Annual Do 2017

By cracky, has another year really flown by?

Well, yes, it has actually. 

And what a year it has been!

Brexit. Trump. Elections elsewhere across Europe too. And not forgetting the global impact of Brangelina, of course. And so it was against a backdrop of political, economic, social and celeb uncertainty that the IHRF gathered for it's 5th annual get-together.

What follows is a short summary of the two days. However, for the first time ever, whilst reading all about it you can also access the presentations by clicking on the following link. Cool, eh? 

http://jmp.sh/dCeHd2c

Hopefully it works - I have a patchy record when it comes to technology :)

So without further ado, let's go!

Day One kicked off with our traditional "big cheese" slot, which was capably filled by Andy Smith, from Severn Trent. In taking us through his career journey and thoughts on HR, the key takeaways were:

- Get involved in the "muck and bullets". Understand the front line, experience the operations of the business. "The business" is not separate from HR!

- Make allowances for different ways of doing things in different countries.

- Always anticipate the human impact of what you are trying to do.

- Encourage diversity and business benefits will follow.

- The three ingredients for effective leadership - think, pace, team.

- Come armed with solutions, not just advice.

- Despite the proliferation of technology and advance of automation, "the human touch" is still vital.

Tiffany Gaskell from Performance Consultants International was up next. It's always good to get a true pioneer up on stage - PCI was founded by the late Sir John Whitmore, who did much to introduce coaching to the workplace and was the inventor of the GROW model. Tiffany led a practical and interactive session that encompassed the following:

- Performance equals Potential minus Interference (P = p - i).

- Coaching is a safe place to improve performance and unlock potential.

- There is a "performance curve" that interacts with culture to enable a move from "things happen", to "I follow the rules", to "I am a high performer", to "we are truly successful together".

Jasmine Gartner led a session on engagement. The main points were:

- Hardly any change in the % of employees who are disengaged, as per Gallup's research it has been at around 33% for the past 30 years. This costs the UK economy between £52bn and £70bn per year.

- The key drivers of engagement are the provision of a strategic narrative, and the feeling on the part of employees that they are being listened to.

- Surveys only work if they are regular, and something happens.

Jon Ingham (Strategic Dynamics) threw caution to the wind and relied on flipcharts rather than powerpoint. Brave man, but it worked well! Jon was all over the use and impact of social media before social media had really taken off, and took us through the key messages arising from his forthcoming book "The Social Organisation". 

- Social capital (people's connections, relationships and conversations) are as important as organisation capital (structures, systems, processes etc) and human capital (employees, and their skills and capabilities).

- Manage the paradox between HR's focus on the individual and the business being built around teams.

- OD drivers include people (communities, inward focus), infrastructure (functions, divisions), work (project teams) and relationships (networks with an outward focus). There are "melds" between these drivers.

- These drivers should be underpinned by social technologies e.g. WorkPlace by Facebook, Sharepoint, Slack, Jive.

John Bell from A Different View took us through the steps to take to develop an effective EVP. Key themes:

- Base it on "what is your why".

- Recognize different needs - one size doesn't fit all.

- The EVP needs actively managing across the entire HR lifecycle.

- There should be a clear connection with the values of the org, and how it also shows externally.

- Test with your customers, shareholders and other stakeholders before going live.

- Don't be tempted to try and explain everything in your EVP.

- Measure it...

Technology and mobility are driving a sea-change in how recognition in the workplace can be mobilized. Chase Dolomont from Achievers explored the 7 key principles for a successful recognition strategy:

- Make it inclusive.

- Make it pervasive. 

- Make sure leaders are involved in building a culture of recognition.

- Recognize frequently.

- Recognize with and without reward.

- Tie recognition to business values and goals.

- Leverage technology.

Day Two kicked off in sombre mood, at least on my part, given Fulham were knocked out of the playoffs the night before. Fortunately Nicola Josephs from the CEB was on hand to lift spirits with valuable insights on change management.

- Change is the new constant, on average organisations have experienced 5 enterprise changes in the last 3 years.

- Traditional models of top-down change need to shift to open source change, where change strategies are co-created with employees, there is employee ownership of change implementation plans, and communications focus on two-way dialog rather than one-way telling.

- Seven key "lessons": permanence isn't a requirement for success, repetition doesn't make change easier, employees have to get it rather than like it, change is key person rather than key leader dependent, employee readiness rather than willingness is key to success, a clear goal matters more than a perfect plan, and change implementation should be adaptable rather than consistent.

