Author Archive for Karen Wormwell

Show #013: NHS Employers Conference 2008

Published by Karen Wormwell on 12 November, 2008 in NHS Employers Conference 2008, Talent Management, Employee Engagement, HR Leadership and Leadership. 0 Comments

The NHS is the largest employer in Europe and the annual NHS Employers Conference was held in Birmingham last week. This month’s show comes straight from the event.

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Leading Workforce Thinking, is the conference theme and in addition to some high profile plenary sessions there are 4 strand themes - Engaging Staff for Success, Facing the Future, Focus on Fundamentals and Policy into Practice.

The conference featured some highly inspirational and informative sessions and in this episode, we hear from a selection of the speakers across the three days. First up, is Sian Thomas and Alastair Henderson, Joint Acting Directors of NHS Employers who tell us more about the conference.

Podcast running order and timings (in minutes and seconds)

  • 00.00 - 00.44 Introduction

  • 00.45 - 02.55 Sian Thomas and Alastair Henderson talk about the challenges ahead for the NHS HR community and the key elements of the new workforce proposals

  • 02.56 - 06.20 Professor Beverley Alimo-Metcalfe, Professor of Leadership Studies at Bradford School of Management and Chief Executive of Real World Group, talks about the style of leadership that is best suited to today’s workplace

  • 06.21 - 07.36 Dr Anthony Hesketh, Senior Lecturer at Lancaster School of Management, gives us his views on whether the HR function as we currently know it, has outlived its usefulness

  • 07.37 - 09.48 Sahar Hashemi founder of Coffee Republic, shares her thoughts about how to turn your vision into reality

  • 09.49 - 13.12 Rachael McIlroy Policy Officer at the TUC and Paula McDonald, Deputy Director, Public Service Workforce Reform at the Cabinet Office, tell us more about their joint Drive for Change initiative

  • 13.13 - 14.51 Andy Randall Ex Chief Executive of iGrasp and Advisor to leading edge businesses explains how on-line recruitment will develop in the future

  • 14.52 - 17.56 Steve Sonsoni, bestselling author, motivational speaker and Fellow in the Centre for Management Development at London Business School gives his top 3 leadership tips on how to boost productivity and performance

  • 17.57 - 20.16 Professor Derek Mowbray from Organisation Health talks about the prime cause of stress in the workplace and the best way an employer can overcome this

  • 20.17 - 21.59 Gareth Malone, Choirmaster for the London Symphony Orchestra is probably best know for his achievements in the BBC2 documentary ‘The Choir’ he explains how he helps people to believe in themselves in order to fulfill their potential and how they can then turn that  into team achievement

  • 22.00 - 23.21 Steve Barnett, Chief Executive of NHS Confederation reflects on the success of the Conference and the things he would like delegates to take away  

  • 23.25 - 24.25 Finally we hear from some of the delegates to find out their thoughts on the conference

  • 24.26 - 25.00 Close

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away.

Show #012: Talent Management

Published by Karen Wormwell on 12 October, 2008 in Talent Management. 0 Comments

A talent management system is something that every organisation has, whether it recognises it or not - this is just one of the findings of a two year study carried out by Ashridge Consulting. In this episode, we find out more about the study and hear from the Department for Work and Pensions about how their talent management strategy helps to ensure they have the right people in place, for both today and the future.

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The DWP are the UK’s biggest government department with over 100,000 staff and Claire Wilson is their Head of Talent Development and Resourcing. Claire talks to me about what the term ‘talent management’ means to the DWP and gives some great insights about what initiatives work well for them. 

Claire’s advice on developing a TM strategy includes:

  • UNDERSTAND THE PRIORITIES OF THE ORGANISATION - what capabilities it needs and what kind of leaders it needs and design a talent strategy around those needs

  • LISTEN TO WHAT MATTERS TO THE MANAGERS - focus on their problems such as having the right skills and building capability within their teams

  • USE A 9 BOX GRID - using performance and potential to rate people

  • GIVE LINE MANAGERS THE SKILLS TO SUPPORT TALENT - and reward them when they do

  • RECOGNISE THE DEMANDS AND PRESSURES TALENTED PEOPLE ARE UNDER - because they are deeply committed and work twice as hard

  • ALLOW TALENT TO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT - to decide themselves what kind of things they want to do, e.g. Non-Executive Director, coaching or working with reverse mentors

  • TALK TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE - rather than focusing too much on the theoretical side of talent management

To play Claire’s quick video message, click in the middle of screen below.

