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LEADING THE WAY IN HUMAN CAPITAL RESEARCH

Penna's research programme which enables us to keep our consultants and our clients at the forefront of thinking in human capital management. Our recent papers and articles include:

How to manage redundancies… and remain an employer of choice during change

Redundancy is a fact of life for most companies undergoing change. So how can you undertake this unpleasant task of terminating jobs whilst ensuring that the company remains an employer of choice? This paper offers practical advice for before, during and after the redundancy process.

Click here to download the pdf

Gen Up: How the four generations work

Penna’s major new research, in conjunction with the CIPD, dispels some of the assumptions that employers are working on to attract and retain different age groups. Employers could be heading for conflict in the workplace and a reduced talent pool by not truly understanding the needs and motivations of the four different generations in the workplace.

Penna and the CIPD’s respective clients and members are starting to come to terms with the reality and impact of generational diversity, and are looking for ways to benefit from the skills and motivations of different generations. We decided to help them by gaining an in-depth understanding of what individuals in the workplace want from their careers and what employers are doing to respond.

The business case for managing generational diversity effectively is clear:

Broader talent pools from which to recruit
Creativity and innovation fostered from generational interaction
The risk of not managing this diversity can be misunderstanding between members of the workforce, leading to conflict and disengagement.

To take advantage of the opportunities, employers must embrace generational diversity and ensure they have meaningful people strategies and practices in place. Our study aims to add to the existing knowledge, help organisations to gain a greater understanding of their workforce and ultimately to improve business performance.

Click here to download the report

Transformation in the Public Sector

We conducted research to find out where the public sector is on the journey to reform. How are they managing change, what are the main challenges during these times of reform and what best practices are proving successful?

The aim of our research is to draw out some of the real issues that the sector is facing and understand how to promote collaboration and innovation to facilitate change and make a difference.

We conducted our research in April 2008 at the Civil Service Live in London and the Public Service Leadership Conference in Glasgow by surveying 161 senior HR professionals with a responsibility for managing people and change.

Transformation in the Public Sector

HR and Change Management

This report is to provides an insight into current and emerging practice in HR and Change Management. A short series of questions were asked of senior HR professionals at the Penna sponsored Strategic HR Network event in July 2008. The topical questions focused on the role of HR in successfully managing change.

HR and Change Management

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

This report aims to provide an insight into current and emerging practice in the implementation of diversity strategies. A short survey was conducted at the Penna sponsored Strategic HR Network event in January 2008. The topical questions focused on how these organisations were designing, implementing and measuring diversity strategies in order for them to have a positive impact on business performance.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

Reward, Recognition and Retention

With the war for talent and skills shortages still prevalent, organisations are continually looking at ways to differentiate themselves from competitors. Reward and recognition strategies are becoming increasingly important tools for attraction and retention. The purpose of this report is to provide an insight into current and emerging practice in the implementation of reward and recognition strategies.

Reward, Recognition and Retention

Developing & Implementing Effective International HR Strategies

This report provides an insight into current and emerging practice in developing and implementing effective international HR Strategies. The topical questions focused on the recruitment, retention and cultural challenges facing HR Directors with an international remit.

International HR Strategies

Creating an Effective Organisational Culture

An effective organisational culture is one that causes people to feel passionate about what they are trying to collectively achieve, that keeps them with the organisation and attracts others to the organisation. The purpose of this report is to provide a quick snapshot into the importance placed on the organisation’s culture and how current practices are enabling that culture to be effective.

Creating an Effective Organisational Culture

The Future of Recruitment and Retention

This report aims to provide an insight into current and emerging Recruitment and Retention practice. A survey was conducted at the Strategic HR Network event on 24th April 2007 around some of the topical questions focusing on Recruitment Strategies, Online Recruitment, Employer Brand and Retention.

The Future of Recruitment and Retention

Catalyst 1 - From Public Service Reform to Public Servant Reform

This first Catalyst paper, written by Richard Reeves and John Knell of the Intelligence Agency, challenges HR professionals to step up to the plate in Public Sector reform. The paper argues that if HR is really to become an agent of improvement and change, HR leaders will have to take bigger risks than at any other time in their careers, confronting problems in their organisations' cultures, and adopting - if necessary, seizing - a key strategic leadership role. Attached is a summary of the report with further details on free briefings concerning the full report findings.

Let the debate begin.

