The dreaded tick box exercise At a certain point, most businesses need to find some way to measure and discuss their people’s performance. But the trouble is as soon as you start to consider the practicalities of this, it can quickly become a huge cumbersome form filling exercise. Result: …
Which culture and engagement initiatives actually work, and which ones aren’t worth your time
You're probably already aware that you need to be thinking about the culture of the company that you’ve worked so hard to create. Trouble is, there is so much advice out there. And you could be forgiven for thinking that all you need to do is get a few beanbags and fruit baskets and the rest will …
Most businesses do recruitment wrong. Here’s how you can do it right.
We are getting recruitment wrong. There’s a whole industry dedicated to it, firms pay out huge sums each year on it, but still many feel they are being ripped off or wasting their money. And even experienced recruitment consultants will admit they don’t get it right a significant amount of the …
Yes, you can dismiss someone for being sick… but you need to do this first.
The cost of sickness According to the UK’s largest annual survey the average worker is absent from work for 6.5 days a year. This figure varies from one workplace to another but the cost to the UK economy is £16 billion annually. It’s not surprising that some businesses struggle to know where to …
How to manage maternity leave and keep the whole team happy
Too busy thinking about my baby… Planning for and managing a maternity or paternity leave doesn’t have to be stressful, even in a small team. With one recent research report suggesting up to 54,000 women in the UK left their jobs last year due to maternity leave discrimination, its clearly a big …
Should you have an employee handbook?
Why the answer might not be as straightforward as you think. Many business owners think that having an employee handbook is a legal requirement. In fact, it isn’t. Anyone you employ is covered by statutory employment law and their rights and your responsibilities are protected. Provided you …
Is the Bradford Factor right for your business?
Too sick to work In a small team, managing sickness absence can be a real pain. When the work can’t easily be spread around or delayed, and every deadline is critical, it means extra pressure on colleagues, and the team manager, who will probably end up picking up their direct report’s …
Is unlimited vacation time a good idea?
You might have heard about unlimited holiday….sounds scary, right? You mean, you actually let people decide themselves how much holiday they need? At this point you might be having visions of sitting on your own in an empty office trying to run your whole business on your own. And we don't blame …