Claire recommends the CIPD, Corporate Leadership Council and IES as good sources for further information. You can also find out more about DWP’s work at www.dwp.gov.uk

Ashridge Consulting, part of Ashridge Business School, have spent two years studying the area of talent management. The results of this research have recently been published and Guy Lubitsh, Principal Consultant at Ashridge tells me what the objectives of the research were and details the key findings.

The research explores areas of best practice within a number of large complex organisations in a variety of sectors and settings. It also has a specific interest in what lessons can be learnt from the public sector. The questions focused on how organisations recruit, retain and develop talent.

The 4 key findings are:

  1. LEADING ORGANISATIONS TAKE TALENT MANAGEMENT VERY SERIOUSLY - they view it as a long term investment of 5 - 10 years, investing money, resources and executive time

  2. THERE IS A FORMAL AND INFORMAL SYSTEM - the informal system was stronger than the organisation declared. For organisations who did not think they were managing talent, they are actually managing it in some way and the people and talent will draw their own conclusions about what is going on

  3. THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH - it’s very important to take into account the culture and strategy of specific organisations and their context

  4. THERE ARE 18 STRATEGIC DIMENSIONS - that need to be considered when looking at your talent management strategy

Key differences between the public sector organisations and private sector organisations are :

The private sector is:

  • WILLING TO DIFFERENTIATE MORE CLEARLY - between people that are talent, people that are not talent and poor performers and offering more differentiators and tailored developmental routes to meet individual needs 

  • DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TO RISK - i.e. more willing to give stretch assignments

  • SENIOR TEAM SPEND MORE TIME - on succession planning, critical roles and the pipeline of talent they have within the organisation

Guy’s advice on how public sector organisations can win the ‘War for Talent’ are:

  1. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BASICS RIGHT - there’s no point talking about a talent management system if you don’t have good appraisal, selection and recruitment processes or you are not dealing with poor performers effectively

  2. ESTABLISH A FAIR, OPEN, TRANSPARENT CRITERIA - about who is talent and who is not and what criteria you are using, ensure it’s inclusive and communicate it well across the organisation

  3. MAKE SURE YOU ALIGN YOUR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL WITH TALENT MANAGEMENT - ensure you have all of the right people to support your strategy

  4. GEN Y ARE INTERESTED IN WORK-LIFE BALANCE, ETHICS, VALUES AND EXCITING WORK OPPORTUNITIES - think of ways of using these levers to attract and retain these individuals

More about the research and Guy’s work can be found at www.ashridgeconsulting.com

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away. 

Show #011: E-Learning

Published by Karen Wormwell on 7 September, 2008 in E-Learning. 1 Comment

This month’s show is all about e-learning and three experts in the area, talk about how to get the best out of this growing method of learning.

To listen to the podcast, click the grey arrow below.

 
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Kirklees Council were one of the early adopters of e-learning some 7 years ago. Chris Allan is Senior Training and Development Officer at the Council and he talks to me about how they have gone from a standing start to winning awards.

His advice to anyone considering e-learning is:

  • E-LEARNING IS NOT CHEAP - it’s  a long term plan and is more about effectiveness rather than efficiencies and savings

  • GET OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE - who are already doing this, they will give you advice and products

  • DON’T REINVENT THE WHEEL - most people have already done what you are thinking of doing

  • TALK TO MORE CUSTOMERS, THAN PROVIDERS OF SOFTWARE - find out what the customers think

  • FUNDING CAN BE DIFFICULT - a brilliant way to fund e-learning is to get a slice from everyone’s budget, everytime someone buys a pc, they pay a little extra for the e-learning programmes

  • BE PREPARED TO EXPERIMENT - and play!

Chris is happy to talk to anyone who would like to find out more about his work and you can contact him directly by email at chris.allan@kirklees.gov.uk

To play Chris’s quick video message, click in the middle of screen below.

One decision that moved Kirklees a big step forward with their e-learning programme, was when they partnered with the Learning Pool. Created in 2002 by the IDeA, the Learning Pool became independent in 2006 and over 86% of councils in England and Wales now use their services.

