There are three centres of interest. Firstly, managers want to control anything that heightens costs. Secondly, managers are interested in anything that affects productivity such as competence, behaviour and the exploitation of technology. Thirdly, managers focus on variables that reduce competitive advantage through low staff motivation. This covers variables like commitment, engagement and leadership. But reports produced must provide insight. Here's how.

Many espouse the need for improved productivity but few have a formula for how to achieve it. In a Guardian article, the New Economic Foundation argues that if consumers have more money in their pockets, they will spend it. Spending is encouraged by giving employees more annual holidays. Firms will spend the resulting increased profits by investing in productivity. So, increased spending by reducing taxes, increasing minimum wage and giving more holidays will cause increased productivity. But will it work?

When it comes to HR data, there is a wealth of it to be collected and analysed. Indeed, the saying “if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it” arguably holds true - how can you decide what to do to improve absence levels, and therefore sickness-related costs, for example, if you have no clue what those absence levels are? And yet, just because you can measure it, does not mean you should. This blog (the first of two) sets out what data you might gather and how you might interpret what you do.

A research consultant called. She needed to estimate the number of firms engaging workers abroad. Our own view at TimelessTime is that the number of foreign workers contracted is huge – though embraced more by some sectors than others. Here's our estimate. But paying people abroad is easy. Managing them to compliance, let alone excellence, is another ball game.

At some stage it will be right for those who start the firm to stop, close it or transfer it to someone else. It will be time to Turn! Turn! Turn! But how should this be done and over what timescale? The answer to this conundrum is to develop an exit plan, and the sooner the better after start-up. At least if a plan exists, it can be revised year by year.

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.