Mike Haffenden, he of CRF/PARC/Strategic Dimensions fame, was up next. In a week of manifestos, I suggested that he had done well in releasing the "HR Manifesto" before Jeremy Corbyn had launched the Labour Party's communist manifesto, and Theresa May had launched the Conservative Party's UKIP manifesto. He was clearly put our by being mentioned in the same breath as Jeremy Corbyn, but rallied well to challenge the "industry" that has built up around HR and propose through the HR Manifesto that the role of HR is to focus on where the true value is by delivering core operational services, creating a high performance work environment, managing talent, and improving performance. This is difficult work, and will require:

- Analysis before action.

- A theoretical underpin.

- A clear business case.

- Effective project planning and management.

- Involvement and communication.

- Delivery.

How exactly do you rev up team performance at a time when the pace of change means the average longevity of a team has been steadily decreasing? Stand up Alyse Ashton and Richard Spence from Team Healthcheck to lead a practical session to explore this with us. 

- Drive improvements in positivity and productivity.

- Be aware of what makes for an effective team e.g. psychological safety, shared airtime, empathy, leadership, stimulate social connections, etc.

- Encourage diversity in teams. 

- Constantly review which teams are important, what is working well, what can be improved.

- Use tools (e.g. Team Healtcheck!) to drive effectiveness.

John Stuart, founder and CEO of Active Inspiration, bounded up to the stage next. Funded by the European Space Agency and Oxford University, he outlined:

- The latest research that demonstrates a clear link between exercise, happiness, productivity and retention. 

- How the Active Inspiration platform shows that through enabling measurement, setting challenges, and providing rewards incentivizes people to exercise more.

- A major research project just launched in conjunction with Leeds University to set challenges across a number of employers to determine effectiveness and outcomes.

Diversity and inclusion has been an increasingly prominent part of our annual events, and Kalwant Gil (PatchWork Quilt) explored with us how to take diversity beyond the usual compliance route by looking at:

- How traditional approaches have not had the desired impact.

- Overcoming resistance to change.

- Ownership of initiatives. 

- Changing mindsets and perceptions.

- Incorporating diversity in to organisational culture and structures.

- Masculine and feminine traits and how they show up in leadership situations.

- The need to base any programs on sound situational analysis, leadership education and change management.

Drawing two days of fun and frolics to a close fell to Alan Crozier from q4. How do organisations become more resilient in a world of increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity? By moving from fragile to agile... The key differentiators are:

- Role clarity.

- A culture that supports experimentation and innovation.

- Capturing external ideas.

- Having process-based capabilities.

- Strong operational discipline.

- Internal competitiveness. 

- Meaningful values.

- Knowledge sharing.

- Inspirational leaders.

- Ongoing performance reviews.

- Deploying an Agility Index to measure engagement (commitment and alignment). This can be accessed via www.q4metrics.com/agility/le

  

And with that, the 5th Annual Do was over, and the merry band of delegates decamped for a beer or two before heading off in to the driving rain.

As ever, a huge thanks to Adam Hartley and the team at DLA Piper for hosting the event, and also for providing the two employment law updates during the two days. 

Many thanks too for all the delegates who invested £0 in money but plenty in terms of their own time to come along and take part in this. The power of this event lies not just in what is heard up on stage, but also in what gets shared during the breaks.

And finally, a standing ovation accompanied by some whooping and hollering to all the contributors who gave up their valuable time to share their thoughts, perspectives and expertise. Hugely invaluable.

Will there be a 6th Annual Do? Of course... The planning for that will start in a few months time, and hopefully not coincide with GCSEs, Fulham in the play-offs, and assorted other distractions! Any volunteers for content, ideas, etc. gratefully received! 

Until then, toodlepip amigos :)

Brexit Update

I just thought it would be worth pulling together a quick update following Theresa May's speech yesterday.

She outlined the following 12 areas of focus.

To facilitate an opt-out of the principle of freedom of movement, and to avoid paying contributions to the EU budget, Britain will no longer be a member of the single market. 

Full membership of the customs union has been ruled out. The theory is that this will enable Britain to do free trade deals with other countries. She did howwever go on to muddy the waters somewhat by suggesting that we could be an "associate" member of the customs union.

Not surprisingly, the PM said that Brexit would enable Britain to control immigration from the EU. There were no specifics around what sort of immigration system there would be, or how Britain would be able to continue to "attract the brightest and the best" (her words).