Mary McKenna, Learning Pool Director, believes the key benefits of e-learning to an organisation are:  

  • IT’S AVAILABLE FOR ACCESS 24/7

  • ENABLES ORGANISATIONS TO TRAIN A LOT OF PEOPLE VERY QUICKLY

  • DELIVERS CONSISTANT MESSAGES

  • CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO BITE-SIZED CHUNKS

  • CAN BE USED FOR JUST-IN-TIME LEARINING

  • CAN EVIDENCE AND RECORD THAT TRAINING HAS TAKEN PLACE AND A CERTAIN PASS SCORE HAS BEEN OBTAINED

Other considerations are:

  • IT WORKS BEST AS PART OF A BLENDED PROGRAMME

  • ANYONE WHO IS COMFORTABLE WITH A KEYBOARD AND MOUSE WILL BE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS TYPE OF LEARNING

  • THE MORE INTERACTIVE THE PROGRAMME, THE BETTER THE RESULTS

If your interested in finding out more about the Learning Pool, go to their website at www.learningpool.com or call them on 0207 101 9383.

To play Mary’s quick video message, click in the middle of screen below.

Martyn Sloman is the CIPD advisor on Learning and Development as well as author, lecturer and conference speaker on the subject.  For him, the fundamental principle to remember is, ‘it’s all about learning’ and we have to ask ourselves “how do people learn and how can technology, accelerate, mediate, support and direct that sort of learning?” 

He also tells us that 50% of the workforce now regard the pc as an essential tool for their job and e-learning is an easy way of giving people easy access to information and collaborative tools, BUT it is only part of the mix and part of the solution. Learner preferences are always going to be to learn something by having it demonstrated and on any survey, e-learning will always be way down the list.

ln addition, a recent CIPD Learning and Development Survey highlights:

  • 57% OF RESPONDENTS ARE USING E-LEARNING IN THEIR ORGANISATIONS

  • OF THOSE THAT AREN’T, 25% PLAN TO DO SO OVER THE NEXT YEAR

  • E-LEARNING IS AVAILABLE TO 60% OF THE EMPLOYEE POPULATION OF RESPONDENT ORGANISTIONS, BUT ONLY 30% TAKE IT UP

This highlights that there are still issues with the appropriateness and effectiveness of what’s on offer. To help ensure that e-learning is as effective as it can be, the CIPD have developed a set of Best Practice Principles, which are:

  • START WITH THE LEARNER - recognise the legacy the learner brings to the organisation

  • ENSURE PROGRAMMES ARE RELEVENT - this drives out resistance 

  • NEVER PUT ANYTHING ON THE WEB UNLESS YOU’RE PREPARED TO SUPPORT IT APPROPRIATELY - don’t put something up and leave it

  • THINK ABOUT HOW TO EMBED IT INTO THE ORGANISATION  - what other support people need and who the key intermediaries are, i.e. line managers 

When implementing an e-learning strategy, Martyn’s advice is to think about:

  • RELEVENCE - what are the key things people need to learn on their job

  • LEARNER PREFERENCE - where are they coming from, how motivated are they, how technologically savvy are they and how do they choose to get their information

For more information on learning and development, the CIPD produce a number of useful factsheets that can be downloaded free at www.cipd.co.uk/factsheets They are also undertaking a major research study into web 2.0 networking and more information on this as well as some interesting cases studies can be found at www.cipd.co.uk/helpingpeoplelearn 

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away. 

Show #010: Employee Engagement

Published by Karen Wormwell on 7 August, 2008 in Employee Engagement. 0 Comments

An engaged workforce is something that every employer wants to have. It’s not always easy to achieve, so in this month’s show we hear from two experts in the field of employee engagement, to find out how to get our employees to go that extra mile.

To listen to the podcast, click the grey arrow below.

 
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Dilys Robinson is Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Employment Studies and works in the HR & Consultancy team there. Much of her work is commissioned by employers or employer bodies and she has spent many years studying employees attitudes, motivation and commitment.

The IES definition of employee engagement was arrived at in 2002/3, following a major consultation exercise with IES member companies. It is:-

“Engagement is a positive attitude held by the employee towards the organisation and it’s values. An engaged employee is aware of business context and works with colleagues to improve performance within the job for the benefit of the organisation. The organisation must work to nurture, maintain and grow engagement, which requires a two way relationship between employer and employee”.

Dilys’s findings have highlighted:

  • THERE ARE STRONG LINKS BETWEEN ENGAGEMENT LEVELS AND ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE 

  • ENGAGED EMPLOYEES ARE MORE RECEPTIVE TO CHANGE

  • ENGAGED EMPLOYEES MAKE CUSTOMERS FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

  • IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, THERE IS A LINK BETWEEN EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT LEVELS AND TRUST & CONFIDENCE IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS Heintzman R and Marson B (2006) People, service and trust: links in the public sector service value chain. Canadian Government Executive

The 4 main drivers of engagement are:

  • JOB SATISIFACTION

  • FEELING VALUED BY AND INVOLVED WITH THE ORGANISATION

  • PERCEPTIONS OF EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY

  • VIEWS ABOUT HOW SERIOUSLY THE ORGANISATION TAKES HEALTH AND SAFETY

However, these drivers can vary considerably depending upon the organisation and the employee group. Feeling valued and involved is more important in the public sector than it is in the private sector. Surprisingly, the manager relationship did not emerge as the key driver in the public sector - it is important, but at sub-driver level, meaning that it is driving most of the drivers.

