Tag Archives: HR

HR News, HR Software, News

How Ciphr amplifies performance through the V2MoM framework

Join Ciphr’s HR leaders, Claire Williams and Karen Lough, for an insightful webinar about how Ciphr has transformed its performance management process using the V2MoM framework (11am on 21 May).

A unified employee base all pulling in the same direction, where everyone knows what they need to do and can operate at the top of their game, is the holy grail for any organisation.

HR software provider Ciphr has spent the past six months reframing its company goals and cascading them throughout the organisation in the form of meaningful performance objectives for all. They’ve introduced the V2MoM management framework to cultivate a high-performance environment where everyone has total clarity on their goals and objectives.

Find out how they did it, and the results so far at 11am on Tuesday 21 May. Spoiler: educating and engaging employees is key.

Claire Williams
Claire Williams is chief people and operations officer at Ciphr and a fellow of the CIPD – the UK’s professional body for HR. She leads on Ciphr’s people and culture, as well as company-wide strategic initiatives and operations. She has been with Ciphr for six years and has nearly 20 years of experience in the HR profession.

Williams says: “Building and implementing V2MOMs at Ciphr has been a labour of love. I can’t wait to share with the wider HR community the highs and lows of this strategic project, and how we have driven a shift in our collective purpose and high-performance culture.”

Karen Lough
Karen Lough is head of people experience (learning and development, culture and engagement) at Ciphr. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in learning and development and leading key transformation projects, including capability and behavioural frameworks, leadership development and performance management.

Lough says: “I’m really looking forward to sharing how we have used V2MOMs to accelerate the adoption of our Ciphr Amplifying Performance framework. We’re well on the way to a state where every one of our employees works with complete transparency of what they need to do and how that impacts the success of our business.”

To register for Ciphr’s webinar, please visit: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H08SdMj0.

All Ciphr webinars are free to attend. Links to video recordings of the seminars are made available afterwards and emailed to all registrants.

Previous webinars are available to watch on-demand at https://www.ciphr.com/webinars.

Ciphr is the go-to HR software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Based in Reading, Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.

For more information, please visit https://www.ciphr.com.

Hospitality, HR, News

New HR managers’ research on attractiveness of hospitality professions released in Sommet Education Foundation launch

Sommet Education, a leading worldwide player in hospitality education boasting a community of 10,000 students and 60,000 influential alumni worldwide, has launched its Foundation, a significant milestone aimed at supporting employment challenges within the hospitality sector.

The Foundation will concentrate on tackling the sector’s employment challenges by focusing on two levers of action: offering scholarships for hospitality education to talented individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, and advocating for careers and professions in hospitality.

 

Empowering individuals from underserved communities to pursue rewarding careers in hospitality

The launch comes at a pivotal moment for the industry, with the travel and tourism sector projected to provide employment for 449 million people worldwide by 2034, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). By then, 12.2% of the global workforce will be powering this vibrant sector. Despite these promising figures, many destinations and hospitality employers continue to face recruitment challenges.

Drawing on Sommet Education’s long-standing commitment to developing hospitality talent, the Sommet Education Foundation will leverage its global network of hospitality schools (Glion Institute of Higher Education, Les Roches, École Ducasse, Invictus, and Indian School of Hospitality) to train and open doors to careers in this industry for individuals from diverse and socially disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Sommet Education Foundation will identify talents supported by a network of social partners, including UN agencies, governmental entities and NGOs. Talents will be selected in alignment with the framework of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 4, focusing on inclusive education. Funding and support will be provided to educate and empower, particularly youth from impoverished backgrounds and women, while also creating lifelong learning opportunities and ensuring talents are gainfully employed within the sector.

 

Sommet Education Foundation patronage

“Joining the hospitality industry is more than a job guarantee; it is a promise of a rewarding and fulfilling career nurtured by human encounters, passion, cultural exchanges, and experiences,” said Anouck Weiss, Executive Vice-President at Sommet Education Foundation. “By offering scholarships leading to employment opportunities, we aim at offering life-changing opportunities to a new generation of talents and empowering them with the necessary skills to join the thriving hospitality industry.”

The Foundation can already count on Accor as a Founding Patron. The hospitality group has already committed to promoting talent development, fostering social equality, and bolstering economic growth through a first dedicated initiative in India. Steven Daines, Chief Talent & Culture Officer at Accor, said: “As a leading hospitality group, investing in people’s talent is a key priority. Hospitality is a sector that transcends territories and borders. This implies open-mindedness and connection to others. I am proud to be in a sector that promotes cross-border work experiences and multicultural environments”.

