Archive for December, 2011

A third of people are unhappy in their job according to new research, which may be of interest to attending human resources conferences.

The survey from Reabur.com, found that while one fifth of Brits love their job 31 per cent were unhappy in their current position, what’s more seven per cent said they hated their job.

When asked why they were unhappy in their job 29 per cent said it was because their role wasn’t challenging enough and 34 per cent said it was because they were bored.

However, it was not all bad news as 22 per cent say they love their current job and 12 per cent were impartial towards their current role.
Marcus Evans presents human resources conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.
 

A topic often discussed at human resources exhibitions is the management of staff during the merger of two companies. And fortunately for two of the world’s major IT companies there will be extra jobs on the horizon after a recent merger.

Invest Northern Ireland has put £1.7m into the first ever collaboration between SAP UK and Intel Corporation.

The two companies have previously engaged in research before, yet the Belfast project is the first time they have shared a physical location.

And the two companies plan on pooling human resources to achieve a common aim.

The new investment will also help expand SAP’s research presence with the creation of 15 PhD level posts.

Typically a merger between two firms can involve job losses, yet in this case collaboration has led to more vacancies.

Marcus Evans presents human resources exhibitions, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Harnessing technology to help with HR administration will be one of the key topics at human resources conferences this year. And a recent example of this saw Surrey Police purchase a human resources software platform to help with a major staff restructuring.

The police force worked with specialists HumanConcepts who recommended its OrgPlus Enterprise support program. The software was used to plan and model future choices in the organisation.

The human resources team at Surrey Police were looking to create a smaller command structure to reduce costs and simplify the force.

By using the software provided they were able to create scenarios in real time and perform calculations on cost.

And the system is now available to all 5,000 staff members so that employees can easily see contact information for colleagues.

Marcus Evans presents human resources conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

At human resources exhibitions this year many attendees will be discussing how to successfully combat the rise in "sick leave" culture.

Figures this week revealed more than 613,000 employees claimed to be ill between October and December last year.

According to the Office of National Statistics the high number of staff claiming sickness resulted in two million working days lost.

Experts believe the figures are linked to Britain’s economic recovery.

The report reveals the sickness absence rate is back to pre-recession levels by the end of 2010.

And while this sounds negative, it may also indicate workers are less afraid to take time off for minor illnesses for fear of losing their jobs.

Last year health experts discussed were concerned workers forced themselves to turn up while genuinely ill, and called this "presenteeism".

Marcus Evans presents human resources exhibitions, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

The importance of business training events has once again been reinforced after revelations that companies could cut back on training in the recession.

A study of the construction sector by CITB Construction Skills showed more than a quarter of businesses in the field cut their training last year.

Training relating to the job itself suffered the most after 16% of employers admitted cut backs. Yet according to the survey management and business training was also reduced.

There is good news however: 10% of employers in the sector increased training. And the Government is asking employers to offer more vocational training schemes in order to create jobs.

Yet businesses face a huge challenge in 2011: to invest in training while dealing with the impact of the worst economic downturn since the 1930s.

Marcus Evans presents business training events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

The talk of human resources events this year will be the significant growth in the IT and telecoms sector. And a report this week indicates that demand for technology recruits is set to grow five times faster than the UK national average in the next decade.

The Government’s Sector Skills Council predicts that IT will lead the economic recovery. The technology industry will therefore need half a million workers over the next five years just to meet demand.

Almost half the IT workers needed this year will be sourced from non-tech industries. 17% will comprise of school leavers and university graduates.

Yet working towards greater equality will be the main challenge for human resources professionals. Women currently represent less than a fifth of the industry’s total workforce of 1.5 million.

Marcus Evans presents human resources events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

High on the agenda at human resources conferences this year is the issue of the default retirement age.

And the debate is likely to continue throughout 2011 after the Government announced plans to remove the standard age of retirement.

Under the measures being phased in between April and October, bosses will no longer be able to set a mandatory age for retirement.

There will be exceptions of course in sectors such as the police and air traffic control.

From April employers will no longer be able to give staff nearing the age of 65 six month’s notice of mandatory retirement.

And after October 1 employers can no longer use the default retirement age to compel an employee to retire.

Yet charities have warned some companies may hurry through redundancies before the rules change in April.

Marcus Evans presents human resources conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

ING on Making the Work-Life Balance Easier for Employers and Employees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

From a solution provider company attending the upcoming marcus evans Corporate Benefits Summit 2012, in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 23-25, Heather Lavallee, President, ING Employee Benefits Distribution, discusses why employers must be creative and provide a work environment that respects employees needs. 

What is a major challenge you see employees faced with today?

More and more employees are struggling to balance their work and personal lives. Whether it is raising a family, caring for aging parents, continuing their education or volunteering in their community, employees need help with their work and personal responsibilities.

Employers can help in a variety of ways through the benefits they offer. They can offer benefits that can ease the burden of disabilities, death, accidents or critical illnesses, or help with end-of-life planning for dependent adults. They can offer flexible working hours and employee recognition rewards in the form of paid vacation days. Less stress at home can mean less stress at work.

Employers can also be more creative in providing a work environment that respects the individual and his or her needs. Insurance carriers and benefits brokers can help with that creative thinking through innovative communication campaigns and off-core benefits enrollments.

What has ING done to increase employee engagement and satisfaction?

At ING, we have found that offering programs such as flexible working schedules helps employees balance their work and personal lives, and it helps increase morale and loyalty.

Employees appreciate flexible working hours, whether it is being able to work from home one day a week or adjusting work hours on certain days, these are benefits that resonate in the workplace. We have well established work-from-home protocols that are secure and encourage productivity. Employees and managers are encouraged to find solutions that benefit both work life and home life.

