For the first time in history, four generations will participate in the workplace at the same time. And although the integration of these generations can happen smoothly, for many companies this poses significant challenges. There is, however, one common denominator between these widely varied groups: they are all looking for flexibility at work. Due to…
Managing talent in the workplace is not an easy task during an economic downturn. Most companies focus more on survival strategies and cost efficiencies than on expansion and growth. As a consequence, HR has been working on redundancies, social plans and exit strategies, while salary increases and training budgets have been slashed. Talent management might…
The optimistic belief that globalization will lead to unlimited growth has come to an end. As has been mentioned above, the world is somewhat flat, but not as flat as we initially assumed. Legislation, cultural and religious differences determine and influence how we live our lives in different parts of the world, sometimes even in…
The recession has redrawn the blueprints of the business world, and nowhere more so have these changes been felt than in the HR department. A new flexible ‘hybrid HR’ approach is crucial for HR to succeed in this new decade. Traditional HR models offered the choice between OnPremise, OnDemand and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). Hybrid HR…
Every crisis has a tendency to act as a catalyst and bring to the surface issues, which are in need of resolution. Crises bring uncertainty and disruption to the normal way of working, forcing people to be creative in how they look for solutions, either by utilizing what is already in place or combining existing…
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell I bought this book because I enjoyed two previous books written by this author: Blink and The Tipping Point. And even though Malcolm Gladwell once again provides a highly entertaining read, I came away disappointed, as this book does not deliver on its promiss. Nevertheless, the author is very adept at…
Why Should Anyone Be Led By You? by Rob Gallee and Gareth Jones If you are in a leadership position, this is a question you should ask yourself on a regular base: How can you as a leader inspire the people around you? The authors use a combination of research and interviews, as well as…
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely Over 200 year ago, Adam Smith already knew that the economist should not ignore emotions, feelings and morality as aspects of human behavior, but instead treat them as topics worthy of investigation. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, it seems that many…
The Perfect Prey by Jeroen Smit A collegue recommended that I should read this book while on holiday. It was a terrific read. Jeroen Smit has done a wonderful job in describing the rise and fall of one of the largest Dutch banks and has managed to write a fascinating story. The book reads like a…
When (turbulent) developments in the external environment lead to the need for change within the company, this must be based on reliable data and analyses. This is to avoid that organization continually reacts to changes at the expense of its chosen direction incorporated in the mission and vision. For HR this means having detailed (quantitative and…
The extent, in which HR is accepted by the business as strategic partner, is based on the credibility of the HR department. If HR operates as a business partner, it must ensure that the HR department is run in a professional manner. Too often the operational tasks of the HR department influence their capability to…
The borders of the traditional company are fading: depending on the contract, another company can be either a competitor or a partner, or sometimes even both at the same time. The result of this is that companies work together in various combinations: sometimes assignments are fulfilled in-house, and sometimes an assignment is carried out by…