Echoing his views, Anne-Sophie Beraud, SVP Diversity & Inclusion & Social Care at Accor, added: “The success of our employees must not be determined by diplomas, origins or nationalities. We want to guarantee each of our talents the opportunity to reach their full potential by preventing inequalities and discrimination.”

Promoting hospitality professions: survey shows strong sector attractiveness and employer voluntarism to attract and retain new talents

 

To inform the Foundation’s roadmap and strategic direction, the Sommet Education Foundation engaged OpinionWay, a pioneering market research institute, to conduct a comprehensive European survey to identify the key factors that attract and retain talents in the hospitality industry. 1,300 young professionals and hospitality HR managers across Europe were interviewed, along with 20 key industry leaders (below) encompassing the broader spectrum of the sector, including hotels, restaurants, travel, tourism, independent, medium-sized and large hotel groups, and high-end retail.

Alain Ducasse, Chef and Founder, École Ducasse

Carole Pourchet, Director General, Majorian

Christelle Grisoni, CEO, Bertrand Hospitality

Christian Catiello, Manager Director Organization, Alpitour World

Christopher Jones, Director General, Brioche Dorée

Cyril Baron, General Manager, Caviar House & Prunier

Eric Frechon, Chef, Meilleur Ouvrier de France

Isabelle de Bardies, Director General – CEO Division, Angelina

Jade Frommer, Co-Founder and CEO, Ephemera

Katrin Melle, Regional Vice President DEI & Talent EAME, Hyatt

Laurent Kleitman, Group Chief Executive Officer, Mandarin Oriental

Maribel Rodriguez, Senior Vice-President, WTTC

Marion Amacker, Associate Director, Morgan Philipps Executive Search

Natalia Bayona, Executive Director, UN Tourism

Nathalie Seiler Hayez, Managing Director, Swiss Deluxe Hotels

Philippe Héry, Managing Director, Hippopotamus

Pierre-Olivier Aguinalin, Chief HR Officer, Hublot (until February 2024)

Sabine Masseglia, Managing Director, St Barts Tourism

Steven Daines, Chief Talent & Culture Officer, Accor

Tigrane Seydoux, Co-Founder, Big Mamma

The research found that the service sector holds considerable appeal for 85% of young professionals across Europe. Three-quarters of young European professionals would be ready to join high-end hotels, restaurants and retail shops, praising the career opportunities, especially internationally, and the people-to-people connections. The survey confirms the overall challenge of the sector throughout Europe, with 59% of HR managers facing employment challenges. 78% state that Generation Z (18 to 28 years old) brings specific challenges around identification, recruitment and loyalty.

 

Hospitality’s unique promise fuels optimism in the sector

Professionals within the sector are resolutely convinced of the depth and appeal of their respective fields, the survey found, with an overwhelming 86% expressing confidence in the sector’s allure. Moreover, they exhibit unwavering faith in their ability to sustain employee commitment, rating it at an impressive 7.5 out of 10.

This sector offers pathways for individuals to advance socially and professionally, regardless of their educational background. It stands out as one of the few industries where individuals can achieve rapid success and take on greater responsibilities over time, effectively climbing the social ladder. This unique promise of upward mobility makes it particularly appealing to many. Furthermore, employers place a premium on motivation, soft skills and service-oriented personalities, prioritising these qualities over formal diplomas and are ready to invest in their talents. The overwhelming majority – 93% of HR managers – emphasise the centrality of training in fostering talent excellence, development and long-term loyalty.

On this subject, Laurent Kleitman, Group Chief Executive at Mandarin Oriental, shared: “Architects design the buildings of tomorrow. I would like people coming out of hospitality schools to be able to design the experience of tomorrow.”

HR, HR News, Mental Health, Mental Health at Work, News, Wellbeing News

April is Stress Awareness Month

With 17.1 million working days lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2022/23, WorkNest experts explain how to manage an employee who is off for work-related stress and urges employers to prioritise mental health in the workplace

April is Stress Awareness Month and with stress, depression and anxiety accounting for almost half of all work-related ill-health cases (49%), it is clear that effective strategies for dealing with workplace stress are urgently needed.

WorkNest, the employment law and HR specialists who support 40,000 organisations across the UK, handled an average of 3,000 sickness absence related enquiries every month in the past year. In line with the HSE’s statistics, it calculates that around half of these cases are specific to employees suffering from stress, anxiety or depression. A particular area of concern for employers is how much contact to maintain with an employee who is off with work-related stress.

Keeping in touch  

Whilst there is no law to prevent an employer contacting an employee who is off work due to stress, employers are understandably apprehensive about exacerbating what can already be a sensitive situation. Furthermore, there is legislation which can be relevant when managing an employee who is absent because of stress, such as the Equality Act and the Health and Safety at Work Act.

