Autumn Newsletter 2008

In this issue

With what is going on around us in the economy right now, it's going to be our employees’ productivity, dedication and hard work that is going to get us out of this mess. With so many distractions and fears, those that are engaged in their work and their organisation are going to make a real difference.  We lead this newsletter with an article on Employee Engagement and the positive impact that we as HR professionals can have on it (if we measure the right things, in the right way and take the right action).  It offers some background material for those new to the topic, and some real and up-to-date insight for those more familiar with the subject. 

We have now made the introduction of competence-based HR processes so much easier with our appointment as Licensees of the Chartered Management Institute’s Management Standards. In practice this means that our entire Talent Management software portfolio includes their frameworks, assessments and diagnostics, as standard, for you to use.  See below for details.

We are also announcing a partnership with Human Assets and two key appointments to the management team.

We have also moved to our new location in Ascot in Berkshire (please see our website for our new contact details).

We hope you enjoy this newsletter and if you would like to discuss any items within it, please contact me, Ian Lee-Emery, on 0845 054 2364 or 'reply' and your note will find its way to me.

Talent Management's impact on Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is becoming a key topic for HR.  Are you fully briefed on where the subject has come from and why it is so much more than employee satisfaction?  When planning an Employee Engagement programme, are you aware of the key trade-offs between off-the-shelf and customised?

We offer our thoughts on this, together with some reflections on some of the key findings from a recent Institute of Employment Studies report.  Read our article here.

Introducing competence-based HR processes just got easier!

We have made getting started with competency-based HR processes much easier.  For those organisations that subscribe to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), the National Occupational Standards for management competences are now included within our products.  For those that have yet to adopt any competence framework, you are able to draw from the CMIs standards to create your own customised versions to suit your needs.

The Chartered Management Institutes' (CMI) National Occupation Standards describe the main management activities in the following six areas;

• Managing self and personal skills,
• Providing direction,
• Facilitating change,
• Working with people,
• Using resources and
• Achieving results.

For each of the above, the skills and behaviours are modelled at four role-based levels, from front line staff through to senior director.

Included within our Talent portfolio are the behavioural indicators and activity statements that can be used within our products for 360 reviews (Talent 360), performance appraisals (Talent 180) and career planning (Talent Navigator) applications. For Talent Spotter, the role-specific assessments can be tied to the competences described in the CMI standards.

They are suitable for customisation using our tools so that you can ensure that they have just the right fit for your organisation.

Contact us here for more information.

Other news:

Human Assets partners with Head Light Communications

We continue to create value-adding partnerships and in this newsletter we would like to introduce you to Human Assets Ltd, an accomplished and like-minded Business Psychology Consultancy, based in London.

Human Assets will be using our Talent360 software to provide their clients with highly customisable feedback processes. This collaboration has already benefitted one large project led by Human Assets.

Do contact them on +44 (0)20 7434 2122 or http://www.humanassets.co.uk/

Key appointments at Head Light Communications

As the company develops and grows, we are expanding the team with these two important new team members.

John Williamson joins the team as Chief Technology Officer.  Formerly of GE and ICL/Fujitsu, John will be leading our technology and development strategy.

 

Carl Beetham joins the team as Head of Client Relationships.  A veteran of the HR, recruitment and resourcing industry, Carl will be bringing his extensive experience to help solve your HR challenges.

 

See our web site here for more information.

Past articles

The following articles featured in earlier newsletters are now available as pdfs:

Are your Talent Management processes fair? - advocates and saboteurs!

Choosing your assessment strategy - which assessment instrument?

Keys & Eyes - designing 360 questionnaires that will really tell you something

Positioning 360 - creating 'pull' from the business for a 360 feedback programme

Introducing a 360° Review - Keys to success

What 'good' looks like - finding a consistent way to describe it

Appreciative Inquiry - a technique for extraordinary results

Motivation to change - dealing with different attitudes to change

Competences & business planning - developing competences to deliver a business plan

If this newsletter is the first you have seen, past issues can be found on our web site in Media Activity.