Blog - Leadership
When The Temperatures Climb, The Responsibilities Soar
25th Jul 2018Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, Human ResourcesLeadership
We can plan for all kinds of scenarios as HR advisors. We’re often waiting like a coiled spring for the next recruitment wave for one of our clients, or their sudden requirement on a tricky dismissal, or responding when a member of staff walks in the office and announces they’re seven months pregnant! Weather is such a tricky one. While many of us are, for the most part, delighted to...
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Lessons In Management From Southgate
16th Jul 2018Business, Employee Engagement, Human Resources, LeadershipTraining
One of our clients recently invited us to a celebration for an employee who’d been with them 20 years. Perhaps not a long time, when compared with the 35-plus years for which some staff used to pick up watches and clocks and tie-pins in generations gone by, but today, without a shadow of a doubt, two decades is a long time to stay on the same ‘team’. It doesn’t take...
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What do the new GCSE grades mean?
16th Jul 2018Human Resources, Leadership, RecruitmentTraining
If you employ school leavers or apprentices, you’ll begin notice a difference on CV’s coming across your desk soon. If you’re not already aware, the GCSE grading system had an overhaul beginning in 2017 which among other changes sees grades changing from letters to numbers. Instead of grades A* to G, you’ll see the numbers 9 – 1, with 9 being the highest grade. English Language, English Literature and Mathematics...
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Summertime and Retention Protection
9th Jul 2018Employee Engagement, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
What’s more infectious than a common cold in the workplace? What’s likely to set the jungle-drums of workplace gossip on fire more so than when the guy from sales disappeared with the woman from finance at the Christmas party? Answer? A plague of summertime resignations. Okay, it’s not necessarily the case that scores of staff will go handing in their notice during the summer period, but as it’s likely to...
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Why You Should Choose MAD-HR!
25th Jun 2018Human Resources, Leadership, RecruitmentUncategorised
A (Moving) Picture Speaks Louder Than Words We're very lucky to have lots of wonderful clients in our MAD-HR crowd. We know HR is not the easiest topic for business people to open up about, there are so many private and personal aspects to it, but we have some clients who want to explain why they chose us. Firstly John Jackaman from Infusions Ltd. Enjoy! John's testimonial is lovely and we're...
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What’s the Solution to Finding and Keeping the Best Talent?
10th Jun 2018Business, Change Management, Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human Resources, Leadership, RecruitmentTraining
If I could name one question which gets asked of me most among new and existing clients, it’s along the lines of ‘how do I find and keep the best talent?’ As consultants in the HR world, there’s not a week goes by where we’re not asked to help a company who are losing a key member of staff, wanting to recruit that ‘Superstar Employee’, or once again battling their...
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Succession Planning & Talent Spotting are the Key to Diversity
5th Jun 2018Employee Engagement, Employment Law, Human Resources, Leadership, RecruitmentTraining
For our latest blog, MAD-HR founder Carole Burman discusses talent-spotting, board diversity, and succession planning. Last week saw reaction travel far and wide, over a new report which revealed major companies had some pretty dire excuses as to why they’re not appointing women to the board. The findings of the government-backed Hampton-Alexander Review were that CEOs at some FTSE 350 companies were still of the belief that women would not...
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How To Create a Great Culture and How Can You Measure It
31st Oct 2017Business, Employee Engagement, Human ResourcesLeadership
If you can create a great culture in your organisation, everything else will fall into place. Great culture results in a happy and stable workforce, reliable teamwork, high productivity, increased profits and the realisation of business plans. So how to achieve it…… Listen and Respond to your team. Your employees are your most important asset and when they feel valued, they will be loyal, perform at their very best and...
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How To Effectively Manage Probationary Periods
19th Oct 2017Business, Change Management, Human Resources, Leadership, RecruitmentTraining
Probationary periods for a new recruit are now commonplace. The use of a Probationary period is at the discretion of the employer in terms of whether to have one and if so, how long the period should be. The main purpose is to assess performance, and suitability for the role and organisation, in a set timeframe, with the ability to not continue employment if the employer is not satisfied....
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Growing Your Business with a Winning Team
16th Oct 2017Business, Employee Engagement, Human ResourcesLeadership
Your business will only be as successful as your team. A simple fact and possibly the biggest challenge facing entrepreneurs. The market can be open, your product or service optimally priced and of the desired quality, yet you will only reach your growth potential if you have the right team working with you. You want a team who cares; who are committed and are skilled in performing the tasks needed...
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Training and Development – How to Maximise Delegate Buy-in?
15th Sep 2017Human Resources, LeadershipTraining
As a manager, or the lead for training and development in your organisation, you may have identified a skill gap, and feel you have a bonafide case for investing in training whether for an individual or a group of employees. You have obtained the senior commitment needed to enable you to access not only the funding but also the support for the time needed for the employees to complete the...
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Do You Have The HR Professional Support You Need To Take Your Business Forward?
5th Sep 2017Employment Law, Human Resources, Leadership, RecruitmentTraining
The past 24 months have certainly seen a dramatic change in the economy. Brexit, the unexpected General Election, indeed the unexpected General Election result, and shifts in earnings, employment and inflation, have all impacted on how we manage our businesses. It was reported in August 2017 that we now have the lowest level of unemployment in the UK since the mid-1970s with the Office for National Statistics reporting a jobless...
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MAD HR New Anglia Growth Hub Webinar
17th Aug 2017Employment Law, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
Our very own Charlotte Bate took part in a webinar for the New Anglia Growth Hub, entitled 'An Introduction to Employing People'. The webinar runs through various elements that businesses should consider when employing staff. Our recent blog Hiring Someone – What You Need to Know gives a complete guide to the factors you need to consider when you expand your team. Have a read or sit back and relax and listen...
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Hiring Someone – What You Need to Know
17th Aug 2017Employment Law, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
You may have set up your business from your kitchen table last year, or jumped straight into premises with the intention of going global. Whatever your business plan, growth and success normally results in the need for support which introduces EMPLOYEES! A daunting and terrifying thought for the uninitiated but never fear – the team at MAD-HR are here to support you and help you realise that hiring someone needn’t...
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Leading by Example – Maintaining Your Edge
4th Aug 2017Change Management, Employee Engagement, Human Resources, LeadershipTraining
A growing, forward thinking company will have strong leadership to drive the organisation’s strategic programme forward and ensure their team have the skills and abilities to meet their challenges. You can read more about leadership skills here. To continue to grow and be successful it is vital that your leadership team maintains their edge through continual development. The business world is constantly evolving and the leadership team needs to evolve...
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5 ways to improve value you get from your meetings
12th Jul 2017Employee EngagementLeadership
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, meetings form a major part of work communication and management strategies. Google currently reports results from recent surveys citing that on average 16 hours a week can be spent in meetings... Furthermore, it's with the view that four of those hours are wasted. Others report that during your career you may attend 6240 meetings and that 70% of attendees in those meetings will zone out,...
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How to be a trusted and authentic leader
15th Jun 2017Change Management, Employee Engagement, Human ResourcesLeadership
Being a competent manager or having a senior position does not automatically make a leader. A leader connects with those they seek to lead. They inspire, encourage and empower their team. Whilst there is certainly an overlap in skills needed for a senior manager and leader, it can be considered that true leaders are successful due to their characteristics, not just their skills. Authentic leadership is about the being, not...
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How to Effectively Manage A Team
8th Jun 2017Leadership
Knowing how to effectively manage a team is essential to being an effective leader. The people skills you need to manage a team, drive productivity and maintain motivation and vision are key leadership skills. In 2015 MAD-HR gave ten tips on how to create the environment that is needed to generate successful teamwork: you can read those tips here. Here are eight top tips on How to Effectively Manage A Team:...
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Here’s why you’re losing talent from your business
2nd Jun 2017Employee Benefits, Employee Engagement, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
Finding, gaining and retaining talent is key for businesses to succeed, particularly in today's world. We share our top HR advice and insight into why you might be losing yours. Your recruitment process… A recruitment process that makes applicants want to work with you will not only attract the right candidate, it will also attract someone looking to develop, grow and stay with you. Make your organisation THE place to...
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Recruiting for Values
2nd Jun 2017Employee Engagement, Human Resources, LeadershipRecruitment
Do you appoint a new recruit based on their skills to meet the job criteria alone, or do you look at the bigger picture and take into account the applicant’s attitude, views and values? Recruiting for Values Back in 2013, the NHS introduced Value Based Recruitment (VBR) as a way of improving culture and behaviour and increase the level of care and compassion in the NHS. The message was that...
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