To find out what your own organisation’s drivers are, Dilys recommends conducting an employee attitude survey, or asking employees their views more directly via facilitated workshops or focus groups.

Her advice to People Managers is:

  • EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES SHOULDN’T JUST BE SEEN AS AN HR RESPONSIBILITY - to succeed, it needs firm and real commitment from the top

  • HR HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY - in monitoring and understanding engagement levels & drivers

  • MANAGERS AT ALL LEVELS SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO PLAY THEIR PART - and have a good understanding of what they need to do to be effective people managers

  • GOOD QUALITY MANAGEMENT TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL - for first line managers and supervisors and should be reinforced throughout their careers

  • HR SHOULD SUPPORT THE LINE - with good clear policies and procedures

  • EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED - to raise issues and concerns, take responsibility for problems and make suggestions for improvements

And to keep employees engaged through these difficult economic times, Dilys advises organisations to be wise, keep faith with their employees and to continue with their engagement strategies, in order to give reassurance and encouragement to employees to do as well as possible. By doing this, employees will increase public confidence by representing their sector in a positive way, helping those in trouble. 

If you would like to contact Dilys, you can call her on 01273 873122 or email her at dilys.robinson@employment-studies.co.uk. You can find out more about the work of the IES from their website at www.employment-studies.co.uk

RBS Group is regarded as one of the world leaders in not only engendering workforce engagement, but linking it with the group’s overall business performance.

Greig Aitken is Group Head of Employee Engagement and is responsible for developing an engagement strategy that provides a detailed understanding to the group, of how effective they are at attracting, engaging and retaining world class staff and how efficient those staff are, at delivering superior business results, financial performance and customer service.

In this interview, Greig talks about how his engagement strategy impacts on the RBS Group performance, how he measures engagement and what lessons he has learnt along the way.

You can ask Greig about his work via www.rbs.com and he has recently been involved in a major study on Human Capital Management - which is available from IES.

An opportunity for you take part in a major new research project

Roffey Park Institute are looking for public sector HR professionals to take part in a major new research project they are about to undertake into the success of HR Business Partnering. There are a number of valuable benefits to be gained by participating, so if you’d like to find out more, contact Dilip Boury at Roffey Park on 01293 854040.

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away.

Show #009: Customer Service

Published by Karen Wormwell on 6 July, 2008 in Customer Service. 1 Comment

The delivery of customer service in the public sector is something that we all experience - usually with no choice. In this month’s show, we hear from two professionals who are passionate about ensuring that top quality customer service levels in the public sector are consistently reached and maintained and discuss HR’s role in achieving this.

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Angela O’Connor is Executive Director HR (Policing), at the National Police Improvement Agency. She believes that any service we receive from the public sector should be as good, if not better than the service we receive elsewhere and there is a fantastic opportunity for HR to really drive customer service in the public sector.

Her advice is:

  • DELIVER REALLY GOOD SERVICE - in the right way, at the right time, to the right standard

  • HR SHOULD SEE THE LINE OF SIGHT - between what they do and the community they serve

  • REALLY LISTEN TO YOUR INTERNAL AUDIENCE - understand what line managers lives are like and walk in their shoes

  • SPEND TIME IN THE BUSINESS - ensure that people solutions are built around common sense approaches that are relevant to the lives of their customers

  • CONNECT PEOPLE - with the services they deliver and break down the silo mentality, so people can see that they bring something really special to individuals and communities

  • DEMAND THE ABSOLUTE BEST - in terms of attitudes in staff

To contact Angela or find out more about the NPIA visit www.npia.police.uk

The Association for Public Service Excellence is the foremost specialist in local authority front line services. Paul O’Brien is APSE’s Chief Executive and he talks about the public’s perception of service delivery and how the energy and ideas of the front line staff who deliver the services, should be harnessed in order to improve the customer’s experience.

