Writer, reader, mum of twins. Head of content @CIPHRHRSoftware. Previously journalist @PeopleMgt. All views are mine.
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Cathryn Newbery
Your first 90 days in a new HR manager job role: tips and strategies for success - Ciphr
Congratulations – you’ve got the top job you’ve always wanted. But your journey is just starting. The first 90 days as a new HR manager are critical for making an impact and setting yourself up long-term success In time, you’llbecome the master of your art: starting withusing tech that shapes your people strategies,to sophisticated reportingyourC-suite will love.Here’s how to navigate this transition with confidence.
Gender pay gap reporting 2024/25
The snapshot date. The reporting deadline. Where to view other employers’ reports. And so. Much. More. Here’s everything you need to know about gender pay gap reporting 2024/25 Our experts are here to answer some of the most common questions about gender pay gap reports and their effectiveness. Does my organisation have to report its gender pay gap?
FCA compliance training online: how to engage your learners
Our online FCA compliance training courses will help your learners stay up to date with changing regulations, including the Consumer Duty, SMCR, and more FCA-regulated retail and wholesale firms are facing an increasingly complex and ever-changing landscape of regulatory requirements, from compliance with the Consumer Duty to minimum CPD (continuous professional development) standards.
How to be more productive at work: tips to help you get more done
Want to achieve more in less time? Who doesn’t! Here we look at some tried and tested tools and techniques to help you be more productive at work. We all lead busy lives and sometimes it can seem extremely challenging to tick off all the tasks on our to-do lists each day. But don’t despair: here are some simple tips and tricks to boost your productivity and help you become more productive at work.
What is blind recruitment – and does it work? - Ciphr
Discover why hiding personal details from candidates’ applications helps to improve the diversity of new hires, and how to introduce it to your organisation using a recruitment software Blind recruitment is gaining traction as an effective way to recruit more diverse staff. But how does it work in practice? Is it actually an effective tool? And how can you introduce it to your organisation? Read on to find out the answers to all these questions and more. In this article What is blind recruitment?
New Tool Helps to Calculate How Much Time & Money Employees Spend in Virtual Meetings
As the world’s workforce adapts to social distancing and working from home, a lot of people are turning to video calls and instant-messaging apps to communicate with their teams. Of course, staying in touch with your colleagues while working remotely is more important than ever but, as with everything, there’s a thin line between enough communication and information overload.
Which type of HR systems integration is right for you?
With two connectivity options to choose from, there’s no reason not to link your HR, recruitment, and LMS systems together If you want your HR team to be working as effectively, efficiently and strategically as possible, at the same time as delivering a brilliant level of service to your employees, you’ll want to be working with integrated HR and LMS systems. But what technical options are there for connecting multiple systems together? And which option is right for your network of systems? 1.
Five signs your HRMS needs an upgrade
23rd July 2019 You only need to take one look around a train or Tube carriage at a sea of cracked smartphone screens to see how resistant many of us are to upgrading or changing technology. For every person queuing up outside an Apple store at midnight to get their hands on the latest iPhone model, there are tens of us who’ll ‘make do and mend’ until our devices are on their last legs.
Why wait for the robots? Delegate dull admin now
Workers are eager to delegate repetitive tasks to robots, according to a recent survey, but HR technology is already sophisticated enough to shoulder much of HR’s admin burden According to a recent report by ABBYY, nearly two-thirds (63%) of UK employees would outsource some of their tasks to robots if the option was available. Fortunately for HR, many of the tasks that made workers’ list of their top 10 most hated tasks can already be automated to some degree by specialist HR technology.
The one thing 'Love Island' has taught me about workplace dynamics
Yes, I admit it: I'm a Love Island devotee. It's only the first year that I've watched the programme, but I've fallen for it hard. I've got a series link on my Tivo. I downloaded the app. I voted to save Alex and Samira over Charlie and Hayley (of course).
2018 will be a ‘year of two halves’ for HR, say experts
Compliance requirements will dominate agendas in first six months before giving way to urgency of ‘humanising’ the employee experience, argue panellists during CIPHR webinar. HR professionals can expect 2018 to be a “year of two halves” according to industry experts who debated the profession’s most pressing trends in a recent webinar co-hosted by CIPHR and employee experience specialists Benefex.
Data protection tops HR’s priority list for 2018
New CIPHR survey also reveals evidence-based practice and future-proofing employees’ skills are key concerns for the coming year. HR professional’s top priorities for 2018 include recruitment, health and wellbeing, and data protection, according to a new survey by CIPHR of 148 UK HR professionals. Top of the HR agenda for the coming year is data protection and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which was cited by 89% of respondents.
