Friday 30 April 2010

Overall Employment levels set to grow due to private sector

Thursday 19th April 2010 Press Release from CIPD

Overall employment levels set to grow due to private sector hiring surge, says CIPD/KPMG quarterly survey, despite widespread cuts in public sector

The latest quarterly CIPD/KPMG Labour Market Outlook survey of almost 800 employers signals that the UK's emergence out of recession is now leading to better job prospects. Yet it also reveals a stark difference between job prospects in the private and public sectors: while private sector employers are more optimistic about creating jobs in the second quarter of 2010, public sector employers are radically more pessimistic about employment intentions compared with three months ago.

The overall net balance between the percentage of employers expecting to recruit and those expecting to cut staff across all sectors of the economy is now positive (+5%) for the first time since Winter 2008. This represents an overall increase from -5% in the previous quarter. The findings show, however, that this positive growth is almost wholly down to a sharp rebound in the private sector, which recorded +29% (up from +5% in the previous quarter). The growth extends to sectors that have been badly affected by the recession, such as manufacturing (+24%).

In contrast, the net balance for the public sector is -43%, the largest negative balance since the survey began in 2004. Falls in employment are particularly widely anticipated among local authorities and central government (-59%), in education (-45%) and in healthcare (-38%).

The report also highlights a divide in the job growth prospects between London and south England, which are going to be the main engines of growth, and the rest of UK regions. The overall net balance for London and the south of England has risen sharply to +21% from -3%; while employment looks set to continue to fall in areas such as Scotland (-25%) and Wales (-23%).

The predicted average pay award in the private sector in the twelve months to April 2011 will be 2%, which compares with just 1% in the public sector. Almost one in five (17%) public sector employers plan to freeze pay, which compares with just 4% of private sector employers.

Gerwyn Davies, CIPD public policy adviser and author of the report says:

"The recession represents a long, dark winter for the jobs market. However, a return to spring could mean a growth of full-time jobs in the private sector that may continue if the global economy continues to recover at the same rate. This will boost private sector workers' prospects as the majority will no longer face potential overwhelming unemployment, pay freezes and lack of promotion. It also raises hopes that we may be close to a peak in unemployment.

"In contrast, public sector employers will be looking to close the lid on employment, pay and promotion. This will present huge challenges to public sector managers in their attempt to keep employees engaged; particularly if the cost of living continues to rise. It will also present challenges to the employment participation rate of women and the economic development of some UK regions, which have both been boosted by record increases in public spending in the past decade."

Alan Downey, head of public sector at KPMG, says:

"The survey shows that public sector employers have woken up to the scale of the financial challenge that is coming their way. It has been clear for some time that the steady increase in public sector jobs would have to come to an end. So the change in attitudes is not in itself a surprise. What is surprising is the speed and extent of the U-turn in attitudes.

"Just three months ago public sector employers were relatively optimistic and many were continuing to recruit. Now they are massively more pessimistic than their private sector counterparts about job prospects, with more than 40% contemplating a reduction in headcount and a significant number planning a pay freeze.

"It is clear that the chill wind of the recession has reached the public sector with a vengeance."

Other key findings:
• The upturn in the economy is increasing demand for migrant workers. The proportion of migrant employers expecting to recruit migrant labour has more than doubled over the previous three months. Fifteen per cent of employers are now planning to recruit migrant workers, up from 7% in the winter report. In addition, the proportion of employers that have recruited migrant workers in the first quarter of 2010 has increased to a quarter (25%) from around a fifth (19%) in the previous report
• Around four fifths of new recruits (78%) will be full-time workers, which is broadly in line with the current make-up of the labour market. This may signal a return to more full-time employment following the surge in part-time employment over the past eighteen months
• Only 14% of employers plan to hire 16-17-year-old school-leavers, almost a third (32%) plan to recruit school-leavers aged 18 and above and almost half (47%) of employers plan to hire graduates in the three months to July. All these figures are slightly lower than those recorded in Spring 2009
• Almost one in four employers (24%) plan to hire apprentices in the six months to September, while more than one in five employers plan to hire interns (21%). In the Summer 2009 report, almost a quarter of employers planned to hire apprentices (23%) while just thirteen per cent planned to recruit interns

Source: CIPD The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is Europe's largest HR and development professional body with over 135,000 members


At jml Training and Consultancy we remind all employers that there has never been a better time to invest in your organisation's future than investing in training now.
Visit the site at http://www.jml-training.com/

Tuesday 27 April 2010

Clients need to create a diversity culture REC says



The REC - The Recruitment & Employment Confederation issued a Press Release on the 15th April entitled "Clients need to create a diversity culture, says REC"


The REC held a meeting of its Diversity and Inclusion Forum yesterday for all members with an interest in improving their recruitment of diverse talent.