Some other pieces of advice Paul shares are:

  • GET BETTER AT MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION - tell the public what we do well

  • HR CAN INFLUENCE THE CULTURE OF AN ORGANISATION - well motivated people deliver high quality and excellent services

  • GET THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS RIGHT - create that environment where people feel they get an opportunity to learn, thrive and aspire to greater things

  • PUT ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER - find a way of binding them into a ‘one team’ approach

To find out more about APSE’s work or to contact Paul visit www.apse.org.uk or call them on 0161 772 1810.

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away.

Show #008: How HR Leaders Can Add Value to Their Organisation

Published by Karen Wormwell on 7 June, 2008 in HR Leadership. 0 Comments

There has been much debate about the future of the HR Function and the role of HR Leaders. This month I talk to Peter Reilly, Director of HR Research and Consultancy at the Institute for Employment Studies (IES), to find out his views on this topic.

To listen to the podcast, click the grey arrow below.

 
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Peter shares with us what he believes the challenges are for HR Leaders, particularly those in the public sector and how they can best add value to their organisations.

His advice is:

  • PERSUADE THE ORGANISATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE MANAGEMENT TO ORGANASATIONAL SUCCESS AND DECIDE WHAT ROLE HR CAN PLAY IN ACHIEVING THAT OBJECTIVE

  • BE WELL ATTUNED TO THE ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY AND ISSUES

  • ALIGN, WHAT THE FUNCTION IS TRYING TO DO, WITH THE ORGASATIONAL NEEDS, IN ORDER TO SOLVE REAL BUSINESS PROBLEMS

  • THINK OVER A LONGER TIME HORIZON AND BE AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

  • INTERNALLY, BE INNOVATIVE IN THE WAY THE FUNCTION POSITIONS ITSELF

  • BE ABLE TO MEASURE WHERE THE FUNCTION IS BEING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE

  • HR LEADERS SHOULD ACT AS ‘HEAD OF PROFESSION’ AND PROVIDE FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TO THE TEAM

  • CONTINUE TO DO THE BASICS WELL

He also tells us more about an exciting new joint initiative he is working on with the IDeA and the PPMA, which will provide a self assessment tool for HR Leaders to both benchmark and develop their skills.

You can find out more about how to get involved with this project, by contacting Kelly Sandiford at the IDeA on 07766 115104 or email her at kelly.sandiford@idea.gov.uk or Marcia Hazzard on 07867 514753  or via email at marcia.hazzard@idea.gov.uk

To find out more about Peter’s work, you can contact him via email at peter.reilly@employment-studies.co.uk or call him on 07771 932993.

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away.

Show #007: The Public Sector People Managers’ Conference 2008

Published by Karen Wormwell on 6 May, 2008 in PPMA Conference. 0 Comments

The PPMA’s annual conference was held in Brighton last week and this month’s show comes directly from the event.

The theme of this year’s conference is Evolution or Extinction: the future for HR in the public sector and there was a good mix of inspirational and interesting speakers, who challenged everyday thinking and shared their knowledge, through case studies and research findings. We caught up with them during the conference to find out more.

To kick off the show, we hear from Stephen Moir - this year’s President, to find out his plans for the Association.

To listen to the podcast, click the grey arrow below.

 
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Podcast running order and timings (in minutes and seconds)

  • 00.00 - 00.30 Introduction

  • 00.30 - 03.07 Stephen Moir, PPMA President outlines his goals for the Association

  • 03.08 - 05.30 Dr Emma Parry, Research Fellow, Cranfield School of Management, outlines the early results of research she has undertaken into public sector recruitment and retention issues

  • 05.31 - 07.50 Russell Prue, Anderton Tiger, talks about how HR professionals need to embrace new technology in order to engage with prospective employees

  • 08.07 - 09.28 Greg Dyke, former BBC Director General, explains what makes a great leader and how HR can best support leaders in their organisations

  • 09.29 - 12.44 Peter Reilly, Director of HR Research and Consultancy, Institute for Employment Studies, tells us what key challenges face HR Leaders and what skills they will need to tackle them

  • 13.10 - 14.36 Greig Aitken, Group Head of Employee Engagement, Royal Bank Of Scotland, explains briefly how he has engaged employees at RBS and the benefits this has had on their business

  • 14.42 - 15.24 Councillor David Parsons, Leader of Leicestershire County Council, talks about the key benefits of their employee engagement strategy

  • 15.25 - 16.07 Joan Munro, National Advisor- Workforce Strategy, IDeA, gives advice on how best to engage a workforce

  • 16.08 - 17.30 Councillor Steve Reed, Leader of London Borough of Lambeth, tells us about the future landscape for local government and the impact this will have for HR

