The People Bulletin

David Cameron told EU leaders today that they must be "bolder" if they want to shake off their economic troubles. The same message can easily be transferred to any leader. Make a bold move and see results. The flip side of this is of course when a bold move goes wrong and things end up in a worse state than at the beginning. With a double-dip recession seeming ever more likely HR professionals will be faced with this same dilemma - make a bold move that could have a huge positive impact but potentially risks something going very wrong, or make a small step that is almost guaranteed good results but may not quite reach your business objective. Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins

It’s the New Year and many employees will have resolved to change their job in 2012. There is no doubt that the employment market is incredibly tough and any advertised role is likely to receive numerous applications from eminently qualified candidates. But how do you go about selecting who to interview when maybe half of all applicants fit the selection criteria? In this edition we have looked at how employees can secure a new position as well as key words to avoid on applications. But what about HR professionals? As the case of Crilly V Ballymagroarty Hazelbank Community Partnership illustrates it’s not as easy as having really strict selection criteria as this can potentially lead to claims of indirect discrimination. If you have any tips on how you go about selecting candidates for interview why not share them on our LinkedIn group? Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins

As 2011 draws to an end and New Year’s Eve fast approaches now is the time to start thinking about resolutions for 2012. According to the Guardian 78% of the resolutions we make are doomed to failure. Those that succeed are realistic and well planned. If you are planning to revamp the way things are done in the New Year, now is the time to give significant thought to not only what you want to achieve but the road map you will use to get there. If you are thinking about reviewing your benefits offering next year, why not take a look at our brief Christmas overview? We will be back in January (hopefully with our resolutions still intact), but until then, from everyone at The People Bulletin team, Happy Christmas! Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins

There can be no doubt that we are living in a time of economic turbulence. Headlines have announced the collapse of the Euro within two weeks if a bailout can’t be agreed, and on Wednesday we saw nearly 2 million public sector workers strike due to pensions. Over the coming weeks as the government continues to deal with these and the multitude of other problems it is facing, it would do no harm for ministers to look to HR for guidance on how to tackle the problem. Whilst the problems faced by HR are not on the same scale as the ones faced by the government, HR professionals regularly have to deal with difficult, seemingly irreconcilable problems calmly, methodically and with the best interest of the company and employees at the forefront of their minds – not a bad model of government. Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins

It was refreshing to see so many motivated and interested HR professionals at last week’s CIPD conference in Manchester. There was a fantastic atmosphere of innovation and engagement and a real feeling that not only was it possible to change the way things are done but that it would actually happen. Fast-forward a week and I wonder how many people who attended the conference still have that same feeling? With unemployment still on the rise and office Christmas parties looming it would be all too easy to become bogged down in admin and policy making but, as more surveys reveal a disengaged workforce and stress topping the charts as the main cause of long-term illness, can we really afford not to try something new? Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins

Anti-capitalist protestors have now been camping outside St.Paul’s for nearly three weeks and though passionate and steadfast, they communicate a desire for fundamental change that is extremely tough to realise. This predicament is already familiar to businesses across the UK, currently floundering while trying to avoid the dreaded double-dip recession. Whilst the goal – to remain profitable and in business – is clear, it is important that there is a comprehendable, well-communicated strategy that vigorously addresses all concerns. In order to succeed it is essential that employees are not only aware of the plan but also their part in it. While this may not be particularly ‘friendly’ at a strained time it is necessary. Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins

Last week’s ONS figures showed that 2.57 million people are currently unemployed. The headline grabbing statistic was that this is made up of nearly a million young people aged between 16 and 24. This is clearly a shocking statistic, and will act as a great worry to recent graduates who are now hunting down that elusive first job or graduate scheme. However, it is important not to lose focus on the other 1.57 million who do not fall into this age bracket but are, for whatever reason, struggling to find employment.  There are also the people who have managed to secure themselves an alternative position, but only by taking a significant pay-cut or demotion. Is any job better than no job? I wonder what the 500 people who queued for one of the 20 positions at a new Poundland store would say. Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins

The recent riots that spread across the UK at an alarming rate demonstrated just how quickly situations can escalate and the detrimental effect this can have on businesses and employees alike. Whilst the initial protest was founded on a genuine cause, the underlying motives for the chaos that ensued remain unclear. Seldom has the concept of the ‘rebel without a cause’ been more apt. Over the coming weeks as ravaged businesses begin to reassemble their livelihoods, it is hard to feel that David Cameron’s ideal of a ‘big society’ is an achievable goal. While for others the notion is evident with hundreds of volunteers turning out to clear the streets. For those affected it will be how the government deal with the aftermath of the riots, and whether they can actually get to the root cause of the problem rather that just applying ‘band aid’ policies that will be the real test. Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins

All good things come to an end and as fans await the second part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the teenagers who have grown up with JK Rowling’s enchanted world of Hogwarts, Quidditch and Voldemort have to accept there will be no more magic (good or bad). In organisations, one of the hardest things is deciding when something has ‘had a good run’ and that it is time to close it and do something different rather than just milking what seems to be a profitable cash cow for the sake of it.  For many of the unsung project managers and interim managers, they know that their work has an end date and it is because of this the deliverables and deadlines are all the more embedded in their DNA. A bit like being a bestselling author, really… Welcome to The People Bulletin! Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

With temperatures topping 30 degrees Centigrade on 26 June after a weekend that had many out enjoying the sunshine, employees who had not got around to booking time off for summer holidays are now putting in their requests. Acas confirms that nearly one in ten calls to its helpline last year (110,000 calls) related to holidays and working time issues, with some employees wanting flexible working to cover the long school holidays. With the UK’s long-hours culture, holidays are precious and employers do need to be reasonable.  On the same count employees need to recognise the needs of their employers and be sensitive to relevant deadlines and timetables. Welcome to The People Bulletin!       Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

There are now more than five unemployed people for every vacancy compared with only just over two per vacancy before the recession and experts are calling the latest ONS labour market statistics signs of an ‘anaemic’ recovery.  During the current Mind Week, it transpires that those who have got jobs are under more pressure than ever as they cover the work of redundant colleagues but are too scared to articulate their stress. Surely a lateral approach to engaging employees in how to address business challenges could not only improve morale but generate much-needed innovation to deliver the revenues desperately needed but put some red corpuscles back into the economy? Welcome to The People Bulletin!  Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

After a long, hard winter, the UK enjoys the warmest April on record and those that could get away enjoyed an extra bank holiday on 29^th of April to watch Wills and Kate tie the knot. Even the jobless rate suggests that things are looking up – it fell by 18,900 in the three months to the end of February and the number of people in full time work increased. So, with this new-found optimism among employers, now is the best time to just check that your staff are engaged in what they are doing – you don’t want to find your best people have been picked off by your competitors when you weren’t looking. Welcome to The People Bulletin! Leila Hutchins and Clarissa Dann.

When it comes to being an employer of choice, it is often how you deal with the employees you don’t choose that can affect your reputation. The number of complaints we hear about jobseekers not even receiving a basic acknowledgement of their application when several hours have gone into to CV preparation and studying job specifications would suggest that applicant courtesy leaves a bit to be desired. OK you might be getting 30 to 40 CVs a day if your organisation is of a certain size and profile, but think of the poor old jobseeker? What is wrong with a short “thank you for your application and we will be in touch if we wish progress this”? Or is everyone just too afraid of potential litigation? Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins

The 2011 census has generated around 35,000 temporary UK jobs and is the biggest population survey in the UK so far, involving 25 million households. It records details of where people live, where they work and how they travel to their job, providing important statistics for transport planning and the allocation of – albeit reduced – public funds. The online deadline for completion is 6 April, and the postal one has already passed; so we hope all employers made sure their staff had the right employer location information to complete the questionnaire. Welcome to The People Bulletin! Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

It was encouraging to see from the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for 2011 report not only had a record number of employee opinions – 275,000 across the sectors – and that mindsets had shifted beyond basic survival to how individuals could actually shape their future.  The organisations making this hallowed list had managed to align individual ambitions for personal growth with their strategic plans so that staff development became a key factor in growing the business.  As the newspaper puts it: “Best companies recognise the need to develop staff.  If you don’t they vote with their feet.” Welcome to The People Bulletin. Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

