Resourceroom

UK production sees steady rise

Press Association — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:33:10 +0000

Manufacturing production in the UK saw a month-on-month rise of 0.3% in July, new figures have shown.

The Index of Production released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found that the index of manufacturing increased year-on-year by 4.3% in the three months to July – the sector’s best result in the category in 15 years.

Growth in manufacturing is now at an annual rate of 4.9% – the best pace since the end of 1994, according to the report.

The ONS said output of the wider production industries, which includes the utility and mining industry, increased by 0.3% in July, following the fall in June due to maintenance shut-downs in the oil and gas sector.

However, experts said that the sector has recently gained from customers replacing exhausted stockpiles, predicting that the temporary effect will reduce as the year progresses.

Manufacturers are also concerned about the anticipated weakening in demand as global austerity measures are launched.

David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Although the manufacturing sector’s performance this year is pleasing, there is no room for complacency. The recovery is not yet secure, particularly as there are worrying signs of a slowdown in the global economy.”

Morning meetings ‘gain popularity’

Press Association — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 08:19:16 +0000

Breakfast meetings are emerging as the preferred choice as workers believe they are more focussed and productive in the morning, a poll has shown.

A nationwide online survey of 3,000 workers conducted by OnePoll found that 42% of employees regularly attend breakfast meetings.

About 67% of workers claim they are more likely to pay attention during morning discussions, while more than three quarters (79%) claim the practice makes them more efficient.

More than a third of those polled (36%) believe it is easier to ‘pin someone down’ first thing in the morning and 32% said they felt it was a nice start to the day.

The study revealed that a quarter of those polled admitted to having cancelled an afternoon arrangement because they were struggling to concentrate.

Two thirds of those polled said early meetings are gaining popularity as bosses, confronted with busy schedules and tight budgets, are trying to utilise the enhanced staff productivity levels.

More than four in 10 workers said they had encouraged their bosses to arrange an early meeting because they are more likely to get better results.

More firms ‘planning to recruit’

Press Association — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:25:38 +0000

More and more companies are recuperating from the economic meltdown by planning to increase their workforce, according to a survey.

Research by the Clydesdale and Yorkshire banks discovered that as many as 56% of firms are intent on hiring more staff by next year, with over 52% of Scottish companies hoping to recruit skilled workers and 32% planning to employ managerial staff.

Many businesses and industries have also listed out their priorities, with 39% saying that workforce recruitment and retention are the most important and 33% citing training as their major concern.

The survey results, which were described as “encouraging” by Scott McKerracher – the regional director for Scotland at Clydesdale Bank – also showed that 66% of media and marketing related firms, 65% of IT and telecommunication companies and 63% of engineering and construction firms in the UK are planning to recruit.

Many firms hope that the workforce boost will help them grow over the next year.

Mr McKerracher said: “It continues to be a challenging time for businesses and many will have had to make tough decisions to protect their business. However, few will have lost sight of the fact that their staff are their most important asset.”

Reward risk concerns ‘on the rise’

Press Association — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:32:38 +0000

The number of HR professionals concerned about the way their organisation or clients manage financial risk associated with rewarding staff has risen in the past 12 months, a survey of Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) members has shown.

The findings, published in the report Managing Reward Risks: An Integrated Approach, reveal that 15% of those polled think that their organisation is poorly prepared to deal with reward-related risk – up from 9% in 2009.

A major reward concern for HR professionals is how effective the pay and benefits package are in attracting and retaining key talent, rising in the rank of risks faced by employers in the past 12 months.

Another concern was the ability to engage employees through pay and benefits and the ability to change these benefit practices.

Concerns surrounding the ability of line managers to manage reward was ranked second on the list of concerns for 2010.

The people management and development institute found that only 15% cite their organisation as well prepared, compared with 17% in 2009.

Managers ‘not good problem solvers’

Press Association — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:35:20 +0000

New research has found that most managers are not always successful in solving problems, even if they are well educated and have several years of experience.

The study by Professor Yiorgos Mylonadis at London Business School, which looked at how people define and solve problems, found that most managers use hypothetical models, which limit their problem-solving capability.

Instead of neglecting the individuals involved as well as the uniqueness of the case, Prof Mylonadis has urged managers to first define the problem with the help of those around them, identify options and then arrive at a solution that is the best for all involved.

He said: “If you look at engineering or architecture the ability of people to explain the problem they’re working on, and ask questions so they can get feedback is very high without their need to resort to either dogma or trivia.

“They are helped by reference to blueprints which are a highly codified way of communicating. Our equivalent in management is jargon.

“Like blueprints, jargon was invented to make our exchanges efficient. But the analogy to the blueprint ends when jargon becomes meaningless. It is also a sure way of eradicating any arguments left standing from the onslaught of dogma or trivia.”

Managers urged over employee trust

Press Association — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:41:14 +0000

Senior managers need to work towards regaining their employees’ trust which has been severely eroded by the recession, a new study has said.

Staff in firms badly hit by the downturn are blaming poor management for job losses and closures, and levels of trust in their bosses is extremely low, according to the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).

The institute’s survey of 5,000 workers found that women executives enjoy more credibility than men, and trust in firms is higher if measures such as flexible working are in place.