Notwithstanding the last point, the PM did indicate that she wanted to guarantee the rights of the 3m EU citizens already living in Britain, as well as the rights of 1.2m British citizens living in other EU countries. 

There was a pledge to maintain freedom of movement across the Ireland / Northern Ireland border.

The PM said that the government would take back control of our laws and the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice would end.

There was a pledge to continue to cooperate with the EU on crime, intelligence sharing, terrorism, law enforcement and foreign affairs.

The PM stressed the need for a "phased process of implementation" after the Article 50 process, rather than a cliff-edge. In particular, Britain will be seeking transitional deals on trade, immigration, customs systems, and financial services regulation.

On workers rights, the PM suggested that the government would not only protect the rights of workers set out in EU legislation, but build on them. 

The PM stated that she wanted Britain to continue collaboration with the EU on science, research and technology initiatives. 

The PM said that she wanted Brexit to strengthen the union, so will continue to hold joint ministerial committee meetings on EU negotiations.

Both Houses of Parliament will be given a vote on any final deal with the EU before it comes into force. In theory, a parliamentary veto of any deal would not stop Brexit, just the terms of any Brexit deal that had been laid before parliament. Most political commentators this morning have suggested in reality a veto would probably trigger a general election.

So where does this all leave us from an HR perspective?

In much the same position as before!

It is "business as usual" until:

1. Article 50 has been triggered.

2. The fine print of any deal becomes clearer...

3. ...and has been approved by both Houses of Parliament.

4. Any transitional arrangements have been implemented.

From an employment law perspective, the smart money remains on not making any significant changes to the basic structure of the current legal framework. Why?

- Much of the employment protection reflects accepted standards of good employee relations practices.

- Some EU legislation supplemented rights that were already enshrined in UK law.

- In some areas, UK law goes further than EU legislation.

- Some UK employment laws are domestic in origin.

- In maintaining strong trading relationships with Europe, the UK will need to demonstrate that it has minimum employment protections in place.

So at most we should expect to see changes to laws that will not be viewed as an erosion of any fundamental rights e.g. simplifying TUPE, agency worker regulations, redundancy consultation, holiday accrual and pay, etc.

Finally, as per my prior blog on this subject (see "Brexit Briefing"), during this time businesses should continue to maintain engagement and motivation during a prolonged period of uncertainty. 

And in the longer term, it remains to be seen whether Brexit will be followed by Grexit, Departugal, Italeave, Fruckoff, Czechout, Finish, Slovakout, Latervia, Byegium, and any other corny national terms for leaving the UE you can come up with :)

Brexit Briefing

We live in strange times... The amount of news over the last 6 weeks is what you would normally find over a 6-month period, and at the centre of much of this news has been Brexit, the implications of which are still spreading uncertainty across the political, economic, business and social landscape.

Some 35 IHRF members got together to enjoy (I think that is the right word!) a Brexit Breakfast Briefing, with a spot of lunch thrown in at the end as well.

The event was not so much one to debate the merits of otherwise of holding a referendum over EU membership or indeed the outcome of that referendum, although it would be fair to say that some views did emerge as the morning progressed! 

The purpose of the session was actually to cover off:

1. The Brexit timeline.

2. The potential implications of Brexit on the employment law scene.

3. What we as HR professionals need to do to ensure continuity during uncertain times.

So, what were the key takeaways?

THERE IS STILL A LONG WAY, AND TIME, TO GO. SO KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.

Leaving the EU is conditional upon the UK parliament repealing the European Communities Act 1972, and the UK government invoking Article 50, and from that point on it's a 2-year process. 

Mr. Juncker, despite his fervent desire to do so, is not in a position to invoke Article 50 on behalf of the EU. Only the member state (the UK, in this instance) can trigger the process.

Along the way there are a shed-load of unknowns to work through, including (but not limited to):

- The shape and effectiveness of the new government.

- The prospect of a snap general election.

- Whether MPs (most of who are Remainers) will repeal the European Communities Act.

- What shape any trade deals will take. The Norwegian model? Or how about the Swiss one? Oh, and don't leave Canada out of the equation either...

- Have we actually seen the last of Nigel Farage??

Given all the unknowns, the "Dad's Army Law" (DON'T PANIC!) applies. Until things become more concrete, it's business as usual... Until we are formally out of the EU, the UK will remain subject to EU law and the decisions of the ECJ.

IMPACT DURING THE BREXIT NEGOTIATION PERIOD

Key points:

- No change to employment law.

