What can go wrong in a performance review?
Performance reviews are important tools for managers, they can boost performance and productivity and are key for talent retention and a positive working culture. These are all vital for the overall growth and productivity of an organisation. There are common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid when conducting reviews, if you don’t they can go very wrong leaving an employee disgruntled and disengaged. Read on for how to avoid these pitfalls in a performance review.
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What does the triggering of article 50 mean for your business?
This week we will see the momentous triggering of article 50, it will be one of the most complicated negotiations of political history. But what exactly does it mean for your business? Read on for areas that could see change and could have an impact on your business.
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How to have a constructive conversation about pay
As a manager and leader, you will face having challenging conversations with your employees. One of the most emotive conversations is around pay and people are likely to become defensive. When having a conversation with a member of staff about their pay, you will need to be able to manage emotions and manage the exchange to make it a constructive conversation. If you get it wrong you may find the employee goes absent, becomes disengaged and their performance suffers, or they may even resign. This blog gives advice on how to have a constructive conversation about pay.
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Achieving work-life balance as a business leader
Do you find yourself wondering where the day has gone? All the goals you’d set yourself at the beginning of the day have been pushed to one side dealing with unexpected issues. Maintaining peak performance at work is demanding and can be stressful. Business leaders can find themselves under enormous pressure with so many responsibilities and deadlines, which can easily seep into their personal life, with their work and personal life boundaries becoming blurred. This blog addresses the importance of achieving a good work-life balance.
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Organisational design for SMEs
Do you know what a well-designed organisation looks like? People often equate organisational design with organisational structure. However, it encompasses much more, it is about aligning all aspects of the organisation with the overall goals and objectives of the business. As an organisation evolves so must the organisational design, this will enable the business to work effectively, helping with communication, productivity and innovation. This blog examines organisation design and how it can work for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
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Managing relationships in the workplace
It’s February and with Valentine’s Day upon us, we’re thinking about relationships in the workplace. Whatever size your business is, in all likelihood you employ people who also have personal relationships with each other outside of work. In fact many relationships begin with people meeting at work, these may form in to long term partnerships or friendships. You may also employ members of your own family or have employees that are related. Whilst these relationships should not be viewed as a problem, this blog looks at the complexities of relationships in the work place, with a particular focus on family businesses.
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Recruiting for less desirable roles
Do you find certain roles in your company harder to recruit for than others? Perhaps you think the role is undesirable and rather boring. Just take a moment, remember that one size doesn’t fit all. Just because you don’t enjoy doing something doesn't mean someone else won't. Knowing who you need to attract and where to find them is essential. Here are some tips you should consider when you are recruiting for less desirable roles.
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People retention
Do you have a formal strategy for retaining employees once they have been recruited? A high turnover rate has big financial repercussions for a business, and can also lower the knowledge base in your company. You might think that people are purely driven by salary, however research has shown that this isn’t the case. Creating a healthy and happy work environment are essential. Read on for practical methods you can use to help retain your people.
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Performance management review
You may well be embarking on your annual performance management reviews. How much stress does this cause you as a leader and your staff? In this challenging economic and volatile climate, employees can feel that performance management reviews are little more than a box-ticking activity. With pay freezes and other budgets squeezed, it can be difficult for them to see personal incentives to achieve goals. As a leader and manager it is vital that you always engage with your employees to ensure you have their trust and commitment, to enable them to meet their goals and objectives. Here are five tips for achieving the most out of your people and their performance management reviews.
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Gender pay gap
On the 10 November it was Equal Pay Day, from late afternoon the average full-time female employee stopped earning for the year compared to the average full-time man. Before this, in October we also saw headlines that Asda faces £100m equal pay battle with shop floor staff. A tribunal ruled that thousands of women who work in the retailer’s stores can lodge a claim over the alleged gender pay gap. As a business owner it is highly likely that you have female employees. Are you fostering a culture of gender equality where equal pay is a given?
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