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Purpose: With mental health issues among the workforce becoming increasingly common, it is imperative that employers and their HR teams are alive to mental health issues and are well equipped to deal with them. This paper sets out to explain these points. Design/methodology/approach: This paper provides insight for employers into how to deal with mental health issues in the workplace by breaking the topic down into the following sections: mental health-related claims, reasonable adjustments and preventative measures. Findings: Employees dealing with poor mental health are often less motivated and productive and in more serious cases are more inclined to take periods of long-term sick leave to recover. However, aside from the potentially costly long-term absences and decreased productivity, HR professionals should also take mental health issues seriously because to do otherwise puts the business at risk of discrimination claims from employees suffering with severe and long-term mental health issues. This is why it is important for businesses to treat the mental health of its staff with equal importance to their physical health. Originality/value: This paper is valuable to HR professionals looking to understand better how they can support their staff in mental health-related issues. The article effectively cuts through the complex legislation to provide clear, practical advice from legal experts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore why creating a mentoring culture can help to transform businesses and solve key recruitment, training and development and retention issues. It looks at what a mentoring culture is and the benefits and provides advice for companies on how to build this kind of culture. Design/methodology/approach: This paper considers the approach taken by leadership coaching company The OCM to develop effective coaching and mentoring programmes which can contribute to organisational success in an ever-changing business environment. This paper explores current business challenges and how they can be overcome. Findings: Creating a mentoring culture can transform a business. It can address many talent and leadership-based challenges and tap into the potential of knowledge transfer across a multi-generational workplace. The paper includes two case studies of organisations whose experiences of mentoring and coaching have been overwhelmingly positive and led to much-needed cultural shifts. Originality/value: This paper attempts to raise awareness of the benefits of mentoring and coaching as an effective method for attracting, developing and retaining people and meeting the challenges of a modern workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper delves into the complexities of daily dispersed tech team dynamics and aims to understand the underlying reasons for the challenges that such teams face. Through personal observations and analysis, this paper aims to identify communication barriers and propose actionable insights and strategies for improvement. Design/methodology/approach: By leveraging personal insights and observations from the IT HR field from three different countries, information and data was collected. Such personalized approach allowed for a deeper exploration of real-world scenarios, how physically dispersed teams work and what challenges they struggle with. A comprehensive examination of the issues faced by tech teams operating globally also allowed to observe the noteworthy outcomes that could bring the best benefit for such teams. Findings: As geographically dispersed tech teams continue to gain popularity, understanding the challenges that the teams might face and the potential ways of solving them become As HR as well as team managers roles now evolve, flexibility becomes paramount for navigating global team dynamics. Originality/value: This paper is a contemporary call for action to stimulate management, enlightening them on the requisites for establishing and cultivating high-performing teams that work across geographical boundaries. There is a lack of understanding of what challenges physically dispersed teams face and to what degree those challenges impact the teams. This paper addresses this deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to explain how organisations can future-proof their workplace and retain talent in a multi-generational ecosystem Design/methodology/approach: Desk research and experience. Findings: It is possible to retain talent in a multigenerational workplace. Practical implications: Companies should focus on personal development, increasing recognition and value, implementing people-first inclusive leadership, embracing flexible work, providing genuine career development and opportunities and offering work-life balance and a diverse and inclusive workplace with purposeful work. Social implications: When bright young minds continue to leave organisations, taking valuable skills and fresh perspectives elsewhere, it is essential that companies rethink their approach to work as it is no longer appropriate for everyone. Originality/value: New content based on expertise and experience of a 30-year career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide advice on how organizations can facilitate a culture of sustainable innovation from a cooperative advantage perspective. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is written for practitioners and academics focused on sustainable innovation. It includes specific advice for production & operations and accounting & finance functions and how they can contribute to sustainable innovation from a cooperative advantage perspective. Findings: By emphasizing the importance of stakeholder wellbeing, creating opportunities for collaboration and empowering employees, human resources (HR) departments can help organizations cultivate a culture of sustainable innovation and navigate the complex challenges of addressing environmental concerns to build a more sustainable future. Originality/value: This paper offers HR practitioners a unique approach to encourage a culture that promotes care and community, intentional dialogue and action-oriented consensus-building among employees in different departments to facilitate sustainable innovation from a cooperative advantage perspective within their respective organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to better understand how to interact with the five generations that currently make up our workforce. Design/methodology/approach: The author bases her article on 8+ years of HR experience and research. Findings: The five generations are more similar than we think. They want many of the same things, but they want them in different ways. Communication is the biggest difference between the groups. Originality/value: The paper will better enable readers to engage workers from multiple generations in their own organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to establish the state of employee engagement levels in Europe and offer insights into the reasons behind the current state of affairs. It proposes that management matters most out of all the factors influencing employee engagement, and that European organisations should therefore invest in equipping their leadership teams to provide employees with a positive experience of the workplace. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses data from the Gallup World Poll, which Gallup has used to conduct surveys of the world's adult population, using randomly selected samples, since 2005. Covering more than 160 countries since its inception, the survey was conducted via computer-assisted telephone interviews in 2020 to account for COVID-compliant safety measures. Findings: This paper provides insights into the engagement levels of European employees, which remained dismally low in 2020 as it has for the last decade. By far, the biggest influence on the state of employee engagement is leadership, which will require improvement if European organisations are to improve their employee engagement levels. Originality/value: This paper fulfils the need for organisations to gain a better understanding of how to improve their employee engagement levels in the wake of a significant global crisis. Inspiring workplace cultures that maximise the well-being of every employee can help to reverse the decline of economic dynamism across the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to prove that putting people first is a key tenet to successfully engaging with your employees and building a strong company culture. Recognizing the importance of this approach is paramount for HR professionals and company leaders. Design/methodology/approach: With a people-first approach, employees are placed at the forefront of all business decisions. Intradiem has abided by a people-first philosophy for years, and the company has seen incredible payoff in employee engagement and business success. Findings: In a business world increasingly characterized by technology and automation, the human element remains as vital as ever. This is especially true in customer service, which is, at its core, a quintessentially "human" exchange. Originality/value: Appreciation for the value of prioritizing employees is not new, of course. The responsibility of people leaders is to ensure that the people they recruit, hire and train will feel secure, apprecited and valued. Because when they don't, their performance suffers. That will be reflected in customer satisfaction and, ultimately, business performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of digital transformation on jobs and to assess whether or not the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution will lead to mass redundancies. The piece also looks at the role human resources (HR) departments will have to play in the implementation of, and response to, digital transformation within the workplace. Design/methodology/approach: This paper combines research based on media articles, a parliamentary report and wider digital transformation industry research. The author looks to explain what digital transformation is, deconstruct misconceptions around digital transformation, assess the true evidence-based impact of digital transformation on jobs and advise HR departments on the impact of digital transformation within the workplace. Findings: This piece finds that there remains a considerable degree of misunderstanding and many misconceptions around digital transformation and that while digital transformation will lead to the loss of some jobs, it will also lead to the change of existing ones and creation of new ones. Furthermore, this piece finds that HR departments will play a crucial role in the implementation of digital transformation, but that they too will need to pivot and adjust to new workplace realities as a result. Originality/value: Many HR departments face confusion and misconceptions around the impact of digital transformation on the workforce, and there also remains concern among many employers that technology will replace their jobs. This piece seeks to dispel the myths and paint a clearer picture to both HR departments and employees around the impact of digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to look at how workplaces can create a healthy corporate culture as a hybrid way of working comes into force. The pandemic has made many businesses rethink their corporate culture strategy, and this study addresses how to regain and sustain a positive long-term culture. This is done by exploring aspects of pre-pandemic work life, how businesses can continue this going forward, and additional ways to ensure employees are fulfilled – all while providing a safe environment to work in. Design/methodology/approach: The author analyses pre-pandemic working culture, impartial report findings, third-party research, and her deep understanding and domain expertise in human resources (HR) to guide the reader in identifying key components of an effective corporate culture