- Where HQ changes, relocations, job losses etc. are on the cards, then the usual rules and protections apply. Be aware of the potential for nationality discrimination in selecting non-UK workers for redundancy, or not selecting UK workers for overseas opportunities...

WHILST THE POST-BREXIT LANDSCAPE IS A BIT FUZZY, WE CAN ANTICIPATE SOME THINGS RE EMPLOYMENT LAW...

Whilst the future shape of EU-derived UK employment law will ultimately depend on the deal struck with the EU, there are unlikely to be major changes given so much EU employment law is incorporated in to UK law and social policy.

Examples covered off:

- Immigration: see below.

- Working time: largely unchanged, although there may be increased flexibility on working hours, and changes to holiday pay entitlements.

- TUPE: unlikely to disappear, but there could be a relaxation in the information and consultation requirements, increased scope to change Ts and Cs, and a reduction in the protective award.

- Redundancy consultation: will remain, but possible changes could include an increased threshold to trigger collective consultation and reduced sanctions.

- Worker status: more flexibility around definition and rights.

- Agency Worker regs: given the unpopularity of this, it may get repealed.

- Discrimination legislation: possible changes with qualifying periods to bring a claim, and introducing a cap on compensation.

- Financial services regulations: a removal of the restrictions on remuneration?

- Pensions: no immediate impact (apart from market volatility impacting funds!).

Immigration is an obvious area of concern given most employers rely on varying degrees on migrant labour. Main points:

- No immediate changes. EU nationals continue to have the right to freedom of movement.

- Future immigration policy is dependent on the deal struck with the EU. Options include having EU citizens treated the same as other migrants from outside the EU, or adopting an Australian-style points based system, or no change as part of a Norwegian-style free trade agreement with the EU.

- The other consideration is whether there may be an "amnesty" on EU employees working in the UK at the point of Brexit.

All the above has got to be seen in the context of other issues relating to the UK extracting itself from the EU being of a higher priority - e.g. trade deals. Employment law is probably quite low down the pecking order.

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING, WHAT CAN WE DO?

Good question, given not a lot is crystal clear yet.

Think about the following:

- Your engagement strategy with your workforce during these uncertain times. See below.

- Auditing your workforce. Specifically the EU nationals you have, and what roles they are doing. Anticipate whether they will be wanting to stay or leave, and work through any contingency plans from an org perspective.

- Review employees you have on secondment, and any visa implications which may arise in the event of any changes.

- Remember, EU citizens with over 5 years in the UK will have indefinite leave to remain.

- Show leadership, and keep things in perspective.

ITS GOOD TO TALK...

There was a discussion about how employers maintain engagement and motivation during a prolonged period of uncertainty. The key themes to emerge were:

- Good communication starts from the top.

- Be clear on the objective of any communications. Show leadership, address concerns, re-connect people, reinforce "business as usual", etc.

- Equip line managers to deal with queries.

- Make any messaging apolitical (i.e. don't take "Remain" or "Leave" sides).

- Make any comms inclusive of both UK and international workforces.

- Provide a platform for open dialog. 

- Be watchful for any harassment and discrimination, and remind employees of the ned for dignity at work.  

Perspective is key. Nothing has happened yet, and there is a long way to go. The UK is a major economy and a huge market, so there are trade deals to be had. And in terms of companies moving staff to Frankfurt, Paris, etc. then it is worth remembering the UK employment law scene is more benign than in most other EU countries. 

AND FINALLY...

Why does Britain like tea so much? Because tea leaves...

A huge thanks to Adam Hartley from DLA Piper for stumping up the venue and making the sandwiches. Oh, and for presenting most of the content.

And a huge thanks to all of you who braved the sweltering conditions (it's not often you can say that!!) to participate in the event.

"This one has got legs", so as things do become a bit clearer over the coming months I am sure a follow-up will be arranged. Watch this space.

Adieu, as they say over the Channel. See EU later.

Annual Do 2016

Another year, another Annual Do! Golly…where does the time go?

This Do was a bit special, as some of the older hands amongst us worked out at last year’s event that this one would coincide with the 10^th anniversary of the IHRF being founded!

I mentioned this in my opening preamble, which prompted an interruption from Andy Gillham to present me with a gift to mark the event. So it’s a large thanks from me for all who had a hand in this lovely surprise, to Andy for his kind words, and of course to all the members who over the years have made the IHRF what it is.

