Private and public sector organisations are seeing new, active equality reps take the stage for equality. About 1,400 new reps will be active by the end of March 2010.

This will come as a change to many organisations since, “Compared to union activities relating to safety and learning, equality reps are a relatively new phenomenon, though some unions have had activists with similar roles for years.” – TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber

Funding from the Union Modernisation Fund and the Government Equalities Office in 2009 made it possible for the TUC to take on so many new reps. The funding also gave way to research to find out the degree to which reps have an impact on their organisations.

Their research concluded that most (65 per cent) of equality reps work in the public sector, while 32 per cent work in the private sector and only three per cent work with volunteers.

Equality representatives polled said that they believe the more time they are able to dedicate to their organisations, the more impact they feel they have. Roughly a quarter of reps stated that they devote more than five hours in a week to equality-related issues and almost another quarter said that they work less than one hour in a week on such matters.

Barber also stated her concerns about time allocation: “…Equality reps tell us they could be much more effective in promoting equality if they had more time to carry out their duties. While some are given sufficient time to do their equality work, others have to juggle their union work alongside their paid jobs, which means they are being nowhere near as effective as they could be.

Introducing a statutory duty giving equality reps the same right to take time out for their union duties as shop stewards and safety reps would make a real difference. Unions had hoped Government would introduce this new right and we are disappointed that this will not happen this side of an election.”

Most (64 per cent) equality reps reported that their employers give them adequate time to complete their equality tasks, but thirty-six percent said they do not feel they are given the proper amount of time to do their job.

Equality reps have several duties to carry out, including advising colleagues, endorsing good practice, investigating harassment and discrimination claims, and making requests for flexible working.

Barber said: “Equality reps are making a real difference in thousands of workplaces across the UK. Not only does their presence help improve relations between managers and unions, equality reps also help employers avoid costly litigation, and are a reassuring presence for colleagues threatened by harassment or discrimination at work.”

With more of a presence by Spring, the TUC is hoping that their mission is carried out more fully in the coming year.

Employee engagement is considered the degree to which an employee is willing to go the extra mile for their employer.

In addition to boosting their bottom line, businesses that invest in the ongoing promotion of employee engagement will see their businesses thriving as they come out of this recession.

As we enter the last leg of an economic downturn, it will be critical for businesses to work to retain employees, build lasting communicative avenues within the organisation, and invest in training to develop people management. A solid framework for longevity must include employee engagement as workers who may have taken “stop gap” jobs consider leaving their current position for more fulfilling or rewarding work. This trend will become apparent as more job opportunities arise and more competition creates the need to woo employees back to work.

It is critical then, to map out how to sponsor this attitude in our workers. “Enablers” of employee engagement are cited in the 2009 MacLeod report as including:

• Leadership – all members of an organisation must be clear on the company’s mission and how their daily activities play a role in making that happen.
• Engaging managers – management should provide clear expectations for employees and be free of prejudice and discrimination in the workplace
• Employee voice – all voices should be heard and considered in making decisions, and let it be known that they are heard.
• Integrity – this must be demonstrated by management to the utmost degree and employees expected to follow their example.

Ideally then, if all members of the organisation – front line workers up through senior management – are to share a common vision, line managers cannot be left alone to muster up employee engagement nor to maintain it by themselves. Every level of leadership must support this initiative in order to foster up engagement at all ranks. It is imperative that line managers are supported by senior managers and are given the proper tools to achieve such a goal. Leadership should demonstrate clear communication, positive reinforcement and maintain an environment conducive to development.

“… Nearly seven in 10 HR professionals have identified a ‘huge need’ to ensure managers have the skills to manage the aftermath of the recession….” – Gilbert Helen, (Personnel Today, 26 Jan. 2010)

Management plays an integral part in organisations, big and small. In the wake of a recession, people management is more important than ever before. It is critical to the survival of a business and the welfare of its workers.

Top management has already shown signs of recognising the importance of management reform better to engage their team. The PricewaterhouseCoopers 13th Annual CEO Survey report showed that out of about 70 UK CEOs, eighty-five percent plan to change their management models because of the economic crisis.

Forms of change to management expressed in the report include plans for:

• More attention to team morale (81%)
• Change in flexible working (59%)
• Increased hiring (42%)
• Investing in more education and development (65%)

The next decade is poised to be an exciting time for human resource professionals. Reform and change is looming for how companies deal with management. As economic conditions improve, roles will need to be redefined and more positions will need to be filled.

As a result, HR professionals will be asked to focus on succession planning and recruitment. In the Corporate Learning Priorities Survey 2010, sixty-seven percent of recently polled HR professionals stated that they saw a great need for managers to be trained so that they have the necessary skills to tackle the tasks that lie ahead.

It is anticipated that in the next decade, significant change will come to human resources models. More emphasis is expected to be put on the development of middle management. More guidance and growth in people management procedures and methods will be put in place as a response to changing post-recession demands.

Contrary to some expectations, many businesses are investing in coaching for their employees as we approach what some are calling the beginning of the end of this economic crisis. Business leaders seem to be recognising the importance of training and development and are looking to coaching as the means to achieving great people management in the years to come.

The majority (70%) of those surveyed said they have maintained or increased their coaching budgets.

Coaching ‘Comes of Age’
This good news arrived just days before ‘Professional Coaching comes of age’ at the AC’s ‘Going Global 2010’ Conference in March in London.

“Going Global 2010’ will expand our thinking and build upon the principles and cornerstone of coaching as the profession, organisations, leaders and their people emerge from a significantly challenging time.”

This was the Association of Coaching’s 4th International conference and celebrated “where coaching is now at – emerging into a truly global profession”.

The speakers included:

• Julio Olalla, President, Master Certified Coach and International Educator, Newfield Network, www.NewfieldNetwork.com
• Clayton Witter, Managing Director, Beko plc, www.beko.co.uk
• Veera Johnson CEO, www.ProcServe
• Professor Reuven Bar-On, www.ReuvenBarOn.org
• Katherine Tulpa www.associationforcoaching.com & www.wisdom8.com

All previous events sold out, which came as little surprise to those who have attended any of them. It presented a unique opportunity to fine-tune coaching skills and rub elbows with some of the most respected coaches in the industry.

Little Faith in Management
A recent study (Kenexa Research Institute) reveals that only forty-seven percent of polled UK employees believe they are led by an effective management team. Senior management is viewed by employees as being effective when it “responds quickly to marketplace opportunities and competitive threats, keeps them informed about organisational issues, make quality and improvement top priorities and motivates people to work hard”.

This study exposes the UK as being below the international average 51 percent. The UK poll numbers were lower than that of India (69 per cent), Brazil (59 per cent) the US (54 per cent), China (53 per cent) and Canada (52 per cent).