At the meeting, the Forum heard from Stephen Frost, Head of Diversity and Inclusion at LOCOG, the organisation responsible for staging the Olympic Games. He said that including paid staff, volunteers and contractors, there will be nearly 200,000 people working at the Olympic site. Diversity and inclusion is already at the very heart of LOCOG’s recruitment strategy.


Commenting on the meeting, Sarah Gordon, Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion said:

“Clients expect high standards to be embedded in the practices of the suppliers they use and there are many things recruiters can learn from LOCOG’s example. It is also important for clients to recognise that they need to embed diversity and inclusion throughout all parts of their organisation.

“More often than not, recruiters find that decisions made at the top to improve the diversity of an organisation do not filter through to the rest of the organisation. Line managers who ultimately make the recruitment decisions need to understand why diversity is important. Through using a network of diversity champions within the organisation and asking line managers to report to HR on the diversity of their teams each month, LOCOG has shown a positive example from which others can learn.”

The forum also heard from Kate Headley of the Clear Company who discussed a new toolkit for businesses recruiting people with disabilities. She identified that many employers are fearful of recruiting disabled talent but there is a real opportunity for the recruitment industry to play a role in helping employers overcome this. The tool will be published within the next few months both online and via hardcopies. Kate will also be speaking at the REC’s public sector resourcing summit in June.

The REC is the representative body for the UK’s £27 billion private recruitment and staffing industry with a membership of more than 8,000 corporate members comprising agencies and businesses from all sectors and 6,000 members of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP) made up of recruitment consultants and other industry professionals. All members must abide by an REC Code of Professional Practice.

Recruitment impacts on every sector of the UK economy. REC's Mission is to be recognised as the informed choice of the recruitment community, influencing government and business today for the benefit of Members and the employment market of tomorrow. Source: REC

If your organisation is looking for Diversity and Inclusion training , visit the jml Training website at the following link http://www.jml-training.com/Diversity.htm and contact us for further information of our in-house courses.

Equality Bill completes parliamentary process







Wednesday 7th April 2010

The Equality Bill last night completed the final stage of its passage through Parliament, and will now become law.
The Bill, which was first introduced to the House of Commons almost a year ago, will be sent to the Queen for Royal Assent after MPs approved amendments made by the House of Lords.

Once the Bill receives Royal Assent it will formally become an Act and be introduced to the statute book.

The provisions in the Bill will begin to take effect in the autumn.

Tuesday 13th April 2010

The Equality Bill received Royal Assent on the 8th of April and formally became The Equality Act 2010.

It is intended that the provisions in the Act will come into force as follows:

•October 2010: Main provisions.
•April 2011: The integrated public sector Equality Duty, the Socio-economic Duty and dual discrimination protection.
•2012: The ban on age discrimination in provision of goods, facilities, services and public functions.
•2013: Private and voluntary sector gender pay transparency regulations (if required) and political parties publishing diversity data.

Visit the jml Training Site "The new Equality Bill- Framework for a Fairer Future – The Equality Bill information, articles and Press Releases from June 2008 onwards" http://www.jml-training.com/Framework_for_a_Fairer_Future_The_Equality_Bill.htm

Saturday 24 April 2010

Public sector employees job satisfaction plummets



CIPD press release - Wednesday 21st April 2010


"Storm clouds gather for public sector employees as job satisfaction plummets, says latest quarterly CIPD Employee Outlook survey"


Official GDP figures published on Friday may confirm the UK has continued its climb out of recession, however the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) quarterly Employee Outlook survey suggests that things will get worse for public sector workers before they get better. The findings follow hot on the heels of new CIPD predictions this week that 500,000 public sector jobs will be lost over the next five years, whoever wins the elections.

The survey of 2,000 employees shows job satisfaction in the public sector has hit a new low of +34%* compared to +45% this time last year, with rising levels of job insecurity and an increase in work pressure likely to be the main culprits.

Nearly one in five (18%) of public sector workers now think it likely they could lose their job as result of the economic climate, compared with just 7% in April 2009. Almost four in ten (39%) public sector employees say their organisation is planning to make redundancies, up from 14% a year ago. And nearly two thirds (63%) of public sector workers think it would be difficult to get a new job in contrast to 56% a year ago.

Against this backdrop it is not surprising that public sector workers feel under increasing pressure, with one in four (23%) reporting they feel under excessive pressure at work every day compared to just 13% in spring 2009. The proportion of public sector workers reporting an increase in stress in their organisation has soared to 56% from 43% this time last year. And compared with a year ago, they are also less likely to say they are satisfied with their work-life balance (52% compared to 57% last year).