ILM chief executive, Penny de Valk, said: “It is clear that the actions of senior managers are scrutinised to a far greater extent during times of crisis, and major cuts are often seen as the direct result of poor management – even when this might be beyond their control.

“Yet in those organisations where impacts of the recession have been seen to be managed well, trust levels are significantly higher. Female chief executives in particular have fared well at driving trust during times of adversity.

“To boost trust it is important for senior managers to increase their visibility and communicate effectively with staff.”

British workers opt for siesta

Press Association — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:02:58 +0000

More than half of British workers would like to adopt a daily siesta culture to catch up on lost sleep, research has shown.

A sleep study involving 6,000 British workers by hotel chain Travelodge found that 51% said they would like an afternoon nap, with seven out of 10 people saying that a siesta break would enhance their productivity at work.

About 69% respondents said a 30-minute catnap would help improve concentration and make them more alert, and 54% of the total agreed that employers should provide rest areas for workers to have a power nap break.

The study revealed that the average worker has a weekly sleep debt of almost 12 hours, getting an average of only six hours and 21 minutes of sleep per night, compared to the recommended quota of eight hours.

The top three causes of sleep deprivation include worries over job security (36%), performance at work (27%) and financial concerns (12%).

Travelodge recently trialled a half-hour lunchtime siesta service with classical music at its London City Road branch, where insomniacs and sleep-deprived guests came for an afternoon shut eye.

Two heads really better than one

Press Association — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:07:32 +0000

Scientists have discovered that two heads really can be better than one, which will come as good news for David Cameron and Nick Clegg.

But if the partners are “mismatched” then will not always ring true, another study shows.

Research authors claim that if both partners are competent and willing to discuss disagreements then combined problem solving will be successful. British and Danish scientists tested this by giving two people a judgment task in which they have to pool information.

The pair were asked to find a faint smudge on a computer screen in a laboratory. If they disagreed about when the signal occurred, they talked together until a joint decision was reached.

The first results showed that joint decisions were more accurate than those made by the better-performing individual alone. In this case, two heads were definitely better than one. Two further tests confirmed that success depended critically on partners being able to talk the problem over.

But a fourth experiment showed that coalitions can be disastrous when partners are mismatched.

In this case, one of the volunteers was made to appear incompetent by being shown a “noisy” image in which the signal was much harder to see. This was not known to the other partner, who continued to trust the first volunteer’s judgment. Joint decisions were then worse than the decision of the better-performing partner.

Professor Chris Frith, from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at University College London, one of the researchers whose findings appear in the journal Science, said: “When two people working together can discuss their disagreements, two heads can be better than one. But, when one person is working with flawed information – or perhaps is less able at their job – then this can have a very negative effect on the outcome.”

William Hill on track to meet goals

Press Association — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:45:53 +0000

Bookmaker William Hill has revealed it is on track to meet full year forecasts after the group’s “best ever” World Cup offset a dire horseracing season.

The bookie lost out to punters at the Grand National and Royal Ascot, but a record World Cup helped the group report a 1% rise in half-year underlying earnings to £135.6 million.

William Hill said it made £32.2 million in gross winnings from the football tournament – £19.3 million of which came through in the first half of its year.

Spain’s victory generated a profitable return for bookmakers after the European champions’ opening defeat to Switzerland deterred many punters.

Bookies also benefited from patriotic bets on a poor England team, as well as Brazil’s loss to Holland in the quarter-finals and 2006 finalists France and Italy’s exit at the group stage.

In the seven weeks since the half year, net revenues across William Hill rose 26%, up 20% at its 2,350 betting shops thanks to the tail-end of the World Cup and ongoing strength in gaming machine turnover.

Analysts expect the group to deliver full-year underlying earnings of around £258 million.

But William Hill said it was cautious over the outlook for the rest of 2010 and 2011 amid pressures on consumer spending, which could impact the retail estate.

Ralph Topping, chief executive of William Hill, said: “We are on track to deliver against the board’s expectations for the full year, but we remain cautious moving into 2011 given the ongoing consumer uncertainty.”

Karren Brady to mentor Avon ladies

Press Association — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:39:33 +0000

Avon representatives will be given top tips to boost their sales by Apprentice judge and entrepreneur Karren Brady, the company has revealed.

The BBC series judge and vice-chairman of West Ham United FC will act as a mentor to the self-employed representatives. She will share business advice and practical skills to help motivate the businesswomen to increase their sales.

Avon UK president Anna Segatti said: “Avon is committed to empowering women to have a better tomorrow and as an extremely successful businesswoman and mother, Karren is an inspirational figure for women and a fantastic ambassador for the financial empowerment that Avon offers them.

Brady said: “Over the years, Avon has been groundbreaking in the way it has supported and empowered women to assert themselves in the world of business and gain financial independence. To be invited to form a partnership with such an inspirational company, one which shares the same values as I do, is a wonderful opportunity and I look forward to developing a strong partnership which celebrates female empowerment.”

Brady will initially shadow an Avon representative “to gain an insight into the day-to-day workings of a modern day, direct selling entrepreneur” and will mentor the women at events throughout the year, the company said.