PMAs 2016 shortlist revealed
The shortlist for this year’s CIPD People Management Awards, sponsored by Resource Management, has been revealed. Judges once again received a record number of entries, showcasing outstanding and innovative achievements in people management and development. The 2016 shortlist (below) contains a host of leading names from both the public and private sector and celebrates everything from health and wellbeing, to L&D, diversity and inclusion, and individual outstanding achievement.
How HR made Blenheim Palace fit for the future
On a bright, blustery autumn day, the grounds of Blenheim Palace are teeming with life: coach parties are arriving, excitable children are shepherded by teachers and local residents are wheeling their buggies on to a tour of the famous Capability Brown-designed park. “My mum worked here; my grandfather had an estate agent in the town – I literally grew up in the grounds, so to me it’s a homecoming,” says Sarah Morris.
Case Study: Blenheim Palace
How HR is securing the future of a grand old English estate On a bright, blustery autumn day, the grounds of Blenheim Palace are teeming with life: coach parties are arriving, excitable children are shepherded by teachers and local residents are wheeling their buggies on to a tour of the famous Capability Brown-designed park. “My mum worked here; my grandfather had an estate agent in the town – I literally grew up in the grounds, so to me it’s a homecoming,” says Sarah Morris.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Karen Penney of American Express explains how she set up the firm’s women-only mentoring group, and what employees are getting out of it Having already felt the benefit of mentoring in her own career, Karen Penney, vice president and general manager UK at American Express Global Corporate Payments, recently set up a women-only mentoring group at the financial firm.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Cary Cooper and Stefan Stern on the problems plaguing management and why HR needs to intervene It was over “tea and coffee at the British Library” rather than a bottle of red in a cosy pub that Stefan Stern (below right) – visiting professor in management practice at Cass Business School and director of the High Pay Centre – and Professor Sir Cary Cooper, CIPD president and 50th anniversary professor of organisational psychology and health at the Alliance Manchester Business School, put the...
Asos “We’re different – we don’t want to be vanilla”
How the retail giant is staying true to its free-spirited roots As the Tube slowly trundles up the Northern line, past Leicester Square and Euston, there’s a strange, almost imperceptible shift in the demographics of People Management’s carriage. The oldest and youngest passengers disappear. The concentration of trendy haircuts, tote bags and the newest smartphones increases.
One third of employers use digital talent platforms
But critics raise concerns over poor-quality work and low pay New research has found that the use of digital talent platforms – which connect freelance workers with companies and individuals who require their skills – is growing rapidly in the UK. Nearly a third (31 per cent) of employers recently surveyed by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) said they had used platforms such as Upwork and TaskRabbit in the past 12 months.
The EU referendum: what you need to know
As voting day draws near, we recap the employment ramifications for choosing to leave or remain in the EU From immigration to employment law and pensions, the European Union referendum has barely left the national headlines over the last few months. With just four days to go until the UK decides whether to ‘Leave’ or ‘Remain’ in the EU, People Management rounds up some of the facts and fictions that have given HR professionals pause for thought during the campaign.
Five things we’re getting wrong about the future of work
HR needs to reframe its thinking on technology, millennials and data, experts tell the Future Works conference HR has much to learn from the academics, policy experts and economists who gathered at last week's Future Works conference, hosted by The Economist, where they collectively laid bare the host of challenges facing every leader – and employee – as the working world undergoes a transformation, the likes of which we’ve never seen before.
Lord Blunkett challenges HR to widen D&I agenda
Former education secretary urges business leaders to look beyond obvious differences, and rethink how they treat employees who need extra support David Blunkett, the former Labour MP and Cabinet member under Tony Blair, has challenged HR and global mobility professionals, and business leaders, to rethink and broaden their attitudes to diversity and inclusion (D&I).
We try: British Military Fitness
People Management finds out how high-intensity exercise classes are making Heathrow Airport’s staff fitter – and better at working together “So why do (pant)... you keep (urgh)... coming back to class (argh)?” I’m standing in a sweltering Heathrow Airport car park attempting to interview a petite, friendly woman as she punches me at a range that I can only describe as dangerously close to my face, desperately reconsidering my life choice to be a journalist.