When 38 soldiers were told they were being made redundant because of Army cutbacks by email, rather than in person, and up to 100 student RAF pilots were told their roles were being cut hours before they were due to qualify as fighter pilots – having had some £300m invested in their training thus far, there was a national outcry. Although the Army has since apologised and is providing outplacement support and advice, the damage has been done – the individuals and to the reputation of the employers.   Knee-jerk reactions to budget cuts like this are just so wrong – human resources are not just costs on legs, and the best employers, if they have to make headcount cuts, make sure that the process is legal, fair and gives the displaced member of staff the best chance of being re-hired elsewhere. Welcome to The People Bulletin.  Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins

The latest labour market statistics don’t exactly bring New Year cheer, with unemployment for the three months to November 2010 up by 49,000 to 2.498 million and the growth in average weekly earnings growing by 2.1% including bonuses.  But some new research from talent consultancy Chiumento demonstrates that the new economy changed working prospects for most with careers being more like a ride on a merry-go-round with moves up, down and sideways becoming the norm.  Fun and friendship will take over as being more important than pay when it comes to what motivates the majority of workers.  Which is why volunteering has become a popular jobseeker choice to repair that sense of belonging.  Welcome to The People Bulletin!  Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

David Cameron is going to overhaul employment law in a bid to make it less risky for employers to actually hire someone.  Fees for claimants at employment tribunals, the reinstatement of the two-year time limit for unfair dismissal claims and possible exemptions from certain obligations for small firms are just some of the measures being looked at in the new ‘employer’s charter’. The ‘jobs summit’ at No 10 with the likes of Asda and John Lewis pledging job creation, but there will need to be an awful lot of them to fill the gap left by the public sector culls.  With hope for a more positive 2011, welcome to The People Bulletin and Happy New Year! Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins

A recent survey of IT workers found that while 4.5% them would spend £15 on the office ‘Secret Santa’, 13.51% of them never socialise with work colleagues - even at Christmas - and a sad 21.6% avoid the Christmas party altogether.  While one could argue this is hardly representative of UK workers, the festive season is a great opportunity for employers to engage with staff, whatever their attitude to celebration. Here, at The People Bulletin, our Christmas tree is up, a giant inflatable Santa waves at us from an adjoining desk (hmmm…) and we’re all looking forward to our annual bash.  Our festive special news story provides a useful round-up of some of the key areas of HR management and compliance – trying singing it!  Welcome to The People Bulletin and we’re back on 13 January 2011. Have a great holiday. Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

With the Wills/Kate Royal Wedding falling on 29 April, employers are likely to face a mass exodus between Easter and the May Day holiday as only three days of annual leave would be needed for an 11-day break.  Although the CBI has supported a day of national celebration, businesses have pointed out the government’s largesse costs them £6bn. But with winter setting in with a vengeance in the run-up to Christmas, something to look forward to in the late spring of 2011 is surely just the ticket for employee engagement? Welcome to The People Bulletin! Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.  

Jackie Orme’s opening speech to the CIPD Annual Conference on 9 November talks about “a time of austerity mixed with big opportunity” and “a decade of putting something back, not of borrowing from the future”. This means not only enabling HR professionals to do their jobs well and to develop their careers; but ensuring development is available to all members of an organisation. Career development – a sense that one’s work has some direction – is the life blood of an engaged, motivated and resilient workforce.  Welcome to The People Bulletin.  Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

George Osborne’s Comprehensive Spending Review was predictably brutal and the unpicking of the previous regime’s high levels of state employment (public sector workers account for 20% of the UK workforce and nearly half a million of them are now facing the chop) will be swelling the claimant count in the short term.  It remains to be seen what stimulus to the economy the cuts will deliver to generate non-state sources of employment. With the state pension age rising to 66 for men and women by 2020 and the determined implementation of the Welfare to Work programme those jobs are going to have to come from somewhere.  And that means looking at alternatives to traditional working patterns.  Welcome to The People Bulletin! Clarissa Dann and Leila Hutchins.

The sun might be shining but the economy is still looking somewhat shaky with significant public sector job losses looming. With organisational change on a vast scale being very much a common theme across all sectors (especially the public one); employers need to do all they can to manage anxiety levels and communicate a positive outlook to all levels of personnel.  And that means encouraging people to take a proper holiday without checking emails and worrying about what they will come home to. Welcome to The People Bulletin.  Clarissa Dann