First up for our now-traditional guest CEO slot was David Shaw, he of Energis and Cable & Wireless fame. He took us through a few “life stories” to highlight the following top tips:

- Make sure people are front and centre of the narrative.

- Know your business. Intimately. From top to bottom.

- The least accurate predictor of future performance is prior experience.

- Don’t let systems and processes get in the way of doing the right thing with people.

- HR should be a business enabler, not a policeman. Make people, and businesses, brilliant.

- HR need to lead business transformations which impact people.

- The business case for HR-led transformation is stratospheric returns.

- One third are already there. One third will never get there, so move on. Focus on the “swing third”.

- Be the best that you can be. Make the world a better place than it was yesterday.

Engagement surveys are a “hot topic”, and Andy Brown, CEO of the appropriately named Engage, took us through the latest trends and developments:

- A shift from “off-the-shelf” to tailored/bespoke approaches.

- A move from annual surveys to “continuous listening”.

- Looking at integrated analytics rather than isolated data to deliver richer insights.

- More care around benchmarking, given it doesn’t make you any better, it just tells you where you are…

- Key drivers for engagement are connection with strategy (future growth), connection with customers, and connection with the employer.

- It’s all about how we manage people, empower people, deliver outstanding customer experience, communicate, develop and recognise performance, and lead the business.

- The use of technology (apps) to obtain and deliver feedback is proliferating.

Taking time out to look at our own skills-set has always been one of the aims of these events, and looking at how we develop impactful comms that resonate and grab people’s attention was the theme of our next guest, Ann Booth-Clibborn. Her seven top tips were:

- Be aware of the main character or group. Just who is the audience.

- Create a different world that people will be inspired to enter.

- Keep things personal and personable.

- “Jeopardy”… What’s at risk? Why is it important? Why should we care?

- What’s the inciting incident? What kicked the story off? Where’s it heading?

- The structure… Start, meat ‘n’ potatoes, conclude.

- The story question. What will keep the audience engaged?

After lunch and Adam Hartley’s first irreverent legal update, Danny Kalman took time to outline the business case for diversity. Based on a new book he has co-authored with Steve Frost (please contact Danny for an exclusive IHRF discount!!), diversity done well enables businesses to:

- Attract the best.

- Drive engagement through building cultures in which employees feel valued.

- Increase creativity, openness to change, and understanding of new markets.

Succession planning was up next, and Chris Seabourne from the Succession Planning Company (we seemed to have attracted companies with “does what it says on the tin” names this year!) joined us to outline how to create an integrated approach in this critical area.

- Recognize that times have changed… Command and Control has moved through several iterations to the Dawn of the Millenials.

- Succession planning is more vital than ever given globalisation, competition, etc – only employees can deliver competitive advantage.

- There are a range of considerations at play e.g. role requirements, role criticality, employee experiences and capabilities, employee ability and capability to progress, cultural issues, etc.

- Typically the process is inward-looking and a snapshot in time.

- Need to move to “active succession planning” that considers external as well as internal factors and is based on an ongoing conversation.

Day One was rounded off in energetic style by Roger Philby, founder and CEO of the Chemistry Group. Using the pioneering work they have been doing with Reading FC, Roger made the following points:

- Companies may have the right talent, but not harnessed in the right way then there will be a lack of achievement.

- There is no “silver bullet” that can predict the future success of talent.

- Talent is traditionally looked at through the wrong lens – degree, work experience, etc – that have little correlation with future performance and potential.

We then adjourned to the 11^th floor, to partake in some beverages whilst taking in some pretty stunning views of good ol’ London Town.

Mark Bowden from Deloittes kicked off Day Two with a summary of the findings from their annual report on trends in global human capital management. Key findings:

- HR transitioning from a “service provider” to valued talent, design and employee experience consultants. Mark outlined Deloitte’s new “High Impact Operating Model”.

- There is a “perfect storm” of changing workforce demograghics, the proliferation of digitial technology, the increased pace of change, and a new “social contract” between employers and employees that organisations need to respond to.

- New models of talent management, performance reviews, 360 feedback and succession are emerging.  

- The design of HR policies, processes and systems need to have employee experience at the heart of them.

“Coopervision – The Sequel”. Sounds like a dodgy movie but was in fact Martin Percival feeding back how the integration of Sauflon had progressed since the acquisition last year.

- Key challenges included the pause whilst the competition authorities reviewed the deal, the duplication of skills in the same countries, proliferation of job titles, different cultures and communication styles, etc.

