Hot HR Review of 2011

It's hard to believe that it's nearly Christmas and another year is fast approaching. I thought I would take this opportunity to share some of the highlights from Hot HR from over the last 12 months.

This has been an exciting year for Hot HR,  we have seen fantastic growth and we now have 1,240 members!

The statistics -  show that the peak months for people joining the group in 2011 were May with 131 new members, November with 166 and 168 in September.

Our members  - are all UK based HR professionals or people that have HR qualifications, a HR background or work in areas directly connected to HR.

In the group 37% of the group are HR Managers; 12% are based in London; 71% work in a HR function and 33% are in the HR industry.

Hot HR Ethos - these statistics really support the ethos behind the group, which is to become one of the UK’s leading HR networking groups by providing HR professionals with the information they require by sharing experiences, communicating directly with others and asking advice from leading specialists. It is important to Hot HR that the group remains a committed group to the HR profession with UK based dedicated HR professional members only. It is essential that the content and quality of the group is not diluted in any way and for this reason we are not numbers driven.

What happened in 2011.......

The first Hot HR Employment Law update in association with Ward Hadaway  took place in Leeds. This will extend into 2012, with all updates being available via Hot HR.

Strategic partners - this year we welcomed relationships with strategic partners including:

-Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
-Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
-Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
-David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
-Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits
-Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management

The Hot Spot - we also saw start of the Hot Spot, with articles written by members of Hot HR, inclusing Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape, Alison Mulholland from nef and Karl Whittle, a HR Programme Director.

Thank you  - to all the group members for making Hot HR such a great group and to everyone who has contributed throughout the year. I hope that you have found the group useful and informative and that this will continue and grow in 2012.

The Future - there will be some exciting developments to the group in 2012, which will continue to make Hot HR an up to date and useful group for the HR community.

If you would like to join the group or recommend it to any HR professionals you may know please click here.   

All that remains is for me to wish you all a very merry festive season, all the best for the New Year and I hope to see you in Hot HR in 2012!

Hot HR Update 12th-16th December

Welcome to the Hot HR Update for this the last week, here's a roundup of the group activity:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 12th December

1. Less favourable treatment due to marriage – what an employer should know

2. Determining reasonableness when dismissing after sickness

3.Auto-enrolment delay for small businesses

To read more from Ward Hadaway join Hot HR.

Discussions

*  With social media very much in the news at the moment, I've put together a Checklist of issues to consider which I'm happy to share. Let me know if you want a copy.                     

* Does anyone know of a good freelance training consultant that can help write 5 modular training guides for the professional services industry. I have not got the resources myself to write them but would look to outsource. Any recommendations would be welcome

* Does anyone have experience of annualised hours working well in large companies? Case studies appreciated.                     

Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining HotHR.

Training

Hot HR can exclusively offer free training on how to use LinkedIn to recruit successfully. If you are interested please click here andregister.

Join us

Hot HR is looking for additional Hot Spot writers and contributors and content partners, if you are interested please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Please see the Hot HR blog for other articles and updates. Also follow Hot HR on Twitter @Hot_HR

Not already a member, click here to join Hot HR.

Welcome to the Hot HR Update for this the last week, here's a roundup of the group activity:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 5th December  

1. Sick-workers: clarification regarding the carry-over of holidays

2. Government issues response to consultation on Employment Tribunal reform

3.Gender pay gap narrows

 To read more from Ward Hadaway join Hot HR.

Discussions 

 *Would anyone be willing to share their Anti Bullying and Harassment Policy – I am doing a review of ours and would be interested in any feedback - happy to share the outcome.  

* Am not going to join the lawyer Scrooges who publish the usual "Beware dangers of Christmas  party" every year at this time, but ....

Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining HotHR.  

Training

Hot HR can exclusively offer free training on how to use LinkedIn to recruit successfully. If you are interested please click here andregister.

Hot HR is looking for additional Hot Spot writers and contributors and content partners, if you are interested please contact Alex via Hot HR.

 Please see the Hot HR blog for other articles and updates. Also follow Hot HR on Twitter @Hot_HR

 Not already a member, click here to join Hot HR.

Hot HR Update 28th November to 2nd December

Welcome to the Hot HR Update for this week, already December, it's hard to believe!

Here's a round up of this week's action in the group:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 28th November

1. Unfair dismissal – an employer's duty to investigate the facts
2. Constructive dismissal – employer pays the price for costly mistake
3. Government review of sickness absence

To read more from Ward Hadaway join Hot HR.

Discussions
1. Could anyone advise on how capability policy can effectively be used within a small organisation (600+) to tackle long term sickness?