Why has the voluntary benefits platform become increasingly popular?

Organizations choose voluntary products for several reasons. The rising cost of health insurance has executives struggling to reduce overall expenses. Shifting a portion of the cost of employees’ benefits onto the employees, while increasing the diversity of those benefits, makes good business sense. For example, high deductible medical plans are better valued when the employee can guard against unforeseen expenses related to illnesses such as cancer through a critical illness voluntary offering.

Convenience is also key. Employees value the ease of purchasing insurance products through the workplace.

How has the use of technology affected corporate benefit directors?

There are several service issues that technology has helped to streamline and simplify, such as the communication and administration of benefit plans. In the past, these were highly manual processes that fell on the shoulders of human resource managers. Today, enrolling employees, updating employee information and determining insurance eligibility have never been easier, potentially, that is. It is vital to work with top notch enrollment firms and technology platform providers to use appropriate tools that help ensure a simple, integrated enrollment process.

It is also important to recognize that while technology has eased many administrative burdens, it is no replacement for personal interaction to quickly solve service issues. Interacting person-to-person to resolve problems is equally, if not more, important.

What do corporate benefits directors often forget when working with employees?

Employees want an appropriate level of communication when it comes to their benefits. Many feel they are not getting enough information from their employers, or that they get it in a complex manner. It is also possible to over-communicate, which leads employees to tune out after a while. When employers communicate effectively, employees better understand the benefits they are offered. And when they understand their benefits, they value them more.

Corporate benefits directors must also pay attention to the changing workforce, as there are potentially three generations who all need and want different benefits. Insurance carriers must be attuned to offering a variety of products that benefit employees at each life stage.

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Corporate Benefits Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 23-25, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on equipping your organization for changes with healthcare reform, techniques in managing global benefits and methods in influencing health outcomes through employee engagement.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – hr sector portal

The HR Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About ING

ING U.S. is a subsidiary of Dutch-based ING Groep NV. In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves approximately 15 million customers across the nation.

ING Employee Benefits offers a range of products and services that include stop-loss, accident, critical illness, life and disability income insurance. The insurers have more than 90 years of experience in the design, implementation and administration of employee benefit plans. Insurance products and services are provided by ReliaStar Life Insurance Company (Minneapolis, MN) and ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York (Woodbury, NY), members of the ING family of companies. Within the State of New York, only ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York is admitted and its products issued. Product availability and benefit provisions vary by state.  Each insurer is solely responsible for the financial obligations under the policies or contracts it issues.

For more information, visit www.ing.us

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Talent Management Tips for Helping Talent Come to Life

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Chief Learning Officers (CLOs) can get consumed with one aspect of talent management and not realize that it is the orchestration of all the different parts that bring it to life in the best way,” says Kevin Wilde, Vice President of Organizational Effectiveness & Chief Learning Officer, General Mills. Wilde, the author of “Dancing With the Talent Stars: 25 Moves That Matter Now” is a speaker at the marcus evans Corporate Learning & Talent Development Summit 2012 in Braselton, Georgia, April 22-24.

What talent management insights could you share from your book?

The book starts with the notion that having the right talent mindset is important, that CLOs need good processes to integrate and orchestrate what they do, and identify and develop talent. They must create opportunities to help talent grow and come to life. Good learning strategies, a focus on the executives of today and tomorrow, and a strong talent management team behind the scenes is what makes all this happen.

What are your thoughts on employee engagement?

With the challenges in the economy, employee engagement is increasingly under the spotlight. CLOs must understand their employee proposition and what motivates and engages people. It is not a one-size-fits-all. However, what is relatively universal is the impact of the quality of management – this is able to unlock or deter engagement more than anything else. I have been encouraging people to go back to the basics of telling managers what is expected of them and giving them the support they need to be successful. This is the hidden jewel of employee engagement today.

How can CLOs influence their organization’s competitive edge?

They have to understand what adds value to customers and translate that to the employees of the organization. CLOs need to groom the talent to unlock the value that the business wants to create in the marketplace. It is about knowing the business proposition and bringing forth the right tools to make it happen. First and foremost, the CLO is a business person, a leader who serves the customer and business mission through the talent lens.

As the economy improves, how should organizations prepare? Should they plan for an influx of employees and set up knowledge transfer programs?

Organizations are going to go from a survival to a growth mode. In shifting those gears, CLOs will have to identify what programs need to be maintained. They cannot assume that people are staying or leaving, so it is important that they identify the value creators, the current and future stars that they should absolutely continue to engage and nurture.

With boomers retiring at some point in the near future, knowledge transfer programs are also essential. There must be a pipeline of talent ready to replace key employees.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Corporate Learning & Talent Development Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Château Élan Winery & Resort, Braselton, Georgia, April 22-24, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on multi-dimensional ways in delivering business results, e-learning and succession planning.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – hr sector portal

The HR Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Restriction on hiring from abroad is likely to be a key topic at human resources conferences this year.

This follows a Government ruling that migrants coming to the UK from outside the EU will be banned from working as chefs in food outlets.

The new law will also place restrictions on the hiring of estate agents, hairdressers, and beauty salon managers.

Joining the list will be manual labour positions such as pipe fitters, welders and steel erectors.

The Home Office commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to review the "shortage occupation list".

And if it finds there are enough British unemployed workers with the correct skills, then thousands more posts will be closed.

The move will reduce the number of posts available to immigrants outside the EU from half a million to 230,000.

Marcus Evans presents human resources conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.