  • 17.31 - 19.06 Steve Bundred, Chief Executive, Audit Commission, talks about the challenges facing HR teams as a result of the changing face of public sector inspection

  • 19.20 - 20.27 Jan Parkinson, Managing Director, Local Government Employers, talks about this year’s pay agreement

  • 20.28 - 23.12 Christopher Johnson, Director of Employment, Civil Service Capability Group, Cabinet Office, tells us his thoughts on current pay and reward challenges

  • 23.13 - 25.40 Miles Hilton Barber, Adventurer, gives his key pieces of advice on how to cope with and embrace change

  • 25.41 - 27.33 Martin Tiplady, Director of HR, Metropolitan Police Service, shares his views on the future for HR

  • 27.40 - 29.17 Ray Tompkinson, Consultant, discusses the issues around the shared services model

  • 29.18 - 31.30 Dean Shoesmith, Executive Head of HR, London Boroughs of Sutton and Merton, talks about a major London Borough recruitment partnership he has led

  • 31.31 - 33.31 House Debate, Geoff Armstrong, CIPD Director General, is for the motion and Professor Graham Martin is against, they both explain their reasons why

  • 33.32 - 34.20 Gillian Hibberd, Corporate Director, (People & Policy) and PPMA Vice-President, tells us her thoughts on the conference and her vision for the future

  • 34.21 - 35.43 Finally, we hear from some of the delegates to get their views on the conference

To find out more about the PPMA, go to www.ppma.org.uk or visit their new blog at www.ppmablog.org.uk

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away.

Show #006: Managers Attitudes to Working in the Public Sector

Published by Karen Wormwell on 6 April, 2008 in Working in the Public Sector. 1 Comment

Working in the public sector has attracted some negative publicity in recent times. In this edition of the show, I talk to three people in the know, to find out what public sector managers really think.

To listen to the podcast, click the grey arrow below.

 
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Jo Hennessy is Director of Research at Roffey Park, the executive development and research institute and she talks about the findings of their latest Management Agenda research. Now in it’s 11th year, the annual survey canvasses managers views and experiences across a wide range of organisational issues and of almost 500 participants, 25% were from the public sector.

The key findings for the public sector are:

  • HIGH LEVELS OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT - public sector managers enjoy a better work-life balance, more flexible working and work less hours than their counterparts in the private services sector in order to be seen to be successful

  • A HIGH PREVELANCE OF CHANGE - 92% of managers in the public sector have experienced change in the last two years compared with 78% in the private services sector. The public sector managers also said that there is room to manage change much better in their organisations 

  • HOW UNDERPERFORMANCE IS TACKLED - only 4% of public sector managers said that this is dealt with effectively

  • HIGH LEVELS OF BEAUROCRACY - 66% in the public sector against 45% in the private services sector

According to Jo, the challenges facing public sector managers include:

  • HOW TO CONSOLIDATE THE BENEFITS OF CHANGE

  • HOW TO MANAGE EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION THROUGHOUT CHANGE

  • HOW TO ENSURE SOME REVIEW AND LEARING FROM ANY CHANGE PROGRAMME

To get a copy of the Management Agenda 2008 report visit www.roffeypark.com/research/managementagenda.html 

To give an ‘insiders view’ I talk next to Jan Parkinson, Managing Director of the Local Government Employers and Sian Thomas, Joint Acting Director of NHS Employers.

Jan is surprised by the Management Agenda findings and they don’t reflect her personal experience of working within the public sector. She agrees that there is some change weariness, but points to LGE research that shows public sector managers are very good at handling change. Jan also states that the best managers she has ever met have worked in the public sector, this she believes, is because the issues they face are so complex that they have to be incredibly innovative to deal with them.

Jan’s advice to HR Managers looking to improve performance in the public sector includes:

  • DEVELOP A SUITE OF HR POLICES AND STRATEGIES THAT ARE COHERENT AND ALIGNED TO THE SAME GOAL

  • GET SENIOR MANAGERS TO BUY INTO THOSE POLICIES  

Sian is also taken aback by the report and feels that although the survey sample size is reasonable, the NHS Employers own research of 300,000 NHS employees indicates that the day-to-day challenges faced by them, are the very reason why people come to work in the public sector. They have found that change is a motivator for a lot of people, as is a sense of massive responsibility early on in their careers.

She does agree that bureaucracy is the biggest demotivator and that middle and more junior staff find a lack of control somewhat limiting.

