Managers To Put Their Staff First

The top New Year’s resolution for managers this year is to put their team’s development first, ahead of traditional priorities such as networking or spending more time with customers and clients, figures released by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) reveal.

CMI’s Future Forecast survey results make it clear that  leaders recognise the importance of looking inwards and that putting staff back at the heart of their organisations will enhance their chances of a speedy post-recession recovery. Just under half (45 per cent), for example, have pledged to support the development of their team’s skills and 22 per cent also intend to provide ‘more prompt’ support to boost performance.

As well as focusing on staff through skills development, the survey of 1,337 managers found that more than a quarter (27 per cent) have resolved to acknowledge the efforts of their staff and say ‘thank you’ more often. Just under a fifth (18 per cent) also said they will spend more time with their teams.

Commenting on the findings, Ruth Spellman, CMI chief executive, says: “The recent financial crisis has shaken UK organisations to the core. We now know that a combination of reckless capitalism combined with a disregard for the potential consequences of greed – as demonstrated by outlandish bonuses and unrestrained borrowing – helped to fuel the meltdown. It is very encouraging, therefore, to hear that UK managers are enthusiastic about learning lessons from what has passed and putting the development and needs of their employees over and above other considerations.

“By investing in the development of staff through training and development, and acknowledging their achievements, employers have a better chance of taking advantage of the upturn and it is evident that managers are taking this on board. Looking inwards will also help to minimise the potential for a ‘brain drain’, whereby staff feel unappreciated and look elsewhere for employment once the job market improves.”

The results show that there are three key barriers which will make it hard for managers to keep their resolutions for the New Year; lack of time (75 per cent), reduced budgets (42 per cent) and a reduced workforce (33 per cent). To help overcome this, CMI is recommending that employers offer support to managers and emphasise the benefits of focusing inwards, thus motivating them to keep their resolutions despite the tough conditions.

Debt Worry Affects Health and Work Performance

Over a quarter of employees are worried about debt, with one in five reporting they are being kept awake at night by financial worries and over ten per cent saying their health was suffering as a result. Additionally, workers with fewer financial worries report better productivity at work than those with concerns.

The findings, which recommends that financial education programmes for staff should be more widespread and accessible, come from the Institute for Employment Studies and are reported on the Workplace Law Network.

Work Your Proper Hours

Work Your Proper Hours Day will be held on 27 February 2009. It is the day when the average person who does unpaid overtime finishes the unpaid days they do and starts earning for themselves. The TUC, supported by AMiE, think that’s a day worth celebrating.

Last year a survey of college managers found that two out of three regularly worked in excess of 48 hours per week (ACM Survey Autumn 2007).

Long hours are not good for us; they cause stress; they’re bad for our health; they wreck relationships; they make caring for children or dependents more difficult; and tired, burnt-out staff are bad for business. Work Your Proper Hours Day is designed to highlight the issue of excessive hours and raise awareness of the impact on family life and health.

To find out more, and to download posters and other resources, visit the Work Your Proper Hours Day website.

Two Thirds Of HR Managers Not Fully Trained

Two-thirds of HR managers feel that they are not fully trained for their job, according to recent research.

The survey of 280 HR managers, and reported in Personnel Today, also showed that more than six in 10 feel they do not have the necessary training or support to help their companies in the current economic climate. Read more here.

Can Managers Affect Risk Of Heart Attack?

Members may be interested in this report from the Workplace Law Network concerning research linking the risk of heart attack to the competency of the line manager.

Managers “Hopelessly Underskilled”

It will come as no surprise to staff working in schools and colleges, nor to their union representatives, that resolving conflicts between individuals can be time consuming and difficult. It can be particularly troublesome where there is no single issue in dispute. Personality clashes, egos, and jealousy can interfere with professional relationships, drawing in those not directly affected whether they like it or not.

Now a report for the CIPD has attemtped to quantify the problem, saying that it costs employers £24 billion a year in lost working days. Significantly, the report also says that although dealing with conflict is usually the responsibility of managers, 68% have had no formal training leaving them “hopelessly underskilled” at addressing the problem.

David Green, AMiE’s Director of Employment Services, says the report highlights a serious gap in the professional development of managers, “This report just confirms our own experience. Managers are asked to manage without any training in people skills. Our members in schools and colleges are expected to meet tough targets, but learning the skills needed to communicate, motivate, inspire, and lead is frequently overlooked.”

No Slowdown in Management Restructures

College management restructures show no signs of decline. So far this year over a third of all ACM-AMiE members’ enquiries made to  the union’s Regional Officers or the national helpline have been about restructuring. Indeed, since the beginning of 2004, restructuring issues saw a steady rise from one in four of all new enquiries, to almost one in two in 2006, before falling back to the current level of one in three.

But any hopes of a slowdown in restructuring appear short lived as this year the percentage of restructuring enquiries is up by 2% on 2007.

Commenting on the figures, AMiE’s Director of Employment Services, David Green said, “The constant round of college restructures is seriously undermining job security, destroying confidence and costing thousands in redundancy payments. If this instability continues for much longer then more and more college managers will turn their backs on the sector altogether.”

Women Will Have to Wait 187 Years For Pay Equality

Women across the UK will have to wait 187 years before their take home pay outpaces men, according to data from a survey of 40,027 individuals.  Figures also reveal the latest movements in earnings and show a higher rate of female labour turnover, as more women are made redundant, resign or seek job transfers.

The findings, released today by the Chartered Management Institute and CELRE, indicate that female earnings have increased by an average of 6.8 per cent over the past 12 months, up from 5.2 per cent reported in last year’s survey.  With men receiving an average increase of 6.6 per cent, the data signals a return to the trend set between 1997 and 2006, when female movements in earnings were higher.

In real terms the average female managers and executives is earning £32,614 – take home pay that is £13,655 less than the average male equivalent of £46,269.  At the current level of annual pay increases, this means it will not be until 2195 before female pay outstrips men.  The data also shows that female directors have the longest wait.  Parity for those in the IT sector will take even longer and, across all industries, female directors in Scotland will have the longest wait for parity.

Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, says: “At least with a glass ceiling it is possible to see through to the next level.  However, when it comes to equal pay, it seems that the glass is now opaque.  To have to wait several generations is inexcusable and it is time that the lip service of the 3 decades since sex discrimination was first outlawed is transformed into action.”