Blogs

I’ve had a good look through the dozens of HR and L&D newsletter emails I get each week and picked out a few bits so that you don’t have to. Coronavirus, remote working and D&I are big news and dominate the list. I’ve picked what I think is useful in the workplace and/or what’ll help people on DPG’s programmes. Take a look and by all means correct me if I’m wrong – discussion is good!

1. If you are interested in the impacts of Coronavirus (maybe if you are doing SWOT/PESTLE analysis), here’s a link that’ll give you plenty of stats to quote (including redundancies, barriers to return to work and reduction of job listings) and when you get to the page there is a link to a document from the Chamber of Commerce which is very easy to use: https://www.hrsolutions-uk.com/more-redundancies-planned/?utm_source=Business+HR+Solutions+%28Consultancy%29+Limited&utm_campaign=756525c5a7-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_12119ad666-756525c5a7-287101220&ct=t(RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN)&goal=0_12119ad666-756525c5a7-287101220&mc_cid=756525c5a7&mc_eid=a45ecec15a
2. On everyone’s favourite subject, Furlough, I’ve found quotable stats on the impact including 9.6 million jobs have been furloughed and the cost of the scheme currently stands at £33.8 billion. Here’s a link to the ACAS page where I found these figures: https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2020-08-06-acas-sees-surge-in-volume-of-calls-as-coronavirus-bites-kh?utm_source=template-pardot-2006&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hr-06-08-20&utm_content=news&utm_term=Redundancy
3. A CIPD Podcast on workplace conflict was released in early June. I’ve read through the transcript and nothing stands out as immediately useful for the DVP assessment beyond some general advice around creating safe spaces to have conversations. There’s no mention of well know models but you could maybe use some of the practical examples given to give you some background reading. All in all, don’t listen/read this hoping that it’ll have everything you need for the assessment. It won’t hurt but ask yourself if you have 28 mins to spare to listen. I could be wrong though! Tell me if I am. Here is a link: https://www.cipd.co.uk/podcasts/shifting-perception-conflict
4. If conflict resolution caught your eye, there is an upcoming webinar by HR Solutions titled ‘Conflict Resolution’. It promises to ‘the role of mediation in the workplace and how resolving conflict can help you to move your business forward’. It takes place in September though, so bear that in mind if you are working on DVP in august. Go to the Home page then scroll down to Events for the full details.
5. A quick handy statistic for anyone looking to fly the flag for employer branding: “72% of top-ranked recruitment firms worldwide believe that employer branding has a significant impact on hiring”. Find it here: https://www.thehrobserver.com/employer-branding-why-it-has-become-essential-to-attract-talent/
6. Expanding on the topic of employer branding and linking it to Diversity & Inclusion, I found stats showing to what extent different age groups “would hesitate to take a job if there were no minority or traditionally marginalised demographics represented among the company’s senior leadership team”. Find it here: https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/half-of-young-people-would-hesitate-to-work-for-a-firm-lacking-diverse-leaders.
7. I found figures about job search increases relating to D&I, the inclusion of D&I on CVs, and performance of teams that have diverse teams among others. They appear in a stat packed article here: https://www.hrgrapevine.com/content/article/2020-08-05-uk-di-job-listings-skyrocket-by-106?utm_source=template-pardot-2006&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hr-05-08-20&utm_content=news&utm_term=Rec+trends
8. Handy stats on levels of remote working and the if firms intend to alter salaries due to home working: https://www.thehrobserver.com/how-a-remote-workforce-will-change-your-compensation-strategy/
9. If you are interested in L&D, I’ve added to the Events section a webinar titled Exploring the Impact of Training and Learning which takes place on 11^th August with the Learning Performance Institute. It promises to ‘share insights into empowering the Learning & Development community with facts, evidence, and data that tells their story about impact’
10. On the subject of Working safely during coronavirus, gov.uk hasn’t updated since 31^st July but I’ll keep my eye on it and let you know if it does. It’s the place to go if you need guidance on issues including working in close contact services such as hotels, offices, other people’s homes, the arts, leisure facilities and retail. The page is easy to find but to make it super easy, here’s a link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19

I’ve stopped at a nice round ten, not because I ran out of news – just because it’s ten.

Enjoy the weekend.