Sian’s advice to HR Mangers looking to tackle areas of weakness includes:

  • SHAPE THE CULTURE - organise practices around a sense of well-being

  • DEVELOP TALENT AND SKILLS - it’s a critical role for HR

  • SUPPORT LINE MANAGERS - in managing change

To find out more about Local Government Employers visit www.lge.gov.uk or NHS Employers visit www.nhsemployers.org

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away.

Show #005: Public/Private Partnerships

Published by Karen Wormwell on 6 March, 2008 in Public/Private Partnerships. 0 Comments

Transferring large numbers of staff and services are major hurdles to overcome when entering into a partnership with the private sector. In this episode, I talk to two Councils who have both been working with their chosen partners for a number of years and they explain how they managed the process.

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Graham Burgess is The Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council and believes that the first step to success is to build a strong relationship from the beginning and see your partner not as a separate organisation bound by a contract, but almost as a department of the Council.

Some other pieces of advice Graham shares include:

  • DON’T BE DEFENSIVE - if something isn’t working, sort it out, pass it back or resolve the problem, don’t take things personally and realise that you will have differences

  • HAVE A STRONG CLIENT SIDE - too much of our client function was transferred at the beginning

  • HAVE REGULAR REVIEWS - rather than waiting for the 5 yearly review, regularly evaluate things very strongly in the early years

  • TALK TO PEOPLE - both sides need to do a major communication and culture change exercise leading up to the transfer, including both groups of staff and trade unions

  • HR NEED TO BE INVOLVED VERY EARLY IN THE PROCESS - not brought in at the end

  • MAKE SURE YOU CAN ANSWER THE STAFF’S QUESTIONS - about their own personal positions and reassure them about the type of organisation they are going to

Graham believes the three most important factors for success are:

  • COMMUNICATION

  • OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF TO MEET OTHER PARTNER STAFF

  • CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER

You can find out more about Blackburn with Darwen’s partnership from their website www.blackburn.gov.uk  Graham is also happy to arrange a visit to the Council or send information to you. Email him at graham.burgess@blackburn.gov.uk

Cumbria County Council entered into their partnership agreement in 2001 and Bob Mather, Deputy Chief Executive talks to me about what their original objectives were and what has been achieved in 7 years.

The three main objectives were:

  • CREATE 1000 EXTRA JOBS IN 5 YEARS

  • IMPROVE SERVICE EFFICIENCY BY 2% PER ANNUM

  • RECEIVE A LARGE CAPITAL RECEIPT FOR TRANSFERRING BUSINESS

Bob’s key pieces of advice are:

  • FLEXIBILTY IS IMPORTANT - the world changes, should targets that were set at the beginning, still be in place 7 years on

  • GET OFF TO A FAST START - devote a lot of time and attention to developing the client side of the operation

  • THINK ABOUT THE STAFF WHO ARE TRANSFERRING - need to be able to set the standard and monitor the performance of the third party

  • DON’T SKIMP SO MUCH ON THE ORGANISATION THAT’S LEFT IN THE AUTHORITY - you need enough capacity to keep track of the partner

Bob is happy to speak to anyone who would like to find out more about Cumbria’s partnership agreement and you can contact him on 01228 606263 or email him at bob.mather@cumbriacc.gov.uk information can also be found on their website www.cumbria.gov.uk

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away.

Show #004: Shared Services

Published by Karen Wormwell on 7 February, 2008 in Shared Services. 1 Comment

The drive for greater efficiencies in the Public Sector is stronger than ever and this month, we look at how ’sharing services’ can be the cornerstone of achieving some pretty impressive results in this area.

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Graham White has just moved from Surrey Councy Council, to head up HR at Westminster Council. He joined Surrey CC as Head of HR and OD from Ulster Bank in 2002 and spearheaded an organisational restructure that has turned the council on it’s head. 

Some of the key benefits that Graham has experienced include:

  • SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN OVERALL STAFFING - work is now being done in a single place, with 1/4 of the staff

  • CULTURE CHANGE - “I’m doing more of what I’m paid to do” mentality

  • SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL IS ON AN UPWARD CURVE - more people are cared for, more potholes get filled in and less street lights are not working - all at no extra cost

  • SPOTLIGHT EFFECT - when you put everything in one place, you can see what isn’t working efficiently

  • SAVINGS - overall savings for the whole period are nearly £50m

Some key pieces of advice from Graham are:

  • LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES FIRST - you cannot tell your people enough what you are doing and no matter how much you communicate, assume you haven’t done enough

  • DON’T GO INTO THIS IF IT’S TO SAVE MONEY - if that’s your paramount reason, your going to fail

  • KNOW THE DIFFERENCE - between organisations trying to sell you shared services and those looking to partner with you.  Partnering allows you to share both the benefits and the risks

You can find out more about shared services at Surrey County Council from their website www.surreycc.gov.uk. There are also many resources to be found on the internet.