Ben Willmott, CIPD Senior Public Policy Adviser says: "These findings highlight the increasing realisation among public sector staff that major changes are on the way, regardless of which party wins the election. Our survey shows that many public sector employers have already made redundancies and that many more are in the pipeline. Not surprisingly, this is putting more pressure on public servants to do more with less, leading to an increase in pressure at work.

"Public sector leaders need to focus on communicating why change is needed and to consult with staff to find the best ways of making efficiencies without cutting frontline services. Employees who feel they are consulted and have a voice and a stake in change are more likely to understand why things need to be done differently and pull together for the benefit of the organisation and public service users.

"The role of the line manager becomes increasingly crucial to ensure that individuals are given clear and well communicated objectives, feedback on performance, and are also developed and coached on the job. Line managers are also the best people to spot the early warning signs if someone is not coping at work and to manage absence effectively. Equipping line managers with these skills is a priority if public sector productivity is to improve in the face of swingeing cuts."

Private sector staff remain hard hit by the 'real economy,' with a net job satisfaction score of +36% compared to +46% last year. In contrast to the public sector, however, job security concerns have eased slightly, with a fall in the proportion thinking it is likely they will lose their jobs (from 23% to 20%) and just 9% saying their employer plans redundancies compared to 17% a year ago.

There has also been an increase in the proportion of private sector workers feeling under excessive pressure at work every day (16% compared to 12% this time last year) and in the proportion reporting a rise in conflict at work between colleagues and bullying by line managers.

The survey finds employees' views of senior leaders are particularly negative across all sectors, with low levels of trust and confidence, as well as unhappiness over the level of consultation on important issues:

• 37% of employees agree they have confidence in their senior management team
• a third (34%) agree they trust their senior managers
• a quarter (25%) of respondents agree they are consulted by senior managers about important decisions

* score is the percentage of employees agreeing minus the percentage disagreeing

Source: CIPD

Changes for learning, training and development


The CIPD sent out a Press Release earlier this week "

Sweeping change in store for learning, training and development, according to annual CIPD survey


The major change affecting learning and development in the next five years will be a greater integration between coaching, organisational development (OD) and performance management to drive organisational change. Almost half (46%) of learning and development practitioners forecast this development in a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) annual survey, with four in 10 (37%) saying there will be a greater responsibility devolved to line managers.

The findings of the Learning and Talent Development 2010 survey of over 700 practitioners - launched today at the CIPD annual HRD Conference - also uncovers the most effective learning and development practices currently, which are in-house development programmes (56%) and coaching by line managers (51%). And eighty-two per cent of practitioners use coaching within their organisations, a large growth this year compared to 69% in 2009.

E-learning is the practice that has increased the most in the past year, with six in ten (62%) organisations saying they use it more now than in 2009. In-house development programmes are also used more by 58% of organisations, and coaching by line managers is used more by 56%. Unsurprisingly, attendance at external conferences, workshops and events has decreased the most with tighter budgets - a quarter (26%) of organisations are using it less.

Dr John McGurk, Learning and Talent Development adviser, CIPD, says: "The results from this year's survey are refreshing and show that learning and development practitioners are ahead of the curve, even during these difficult economic times when budgets continue to be cut.

"The CIPD have argued for a long time that integration between coaching, organisational development (OD) and performance management should be a major focus to really drive sustainable organisational performance and change. The findings also reflect our position that practitioners should work more closely with line managers as they are better able to fine-tune learning and development to specific employee needs.

"The next five years are going to be crucial for learning and development. This year's Learning and Talent Development survey gives us confidence that UK organisations are in a position to really drive sustainable change based on focused learning and development aligned to organisational objectives."

Sunday 18 April 2010

Housing Association Training jml Training can help you

For the past six months jml Training has been delivering an in house Diversity Awareness training programme to a major Kent based Housing Association.


Over 140 members of staff plus associates have had to be trained. The present day nature of the role of Housing Associations is such that Diversity Awareness in delivering services to customers is of central importance. Both customers and staff come from diverse backgrounds, having a diversity of needs, unique to each. A ‘one size fits all’ approach will not do.


Housing Associations provide services to some of the most vulnerable sections of the community. Housing Association households contain higher than average proportions of people who experience discrimination and other social disadvantages. It is possible that discrimination in the housing or job market may be one of the reasons why they need Housing Association accommodation.


If you work for a Housing Association and are looking for in house training from a well established professional training company take a look at our 18th April Press Release at http://www.jml-training.com/Diversity_Awareness_training%20_PR_04_10.htm
We look forward to hearing from you.

