ORGANISATION NAMES TOP 50 COMPANIES FOR DIVERSITY
DiversityInc, the magazine and online resources organisation, has announced the Top 50 companies with more than 1,000 US employees for diversity. According to the survey, now in its eighth year, Verizon Communications is first on the list followed by the Coca Cola company and Bank of America. More than 350 companies applied to be considered, with the Top 50 list compiled from metrics obtained in a detailed survey. Those companies listed have shown consistent strength in four areas: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organisational
Communications and Supplier Diversity.
MAKING WORK HEALTHIER
Employers should take a more holistic approach to employee health and move beyond traditional health and safety, according to Dame Carol Black’s review on the state of health of the working population. Working for a healthier tomorrow, which was presented to the Secretaries of State for Health and for Work and Pensions on the 17th March, set out to understand the health of working age people and the impact this has on government, the economy and society. In doing so it made several recommendations such as greater prominence for occupational health. It also underlined the link between work and not only health, but an individual’s sense of worth and wellbeing. Health and safety professionals, trade
unions and other bodies can all play a part in promoting the benefits of a well workforce. The Review noted that the financial cost of ill-health is over £100 billion a year and that urgent action is necessary.
MBA STUDENTS VALUE CAREER AND SALARY OVER SOCIAL ISSUES
Salary is still a top priority for most MBA students at business schools in the USA, but more of them, especially women, also cite corporate responsibility as a major concern. These are the findings of a survey conducted by the Aspen Institute Center for Business Education, a part of the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program. Where Will They Lead? MBA Student Attitudes About Business and Society, probed the thoughts of 1,943 students at 15 leading business schools. Significantly the study found that students seemed to be taking a more holistic view of the role of business in society but while more of today’s students are saying they want a job that has a positive impact on society, this priority decreases in importance for men as they move through their MBA program. By the time they are close to graduation, only 29% of men place high
importance on this issue, compared with 43% of men in their first year. There is only a small drop in the importance of this issue for female students as they move through the MBA program – 52% when they start out versus 50% as they near graduation.
Students’ definition of a “well-run” company is still considered to be attracting and retaining exceptional employees and providing excellent customer service, statements which have remained the same since the Aspen Institute’s last MBA Student Attitudes Survey in 2002.
BT TO TEST OUT HOMESHORING SCHEME
BT contact centre employees in Caithness will soon be among the first to test out a new style of working called homeshoring – a scheme which allows contact centre employees to work from home in a virtual contact centre. If successful, homeshoring could change the way contact centres are run in the UK, providing greater flexible working conditions and opportunities for those who may have been previously excluded by circumstances such as age, disability, location as well as mothers returning to work and parents with children to work around. The plan is after initial equipment tests, fifteen volunteers will be chosen to operate online from their homes using high speed broadband connection and supported by long distance management systems and processes. A report by Exony recently suggested homeshoring could save the contact centre
industry approximately £6000 per agent a year, as well as creating jobs and reducing a company’s carbon footprint.
EMPLOYERS CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF SKILLS
Half of employers lack confidence that they will find enough people in today’s working population with the right skills for their business, including basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, according to a survey by the Confederation of British Industry. IT skills are also a major issue, with 56% of employers concerned over IT skills levels in their existing staff and 65% of businesses investing in IT training to raise IT literacy. As technology continues apace, those in the workforce are failing to keep up. The CBI/Edexcel Education & Skills Survey 2008 questioned 735 companies, employing more than 1.7 million people and identifies skills gaps and what skills companies value most. Poor skills can cost companies money and affect business performance. A quarter of employers are having to invest in basic literacy and numeracy training.
Contact The Confederation of British Industry, enquiry service for member’s only
0207 379 7400 www.cbi.org.uk
BARCLAYCARD TALKS TO LONE PARENTS
Lone parents would most like to have a supportive and understanding employer rather than other child-friendly benefits, according to research carried out by Barclaycard Horizons. Overall support and flexibility came top of the list above other factors such a crèche or particular working hours in a survey which asked 590 lone parents about work and childcare issues to better understand what is most important in helping lone parents stay in employment. According to Barclaycard Horizons, this chimes with findings from a recent report by OneParentFamilies which revealed lone parents were the group most likely to leave work, suggesting their needs are not being met.
Barclaycard Horizons is the company’s £3 million three year community programme aimed at helping lone parents through a series of initiatives.
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