Click here to download the report summary

Meaning at Work

We asked 1760 UK employees in all sectors and regions what their employers could expect if they invested in creating meaning at work.

55% said they would be more motivated
42% said they would be more loyal
32% said they would have more pride in their organisation
22% said they would work harder
20% said they would put in more hours

Creating meaning at work makes sound commercial sense. But how do you create it? Penna's major research report explains what UK workers told us creates meaning for them.

Click here to download Penna's research report on Meaning at Work

The Value of Outplacement

Outplacement is not about systems, processes and facilities. New research from Penna on outplacement proves that the real value is the personal connection between an individual and their coach.

‘The Value of Outplacement’ investigates which elements of outplacement are valued both by individuals and employers, and whether there is any discrepancy between the views.

Click here to download a copy of Penna's research report The Value of Outplacement

The Manager Matters - the pivotal role of managers in successful change

This report aims to provide fresh insights into how organisations manage successful change. Specifically, it examines the relationship between employee engagement and change, and the role managers play in reinforcing employee engagement.
We interviewed more than 500 individuals, located across the UK, all working for organisations with 50 or more employees.

To download the full report please click here

Not the Usual Suspects: Women, Networks and Board Appointments

Drawing on findings from a survey of 48 female board directors in the FTSE’s top 250 companies, and on a series of one-to-one interviews, this report examines the routes the respondents took to the top, with a particular emphasis on the role of personal networks and professional intermediaries. And in the second part of the report we describe some of the key attributes and actions that characterize women who have become part of the leadership group in the top 250 FTSE companies.

Not the Usual Suspects: Women, Networks and Board Appointments

A Good Day's Work

On 13 July 2004 Penna sponsored a Guardian Conference called ‘A Good Day’s Work’. This report summarises Penna’s thoughts on how we create meaning at work. It considers the three critical components of a good day’s work: the impact of work on the individual; the impact of the individual on the organisation; and the impact of the organisation on society.

A Good Days Work

Taking Measures - Harnessing People Measures to Drive Business Performance

Following on from 'Unleashing the Chain Reaction', and complementing the Kingsmill Report, this paper is based on research with over 200 senior business leaders.

The report provides guidance on how businesses can tap into how well their investment in people is being managed and so bridge the gap between today's HCM reporting and tomorrow's. Taking Measures makes a compelling case for reporting externally on HCM measures and reveals some surprising findings.

Taking Measures

Generation Flex

Older employees are willing to help defuse the demographic time bomb ticking under British business and offer a solution to the mounting skills crisis by extending their working lives - but only if employers respond to their changing needs.

Generation Flex

Team Competency

What is it that distinguishes high performing teams from the merely average? Following two years of joint research with Cranfield School of Management, this report details the 16 competencies of high performing teams and explains how they interact to help ordinary people achieve the extraordinary.

Team Competency

Unleashing the Power of Your People - the Penna guide to Human Capital Management

Human Capital Management, or HCM, has swiftly become part of everyday business language. Yet few people would claim to be absolutely sure about what it means. Some use the term interchangeably with Human Resources. Others object to this new piece of 'jargon', feeling it depersonalises the relationship between employer and employee. At Penna, we feel these misunderstandings undermine the potential of what we believe is the key strategy for improved business performance. With this in mind we have produced the Penna guide to HCM and how to put it into action

Unleashing the Chain Reaction

Itchy Feet

'Itchy Feet', explores attitudes to redundancy and the loyalty employees have towards their employers. The research has revealed the emergence of a new, self-confident employee who is unsentimental about loyalty. Constantly on the look out for a better deal and ready to make the leap to another employer if their own cannot accommodate their career aspirations - the findings showed that over a third of employees actively look for another job as soon as they start a new role. The "new breed" employee represents a significant challenge to employers who need to retain and attract talent. Within six months of starting a job, almost half of employees have gotten 'itchy feet' and start to seek out a better alternative.

Itchy Feet

2020 Vision - The Future of Work

In late 2003, Penna began its research into the future of work with a sponsored think tank event featuring business leaders and HR professionals from the public and private sectors. The mission was to develop an insight into the future of work, and identify what we need to be doing right now to prepare for a future very different from the present. Guest speakers Ian Pearson of BT Exact and Melanie Howard of the Future Foundation provided the stimulus for debate in two diverse but equally provocative presentations. This day provided the springboard for further research and analysis which has resulted in a new report from Penna entitled 2020 Vision - The Future of Work.

2020 Vision

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