- The approach was to retain the best, to take a pan-European approach, to consolidate job titles, to have clear plans for each country, and to consult and engage.

- Some things went well e.g. people changes, the performance of the HR team, the OD work, collaboration between the various G&A functions, outplacement, manager support, individual and collective consultations, etc.

- There were learnings e.g. get a grip on multiple sources of data sooner, being clearer to managers on ARD issues, clarity of senior leadership communications, more effective onboarding of transferees, stronger engagement and retention planning, and issues within the supply chain.

Gillian Murray then joined us to highlight the work Pilotlight do in harnessing the skills of business leaders giving voluntary time to help coach key people in a variety of charitable organisations. Anyone interested in promoting this service should contact Gillian directly, as per the mail I sent out to the IHRF on 19 May.

Confused by all this talk about Baby Boomers, Gen Y, Gen X, Gen Z, and (most recently) Gen K? Yep, me too. Fortunately we had Stehanie Lunn and Chris Wood on hand to navigate the choppy waters. They:

- Outlined the various generations that constitute the current workforce.

- Provided some stats and stories around millennials.

- Outlined strategies that businesses could adopt to engage and motivate millennials in the workforce.

- Key themes were the blurring of work/life, loyalty to self development rather than their employer, hunger for information, continuous connectivity, respect for knowledge rather than hierarchy, a desire for flexing working arrangements, a preference to specialize in what they are good at rather than go in to management, etc.

Adam Hartley brought the lunch break to an end with an overview of developments in European employment law, and managed to do this without being too disparaging about France!

Annemie Ress (Purple Beach) then took us through the concept of exponential organisations – companies which enjoy disproportionate success relative to their peers. Check out what work Singularity University is doing in this area. Exponential organisations are characterised by:

- Autonomy and technology, “Massive Transformational Purpose”, experimentation, innovation and open leadership.     

- The “6 Ds” – digitisation, deception, disruption, de-monetisation, de-materialisation.

Up next was the Alice Breedon (Google) / Jeff Wellstead (Digital Works Consulting) double-act to take us through the increasing use of data and analytics in the world of HR. Key themes:

- It is possible to have predictive algorithms for certain walks of HR life but people should still make people decisions.

- Google’s “8 Qualities of a Great Manager”: good coach, empower rather than micro-manage, take a personal interest in team members, results orientation, good communicator, facilitate development, clarity of vision and strategy, appropriate technical skills.

- Research trumps best practice…

- There are plenty of neat tools out there that can quickly link HR metrics to business strategy and help inform programs, complex decisions, etc.

- Explore data to predict outcomes and inform decisions, then share results in easy-to-consume ways.

And it had all been going so well… Our first major technical hitches of the Annual Do saved themselves up for the last session, but a lack of video didn’t stop Gordon Barker from Great{With}Talent leading an interactive session on how to lead transformational change. Built on the themes from the book/film “Into the Void”, we explored the following:

- Performance is not a predictor of how people will cope with future change.

- People tend to focus on the negatives associated with change, whereas the reality is change generates energy which is easier to move than inertia.

- There needs to be a compelling reason behind any change.

- Change is a constant. It is about transformation, a journey.

- Leaders need to work with ambiguity, ensure that the DNA of performance is in place, and involve all people in any change.

- Stages of change: denial, resistance, acceptance, exploration, commitment.

And that brought down the heavy but impressively swish velvet curtain on our fourth Annual Do. As ever, a big shout-out for Adam and his team at DLA Piper for providing the venue, food, beers and nibbles. Likewise, thanks to all the contributors for volunteering their time to share knowledge and inspire others. And finally, a big thanks to all the members who took time out of their busy lives to come along, learn, network, contribute and have a spot of fun along the way.

Our next Annual Do will be our 5^th. Little did I know when we first kicked this off that what was an experiment would turn out to be such a tour de force in the IHRF calendar. Planning will start in a few months but if anyone out there would like to take part then just let me know…

And so it’s goodbye from me, and it’s goodbye from me.

Annual Do 2015

Blimey… Doesn’t time fly? The third Annual Do was upon us, yet it only seemed like a few months ago since the last one!

After a themeless couple of years, at risk of getting a bit more formal than usual I floated the idea of having “Growth” as the theme for this year’s Annual Do. No, not the growth of my 18 year old son, because if anything he has been regressing and with his current trajectory he will revert to being a foetus, but how the growth strategies of businesses often miss out the people dynamic, and what we as a profession can do to ensure that growth at an individual, team and organizational level can be nurtured.

