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.

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.

LLUK Launches Database of Vocational Experts

A database of vocational experts who want to ‘pass on their skills’ as a further education teacher, tutor or trainer has been launched by Lifelong Learning UK to help colleges and independent learning providers fill key learning delivery roles.

The Pass on Your Skills vocational practitioner database allows providers to search, free of charge, for professionals with technical or vocational backgrounds who want to start a new career in teaching. It links providers with individuals who have expertise in specific areas where corresponding skills shortages exist in the learning and skills sector.

The pilot database launched on 14 November and contains details of over 500 individually assessed individuals from engineering and health and social care backgrounds. It was developed following a national Pass on Your Skills recruitment drive by Lifelong Learning UK, to encourage industry professionals to consider a career in further education and help learing providers strengthen vocational expertise in their workforce.

Further Pass on Your Skills recruitment campaigns in 2009 will lead to a wider roll out of the database, extending the range of vocational expertise offered by candidates in the database to cover additional ‘in-demand’ skill sets including STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and construction and the built environment-related expertise.

Learning providers can access the Pass on Your Skills vocational practitioner database at www.lluk.org/poys-database.htm. Registration takes five minutes, following which providers can search for and request further details about candidates who match their recruitment needs.

Sexism Bigger Barrier Than Homophobia

New research into the experiences of lesbians in the workplace published this week by Stonewall finds that gay and bisexual women often think their gender is more of a barrier to success at work than their sexual orientation. However, for those who have felt able to come out at work, the personal and professional benefits have been considerable.

The Double-Glazed Glass Ceiling, sponsored by Lloyds TSB, finds that many gay and bisexual women fear gender discrimination and, as a result, are more likely to hide their sexual orientation.

The report features interviews with lesbian and bisexual women from both the private and public sectors and discusses their experiences, perceptions and expectations of the impact that their sexuality might have on them at work.

Ruth Hunt, Stonewall Head of Policy, said: ‘Women know that in 2008 the glass ceiling is very much still in place.  What this report shows is that for lesbians, that glass ceiling is double-glazed. It’s no surprise therefore that Britain’s two million lesbians remain almost invisible at work. In publishing this report Stonewall wants to see that change.’

Interviewees pointed to a lack of openly gay women in the workplace, with many expressing the opinion that such role models made a crucial difference to the confidence and profile of lesbians and bisexual women in working environments.

Among the recommendations made by the report are that employers should promote career development opportunities to lesbian and bisexual women and encourage them to develop confidence and assertiveness. It also recommends that employers should support and enable lesbian and bisexual senior members of staff to be out and involved in awareness raising initiatives.

Worried Managers Looking At Education Jobs

Worries about the current economic climate have led to a big jump in enquiries about jobs in the education sector, according to new research from sector skills council Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK). Indeed, enquiries about teacher training jumped 41% in the last month alone. An increase of 300% on December 2007.

According to LLUK, of over 2,000 managers polled across the UK, over half would value a job which would allow them to make a difference and feel as if they’re giving back to society. One in four surveyed would consider a new career in management in the education sector. Nearly 70% of managers admit their current job is not their dream career and almost 80% admit to being indifferent or outright depressed at the thought of continuing in their current career until retirement.

Alan Clarke of LLUK said, “With the threat of redundancy ever present, many managers are actively looking to explore alternative career paths. The FE sector has recognised the transferability of knowledge and skills developed by managers in business and other sectors and has opened the door to applicants to demonstrate how they can make a real difference in the sector. LLUK’s Make a Difference campaign will help talented recruits transition from their current roles into a management career in FE, helping to meet the needs of the sector now and in the future.”

LLUK’s Make a Difference campaign is part of the Catalyst programme, and aims to encourage management candidates from all sectors to consider developing their careers by taking up management roles in the FE sector.

(Source: LLUK press release)

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.”

Have You Registered?

As members are probably aware, following the introduction of government reforms in 2007, learning providers that deliver further education provision through a contract or funding agreement with the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) are required to ensure that all their trainers, tutors and teachers:

• register as members of the Institute for Learning (IfL) by 30 September 2008
• undertake at least 30 hours’ continuing professional development (CPD) each year (prorated for part-time trainers)
• abide by IfL’s Code of Professional Practice.

The reforms apply to learning providers operating in work-based, adult and community, offender and voluntary sector settings.

IfL will be hosting events for HR and staff development managers and senior leaders to understand the impact of the new regulations on their organisations, and the opportunities for staff development:

London: 2 September 2008
Birmingham: 3 September 2008
Leeds: 4 September 2008

For more details on these briefings, and to download a booking form, please see the Ifl website. To register as a member of the Institute please go to the IfL registration page.