In a damning report today in the Telegraph one in four managers are thought to be unaware of how bad they are at managing.
The CIPD explained that too many employees are promoted into people management roles as a result of technical skills or success in previous roles but receive inadequate training in how their behaviour impacts on others.
80% of managers believe that they are effective yet just 58% of their staff agree with that view.
If the management are ineffective at motivating, coaching and stimulating staff then overall business performance must be affected detrimentally.
It has to be realised that not all individuals are suited to people management, yet failure when placed in that position rarely results in them going back to a role in which they excelled.
In my opinion too much emphasis is placed upon cost containment, true the figures speak for themselves but reductions in staffing levels often do more harm than good. More work is heaped on fewer, often less experienced people, and business growth opportunities are ignored or go unexploited.
Perhaps as a country we are too risk averse.

The fastest rising age group in the unemployment figures are those in the over 50 category. The Guardian today carries the story of a 60 year old who has proved that age was the reason he has been unlucky in obtaining interviews by submitting two applications and finding that his 23 year old alter ego often got an interview when he did not.
The fact is that that the older unemployed do find it much more difficult to secure new employment, an issue which Government has failed to address, according the The Age & Employment Network (TAEN). Currently older unemployed have to wait 12 months to be referred to the Government Work Programme and even then their needs are not addressed by the agencies running it.
So how does the over 50 unemployed persons needs differ?
Quite possibly they have been in constant employment for more than 30 years progressing through promotion to become key members of the company. Then their world comes crashing down and they are suddenly very insecure and uncertain. Most have little experience in the job hunting or interviewing processes and are completely “green” in how to put together a meaningful and effective CV.
They need help in re-establishing their self-esteem, guidance on the important steps to understanding what it is that they have to offer a prospective employer and someone to offer practical and effective help in constructing a CV and managing the job hunt.
That is the difference ReDecision makes. We specialise in helping those over 50 find their feet and get back into work by treating each individual as a person with their own unique needs and skills. The emphasis is upon training each individual to identify and communicate to a would be employer why they should employ them.

Any company forced to implement redundancies is faced with a dilemma of how best to handle the situation. Many have established practices and procedures to comply with the legal requirements but most as a result fail to pay attention to the plight of the employee.
Those at risk of redundancy are forced to endure a period of doubt and uncertainty as a direct result of the rules and regulations designed to ensure their welfare. While management seek to ensure that the consultation period timescales are strictly adhered to employees are all too frequently left in the dark about what is happening. The result is that productivity, staff loyalty and morale are all adversely impacted through fear.
In many ways the way that investment banks handle their annual staff cull is probably the least damaging to the reputation and efficiency of the operation. Employees are well aware that non-performance is not tolerated so many will know that they are likely to be in the firing line. Almost all are invited to deal with the matter through compromise and non-disclosure agreements in return for a more generous termination package.
Of course not all organisations can afford to pay over and above the legal minimum but there are opportunities to engage with staff during the process which are invariably missed or passed over through strict adherence to legal guidelines. This is a shame as more often than not through discussion and consultation it is often possible to arrive at mutually acceptable solutions.
The fear of litigation and the level of fines imposed for failure to abide by the strict legal guidelines appear more important than good on-going employee relations. In fact the ultimate cost to the business in these terms can be much higher.
It is essential that legal advice is sought, preferably by both employer and employee, but companies would also be well advised to seek further advice on how to handle and manage the process with a view to avoiding the discontent and ill-feeling which is all too often found.

In official unemployment figures released this morning a rise of 28,000 is reported between November and January of which 19,000 relates to those over 50. Who says ageism is not rife?

185,000 over 50’s have now been unemployed for over a year up 8.3% on the last quarter.

In addition 1.83 million people state that they are in part-time work as they are unable to find a permanent role.

There may be many reasons for the older age group being most affected by redundancy, it may be that their skills are no longer relevant in an increasingly computerised age, their salary relatively high due to long service or that the cost of pension and healthcare provision is disproportionately high.

What is obvious is that these people find it very difficult to secure a new role despite having considerable experience, skills and a decent education behind them.

The real tragedy is that not only can they not find a job but that they are also being asked to wait longer before retiring despite having paid into pension schemes for at least 30 years. As a result they are likely to remain a burden on the state for longer too.

The Government has a stated intention to deal with youth unemployment and is putting money into apprenticeship and training schemes targeting this sector when in fact it is far more likely that money used to support the older workers is much more likely to bear fruit as these people have a proven work record, work ethic and willingness lacking from many of today’s youngsters.

In our experience many older workers are ill-prepared for the job search having perhaps not had to write a CV or undertake interviews for many years. Failings include a lack of clarity in what they have to offer a potential employer, modesty – a reluctance to blow their own trumpet and poor interview technique. Professional help such as that provided by ReDecision can greatly improve confidence and chances of finding new employment.

Various surveys offer differing opinions on the current state of the job market.

All are pessimistic about the economy as a whole reporting that employers are nervous about recruiting without a justifiable need.

Most are in agreement that more redundancies will be seen because employers who have been waiting to see whether the market picks up are now coming to the conclusion that there is little likelihood of an upturn. Particular sectors affected are services and those reliant on consumer spending such as retail.

The effects are said to be highly regional with the South East seeing less percentage-wise than the North of the country.

Prospects for those who find themselves out of work are likely to be few and far between with employers taking advantage of the perceived availability of candidates to offer meagre salaries rather than the going rate.

It is even more essential that candidates stand out from the crowd. The successful ones will be those who treat the job search seriously, do their homework and make sure that they highlight their skills and potential to a would-be employer succinctly in both CV and interview.

Take advantage of every offer of help, even if only to use the individual as a sounding board for ideas.

Those of us over 50 will probably remember the 1970’s as a time of widespread strikes, power cuts and the three-day week as a power struggle between trade unions and employers effectively destroyed many manufacturing industries. Certainly I can remember doing my homework by candlelight as scheduled 3 hour powercuts plunged areas into darkness.

It seems that we are now returning to a similar power struggle as public-sector workers fight cost-cutting initiatives and job cuts and tube drivers reject £500 extra to work through the Olympics later this year. Clearly industrial relations are becoming strained.

TUC research indicates that workers are worse off today than they were back in 1978. When measured by wage bill as a percentage of GDP in 2011 the bill was 53.8% against 58% in 1978. Of course this measurement fails to take into account increased mechanisation but does illustrate that for all the extra wealth created little has filtered down except, perhaps, through higher benefits.

Proposed Government changes to the tribunal rules may also reportedly create a more confrontational attitude as employers shy away from settling disputes gambling on workers being unwilling or unable to afford to make a claim at tribunal. With the maximum claim rising to £72,300 from the 1st of February it seems we are moving further away from resolving issues rather than making it easier.

Council agency workers in Edinburgh are reported to be humiliated by the decision by the manager to put names into a cereal bowl to determine those affected by redundancy.

Arguably random selection could be judged to be fair in that everybody had an equal chance of being selected and may even stand up at a tribunal but it is perhaps not in the spirit of the law.

In dealing with peoples’ livelihoods companies must be careful to ensure they comply with all aspects of the law whilst being seen to be completely fair and transparent in their selection processes. It is always advisable to take advice about how to best undertake the exercise.