Other news

Leadership is important!

People Management the magazine for HR professionals reported in October that organisations with the highest quality leaders are 13 times more likely to outperform their competition. Meantime only 18% of HR professionals in the UK regarded their organisation as having high quality leadership – Odd when HR has such a critical role to play in developing leadership!

Talent Acquisition, Management, and Retention

52% of employers believe that competition for talent is greater than ever.1This is a significant increase on the % in 2009 (20%) and 2010 (41%) and comes at the same time as unemployment is higher than it has been for some time (7.7%). In addition there is the increase in tuition fees widely expected to reduce the numbers of graduates available a concern for 39% of employers.

75% of employers reported recruitment difficulties and the hardest to fill with competent talent remain managerial, professional, and technical jobs.

The cost of Recruitment has been assessed any number of times and with varying results. Median recruitment cost reported in this survey is £7,500 for senior staff and £2,500 for others. We go along with the idea that a realistic cost for getting someone in post and up to speed would roughly equate to 6 months of pay

Whatever, employers would be well advised to assess, develop and nurture existing talent. For any further advice on this matter please contact us on a non committal basis.

Employee Relations

According to the CIPD 25% of employers are imposing a pay freeze this year and around 3 of the 280 employers surveyed are planning a pay cut

The Pensions bill raising the State Pension Age to 66 by 2020 has passed through the commons. Women will be particularly affected as the female pensionable age rises from 60.

Meantime the Employee relations Minister Ed Davey has rejected calls for tougher legislation to combat the threat of mass action by Public Sector workers over other pensions issues