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Fourteen crass questions managers should not ask at interview
Written by John Berry on 31st August 2020. Revised 22nd February 2021.
6 min read
When asking questions at interview, the manager is looking for evidence that the interviewee is going to excel in the job. Simply, if your questions don’t provide evidence, don’t ask them. If your questions can’t be objectively scored against a required competency, don’t ask them. Here are fourteen popular questions that fail to provide evidence.
Walk then run: the golden rule of personnel development
Written by John Berry on 18th February 2021.0
3 min read
You can’t build on weak foundations. No amount of high-level training can plug the lower-level skills and knowledge gaps. Any re-skilling or technology introduction must begin with an audit of skills and knowledge. Training may be needed to level-up foundation competencies in readiness for specific training on new systems. So… in personnel development, walk, then run.
How will work and the workhome change post-Covid?
Written by John Berry on 27th January 2021. Revised 31st January 2021.
10 min read
A number of modern trends, along with the upset of the Covid virus, have put pressure on firms to accept more flexibility in the way their employees work. Arguably, flexibility and working from home can enhance wellbeing. The drivers for lasting change are there. But so are the difficulties. Time will tell if flexibility and home working take hold universally.
The Role of Competency in Staff Development
Written by Sue Berry on 1st November 2017. Revised 27th January 2021.
9 min read
This article explores effective staff development showcasing a simple but effective competency framework model that can be used by any firm of any size and complexity to explore their competence gap. To understand competence gap you need to know what competencies you have now, what you need for the future, and how you are going to develop your people to bridge the gap.
Achieving the four-day working week
Written by John Berry on 20th November 2018. Revised 27th January 2021.
6 min read
The issue is not if a four-day week would be beneficial to the nation and to its people. That argument’s been made and there are plenty of examples of how well it works. The issue is that our firms are incapable of reducing the working week because shareholders aren’t in it for the long term. And our employees aren’t prepared to earn less or invest in themselves either. It's impasse - but here's an action plan.
What does gender pay gap tell us about society?
Written by Sue Berry on 25th April 2018. Revised 13th January 2021.
10 min read
We know that men and women must be paid equally for jobs of equal value so we can assume that pay discrimination is not the explanation for the recently reported gender pay gaps in most organisations. Our analysis suggests that the cause is something much, much deeper. Deep in society. And no amount of castigating employers will fix it. As a society, universally, women are paid less than men. And we have to fix the attitudes that cause this - in the family, schools and society as a whole.