2. HR Forums

3. Adding value" to Christmas and reducing the cost of personal stress, part 2. How can we prepare to enjoy the holiday? Let me know how you get on, share your own tips.

Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining Hot HR.

Hot HR Hot Spot

This week I am pleased to welcome a new guest writer for the Hot Spot - Karl Whittle.

Karl has written an excellent article on 'Are we striving for HR MI perfection?'

Karl is a HR Programme Director with broad and successful experience in the management of transformation of process, people and technology programmes in UK and international businesses.

Are we striving for HR MI perfection? Click here to read and comment.

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR is looking for additional Hot Spot writers and contributers and content partners, if you are interested please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Please see the Hot HR blog for other articles and updates. Also follow Hot HR on Twitter @Hot_HR

 Not already a member, click here to join Hot HR.

Have a great weekend.

Hot HR Hot Spot - Are we striving for HR MI perfection? by Karl Whittle

I am pleased to welcome Karl Whittle as a guest writter for the Hot HR Hot Spot.

A bit about Karl:  

Karl is a HR Programme Director with broad and successful experience in the management of transformation of process, people and technology programmes in UK and international businesses. A hands-on problem solver with a high rate of achievement to resolve people and business challenges, drive transformation that delivers tangible results in diverse businesses. A proven and motivational team manager, engendering internal consensus and forging solid relationships with teams, senior stakeholders and strategic partners with a successful track record of delivering HR transformation and change programmes.

We hope you enjoy reading Karl's exciting article and blog.

Are we striving for HR MI perfection?

In today’s ever changing HR landscape are we investing sufficient time, thought and planning into how data can assist in making timely, effective and beneficial business decisions? Surely, long gone are the days where the extraction of data from our HR and Payroll systems are analysed and People decisions are made in isolation from the operational needs of a business?

However, no matter what surveys inform us about the importance of intelligently interrogating our People data and integrating this data to support business decisions it appears that we find ourselves in the “middle” ground of knowing and wanting to intelligently use our data, without providing ourselves with the “head-space” to fully understand how this data can be an ally. Should we be considering data as a valuable asset and not just a means to produce a collection of reports?

We have become proficient at reviewing and evolving our HR operating models so that we are able to adapt and change to support our business needs and demands; we are more knowledgeable and intelligent in sourcing and selecting ‘best of breed’ HR solutions to support and complement transformation programmes; but are we taking a ‘fit-for-purpose’ approach when it comes to accurately understanding data that we have in our business?

All too often I feel that we fall into a safety zone of analysing our People data in isolation, rather than reaching out and understanding what other data exists across our business. We wouldn’t bake a cake without all the ingredients, so why would we want to provide our business leaders with only part of the picture?  

Should we not be taking a step back and working with our business leaders and partners in not only understanding the People challenges, but how data across the whole of the organisation can be combined to provide a holistic picture. We need to ask ourselves; what do we need from our data, where does our data exist, and how can this valuable asset help drive more informed and quantifiable decisions? Therefore, the ‘data’ discussion needs to be at the forefront of our minds when HR helps drive positive change across a business, and not as an after thought.

The direct correlation of different data sources can provide us with a full picture that we can easily and intelligently interrogate, and then for this, to provide us with the platform to complete “what-if” (predictive) models. Let’s understand what our data is telling us and not be afraid ask the questions; if we take route A compared to route B what are the advantages, what are the disadvantages; what underlying risks do we have and what options do we have to build in contingency; what are the impacts to the top & bottom line? As we become ever more sophisticated in delivering HR services to our business we should in turn become more demanding of how to use our data assets.

We need to be in a position to answer more business and commercial orientated questions and in turn provide intelligent analysed options. HR MI should not just be about People data (attracting & retaining Talent) but how do we as HR professionals contribute at the top table and lead change.

To comment on this article join Hot HR.

Hot HR Update 21-25 November

Welcome to the Hot HR Update.

Not a member? Click here to join Hot HR. 

Here's a round  up of what happened in the group over the last week:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 21st November

1. Whistleblowing – Grounds on which a dismissal is unfair

2. Racism – The consequences of a 'continuing act'

3.Government to consult on 'protected conversations'

To read more from Ward Hadaway join Hot HR.

Discussions

1. Does anyone have experience in employing EU candidates who will be based abroad? Can the standard employment contract apply? What will the TAX or NI implications be?

2.I am revamping our induction process by pulling everything that we do into a handbook. I am nearly there but does anyone have an induction handbook that they are willing to share for comparison? 

3.  Hello all. Could anyone advise on how capability policy can effectively be used within a small organisation (600+) to tackle long term sickness?

