HR
People don’t need tethering to a place
The way forward for embracing remote working and liberation from the office is now clear following the response to coronavirus, says director of services at Basildon Council Mandie Skeat.
Test, test, test the tech!
Managing director of Penna Julie Towers offers some key observations on virtual recruitment, and says many of the online elements will be retained when lockdown eases further.
The best managers are misfits and weirdos
Organisations with a higher tolerance of misfits and weirdos will benefit from their creativity, innovation, energy and enthusiasm, says Blair Mcpherson - and we also need dreamers, visionaries and revolutionaries.
The Future of Local Government – no way back
The findings of a survey on the future impact of COVID-19 on councils provide an opportunity to consider ways to level up how services are delivered, says John Knight.
We have an opportunity to radically reinvent ourselves
Our new coronavirus-shaped world has changed beyond recognition, says Gill Kneller - and If we’re going to thrive, recovery will be key, 'but we simultaneously need to reinvent ourselves'.
Three Rs for use in a crisis
Aidan Rave believes there are three functions a leader should be focused on beyond the immediate management of the pandemic – reassurance, recovery and resurgence
Time to equip ourselves for the new normal
The ‘new normal’ will have to suit lots of people with a host of agendas, says Donna Ball, and personal resilience to deal with these competing demands will be essential
Resilience in the face of recovery
With the COVID-19 pandemic rewriting the rules of upheaval in modern times, Dawn Faulkner discusses how the sector can bounce back and the new leadership psychology necessary to do so
Three out of four councils boost recruitment
More than three-quarters of councils have been forced to recruit additional staff since March when coronavirus hit, a Local Government Association survey has found.
Superstars delivering in the face of adversity
When the pandemic hit, South Somerset DC quickly decided to redeploy staff in changed or closed services to carry out duties related to the local coronavirus response. Kirsty Larkins explains the approach.
Reinventing recruitment for a more sustainable future
Local government has shown it can move faster and better when the bureaucracy is stripped away and decision-making is made at the local level. Manny Sandhu sets out a social care and related professions recruitment plan with a powerful purpose.
Will COVID-19 mean we tackle poor leadership head-on?
COVID-19 has put leadership right in the spotlight, says Julie Towers. The early findings of the annual MJ Leadership Survey pre-COVID noted a positive move towards more authentic and adaptive leadership, she adds.
Transformation delivers flexibility in a crisis
Craig Cusack and Rob Powell talk to Ann McGauran about how Warwickshire CC’s transformation programme meant it was ‘pretty much ready for the pandemic when it arrived’.
It’s all part of the myth
Blair Mcpherson rejects the stereotype of an old-fashioned local authority chief executive of 20 years ago’ perpetuated by an unnamed special advisor.
Colchester to furlough staff
A council in Essex is to furlough some of its staff to limit the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prepare for a bright future
Neil Lupin looks at how local government might start to reinvent its future in the months ahead.
The fierce urgency of now
We have to start thinking about what comes after lockdown, writes Karen Grave – but she says we 'must ask the right questions if the existing fault lines that COVID-19 has amplified are to be reckoned with’.
'High risk' staff are being forced back, claims Unison
Unison is demanding Milton Keynes Council steps back from what it says is a ‘rogue local plan’ to order staff in high risk categories back to work.
Necessity is the mother of invention
Solace has shown a willingness to take advantage of the opportunities that digital presents the sector, most recently using current technology to ‘virtually’ recruit for Adur and Worthing Councils. Steve Guest explains.
Successful homeworking: from BT’s people to you
Homeworking might be new to your organisation, but there are lots of ways to make it work for you says Dr Nicola Millard.
