News

Most school leavers are not employable
By David Woods, 14 August 2008 HR magazine

The education system is not equipping school leavers with the skills to succeed at work.
A report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) shows a massive 92% of recruiters rated the performance of school leavers as ‘average' or ‘below average'.

More than half (56%) do not think school leavers' basic literacy and numeracy skills are up to scratch and almost three quarters (73%) do not think recruits from schools have the proper attitude towards work. The statistics come days before the A-level results are released.  Tom Hadley, director of external affairs at the REC, said: "At a time when the Government is focusing on getting more people into the workplace, we need to ensure that school leavers are prepared to kick-start their career."  He added: "Employers and government should work more closely to improve the employability of school leavers and improve the career advice available to pupils."

UK managers least engaged in the world
03/04/08 HR Magazine

The UK is suffering from a managerial crisis resulting in poorer levels of engagement than almost all other countries.

According to a new BlessingWhite report, UK managers are the least engaged in the world, with 11% of them planning to leave their job in the next 12 months. This compares with 6% of managers in Continental Europe. A further 40% of UK managers are considering leaving.

And it is rubbing off on the employees too, with uninspiring managers resulting in 22% of workers (6.4 million people) saying they feel discontented and unproductive. Only China has a more disengaged workforce than the UK.

"These results make for bleak reading," says Tom Barry, European managing director, BlessingWhite. "At this time of economic uncertainty businesses need reliable and consistent leadership to inspire employees to achieve high performance. If a manager is unhappy, disengaged and planning to leave, you can bet your bottom dollar that he is not doing his job particularly well."

Email time bandits: Office staff do just FOUR hours' work a day because of the avalanche of messages
17th April 2008 Daily Mail

Most of us trudge home at night with the satisfaction that we've put in a good eight hours in the office. But we should only be half as pleased with ourselves, according to a study. Read more ...

Companies admit to talent management failings
The HR Weekly Bulletin 27/09/07

Most employers lack faith in their talent management processes, according to a new study. Fewer than one in four respondents is confident their company is accurately identifying talented individuals in order to deliver the leaders of the future. Managers lack confidence in their organisation's ability to manage careers too, with 72% expressing concern. The study, conducted by Hay Group, also found that two thirds of firms admit they cannot seem to hold on to their high-potential employees, confessing they need to adapt their talent management methods if they are to remain competitive. "The ability to recognise and nurture both the short and long-term potential of employees is essential, yet organisations are failing to do this," said Chris Watkin, head of talent management at Hay Group. "The key is to ask a deeper question, not just about potential, but potential for what ?"  

For further reading see www.humanresourcesmagazine.com

Flexible working isn't all it's cracked up to be
The HR Weekly Bulletin 14/09/07

Flexible working does not always result in an improved work-life balance, according to a new report by the Orange Future Enterprise Coalition. Of those employees working flexibly, 40% said they are not able to make the most of their leisure time and do not have quality time with their families. Nearly half claim they have to work more during their free time than they used to, including evening and weekends. Flexible workers also feel that being out of the office may result in them being left out of the loop. Robert Ainger, director of communications and operations, Orange Business Services, said: "The UK business community has made a positive move towards the adoption of flexible working practices. However, there are gaps between perception and reality and there are major challenges for both employers and employees in dealing with flexible working."

For further reading see www.humanresourcesmagazine.com

One in three wants to change boss

One in three employees would change their manager if they could, a survey from Investors in People has suggested. Poor communication and managers claiming credit for someone else's work were the chief gripes amongst workers. Bosses who take an interest in their employees' careers and who delegate tasks effectively are the most popular amongst staff. Long-term staff were less happy with their bosses than new joiners, the survey suggested. Employees in bigger firms were more likely to want to swap their manager than those in small companies. "The fact that almost a third of employees would like a new manager should make bosses sit up and take notice," Ruth Spellman, chief executive of Investors in People, said.  "Managers need to focus their efforts on setting clear tasks and targets for their staff.

"Managers should also take note of the messages around delegation, remaining firm but fair, and the importance of looking after their people's careers."

Investors in People surveyed 1,700 UK adults.  Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/business/5270540.stm

Spotting and tackling stress in the workplace

98% of British small business owners and managers feel stressed at work, with more than a quarter (26%) feeling under pressure for between 75% and 100% of the time. New research by Bibby Financial Services show that the small business sector is particularly prone to suffer from a poor work-life balance. Read more ...