flexible work arrangements. Their appeal will depend upon the conflicnts people face between their work and home lives.
Both flexitime and working from home have been introduced to help organisations win the talent war. However, an article cautions against the blanket application of flexible work arrangements. Their appeal will depend upon the conflicnts people face between their work and home lives.
5. Human Resource Outcomes Dictate Business Success
A study that adds to the body of research demonstrating that HR outcomes (such as employee performance and retnetion) influence organisational effectiveness.
A study that adds to the body of research demonstrating that HR outcomes (such as employee performance and retnetion) influence organisational effectiveness.
4. Creativity and Innovation: Different qualities, different conditions
Creativity and innovation are not synonymous with each other. They are different qualities, requiring different conditions.
Creativity and innovation are not synonymous with each other. They are different qualities, requiring different conditions.
3. A Way to a Brighter Future / Development Culture
How do you set about creating a development culture?
How do you set about creating a development culture?
2. Emotional Intelligence - Old wine in new bottles
Is EI old wine in new bottles? There is a lot of talk of emotional intelligence, as if it was a new discovery. It isn't. It is a new - and better - way of labelling differences between people that have been talked about for decades.
Is EI old wine in new bottles? There is a lot of talk of emotional intelligence, as if it was a new discovery. It isn't. It is a new - and better - way of labelling differences between people that have been talked about for decades.
1. What is your Company's Image?
How do you find out what potential recruits think of your organisation?
How do you find out what potential recruits think of your organisation?