HR focus on succession planning

MORE THAN 50 per cent of organistions have either a formal or informal succession plan in place. A study of US HR professionals also found 84 per cent of organisations’ succession plans use structured methods to evaluate employees annually on performance. Structured methods are also used to:

Track potential leaders’ performance 61%

Evaluate employees annually on potential 53%

Develop potential leaders 52%

As a result of internal talent management and development initiatives, more than 75 per cent of HR professionals with succession plans in place said they already had an individual lined up to lead the organisation should the CEO or president leave.

Source: Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Too much work leads to long-term absences

HEAVY workloads and job insecurity have been linked to long-term absences from work. According to a study of 2,530 middle-aged workers in Canberraand Queanbeyan, those with high levels of job insecurity were found to be four times more likely to have multiple days off than those securely employed. Results showed that 77 per cent had not been sick, whilst 17 per cent had had one to three days off, and 6 per cent had been away for more than three days. Professionals were more likely to have short-term absences, while blue collar workers were more prone to multiple days off.

Source: The Australian National University/AAP

Living the brand key to employee understanding

EIGHTY-FIVE per cent of senior managers believe they play out their organisation’s brand values in their own behaviour. Of the 125 respondents, 87 per cent believe all or most of their employees are fully aware of their role in providing a positive experience to clients. However, this figure drops to 58 per cent where the senior person does not live the company’s brand. Results also highlighted the importance of ensuring that HR processes, including training, development and reward, reinforce the brand philosophy, as 93 per cent of respondents said most of their employees understand their role in providing a positive experience to clients.

Source: Mercer Human Resource Consulting

Aussie workers turn up the charm

MORE than 40 per cent of Australians would engage in flirtatious behaviour to get what they want at work. A survey of 1,475 people found that 30 per cent of people flirt all the time. However, if such behaviour came from the boss, 39 per cent of workers said they would feel uncomfortable, while one in five said they would be flattered, interpreting the behaviour as a sign of good rapport with the boss. A further 25 per cent said they simply wouldn’t take any notice.

Source: LinkMe.com.au

Age no issue for UK firms

SEVENTY per cent of UK employers are actively seeking to recruit people aged between 55 and pension age. According to study results, 31 per cent of organisations are recruiting people already entitled to the pension in an effort to respond to recruitment difficulties and new regulations. Other measures taken by employers to overcome recruitment difficulties were:

Recruitment of 16 to 24 year olds 74%

Appointing people who have potential to grow 66%

Providing additional training for internal staff to fill posts 58%

Results also showed that 80 per cent of employers reported difficulties in finding staff, while 68 per cent claimed that a lack of necessary specialist skills was the key reason for recruitment difficulties.

Source: CIPD

New IR laws make workers vulnerable

NEARLY 70 per cent of workforce participants have indicated they have concerns that they are or may be more vulnerable due to the new WorkChoices industrial relations changes. Such results are believed to be critical to the successful roll out of the benefits of WorkChoices as the community must feel confident with the legislation.

Source: Ross Human Directions

Aussies saving every penny towards super

ALMOST 64 per cent of Australian workers revealed that they would happily take up a $5 a day challenge to save more for retirement. According to research findings, if the average 30-year-old cut out a couple of lattes or similar a day and put the funds into a low fee super account, they could end up with $162,000 or more at retirement. While nearly 47 per cent of respondents were willing to give up spending a fortune everyday on their bought lunch, 27 per cent of participants said they were still unprepared to make some daily changes as these compromised their current lifestyle.

Source: maxsuper.com.au

Leaders show room for improvement

EIGHTY per cent of senior executives in the UK said that not providing adequate feedback, praise or constructive criticism was the top leadership mistake. According to the 1,400 respondents, a further 80 per cent said leaders who did not listen to them were the most unhelpful. Other perceived faults amongst leadership were:

Inappropriate leadership styles 76%

Failing to train and develop employees 59%

Inappropriate use of communication 41%

Inadequate supervision (27%) and a lack of management skills (14%) were also cited as common mistakes

Source: Blanchard Group

Aussies depressed at work

A MASSIVE 83 per cent of Australians believe that depression is an unspoken problem in the workplace. This overwhelming majority of the 741 respondents blamed the expectation that employees must behave in a controlled and composed manner while at work. In addition to this, 40 per cent of Australians have said they suffer from anxiety in the workplace. However, bosses are not to be considered immune as 19 per cent of workers said they believe their boss is currently suffering from depression.

Source: Talent2