Ramadan is based around the lunar cycle but falls around the same time every year. This year Ramadan runs from 5th May to 4th June. It is a time for reflection, contemplation and celebration of the Muslim faith. It is deemed the holiest time of the year and Muslims all over the world observe 4 weeks of fasting (no food or water during day light). This can be a difficult time for all who are involved; participants, business owners and colleagues. [...]
Virtual teams are becoming increasingly popular in service and consulting driven industries. A virtual workforce is where you have employees who work out of the office rather than in it, for example from a home office or co-working space. The advantages of this type of business is reduced overheads which often means that pricing structure can be more competitive but also if provides employees with more of the flexibility that they crave these days. The disadvantage is that you need to [...]
Company Culture is so easy to destroy … That moment when your success is the very thing that threatens to destroy your business comes as quite a surprise and this is a common theme with my clients. I was having a catch up coffee with one of my strategy clients to review last year’s successes and got talking about this very subject. For him, ‘that moment’ hit him like a big slap in the face and it was the reason he came [...]
‘Twas a few weeks before Christmas and the company party was being discussed…. Everyone was excited until HR made a fuss! The Company Christmas Party – always a subject of contention! Whilst many would agree that a Company Christmas Party can boost morale and be a good way to celebrate success, it can also bring managers and HR many headaches (not just ones from overindulging!) So without wanting to be a Christmas Grinch, let’s look at some ways to make your [...]
I really wish that recruiting managers (and recruiters) would treat candidates with more respect. Business owners wonder why candidates don’t turn up to interviews and when they do, they seem disinterested and lack motivation. If you’re in that position – perhaps ask yourself what you did to attract these candidates, how you engaged with them and how you sold your business to them. At some point, your employees bought into you as a brand and somewhere they wanted to work. You [...]
Let’s look at the workforce generation gap and dispel the myth that having a workforce with multiple generations is a nightmare to manage. I will give you a brief outline of each generation and what motivates them and then offer my top tips to management and owner/managers on how to get the most out of each generation and create a cohesive and harmonious workplace. The ‘generation gap’ or ‘intergenerational divide’ (if you want to sound posh) has become an interesting [...]
“Do you have a minute?” I was talking to someone last week who had recently introduced an ‘Open Door Policy’, I raised an eyebrow and asked how that was working out for him. He said it was a nightmare. I had to chuckle. Open Door Policies are a total waste of everyone’s time, quite literally. I asked the chap what was happening since the policy had been introduced. He said that he was getting interrupted all the time by staff bringing problems [...]
Winter is coming! You may be wondering about your rights and responsibilities as an employer during adverse weather? Firstly, employees should attempt to come to work as normal where reasonably possible. If for example, driving to work would cause unnecessary risk, then alternative methods of transport should be considered. As a responsible employer, you may decide to be flexible with hours of work to reduce the element of risk at peak traffic times. It is always best to have a policy [...]
Managing employees can be frustrating at times but also incredibly rewarding when you’re all working to the same vision. I often get calls from business owners and managers asking me to ‘get rid’ of an annoying person in their business or team. Whilst I can certainly help with that process, it can be really time-consuming and damaging to the business. I’d like to help prevent you getting to the end of your tether by providing you with a different [...]
Who thinks HR and Marketing should be separate business functions? I don’t! In this new world where people want to feel more connected with the business they work for, HR and Marketing should be very much dependent upon each other, especially if you’re looking to grow your business. Here’s why your HR provider should have a fundamental understanding of marketing. I’ve always said that; A successful marketing strategy + good people strategy = sustainable growth Obviously, a good marketing strategy will help you build [...]