Hearing from a CEO on their perspectives for what execs look for from their HR team has become a customary part of these events now and it was a pleasure to have the ex-CEO of B&Q, Martyn Phillips, along. There was a moment of panic the day before as he said that he had sustained a bad strain during a rugby match, but in he hobbled… Never in doubt. What made Martyn’s insights all the more, well, insightful, were the fact that he actually started life in HR, and also because of his humility in discussing the challenges he encountered as the boss of a large, high-profile business. So what were the key nuggets?

• All senior executives are insecure and need a strong co-pilot for support. This is where HR have a key role to play by enabling the executives to focus on the right things, and by being the eyes, ears and conscience of the organization.
• Hire right… First rate people hire first rate people. Second rate people hire third rate people.
• Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Use your strengths, and use others in your weak areas.
• Be transparent with talent management. Ongoing performance reviews, and having talent review discussions with the people under review in the room.
• Know how organizations work, and how to get things done. “Get in the flow”.

Next up was e2v’s Dina Knight. She took us through a review or organization capability that she led to assess readiness to deliver the strategic plan. It is now a process that is ran by HR but the content is very much owned by the business and whilst the outlook is 3 years the plan is continually updated in response to and changes. The key components of the review are:

• Long term strategy.
• Any forseeable changes to the shape or size of the organization.
• Leadership succession.
• Talent acquisition requirements.
• A skills analysis which identifies capability gaps, emerging requirements, declining skills, etc
• Capability development.
• Retention and attrition trends.

After an unscheduled break, mainly because I forgot to schedule one in for the morning session, John Cunnell from Comptryx took to the stage (well, OK, floor) to highlight the importance of workforce analytics as a means of providing data and delivering information that drives business strategy and enables us to determine the optimal size, shape, mix and cost for our businesses. Key metrics to benchmark against comparable businesses may include:

• Revenue per head.
• Average salary.
• Payroll as a % of revenue.
• Workforce ratio (support, professional, management, executive).
• Spans of control.
• Churn rates.  
• Percent of staff promoted.
• Gender by function and level.
• HR staffing. In tech, HR typically accounts for 1.4% of total headcount and 1.6% of payroll costs.

Adam Hartley from DLA took the post-lunch slot to provide an update on developments in UK employment law.

OD specialist Win Dhat, who heads up the European practice for consultancy Kates Kessler, then provoked much discussion through proposing that more complex business strategies have resulted in more complex organization structures and that this means a need to review whether the model for HR needs to evolve further. Win argued that:

• There is a need to balance global decision making and the leverage that provides, with local decision making and the agility which that provides.
• HR resources lack flexibility, work is generated at too low a level, and despite the proliferation of shared services work is still not coming off the HRBP’s plate.
• In addition to the model that supports Centres of Excellence, Shared Services and HR Business Partners, a new component that enables delivery is also required. Many in the room felt that this was already catered for in the current model, and that this separation of delivery would only work in large enterprises with scale.

Andy Gillham brought an enjoyable end to Day One through facilitating a power-point free workshop on organization culture. After setting the scene with a definition of culture and some important underlying assertions, not least of which was the central role that a healthy and positive culture has on the long term success of any business, we all split into teams to discuss:

• The key conditions that determine the outcome of any culture change.
• The role HR can play in ensuring that the outcomes of any change are positive.
• What characterizes those organizations that are able to sustain a positive culture.

The fantastic setting for the Annual Do meant that we were all very much looking forward to beers and nibbles on the terrace overlooking St Pauls. Unfortunately rain stopped play…

Day Two started with the need for a Plan B due to a late pull-out of one of our presenters, as she was by her daughter’s side to be a grandmother for the first time it would have been churlish to question her prioritization J

In to the Plan B breach stepped CooperVision’s Martin Percival and Jane Ainsworth, along with Adam Hartley from DLA. What should have been an hour’s whirlwind tour of their recent acquisition of Sauflon turned in to a fascinating two-hour case study which looked at the two organizations, the integration strategy, communications, the assessment process used to build out the integrated sales team, and the legal considerations that cropped up along the way. The key learning points included:

• The need for a thorough due diligence process with early HR involvement.
• Partnering constructively with the HR team from the acquired organization.
• It’s a marathon rather than a sprint, and maintaining business as usual as it all proceeds can be challenging.
• The need for consistent, constant and careful management of expectations.
• Don’t be afraid to professionally exit managers of the acquired organization if they do not want to play a part or look to block progress.