Could individual's contract of employment be terminated due to incapability to their perform job tasks outlined in job description without facing an unfair dismissal?

Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining Hot HR.

Hot HR content members:

This week content partner Jenny Cooper posted an article on stress at this time of year:

"Adding value to Christmas and reducing the cost of personal stress. " (part 1).

What does Christmas mean to you, and how can you "add value" to your experience this year?  http://bit.ly/rO4uKc

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot HR is looking for additional Hot Spot writers and contributers and content partners, if you are interested please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Please see our blog for other articles and updates. Also follow Hot HR on Twitter @Hot_HR

Alex

Hot HR Update 14-18 November

Hello and welcome to this week's Hot HR update.

The group is welcoming new members daily and there is some great discussions happening. If you aren't a member of Hot HR already click here to join  Hot HR .

Here's a round of what happened in the group this week:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 14th November
1. Breach of contract: Failure to follow procedure
2. Inconsistent treatment of employees
3. Payment for holidays: A sick employee's obligation to make a request

To read more join Hot HR.

Discussions:
1. I am setting up a Training Academy to support the growth of our people to include exam support and coaching opportunities. Does anyone have any guidelines or materials in this area?    
2. With toolkits, online help and the call centre approach are HR Advisors more like administrators?     
                      
Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining Hot HR.

Hot HR content members:
• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
• Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
• Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
• David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
• Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits
. Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot HR Hot Spot:
We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions.

Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions.

Hot HR is looking for additional Hot Spot writers and contributers and content partners, if you are interested please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Please see our blog for other articles and updates:

http://hothr.blogspot.com/2011/11/hr-services-and-crb-checking.html

Follow Hot HR on Twitter @Hot_HR

Have a great weekend.
Alex

Hot HR Update 7-11 November

Hello and welcome to this week's Hot HR update.

This week we welcome our 1060th member to the group. A warm welcome to all new members, we hope to see you joining in discussions and utilising the group to it's full potential.

Hot HR is looking for additional Hot Spot writers and contributers and content partners, if you are interested please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Here's a round of what happened in the group this week:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 7th November
1. Statutory holiday rights for sick workers
2. Blowing the whistle on liability and causation
3. Fact v Opinion – An employer's obligation

To read more join Hot HR.

Discussions:
1. I'm looking into finding a provider of online Right to Work in the UK checks  
    and have had mixed responses on the availability of this
2. HR Forums

Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining Hot HR.

Hot HR content members:
• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
• Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
• Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
• David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
• Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits
. Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot HR Hot Spot:
This week's Hot Spot is 'Why can’t we all just get along? (or the art of being nice)' by Alison Mulholland from nef.

We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions.

Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions.

Please see our blog for other articles and updates: http://hothr.blogspot.com/2011/11/hr-services-and-crb-checking.html

Have a great weekend.  
Alex

HR Services and CRB Checking

As a HR professional, in my current role I am continuously striving to find areas that bridge the gap between helping HR and making HR count towards the business.

With this in mind I had a project on the go for a few months looking at how CRB checking could add value to a business from a HR perspective.

It took some time to get off the ground, with differing ideas and service levels as well as working with IT on the best way to develop this, but we finally got there.
 
We have now combined services with Personnel Checks to create an exclusive partnership. Recognising that an increasing number of organisations utilised CRB checks as part of their recruitment process, networx have partnered with Personnel Checks; a registered umbrella body of the criminal record bureau, means clients can simply include CRB checks into their current recruitment process.

 As a highly respected organisation, thousands of companies used the CRB service of Personnel Checks last year, including large corporate organisations, health and education sectors, and financial service organisations. Personnel Checks offers Basic, Standard and Enhanced CRB checks, and promises a rapid turnaround time.

 Future plans for the partnership involves seamlessly integrating the Personnel Check’s CRB service into networx’s apoint technology. The process, which will allow for an organisation to request a CRB check on a candidate by simply clicking a button, is designed to promote speed and simplicity whilst keeping all of the client’s recruitment needs in one place.

For more information on the partnership and how it could benefit your organisation, please e-mail alex.murgatroyd@networxrecruitment.com

Hot HR Hot Spot 'Why can’t we all just get along? (or the art of being nice)' by Alison Mulholland from nef

Why can’t we all just get along? (or the art of being nice)

I work with two of the loveliest people (hi Lois and Laura) and they always make you feel that nothing is a bother for them. This, in turn, makes me want to help them. Simple. So why is this so hard for people to understand? In the course of most people’s working life they will be hassled. Shouted at and belittled and, for some customer- facing staff, there are even more serious situations. Unbelievably, at Transport for London there were 1,400 assaults on staff in 2010/11 and this is a reduction from the amount the year before!