Monday 12 April 2010

UK learning and development professionals

12th April 2010 CIPD PRESS RELEASE


UK learning and development professionals stepping up to the challenge of implementing more tailored, business-focused training while budgets continue to be slashed, says annual CIPD survey


The volatile economic environment is having a huge impact on learning and development, with funds decreasing in over half (52%) of UK organisations surveyed in the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) 2010 Learning and Development Survey of over 700 professionals. And only one in 10 employers (11%) expect training spend to increase in the year to come, with the majority (65%) declaring that their economic circumstances have declined in the past 12 months, compared to 46% in 2009 when the recession had already begun.


Despite this, learning and training development departments' headcounts have largely remained the same in the last year, as UK organisations have stepped up to manage costs more efficiently. The main changes over the last year include a move to be more business focused (38%) and a reduction in external suppliers and a move to in-house provision (31%).


With the UK's private sector now emerging from recession, the skills employers say they need to focus on in order to meet their business objectives in two years' time are mainly leadership skills (65%), front line people management skills (55%) and business awareness (51%).


Looking more closely at leadership skills, the main gaps identified by employers are performance management and leading and managing change, with the main focus of leadership development activities in the next 12 months being improving the skills of leaders to think in a more strategic and future-focused way (42%) and enabling the achievement of strategic goals (39%).


Dr John McGurk, learning and talent adviser, CIPD, says: "Our annual survey demonstrates that learning and development professionals across the country are rising to the challenge of implementing core training to ensure business success and innovating to ensure long term survival. A skilled and motivated workforce will be essential to ensure organisations are well placed to take advantage of the recovery when it comes.


"It's particularly good to see that learning and development professionals are focusing on leadership and people management skills as key to support business growth during the tough times. Ensuring front-line managers are well trained to deliver on their people management responsibilities can have a direct and valuable impact on the performance of their staff and their organisation's success."


For the first time, the survey has also asked specific questions of those working for international organisations, with almost two-thirds (64%) seeing learning and development as a key driver. Once again, leadership skills feature prominently. In order to meet business objectives in two years' time, international organisations consider that their expatriate staff need to develop management and leadership skills (42%) as a top priority.


Issued by The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has over 133,000 members and is the leading professional institute for those involved in the management and development of people

Feedback from Awareness to Action course at jml Training




We received the following comment from a participant of one of the jml Training Diversity Courses. (We have edited this email to remove telephone numbers, email addresses and identity of the writer and company concerned as this email is being published)




SUBJECT : From Awareness to Action course
NAME : V McC
FROM: EMAIL -
NUMBER:
COMMENTS:- I recently attended the above course provided for X.. X.. Housing Group on the 22nd March. C...X provide the Repairs service for XXHG and we were invited to attend as a partnering exercise.

The course was delivered by
Irene Clark, and I would just like to pass on my thanks for a well thought out course that was informative and very enjoyable. Irene has a very professional yet approachable training style and her knowledge of the subject was exceptional. I run a similar course for C..X and it was interesting to see the subject from a different perspective; Irene has a great sense of humour and made the whole day a great experience.

Please pass on my thanks to Irene, she is an excellent trainer and I look forward to meeting her again in the future.

Kind regards,

V. McC
Customer Experience Manager - C..X Partnerships

If your organisation is looking for Awareness Training please follow this link http://www.jml-training.com/Training_for_trainers_diversity.htm

Wednesday 7 April 2010

How organisations can develop an employer brand that links strongly to employee reward

7th April 20010 and The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) which is Europe's largest HR and development professional body with over 135,000 members, supporting and developing those responsible for the management and development of people within organisations has just issued a News Release entitled "New CIPD report demonstrates how organisations can develop an employer brand that links strongly to employee reward"

It says: Integrating your employer branding and reward strategy can help to position your company positively for the upturn. This is one of the conclusions from a new CIPD report, Employer Branding and Total Reward, produced in association with Mercer.

The report draws insight from a survey of 44 organisations, a panel discussion and nine organisation case studies, including Abbey, Bacardi, Malmaison and Hotel du Vin, McDonalds, Midland Heart and tw telecom.

Some of the implications for HR from the research are:
• As reward can influence employee behaviours it should be linked to behaviours that ultimately support organisation strategy
• Communication is a crucial way of reinforcing the employer brand as it raises awareness of the rewards offered by an organisation
• While financial rewards are important, non-financial rewards can also be key in reinforcing the brand
• It is important to check whether the reward approach is adding value to the employer brand. This can be done using HR metrics such as employee surveys or performance management data, as well as business metrics such as customer service or budget reductions.

