“What would I eliminate if I had a magic wand? Overconfidence,” stated the Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman. In business it drives CEOs to take excessive risks, engage in value-destroying mergers, the low-paid to overly strive for bonuses, and key staff to dismiss feedback. But it’s not being eliminated anytime soon. As Kahneman explains, overconfidence “is built so deeply into the structure of the mind that you couldn’t change it without changing many other things.” Since businesses and HR directors have to live with overconfident employees, it’s helpful to understand this trait in detail. Res ..read more

AI is creating an increasing sense of anxiety, excitement and joy, all at the same time! Predictions about technology replacing humans seems to be defying logic and generating sensational headlines. Recently, an article emerged from this void with the audacious claim that contact centres will be as extinct as the dodo within two short years, thanks to the relentless march of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As enticing as it might be to envision a world where our calls are always answered by an infallibly polite and omniscient AI, let’s not pack up the headsets just yet. It’s time to debunk this ..read more

Major mergers and acquisitions entail a high level of risk for any private equity firm. Between 70% and 90% of M&A fail to deliver on their investment plan, while 60% of transactions actually destroy, rather than create, shareholder value. Even successful M&A face difficulties in realising post-deal value creation. An analysis of over 15,000 companies found performance, growth, and margins typically decrease following a PE acquisition. The analysis points to management misalignment, distraction and structural changes as the common causes. The Body Shop’s recent struggles demonstrate t ..read more

While financial year-end might feel like a dull administrative deadline, it should be viewed as a window into new opportunities for businesses. It provides businesses with the chance to analyse past performance and make strategic recommendations for the year ahead. For businesses to benefit the most, their data needs to be accurate – otherwise there is risk to both reputation and finances. Ultimately, a well-managed business is a profitable one and, in this current economic climate, businesses can’t afford to get this wrong. Luckily, there are three key technology-based solutions businesses c ..read more

On Budget Day, we heard more promises that we would learn more about the government’s plans to tackle tax avoidance in the umbrella sector in the upcoming Tax and Administration Day planned for April 18th.  However, I fear that too many stakeholders are pinning their hopes on these announcements and will only be disappointed once again. The calls for the sector to be regulated are growing, as a result of increased non-compliance, and HMRC has now got its back against the wall to introduce some sort of regulation. However, I believe that any regulation may take the form of regulating empl ..read more

In today’s hyper-competitive business landscape, the precision of HR decisions can make or break an organization’s success. Given that a bad hire can potentially cost up to 30% of an employee’s first-year earnings, there’s a heightened urgency to optimize recruitment and talent management processes. This need has driven the transition from traditional paper-based methods to cutting-edge digital HR assessment tools, promising to mitigate financial risks while aligning HR strategies with modern workplace dynamics. The Imperative for Precision in HR Decision-making Effective HR decision-making i ..read more

Over the past several years, it has become increasingly clear that benefits aren’t keeping pace with shifting employee demands and expectations. At a time when employees want more robust financial support and flexible benefits that meet their unique needs, too many HR teams are still reliant on traditional benefits such as PTO. Employees leave huge sums in unused PTO on the table each year, which means they’re not getting the full value of the benefits they’ve earned while companies are confronting large balance sheet liabilities. HR teams are exploring innovative approaches to benefits that ..read more

As the world hurtles towards an increasingly digitalised landscape, our HR, recruitment and background screening industry finds itself at a pivotal crossroads. The integration of automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence has undeniably brought about important efficiencies that are transforming processes for the better. But at the same time, as a sector we’re in danger of losing our soul. The vital essence of all service-related industries like ours is providing a great experience to our customers – in our case employers and candidates. But so many organisations in our field ..read more

In today’s digital age, where much of our work is conducted on computers, the keyboard plays a crucial role in ensuring our comfort and productivity. Computer usage may involve uncomfortable positions, repetitive motions, static load, and contact stress, all of which can contribute to musculoskeletal issues. Poor postures during keyboard utilisation include shoulder elevation, elbows positioned away from the body, neck and head flexion or extension, mid-back flexion, and wrist bending in various directions (flexion, extension and or side bending). However, with the abundance of wrist rest opt ..read more

Training your team is crucial to the long-term success of the company. Businesses that grow year-on-year rely heavily on training initiatives that keep their staff up to date with the latest skills, insights, and technology.  However, not all training programs are created equal. Some will revolutionize the way you work while others will, unfortunately, be seen as “busy work”.  As an HR professional, you can evaluate the effectiveness of training programs by keeping track of key metrics. These metrics can track productivity, assess engagement, and ensure your training initiatives ach ..read more