Although most of us won’t face anything as bad as being physically assaulted it can be easy to remember that, in HR, we are dealing with real people with real problems. For example, I have often seen managers complain that people are getting stroppy over the fact that their pay is wrong, forgetting that is how people pay their bills and, of course, you can never really know people’s financial situation. One particular time sticks out for me where I had one senior HR manager mess up on someone’s pay which saw them get only half of what they should be getting. The manager’s feeling was that the member of staff should be able to cope on half pay which would mean the manager not having to confess her mistake and instead just adjusting next month’s payroll. Had she spoken to the person concerned (as I did) they would have discovered that the staff member had just moved house, was flat broke after stumping up a large deposit and really needed the pay she was owed.

I try to work with a customer service mindset, not just treating others how I would like to be treated but using the phrase “what sort of person do I want to be” to influence how I work. In HR we often have to deal with difficult and sometimes heartbreaking situations and dealing with these issues in a sensitive manner can make all the difference to the employees involved and often results in a better outcome all round.

The other side of being a nice person is that people will want to work with you – we all know horror stories about people who have had bad service in shops and won’t go back to them – we in HR must make sure we give the customer service to all our customers (and that includes those that are off with bad backs but posting pictures of themselves on Facebook doing somersaults, those caught stealing red handed).

So try and be a Ms or Mr Do-As-You-Would-Be-Done-By and see what happens.

Hot HR Update 31 Oct - 4 Nov

Hello and welcome to this week's Hot HR update.

This week we welcome our 1030th member to the group. A warm welcome to all new members, we hope to see you joining in discussions and utilising the group to it's full potential.

If anyone has any ideas or recommendations for the group, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Here's a round of what happened in the group this week:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 31st  October
1. Failure to alleviate loss – an employee's refusal to transfer roles
2. Employee status – establishing the element of control
3. The importance of deciding the appropriate grounds for dismissal
To read more join Hot HR.

Discussions:
1. A simple appraisal plan
2. Public and private sector, is there a difference to a good HR professional? 
    People are people wherever you go, but the business infrastructures and  
    cultures can undoubtedly be different. Thoughts?     
3.  Not every objective is SMART
               
Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining Hot HR.

Hot HR content members:
• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
• Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
• Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
• David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
• Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits
. Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot HR Hot Spot:
This week's Hot Spot is 'Keeping it Simple' by Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant.

We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions.

Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions.

We are looking for additional Hot Spot writers, if you are interested please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Have a great weekend and bonfire night.
Alex

Hot HR Hot Spot 'Keeping it Simple' by Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant

Keeping It Simple 

Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant

Reading Chris Rooney's topic about a simple appraisal process got me thinking about a recent story that I read in People Management ('Can HR keep it simple?') This article included an example of a large company with a business plan that was simply defined on an a3 document, which I would be intrigued to see!

Things have undoubtedly become more complicated with the raft of legislation that shapes the way we work, however, we also recognise that the more complicated our approach gets, the more likely we are to suffer challenges with engaging our people. 

I’d be interested to understand more about experiences from fellow HR professionals where processes or policies have been overhauled with a view to simplifying the approach and the benefits (where applicable) of taking this course of action…

Hot HR Update

Amazing news - Hot HR has now reached the 1000 mark - with over 1000 members the group is going from strength to strength. Thank you to all those that have contributed and are using the group, I hope you continue to find the group of use.

Welcome to all new members, we hope to see you joining in discussions and utilising the group to it's full potential.

If anyone has any ideas or recommendations for the group, please do not hesitate to contact me.

On 20th October Hot HR ran an event in Leeds 'Social Media - The Right Way' in partnership with Ward Hadaway law firm covering using social media for recruitment and legal and legislative aspects of social media. This was a great success, many thanks to all those that attended. If you would like any information please do not hesitate to contact me.   

A round of what happened in the group this week:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 17th October
1.TUPE – When is it effective to vary contracts?
2.The cost of accommodating employees
3.Foreign doctors will be required to meet minimum standards of English

To read more join Hot HR.

Discussions:
1. Hi all, I have been tasked with drafting an Absence Policy & don't know where to start. Does anybody have any ideas or suggestions?
2.HR Software
Hello, i am currently looking to introduce a new HR Software package does anybody have any recommendations or are using a good piece of kit. We have circa 300 staff and are using Sage at the moment. All info gratefully received!
 
Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining Hot HR.