For employers who find themselves in such potentially challenging scenarios, Lesley Rennie, Employment Solicitor at WorkNest, has the following advice to enable businesses to support their employees, whilst meeting their legal duties:

  1. Ensure policies and procedures on managing sick leave are up-to-date and are communicated to all employees
  2. Maintain a reasonable amount of regular contact with the absent employee to demonstrate concern and gather updates on their health status
  3. Strike the right balance of communication and review this regularly in partnership with the employee
  4. Request medical documentation from the employee to verify extended sickness absence and better understand their situation
  5. Conduct a return-to-work interview to discuss the reasons behind the absence and offer support if needed
  6. Consider workplace adjustments to facilitate a smooth transition back to work such as shorter hours or flexible working

Prevention is better than cure

With 17.1 million working days lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2022/23, the experts at WorkNest are urging employers to emphasise wellbeing in the workplace to help prevent their employees from being signed off for stress in the first place.

Susan Doran, Health and Safety Consultant at WorkNest, says:

“We really need a shift in mindset to focus on a broader sense of health in the workplace, not just occupational diseases and safety. We would encourage employers to apply the same urgency to mental health in the workplace as they do to accident reduction.

“Health and safety legislation has traditionally emphasised an employer’s obligations in regard to safety but we have seen a notable shift towards protecting overall health with the Health and Safety Executive spotlighting mental ill-health in its 10 year strategy. We may therefore see a clamp down on employers who neglect how their workplace environment is contributing to poor mental health.

“Clearly employers should be cognisant of their legal duty to assess the risk of work-related stress. It is also important however, that they recognise the wider business benefits of creating initiatives and processes centred around individual wellbeing such as increased productivity, decreased absenteeism and a lower staff turnover. Beyond complying with regulations, fostering a mental healthy workplace is not just a legal obligation but a moral imperative.”

Steps to better manage stress in the workplace

The key to dealing with stress is tackling the problem early, as this may reduce the impact on the employee. Susan advises employers to take the following actions to better manage stress in the workplace and ready themselves for the HSE’s renewed focus on mental health.

1. Implement a policy
Implement a comprehensive stress management policy which fosters a collective commitment to identifying, addressing and managing stress in the organisation.

2.  Provide training
Provide training so that managers are able to identify signs of stress in the workplace and equip them with the tools to address stress at the earliest opportunity.

3. Collect data
Collect data on stress-related sick-leave to better understand what factors may be contributing to stress.

4.  Empower managers with Talking Toolkits
Utilise the HSE’ Talking Toolkits designed to help line managers have simple, practical conversations with employees about stress. These are particularly useful for smaller organisations to gather the sort of data that larger organisations may obtain through surveys.

5.   Conduct risk assessments
In instances where an employee has communicated their struggle with stress, it’s imperative for the employer to conduct a risk assessment and promptly implement relevant control measures to provide support. There are various ways stress can be managed, but the HSE Management Standards document outlines 6 key stressors and gives examples of how these stressors can be addressed.

Education, Education News, News

Bradford College Achieves West Yorkshire Fair Work Charter

Bradford College is one of the latest certified members of the new West Yorkshire Fair Work Charter.

Created by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin, the Charter is an ambitious new initiative that supports and celebrates great employers across the region.

The Charter welcomes employers of all sizes and across sectors who are committed to meaningful action, helping provide better pay, conditions, and opportunities for all.

Local employers, trade unions, and regional leaders helped to develop the initiative, overseen by a steering group. The Charter is guided by five themes: opportunity, security, wellbeing, fulfilment, and employee voice.

Bradford College met the criteria owing to its aspirational 2022-2026 strategic plan and the strategic objective to become an ‘employer of choice.’ Work is underway to boost staff engagement and attendance levels, offer outstanding learning and development, recruit and retain highly skilled and motivated staff, and offer a great place to work.

Sarah Cooper, Bradford College Director of People Services, said:

“We are delighted to be approved as an early joiner of the West Yorkshire Fair Work Charter. This endorsement of Bradford College’s employment practices commends our ambition of being an employer that offers an exceptional workplace.

“We recently updated all our HR policies and are investing more in learning and development and wellbeing activities – all examples of how we support existing and future employees. We look forward to building on this success and sharing best practice with other regional organisations.”

Mayor Tracy Brabin unveiled the West Yorkshire Fair Work Charter at the University of Bradford in November. More than 40 businesses and organisations pledged to improve the quality of work in West Yorkshire, with Bradford College being one of the few large employees in the city to achieve this status.

The West Yorkshire Fair Work Charter follows similar charters in other Mayoral Combined Authority areas, such as Greater Manchester and the Liverpool City Region. It is designed to be relevant to large organisations, but also small and medium-sized businesses which make up 99% of employers in the region.