Seven things we need to change to thrive in the future workplace
Prejudice, fears over AI and our evolutionary need for stability are all barriers to success in the workplace of the future, experts tell UBS conference The future of work is, let’s face it, pretty much here already, but only a small proportion of organisations – and societies – are equipped to deal with what those changes entail.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Experts warn employers are writing off levy payment as a tax Experts have warned that businesses may be writing off the apprenticeship levy as a tax, after Department for Education statistics revealed that scarcely half of eligible employers have signed up to reclaim funds for training.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Louise Bryan, head of talent at Lloyds Banking Group, explains how volunteering with a local academy trust has boosted her personal development People Management talks to Kirsty Watt, head of Academy Ambassadors, and Louise Bryan, head of talent at Lloyds Banking Group, about the development opportunities that serving on an academy’s board could bring for senior HR professionals. What is the Academy Ambassadors programme?
HR news, jobs & blogs
Legal expert James Townsend reviews recent case law and provides tips for handling potential claims Though many employers are taking steps to improve workplace diversity and increase awareness around mental health, disabled people continue to face discrimination at work. More than half of all disabled people have been bullied or harassed in the workplace because of their impairment, while 21 per cent try to hide their disability from their employers, according to research by Scope.
HR news, jobs & blogs
A care support worker fired over a misunderstanding with a pottery class booking was unfairly dismissed, a tribunal has ruled. Reading Employment Tribunal heard that Mrs S Gough had worked for East Midlands Crossroads – Caring for Carers, which trades as Carers Trust East Midlands, and its predecessor since May 2008 as a care support worker. As part of her role, she helped run activities for disabled clients.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Do a great job for your learners and they will do a great PR job for you, writes Barry Johnson The people who come to your learning sessions will leave with more than a brain full of fresh information. They will have been triggered to think, building upon their previous knowledge and understanding that will have been consolidated by the group sharing a Socratic approach. They will know and have confidence in what they now know, and in what they can do and want to do with the people they work with.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Enrique Garcia rounds up the latest developments and offers tips on how employers can avoid claims In the UK, section 7 of the Equality Act 2010 protects anyone who is transgender or planning to undergo gender reassignment. The World Health Organization recognises gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder as a psychiatric disorder.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Hilton’s Ben Bengougam on why the hotel mega-chain is working with Arianna Huffington’s company to improve employee wellbeing Hospitality behemoth Hilton Hotels and Resorts has become one of the first companies to partner with Thrive Global – Arianna Huffington’s new wellbeing venture – to improve the mental and physical health of its 160,000 employees.
HR news, jobs & blogs
We took employment lawyers from top firms and asked them about what really matters to HR – from Brexit and the Taylor review to staying out of court It is far from hyperbole to say 2017 has been the most significant year for employment law since the Magna Carta was signed. Matthew Taylor has shaken up the notion of employment status, tribunal fees have been scrapped and the implications of Brexit are beginning to become clear, not to mention the introduction of the gender pay reporting regime.
HR news, jobs & blogs
HR is helping a growing SME make an impact on the global stage “There were no formal inductions when I joined; I was given a desk and a set of Ikea drawers and politely encouraged to build it myself.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Rebecca Ireland outlines what HR professionals should consider if drugs testing is carried out in the workplace Angela Rippon recently hit the headlines when she tested positive for opiates after eating poppy seed bread. It was an experiment inspired by a man who had been dismissed for failing a drugs test; in his view, the only explanation was his morning toast.
HR news, jobs & blogs
After half a century of oppressive military rule, thousands of former citizens are returning to Myanmar and looking for work. HR professionals now face the challenge of hiring and managing this flood of qualified professionals. But despite the plethora of skills they are returning with, adapting to the country’s work culture could be tricky. 2.
‘HR forgets that CEOs are people too’
Gerard Penning, executive VP of HR at Shell, on why Googling dogs is more useful than reading a business plan Reaching the top of the HR tree and securing the respect of your organisation boils down to three simple things, Gerard Penning, executive VP of HR at Shell’s Downstream division, told delegates at the HR360 European Summit yesterday. “Know your business. Know your leader. Know yourself,” said the 27-year Shell veteran.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Experts divided at HR360 event amid debate on value of customer-centric HR The HR360 European Summit kicked off yesterday with a heated debate over the relevance of the Ulrich business partnering model to modern HR. Albert Hakkers, former HR director at global drinks company Diageo, argued that the Ulrich model – as proposed by renowned HR thinker Dave Ulrich in the 1990s – was “very static and role-oriented… HR should be more about growing the business”, he said.
HR news, jobs & blogs
MPs shoot down bid to end cap, after speculation government’s position on the issue was changing MPs last night rejected a bid to scrap the public sector pay cap by 323 votes to 309, after the Democratic Unionist Party sided with the Conservatives.