The report identifies emerging themes and examples of good practice and highlights those areas where approaches to interlink the employer brand with the reward offering have worked particularly well. It also addresses the challenges that companies have faced during their employer branding journey and how these can be overcome.

Charles Cotton, reward adviser, CIPD, says: "There are many benefits that can be derived from having a compelling employer brand that is supported by employee rewards, which is demonstrated in our interviews. Engagement can be enhanced by a brand that is demonstrably aligned to rewards as it provides an opportunity for companies to put their money where their mouth is in promoting desired corporate behaviours and image. Engaged employees who believe in the brand then promote the image more effectively to customers."

Chris Johnson, head of Mercer's human capital business comments: "All participants in this research agree that aligning rewards with the employer brand helps in attracting, retaining and motivating staff. It demonstrates the employer's financial commitment to the employer proposition, which in turn fosters a positive employee experience. In the long-term, branding and reward should become mutually supportive, ensuring authenticity within the organisation."

Ends:

Merecer: is a leading global provider of consulting, outsourcing and investment services. Mercer works with clients to solve their most complex benefit and human capital issues, designing and helping manage health, retirement and other benefits. It is a leader in benefit outsourcing. Mercer's investment services include investment consulting and multi-manager investment management. Mercer's 18,000 employees are based in more than 40 countries. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., which lists its stock (ticker symbol: MMC) on the New York, Chicago and London stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.mercer.com

Friday 2 April 2010

High number of graduates moving into unrelated employment

According to a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development News Release of the 29th March, "High number of graduates moving into unrelated employment risks creating a 'disillusioned generation' - and excessive targets risk making the matter worse"

In a week when final-year university students turn their attention to jobhunting during the Easter break, a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) finds that nearly six in ten (59%) of employees who graduated in the last two years are not currently working in a field or profession related to the degree they studied.

The survey, Focus on graduate jobs, which is based on responses from more than 700 graduates in employment, comes against the backdrop of Government pledges to significantly increase - to 75% - the proportion of young people they want to secure a degree or equivalent level qualification.

In addition, the survey, conducted for the CIPD by YouGov, finds that among graduates not working in a field related to the degree they studied:

• 58% of those who graduated in the last two years said this was because they were unable to find a suitable job
• 28% of recent graduates said that their degree did not equip them with the skills that they need for the workplace
• 21% of recent graduates chose a new career path after finishing their degree
• a quarter of recent graduates (24%) had since decided to postpone the start of the careers entirely

The figures raise questions over the Government's continued efforts to expand enrolment on university degrees, and their desire to chase the new 75% target for young people to be educated up to degree level, particularly at a time when the UK labour market has contracted significantly.

Tom Richmond, Skills Adviser at the CIPD, said:

"Our survey findings suggest the Government's target of 75% of young people achieving a degree or equivalent level qualification is counter-productive and should be urgently reviewed. As rising youth unemployment threatens to create a 'lost generation' of jobless young people, the rising number of students unable to work in jobs related to the subjects they studied at university threatens to create a 'disillusioned generation' of graduates, unable to find graduate-level employment but still saddled with thousands of pounds worth of debt.

"If this is the situation today when our graduation rate is 39%* then the consequences for future graduate job prospects look bleak indeed if there really is an attempt to nearly double the numbers of graduates in the UK. To compound this, the recent announcement of an extra 20,000 university places in this year's Budget makes the creation of a 'disillusioned generation' even more likely.

"Government should focus on understanding the needs of learners and employers, as well as providing young people with better information about the realistic employment prospects and salaries typically available for holders of degrees in different subjects. This will help ensure there is a better link between demand for, and supply of, graduate jobs.

"The Government also needs to spend more time and effort developing and promoting the new vocationally-based diplomas for 14 to 19-year-olds to ensure that more young people have the key skills to enter the workforce at age 16 or 18, rather than encouraging such a high proportion of them to study for degrees. Our survey suggests this over promotion of university or equivalent level study could leave many without the knowledge and skills that will genuinely help them find graduate-level work and apply it in the workplace."


• The 75% target for getting young people to participate in Higher Education or complete an advanced apprenticeship or technician course at degree level by the age of 30 was announced in November 2009, in the Government's 'Skill Strategy'
• *The UK's graduate rate (the percentage of all graduates out of a total population at the typical age of graduation, which is usually 21 in the UK) was 39% in 2007 according to the latest figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• The CIPD is Europe's largest HR and development professional body with over 135,000 members, supporting and developing those responsible for the management and development of people within organisations
• Public Policy at CIPD promotes an agenda for Productive Workplaces to boost economic performance and improve the quality of working life