News

Joining forces with world leaders
Integrated HR, has recently become a partner of SHL – recognised as the world-leading provider of psychometric tests.

SHL Partners deliver assessment solutions for employee selection, recruitment, promotion, succession planning and development of people at all levels and across all sectors using SHL’s range of effective and scientifically proven psychometric instruments.

This invitation marks a milestone in the development of Integrated HR talent management services and gives us and our clients access to a wider range of SHL products and support information.

Henry Noteman, Integrated HR Operations Manager commented, “we already use a wide range and volume of SHL products mainly for assessment and development of managerial and professional staff in industry. We fully promote the use of on-line assessment tools which allows us to reach a wider range of candidates in a very efficient way, and also gives us the opportunity to offer assessment tools in a range of international languages. Joining the network can only improve the services we offer, whether it’s assessment centres or individual performance enhancement”.

‘ME’ time
Even with the array of modern time-saving technologies we still have less and less free time. Work life balance issues have been on the agenda for many years and according to a recent survey Brits are lacking in ‘me time’. 75% of us claim that work negatively impacts on our free time with 38% claiming to work more than 60 hours a week.

Women in particular are experiencing a time squeeze and demographics suggest that this is not going to go away. Long working hours are on the increase in the UK, reversing the slow but steady 10 year decline in people working more than the 48 hour per week.

Increased levels of stress may be seen for those who are not getting the work-life balance right. It is reported that the workplace has a significant impact on people’s health and well-being too. A healthy workplace means a healthy workforce and better business delivery. Poor management of workplace health can lead to work-related ill health and to high levels of sickness absence.

This gives real cause for concern, not least because of the costs involved, the impact on service delivery and the consequences for individual staff. Sickness absence is a key business issue, and it is a key indicator of how well an organisation is managed. Employee absence is a significant cost to 90% of businesses.

Sickness absence costs employers £659 per employee every year and employee absence costs employers 8.4 working days for every member of staff per year; this represents 3.7% of working time. Happy, well-motivated staff are key to keeping a business running smoothly. Employees who are content with their life at work are far more likely to remain with a company for a longer period.

Make work life balance your resolution this year.

CIPD Conference & Exhibition October 2007
Well, what a great time we had in Harrogate this year at the CIPD Annual Conference and Exhibition. It's the first time we exhibited there, and judging by the level of interest in our talent management services, we will certainly be there again next year!

It was great to speak to so many HR professionals from different sectors and we made some very interesting observations, not least the fact that so many HR Managers are prepared to use consultancy services to allow them to concentrate on core business issues. Many of our visitors were really impressed by the knowledge of the people they met on the stand, and that they would also be the same people who would work on their projects.

The points which were of particular interest were:

• Our highly targeted approach to assessment and our capability to generate bespoke business related exercises, case studies and other material within limited timescales and budgets
• The passion for providing real support and guidance for those involved in outplacement programmes
• Even within the first few days after the event, we have already started discussions with some of you and would hope this will continue with many more in the coming weeks.

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