How to improve your self-awareness
Organisational psychologist Dr Tasha Eurich offers practical tips to help you better understand how others perceive you, and help leaders become more self-aware, too What can we do to become more self-aware? First, it sounds silly, but make the decision to be what I call ‘braver but wiser’. That means to say to yourself: 'I might not see myself as clearly as I think I do, or as I want to.
HR news, jobs & blogs
So much of the self help we seek only reinforces our privileged position in the work food chain, and distracts us from helping those who really need it, writes Cathryn Newbery I can’t pretend to have approached reading Ivanka Trump’s new self-help book for career-minded women, Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success, with anything other than an unhealthily large amount of scepticism and scorn.
Age discrimination, genuine feedback and wannabe CHROs: this week at work
Age discrimination, genuine feedback and wannabe CHROs: this week at workCredit: Jeff Sheldon (unsplash.com)Here’s my weekly roundup of the workplace news you might have missed this week. Did I miss something? Got some thoughts? Find me on Twitter @c_newbery or leave a comment below.Things we’ve been writing aboutAn accountant has won nearly £190,000 in a UK employment tribunal after his employer tried to force him to retire.
Poor concentration, neurodiversity, and doing LinkedIn badly: this week at work
Poor concentration, neurodiversity, and doing LinkedIn badly: this week at workCredit: Daria Shevtsova (unsplash.com)Here’s my weekly roundup of the workplace news you might have missed this week. Did I miss something? Got some thoughts?
HR news, jobs & blogs
Firms may want to rethink their recruitment policies after the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) ruled that a woman with Asperger’s syndrome was discriminated against when she was asked to take a situational judgement test. The case is thought to mark one of the first times a claim for indirect disability discrimination – where a workplace rule or policy that applies to all employees leaves a disabled person at a disadvantage – has succeeded at EAT level.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Head of HR Ranjani Kearsley on encouraging creativity at work, and why HR professionals should be activists ‘Creativity’ is too often regarded as that elusive spark of inspiration that we have to sit around and wait for. But as markets shift and become more competitive, being able to think differently from the crowd is increasingly regarded as a core competency.
High heels, awful email, and an expensive boat – Cathryn Newbery – Medium
High heels, awful email, and an expensive boatCredit: Nick Karvounis (unsplash.com)After a flurry of news last-week, we seem to have slipped into a bit of a post-Easter, pre-May Day slump.
HR news, jobs & blogs
Experts shock HR analysts with stern wake-up calls over data pitfalls at the People Analytics World conference Think you’re doing pretty well with HR data analytics by producing monthly workforce reports and providing data dumps on request? The two keynote speakers on day one of this week’s People Analytics World conference put forth a compelling case that the majority of current HR analytics work is a waste of time, and isn’t adding business value.
Social privilege, long weekends, and sexist AI: this week at work
Social privilege, long weekends, and sexist AI: this week at workCredit: James Pond (unsplash.com)While we wait to see how the labour- and work-related impact of the UK snap election will play out (I’m expecting tax for the self-employed to make a resurgence after the chancellor’s swift u-turn on NICs changes), there’s been plenty of work-related news to turn our attention to.
Whistleblowing, lies, cats and cliques: this week at work
Credit: Octavio Fossati via unsplash.comWhistleblowing, lies, cats and cliques: this week at workI read (and write) a lot about people and work, but often don’t have as much time as I’d like to cover all the interesting stories I come across each week.So this is my attempt to curate some of the things I’ve been thinking about, and the People Management team have been writing about, to do with workplaces, employment and human behaviour this week.Things we’ve been writing aboutIt’s less than a...
HR news, jobs & blogs
Experts at last week’s Economist conference provided useful insight for HR practitioners grappling with D&I The line-up for The Economist’s second Pride and Prejudice conference – focusing on the business case for LGBT inclusion – was dominated by (mostly white, mostly male) chief executives seeking to prove to their C-suite peers just how inclusive and supportive their organisations are of LGBTQ+ employees.
UK 'lags behind most of Europe' on maternity pay
Only mums in Ireland and Slovakia fare worse, as TUC calls on government to boost statutory rate to match minimum wage UK mothers receive one of the lowest amounts of ‘decently paid’ maternity leave in Europe, according to new analysis by the TUC. With the UK ranking 22 out of 24 European countries that offer statutory maternity leave, only mums in Ireland and Slovakia have worse ‘decently paid’ entitlements.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Cathryn
Contact Cathryn, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack