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Mixing internal and external candidates devastates staff commitment
Written by John Berry on 25th September 2017. Revised 17th June 2022.
7 min read
Many managers deliberately mix internal and external recruitment in the hope of selecting the best person for the job from as large a pool as possible. Simply, consider internals first, in isolation. If any internal can do the job – judged by a fixed bar - they go forward with an internals-only contest. Because any one has the ability to excel, a variable bar selection can be used to rank them. Anything else is just wrong, damaging and here’s why.
Stress in the Workplace
Written by John Berry on 3rd May 2017. Revised 17th June 2022.
6 min read
Stress seems to be the one word that reduces otherwise competent managers to gibbering wrecks. It's every manager's nightmare. There is a direct link between stress and long term sickness absence. And often stress issues become long term sickness absence. Act now. Here's how.
Just what is mental health?
Written by John Berry on 2nd August 2021. Revised 17th June 2022.
5 min read
Every day we read that athletes, managers, workers, celebrities and even politicians are leaving their roles to ‘focus on their mental health’. So, what’s it all about? Like a physical malady, A psychological (thought-related) impairment can also cause debilitation. Physical health is where the body can do what the brain wants. Mental health is where the brain can keep up and support the body.
Technology as a force for change
Written by John Berry on 6th May 2017. Revised 17th June 2022.
10 min read
Technology provides a force for change in all businesses. Technologists innovate and develop new technological knowledge and technological artefacts. That technological knowledge helps us do things differently and to innovate within our businesses. The technological artefacts help us do things, but they also do things for us and replace us in things we did previously.
Vacancy Dilemma
Written by John Berry on 21st November 2021. Revised 17th June 2022.
6 min read
At a recent employers’ conference, anguish from the floor centred on inability of firms to find employees with the right skills. And once firms had found someone, they seemed universally unable to keep them. The problem's commonplace. Fundamentally, things have changed. Employers are not looking for the right people, and people are not skilled in the jobs that are available. Here's an approach to a solution.
Making Search Effective
Written by John Berry on 12th November 2021. Revised 17th June 2022.
7 min read
Executive search and recruitment agencies abound. The industry is vibrant but that doesn’t mean all of the players are good at search. Search needs careful planning and thought and time allowed for – and mostly that’s not done. It’s not just about dipping into databases and advertising on jobs boards. Here we set out three key issues where agencies need to improve.