An often overlooked area that is taken for granted yet can be a significant obstacle to growth is the whole issue of cyber security. Jacqui Summons from Clearswift took us through the various forms this could take and the impact (reputational, financial, and/or competitive) any security breach or data loss could have on the business and the role HR has to play in either preventing this in the first place or picking up the pieces after any incident. The key takeaways were:

• Develop and communicate appropriate policies. Particularly ones that deal with today’s challenges e.g. social networking.
• Have clear disciplinary processes to deal with silly mistakes or malicious actions.
• Provide adequate training.
• Be aware of the information that your business has – how critical is it, and how secure is it.
• Implement adequate precautions to protect data.
• Put in place contingency plans to deal with worst case scenarios.

After lunch there was a further DLA update, this time on data privacy (check out www.dladataprotection.com for a free country-by-country resource) and developments in employment law in the key European territories. There were audible gasps in the room when Adam said that it looked like there would be some positive changes to some of the laws in France… Whatever next?

Enter Nigel Baldwin, someone who makes most of us feel totally inadequate by the complexity of the projects that he deals with and the stuff he manages to get through in such a relatively concentrated period of time. Last time it was with Thales, this time it was a project he has been leading at Marshall Aerospace as part of their “Fit for Growth” initiative. The key outcomes of his project has been the transformation of an “unfit for purpose” HR function, the closure of 2 sites, a 15% reduction in force, two acquisitions, revised union recognition arrangements, a new approach to engagement, and the roll-out of new and improved terms and conditions. Rumour has it that Nigel may take a 5 minute break soon J

Clive Bunyan is leading a project to upskill HR capabilities within Ciena. I hope “Being Present” doesn’t figure too highly as yours truly had to take an emergency call and so missed most of what his colleague had to say! The key points to emerge however were:

• The changing skills required of our leaders in increasingly complex times means that the role of HR is evolving, as is the HR model, along with the skills and capabilities needed by HR business partners.
• Companies with high-performance HR teams are far more successful than others (Deloitte, 2014).
• The key emerging capability is one of “Anticipator”. Someone who can use data to predict talent gaps in advance and provides insights about how talent can contribute to business goals. This is dependent on the availability of strategic data and someone with the ability to interpret the data in a meaningful way.
• Related capabilities include personal impact, ability to challenge and provoke, catalyst, coach, and an integrator of resources.

Drawing Day Two and indeed the event to a close was Jason West, who shared a case study on a project he ran in Thales to build an integrated resourcing model to ensure that the business had the capability it needs where and when it needs it. In delivering this project, Jason delivered a £20m reduction in operating costs, drove hiring to 98% direct, and realized a £9m saving over the prior RPO arrangements. The three core components to ensure optimal resource allocation and maximum return on investment are:

• Resource planning. This is a monthly calibration of changing demand for resources from strategic initiatives, the sales pipeline and customer demand.
• Internal mobility. This is the ability to quickly and efficiently deploy permanent and contingent resources to product lines, projects and functions.
• External recruitment. Acquire, select and retain the best talent from the market.

And so that was it, the curtain came down on another successful Annual Do. It had been a rich two days with a good blend of external expertise, and knowledge sharing from within the IHRF itself.

 

A massive shout-out (yoof speak, I believe, for “thank you very much”) to all of those who volunteered to take to the stage. And many thanks too for those who turned up. Taking two days out of a busy work schedule is a daunting thing to do, but I would contend that (assuming you are capable of putting the BlackBerry to one side and taking time away from the hurly-burly) it is time well spent. Not just from the information sharing, but the opportunity for networking amongst friends and colleagues too.

 

Thanks too to Rob Cook who was my partner-in-crime. When you set the dates for these things months in advance you never consider that they fall in the middle of your son’s AS levels, or that work will get even more super-busy, so to have someone to help chase and harass things in to shape was a relief.

A final word of thanks to Adam Hartley at DLA for once again providing the venue, the refreshments and the legal updates.

The continuing absence of any formality and pretence of professional events administration continues to be well received, so with that in mind I am looking forward to seeing faces familiar and new at the Annual Do next year! As it is also the IHRF’s 10^th anniversary we may have to recognize that in some special way too. Pub crawl and a curry, perhaps J

P.S. I am looking at some form of file sharing platform to put all the materials from the Annual Do on. More to follow on that.