Hot HR content members:
• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
• Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
• Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
• David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
• Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits
 . Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot HR Hot Spot:
We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions. Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions or if you would like join the exciting Hot Spot writers please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Hot HR Update 10-14 October

With 980 members the group is going from strength to strength. Thank you to all those that have contributed and are using the group, I hope you continue to find the group of use.

We welcome all new members, please recommend the group to all HR Professionals you may know and who are in your network.

Here is a round of what happened in the group this week:

Ward Hadaway Speed Read - W/C 10.10.2011

1. Disability discrimination - making adjustments for employees.
2. Dismissing with notice - what employers should be aware of.
3. The importance of keeping in touch with absent employees.
4. New legislation.

To read more join Hot HR.

Discussions:

1. Public and private sector, is there a difference to a good HR professional? People are people wherever you go, but the business infrastructures and cultures can undoubtedly be different. Thoughts?

2. Rewarding full attendance - a good move for positive reinforcement, or is it just throwing extra at those who've simply earned their salary by turning up as they're supposed to?

3. I'm looking at carrying out some in depth profiling for our sales team. Can anyone recommend ways of doing this?

Please share your thoughts and experiences by joining Hot HR.

Hot HR content members:

• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors

• Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training

• Andy Whittle from Genesys Training

• David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy

• Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits
. Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot HR Hot Spot:

We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions. Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions or if you would like join the exciting Hot Spot writers please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Hot HR Update 3rd-7th October 2011

With over 960 members the group is going from strength to strength. Thank you to all those that have contributed and are using the group, I hope you continue to find the group of use.

We welcome all new members, please recommend the group to all HR Professionals you may know and who are in your network.
Here is a round of what happened in the group this week:

Speed Read from Ward Hadaway:
1. Discrimination - making those at fault accountable for their actions.
2. Government Proposals for Employment Law Reform.
3. New legislation set to promote transparency in the public sector.

 To read more join Hot HR.

 Discussions:
1. Social Media - help needed
2. Has anyone got a social networking policy they are willing to share? we are just working on our and would value other view points
3. What's wrong with the C word? 
4.Hi, I'm looking to speak to people who deal with induction training or other forms of staff training at their company.  
          
Hot HR content members:

• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors

• Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training

• Andy Whittle from Genesys Training

• David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy

• Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits

. Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot HR Hot Spot:

This week's hot spot was written by Michael Rabone on Graduate Recruitment.

Please let us know what your thoughts are on this article and share your experiences f graduate recruitment.

We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions. Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions or if you would like join the exciting Hot Spot writers please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Hot HR Hot Spot on Graduate Recruitment from Michael Rabone

Graduate Recruitment

Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein in Padstow, Cornwall considers the impact of labour market changes on graduate recruitment.

Having been given a fantastic career opportunity with a large company that offered a graduate placement programme, it is a topic that I’ve remained close to as I feel that graduate recruitment is an important part of a balanced approach to resourcing. Prior to recent news regarding university fees, the volume of individuals with a degree, coupled with recent changes to the economy and labour market, appear to have had a significant impact on the volume of graduates looking for work. 

Whilst some businesses have cut their graduate recruitment, others appear to have maintained or even increased the number of opportunities provided. I recently met with a recruitment officer from PwC and they are currently recruiting for 1,300 graduates for their latest intake; incredibly, they have encountered some graduate recruitment challenges in the South West and it left me wondering what we can do to help individuals to fulfil their potential and for businesses of all sizes to take advantage of the fantastic opportunity that currently exists.

There are some circumstances locally that have created a bottle-neck for graduate recruitment that may sound familiar; limited ‘large company’ graduate schemes, increasing opportunities to study degree-level qualifications locally and a reluctance to relocate all combine to make for a potentially difficult situation if you happen to be looking for a graduate level job. 

This opportunity creates plenty of room for innovation and a fantastic graduate recruitment scheme in Cornwall called ‘Unlocking Cornish Potential’ has so far placed over 750 graduates into micro businesses and SMEs in order to provide a large company style graduate programme when the business infrastructure would be unlikely to be able to support such a scheme in-house.

The collective effort to develop local graduates is incredibly inspiring; a two week ‘stand out from the crowd’ programme offers a fantastic opportunity to develop knowledge and awareness of a vast array of topics that will help graduates to prepare for their next career move, including tips on applying for graduate roles, entrepreneurial skills, business skills and an insight into assessment processes along with the opportunity to network with guest speakers from local businesses that recruit graduates. Twelve month graduate placement programmes, graduate business start-up support and under-graduate placements make up the options available to those seeking graduate level opportunities in the local area.

Cornwall’s Convergence funding (European Social Fund) gives the process a valuable boost, offering graduates a training and development budget in additional to potential wage subsidies that are geared towards assisting business start-ups to attract graduate talent at rate they never thought would be possible.

I’ve been very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to give something back to the graduate recruitment process by getting involved as a guest speaker and mentor for those looking to develop HR careers. We’ve now recruited eight graduates into our company through this particular scheme, with contract extensions offered to each individual that has completed their twelve month graduate programme.

One fantastic benefit of being involved is the potential that you get to see; two individuals that have been appointed to graduate roles within our business were identified via the ‘stand out from the crowd’ programme as it quickly became apparent that they were exactly what we were looking for.  We have continued to offer graduate roles with the support of this particular scheme; something that certainly wouldn’t be as easy if we tried to manage the process in-house.

There’s no doubt that the graduate market has changed; I’ve seen a major shift away from new graduates that are fresh out of university towards a number of individuals that have made a decision to re-train, be it for a new challenge or the difficulty of being made redundant. There are now a number of experienced graduates seeking to re-enter the labour market that can demonstrate a track record of skills and experience to back up their academic achievements, something that gives an extra dimension to the graduate market.

The interesting aspect is that many of the graduates I have met are looking for the right opportunity with a company that could support their longer-term career goals and it doesn’t necessarily mean that a specific graduate programme is required to tempt an individual into an opportunity.

The competition out there is substantial, which can only be a good thing for us as employers. The only question that remains is whether we have the means as employers to maximise the potential that this opportunity may bring?

Hot HR Update 26th -30th September

With over 900 members the group is going from strength to strength. Thank you to all those that have contributed and are using the group, I hope you continue to find the group of use.

We welcome all new members, please recommend the group to all HR Professionals you may know and who are in your network.

Here is a round of what happened in the group this week:

Speed Read from Ward Hadaway: 1. References: What employers need to know.
 2. Facebook: What employers should consider with regard to their employees

 To read more join Hot HR.

 Discussions:
1. I'd love your thoughts on how to motivate a large team who are doing a routine task. Ideas on friendly competition and free ways to encourage production and job satisfaction would be very welcome.     
2.   Has anyone got a social networking policy they are willing to share? we are just working on our and would value other view points   
3.     I'm putting together an employee communications survey - does anyone have any tips on how best to approach this? I'd like to achieve a good response rate if possible. Thanks                                                 

Hot HR content members: 
• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
   • Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
   • Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
   • David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
   • Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits

• Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management

 
Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!
 
Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.
 
 Hot HR Hot Spot: We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions. Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions or if you would like join the exciting Hot Spot writers please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Hot HR Update

With over 850 members the group is going from strength to strength. Thank you to all those that have contributed and are using the group, I hope you continue to find the group of use.

We welcome all new members, please recommend the group to all HR Professionals you may know and who are in your network.

Here is a round of what happened in the group this week:

Speed Read from Ward Hadaway:
1. Unfair Dismissal
2. All Aboard! A boost for employers as apprenticeship red-tape is slashed
3. Rest breaks

 To read more join Hot HR.

Discussions:
1. I'd love your thoughts on how to motivate a large team who are doing a routine task. Ideas on friendly competition and free ways to encourage production and job satisfaction would be very welcome.
2. I'm putting together an employee communications survey - does anyone have any tips on how best to approach this? I'd like to achieve a good response rate if possible.
3. What are your thoughts on Investors In People?

Hot HR Content Members:
This week Hot HR welcomed Jenny Cooper from Key Steps Coaching for Stress Management.

Jenny specialises in stress management and will happily answer any questions you may have and will be sharing information within the group about this area that effects us all.

 Current content members:  • Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
  • Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
  • Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
  • David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
  • Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

 Hot HR Hot Spot:
We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions. Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions or if you would like join the exciting Hot Spot writers please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Hot HR Update

It's feeling distincly Autumnal this week, but it's hotting up in Hot HR with some  great discussions, Hot Spots and offers from Ward Hadaway.

Thank you to all those that have contributed and are using the group, I hope you continue to find the group of use.

Here is a round of what happened in the group this week:

Discussions:

This week we have had lots of activity and discussion, here is a summary of the most popular (in no particular order):

1. Can anybody tell me if an employer, USA/UK,has the legal right to read or forward the mailbox of a former employee to his/hers manager? This to avoid that tasks are forgotten, contacts are lost etc.

2. Ward Hadaway Insight - For those organisations who find themselves on the wrong end of a discrimination claim, usually the greatest fear is the potentially large financial implications of any award being made by the tribunal in favour of a successful...

3. Who owns a LinkedIn database?

To read more join Hot HR.

Exclusive offer from Ward Hadaway for Hot HR Members:

Ward Hadaway Autumn HR Workshops: Exclusive offer only available to HOT HR members. We are pleased to offer a 30% reduction only to HOT HR members who wish to attend our Autumn HR Workshops.

Hot HR Content Members:

• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
 • Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
 • Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
 • David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
 • Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot Spot:

Hot HR Hot Spot - 'The Case for Doing Less in HR' by Tim Rawson

We have 4 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw, Caroline Hackney from Cape and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions. Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions or if you would like join the exciting Hot Spot writers please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Hot HR Hot Spot - 'The Case for Doing Less in HR' by Tim Rawson

Welcome to the second Hot Spot article written by Tim Rawson, HR Manager for Travel Jigsaw. Thought provoking and interesting - please comment on this article in Hot HR.

The Case for Doing Less in HR

We’ve got a problem. An employee did something, and we didn’t like it. Something went awry last time we processed the payroll file. A manager spoke to an employee in a way we wouldn’t have. HR snaps in to action, forms a committee, draws a diagram, drafts a proposal and two months later, a new policy is ready to solve the world’s ills. Or is it?  

Here’s why you don’t need another policy. Your HR team can’t handle it. Your managers won’t read it, and your employees don’t want it.

OK. Well maybe we can have a couple. We all need a bit of certainty and an agreed ‘way of doing things’ on the key points. Recruitment, disciplinary, grievance etc. But how many policies could we get rid of? How short could we make our employee handbooks and how attractive and readable would they be as a result?

 We all have a disciplinary policy in place and it sets out boundaries of behaviour and conduct. Most companies will have a capability policy which defines how poor performance is tackled. So why on earth would we need a Social Networking Policy, or an Email Policy, a holiday policy, a drugs policy (surely being high at work is covered in the conduct policy?) or a 44 page dress code? Surely as adults we can discuss performance with employees and managers without having to write every minute detail of daily life down at every turn, only for it to need updating and reviewing constantly.

 Now, at this point I may have been tempted to bang on about how no-one needs an Olympics Policy, but credit where it’s due, Simon Jones beat me to it here.

Policies often make it harder to manage people! 

Take a look at your contracts of employment. No doubt drafted by an experienced employment lawyer. What DON’T they cover?

·         ‘Job title and duties’, (basically saying we reserve the right to ask you to do ANYTHING within reason, at ANYTIME)

·         ‘Pay and hours of work’ (which we reserve the right to change too)

·         ‘Absence’ (usually saying most of what your ‘essential’ absence policy says)

 The list goes on. Become familiar with this document, and you’ll be surprised how infrequently you need to refer to a policy. If you have a specific policy, you’ll have to prove the employee had the correct copy and that they agreed to it or had sufficient notice of the change, before using its teeth.

And lastly, if you write a policy which sets out all ‘unacceptable’ activity in a document, you are essentially saying that all other behaviour is de facto acceptable! 

Make a general statement about behaviour and standards, and the company remains in control of interpretation and application of those rules. Draft a policy on everything and we’ll all be chasing our tails forever and a day. 

The company I work for is GREAT at what it does. It doesn’t need me to tell it how to go about its everyday business. So, sometimes, the best you can do as an HR Manager is let the guys who call the customers, seal the deals, and improve the profit margin do what they do best.

 They’ll thank you for it!

Hot HR Update 5-9 September

Hello and welcome to this week's Hot HR weekly digest and blog. 

Now the holiday period is over and the kids have returned to school, things will hopefully return to normal with the return of the regular speed reads and updates being posted.

This week there have been some really interesting discussions happening within the group. Thank you to all those that have contributed and are using the group, I hope you continue to find the group of use.

Here is a round of what happened in the group this week:

Discussions:

This week we have had lots of activity and discussion, here is a summary of the most popular (in no particular order):

1. An interesting article on buying a recruitment system for your organisation!
2. Can anybody shed some light on how to approach a situation where a long time employee has just gone missing (AWOL). We have     made numerous attemps to contact him. Could we terminate employment?  

If you would like to comment on any of these discussions please join Hot HR.

Hot HR Content Members:

• Harmajinder Hayre Employment Lawyer from Ward Hadaway Solicitors
 • Stephen Hart owner of Edenchanges training
 • Andy Whittle from Genesys Training
 • David Taylor from Data Protection Consultancy
 • Mark Terry from Edenred Employee Benefits

Please use Hot HR as a forum to ask the content members any questions you might have in their fields of expertise, no matter how big or small the question, our experts can help!

Hot HR continues to endeavour to add to the portfolio of content members who can add value to the group and to Hot HR members and to compliment each other's skills and expertise. If you have any suggestions for the group please contact me.