during this fast-paced, disruptive era. The study provides background context and offers three main ways on how to successfully achieve this. Findings: The findings from this study demonstrate three main ways in which HR leaders can enhance the working environment and how this can have multiple positive business outcomes. Driving and living core values from the most senior positions all the way through the workforce, changing values which are no longer fit for purpose, creating new workplace networking opportunities and recognising colleague contributions, especially during times of uncertainty, are all critical components of long-term culture success. The findings demonstrate how this is not only beneficial for a business but for the workforce too – helping retain important talent and also attracting new employees. Originality/value: The study fulfils an identified need to analyse and inform on forward-looking corporate culture trends and challenges amid the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper sets out the three-year people strategy at the core of a traditional professional services firm's ambitious plans to transform into a progressive, agile and fast-growing business. The lynchpin of its acquisitions-led and people-centred cultural transformation programme is Project Zander, a pioneering hybrid working experience in its Jersey office that can be adapted to different geographic locations as the business expands. Design/methodology/approach: Individual-level information gathered from the firm. Findings: Nesting a hybrid working model within a clearly articulated people strategy aligned with corporate values appears to be setting the business well on the way to achieving its ambitions. Key is the ability of leaders to plan ahead for the future, mapping out a three-year journey with important milestones along the way. Although it is still early days, the business is already seeing a positive impact on collaboration, team working, staff recruitment and retention, leadership development, empowerment and creativity, employee engagement, and rebuilding the confidence of young people, many of whom have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns. Originality/value: The strategy has an innovative hybrid working approach as its cornerstone [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the COVID-19 pandemic causing businesses to shake up social and work practices, the purpose of this paper is to explore why global fintech Paysend has decided to shift toward a new norm of remote-first working. Design/methodology/approach: A real-world case study. Findings: Although some organizations, especially larger ones, are urging employees to return to a daily office commute, a remote first set up is definitely here to stay. Originality/value: Paysend was one of the very first fintechs that moved to a fully remote model at the start of the pandemic in early March 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on cultural change and how to boost employee engagement for employees in the arts. Design/methodology/approach: The research consisted of employee surveys, focus groups as well as in depth evaluation and analysis with the senior management team to bring about cultural change in the organisation. Findings: The results were extremely impressive with 91% of all employees agreeing that they understand the organisation's culture and values and would recommend the ENO as a place to work. Originality/value: The ENO is an internationally renowned centre for live performance. This work demonstrates how an organisation can bring people together from a vast range of backgrounds, skillsets to become a cohesive and highly engaged team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Out of sight, out of mind is not a new phenomenon. It is always been a challenge for employers with a distributed workforce. However, what is new is the scale, so employers need to address this problem, and fast. Design/methodology/approach: Company culture, checking in, keeping on top of communication and thinking about the team at all times are all vital to keeping employees top of mind. Findings: By thinking about all of these areas of a workplace, employers will ensure their employees are happy, engaged and retained. Originality/value: To help employers ensure the out of sight, out of mind phenomenon ends in 2023, here are the four top tips for employers to keep out of sight and in mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Before the author became the Director of the Human Sciences Studio, the author was aware of many studies that established the value of diverse teams – especially for innovation. In 2020, Robyn Brennaman claimed in this very journal that "the business case has long since closed about the critical importance and value of diversity in the workplace". Brennaman reasoned that homogeneity impedes innovation, that innovation is a precondition for business competitiveness, and therefore diversity has strategic value. And yet a truly diverse team – one that includes identity diversity, academic diversity and cognitive diversity – is too hard to find. The author explores three lessons learned from working with a team of people who think so differently to one another. The purpose of this article is to explore how a collision of perspectives can create innovation. Design/methodology/approach: A viewpoint article based on the author's experience in Innovation and position as Director | Human Sciences Studio at Accenture and winner of the Team Leader Award (Sponsored by Fujitsu) at the 2022 FDM everywoman in Technology Awards. Findings: The author explores three lessons learned from working with a team of people who think so differently to one another. The deluge of information is a messy delight. Sharing knowledge alerts us to the our blind spots. Humility and vulnerability are vital. Originality/value: This piece is entirely written by Jess Majekodunmi and is all the author's own viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]