Another shared service story in the news this month, is a joint initiative between Rushcliffe Borough Council and Charnwood Borough Council. They are aiming to be the first in the country to share services across county boundaries with a private sector partner.

I spoke over the phone with both Allan Graham, Chief Executive at Rushcliffe and Brian Hayes, Chief Executive at Charnwood to find out more about their plans.

The short term objective is to start small and standardise the back office functions for the two councils. The long-term vision is much larger. Together with the private sector partner, they are looking to develop a Regional Development Centre that can provide skilled staff for both the public and private sectors across the country.

The first phase is due to go live during summer 2008 and you can find out more about their vision by checking out their websites at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk or www.charnwood.gov.uk

Listening to the show is simple, you can do it in a number of ways and you don’t need an iPod or MP3 player. Simply click on the grey arrow underneath the show heading and it will play through your computer.

Alternatively, you can easily download the file and listen to it later, or transfer it onto an MP3 player, just right click on ‘Download’ and select ‘Save Target As…’ The show can also be played on iTunes.

To make sure that you never miss an episode, you can subscribe free via email, or by clicking the orange RSS icon or iTunes button. Each new show will then be delivered automatically to your computer, along with notes about the show, useful contact details and links to additional information.

I would love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for further shows. Either email me directly at karen@publicsectorhrpodcast.co.uk or click on ‘Comment’ underneath the show title and type away.

Show #003: Well Being

Published by Karen Wormwell on 8 January, 2008 in Well Being. 0 Comments

The well being of staff is crucial to the continued success of an organisation. In this month’s show, we hear from a Director of HR and a Chief Executive who share with us the impact that Well Being initiatives are having on their organisations.

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Carol Mills is Director of Human Resources at Lancashire County Council, who are one of the largest local government employers in the Country. Carol believes that the key to a healthy workforce is to empower employees to do something for themselves and as a progressive employer, the Council recognises that if they don’t look after their staff - their staff won’t look after their customers. In this interview, Carol talks about some of the Well Being initiatives she has introduced.

When considering the best approach to Well Being, Carol’s advice includes:

  • LOOK AT WHAT IS BEING DONE ELSEWHERE - and learn about the things that can go wrong

  • TALK TO YOUR STAFF AND TRADE UNIONS - about the sort of initiatives they feel might benefit them

  • LOOK AT THE PRIVATE SECTOR - they’ve been at this a lot longer than we have, so learn from them

  • PILOT THE NEW IIP WELL BEING STANDARD - and learn from the feedback

  • CHERRY PICK SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS - and test these out on a few willing staff to find out what works for your organisation

Carol is also the PPMA (Public Sector People Managers Association) lead for Well Being and to find out more about her work you can contact her through their website www.ppma.org.uk or at Lancashire County Council. Other sources of information are: CIPD, your own healthcare provider, local Employers Organisation and local PCT’s.

In this second interview Geoff Walker, Chief Executive at Sandwell CCT talks passionately about Well Being and the enormous benefits the Trust, it’s staff and service users have gained by delivering their services on an individual basis through human relationships, rather than being driven by policies and procedures.

This approach has clearly paid off as they have been named as 2nd best company to work for in the UK by The Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For Survey for the second year running and they came out top for Well Being.

The benefits they have experienced include:

  • REDUCED SICKNESS ABSENCE - from an average of 22 days per year to 0.3 days, achieving a saving of £600,000 pa by not doing anything other than making people feel good about themselves and feel good about being at work

  • REDUCED STAFF TURNOVER - currently 4% pa

  • QUALITY OF STAFF - 87% of staff are appropriately qualified according to their regulator

  • CONTINUITY - over 60% of the workforce has been with us for more than 7 years

Geoff’s key tip is that managers have to create time to be with people and as such he insists that each manager keeps 30% of their diary time non-committed to do that. As a result, in the last Sunday Times survey which 87% of the workforce completed, the Trust came 1st for both Managers who listen and Mangers who motivate. Clearly emphasising Geoff’s philosophy of making people feel good about being at work.

Geoff is happy to speak to anyone who would like to find out more about the Trust’s work in this area and you can contact him via their website www.sandwellcct.org.uk or call him on