Hot Spot:

This week we welcomed another exciting new writer for the Hot Spot - Caroline Hackney, HR Manager from Cape UK. Caroline wrote a great article on the HR Balancing act. 

Caroline complements the  existing 3 regular writers for the Hot Spot - Michael Rabone, HR Manager for The Seafood Restaurant group owned by Rick and Jill Stein, Tim Rawson HR Manager from Travel Jigsaw and Alison Mulholland from nef.

Thank you to Michael, Tim, Caroline and Alison for their contributions. Please support their articles and dedcation to the group and feel free to respond, ask any questions or if you would like join the exciting Hot Spot writers please contact Alex via Hot HR.

Hot HR Hot Spot - The Balancing Act by Caroline Hackney

I'm pleased to welcome Caroline Hackney to the 'Hot Spot'. Caroline is the UK HR Manager -Onshore for Cape UK and has written her first article for Hot HR on the balancing act of HR.   

A little bit about Caroline - Caroline has worked in HR for 12 years and joined Cape plc over three years ago and now holds the position of UK HR Manager for  Onshore operations, which usually peak at around 3000 directly employed personnel. Cape is an international leader in the provision of essential non-mechanical industrial services, principally to plant operators in the oil and gas, power generation, chemical, minerals and mining sectors and major Engineering and Construction (E&C) contractors.

Their UK operations are heavily unionised and they work to various National and Local Agreements. Caroline's role is demanding, interesting and very varied from policy and systems to generalist HR. The UK HR team is purposefully lean to ensure they have a very focused and operational approach to HR in the business.For Caroline, the old cliché certainly rings true – no two days are ever the same!

The Balancing Act

Human Resources, Personnel, People Management, Employee Relations.....whatever you call yourself or whichever speciality you find yourself in, as a HR professional ‘people’ are at the heart of everything we do, aren’t they? But, as businesses buckle down and focus on the bottom line I sense a more ‘operationally led’ shift in the direction of HR; so how do the two reconcile with each other?  

I have spent the past 12 or so years working predominantly for engineering companies, with a brief stint in the public sector. I consider myself to be an operationally driven HR Manager who can consider the bigger picture of the corporate situation whilst still thinking about the impact of those business decisions on the individuals. But how true is this in reality? Can we ever be all things to all people? 

I’ll give you my musings on the subject but would love to hear your viewpoints and experiences – it’s great to get input from all perspectives, industry sectors and it’s impossible to cover all angles in this ‘Hot Spot’ without it turning into ‘War and Peace’. 

Most businesses have seen redundancies and restructuring over the past few years as they evolve to meet the changing economic climate. We all know that this has to happen for the ‘greater good’ but how do we balance this with knowing we are ultimately going to see people lose their jobs?  

My mother asks me very little about what I do for a living; in truth I don’t think she ‘gets’ HR in the least! However a little while ago, when I was in the midst of national consultations relating to a closure of part of the business and refocusing resources elsewhere, she asked what I was busy with at work. When I told her she looked horrified and said ‘How do you sleep at night knowing you are going to be telling people that they have lost their jobs?’. It wasn’t something I’d really thought about in those terms previously and caught me a bit off guard. When I sat back and reflected I concluded that the reason I hadn’t been losing sleep was because of the manner in which we were tackling the issue. It had been considered, planned and communicated well at the ‘at risk’ stage. We were then taking the time to travel the length and breadth of the country to spend as long as needed with individuals ranging from labourers to managers. They appreciated the time, effort and thought that was being expended on the process and despite being a large plc we were treating them as individuals and with respect. It wasn’t a ‘nice’ job but I took pride in handling the situation with sensitivity, whilst still keeping the business priorities in mind.  

I’ve worked in teams that are so wrapped up in the people issues that the HR department has no business credibility and is actually seen as a ‘blocker’ to operational activities. I think that this achieves nothing but frustration on all sides.  

To be an effective HR department or manager we need to have robust systems and  procedures, fit for purpose, and of an appropriate level of detail. They need to be backed up with common sense HR advice where required. I believe in empowering managers by imparting knowledge and then providing a safety net if they need it. I think that the HR function should be the conscience of a business – a sounding board for the fairness of decisions and a problem solver for the ‘difficult’ situations businesses of all sizes inevitably find themselves in. If we do all this effectively then I think it is possible to balance business and people priorities. Nobody’s perfect, we all make mistakes and errors of judgement, but if we work with other parts of our businesses, make informed and sound decisions and then treat people with respect we can achieve harmony.....at least most of the time!!

So, that’s my two penneth’s worth. What’s yours?