Find out more about working for Bradford College:

www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk/about-us/jobs-at-bradford-college

Appointments, Automotive, Business, Cardiff, Careers, Economy & Jobs News, HR, Jobs

Industrial electronic repair firm Kontroltek Ltd welcomes new Director of Commercial and HR

One of the UK’s leading providers of industrial electronic repairs has announced the appointment of Catherine Demaid as its new Director of Commercial and HR.

Kontroltek, being the largest independent firm of its type in the UK, covers the whole of the UK, specialising in Industrial Electronic Repairs, working with all sectors of manufacturing and servicing businesses across the UK and globally.

With her extensive experience and expertise, Cath will play a pivotal role in driving the company’s strategic growth initiatives and fostering a culture of excellence.

Cath brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to her new role, having served in various senior leadership positions in the fields of acquisitions, HR and transformational change.

With a proven track record of developing and implementing effective organisational development and growth strategies, Cath is poised to lead Kontroltek’s plans for major expansion in the UK and Europe. Her experience in driving business growth is set to be instrumental in nurturing talent pipelines and fostering a culture of innovation and advancement within the industrial electronics sector.

Commenting on her appointment, Cath said: “I am thrilled to be part of the Kontroltek team and am committed to leveraging my experience to drive the company’s strategic objectives forward.

“I believe in fostering a culture of inclusivity, innovation, and talent development and engagement, and I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Kontroltek to achieve our goals.”

Andrew Follant, Managing Director, Kontroltek Ltd, added: “We are delighted to welcome Cath to the Kontroltek family as our Director of Commercial and HR. With her extensive background in strategic change, performance initiatives and organisational development, she will play a pivotal role in driving our company’s growth and success.

“Her passion for excellence and commitment to fostering a positive work culture and impressive talent pipelines align perfectly with Kontroltek’s vision. We look forward to her transformational leadership as we continue to expand and innovate in the industrial electronic repair industry.”

HR, News

Ciphr rebrand puts HR ‘front and centre’

Ciphr has unveiled a new brand identity and vision today, designed to showcase the importance and value of HR and people teams to UK businesses.

The all-encompassing rebrand puts people management professionals at the centre of its transformative new look and narrative, and positions Ciphr as their go-to HR software and solutions partner.

Ciphr’s vibrant new colour palette, logo, website and content may seem like a seismic shift in market direction – but it’s not. It’s simply more representative of the people-centric brand and employee-centric company that it’s always been. And it’s purposefully more reflective of, and aligned to, its customer base – the people who use, and rely on, Ciphr’s integrated HR, payroll, learning and recruitment software and services.

The use of eye-catching visuals and impactful copy that resonates with the HR community adds more warmth and personality to the brand. It’s immediately more memorable, more human, and full of characterful flourishes that emphasise Ciphr’s people-first approach and HR expertise.

Chris Boddice, who joined Ciphr as chief marketing officer last year, says: “I always thought that our brand didn’t really express the lived experience of working in, and with, Ciphr.

“There’s a fantastic level of energy, enthusiasm and expertise here at Ciphr. It comes through when I talk to our people, and I see it every time I join customer calls. We have a deep understanding of the problems that HR teams face – and the experience and passion to help fix them. That’s something that hasn’t been talked about enough, until now.

“I wanted to change that. So the market can truly see who we are and what we are capable of. This rebrand has certainly done that; it captures the essence of who we are and what we can do for UK organisations.”

At the heart of Ciphr’s rebrand is its new brand vision – to amplify the voice and value of HR. HR teams are often undervalued by their organisations, and research shows that HR’s pivotal role in delivering business success can go unrecognised or be misperceived. That shouldn’t be the norm, though, and it doesn’t make good business sense, explains Ciphr’s CEO Sion Lewis.

“Ciphr is on a mission to make sure HR’s voice is heard. The impact of HR decision-makers has never been more important to UK businesses. So why leave your HR team – the people who know your workforce better than anyone – on the sideline when they should be front and centre?

“With the right data and the right tools, our customers can identify talent, trends and opportunities that reveal the hidden value of their people. This is gold dust for HR leaders who want to have influence in the boardroom. Our HR software provides invaluable insights that can inform business strategy. We provide the means to automate and streamline processes so HR teams can focus on developing their people. Because, let’s face it, if you want your business to grow and succeed, you’ve got to look after your biggest asset – your people.”

Here for the people who are here for the people

Ciphr worked with Airborne Studio on the rebranding, which also included the design and build of the new Ciphr website. The design agency conducted extensive interviews and workshops with Ciphr employees – many of whom have a background in HR, L&D and payroll themselves – to inform the new look and brand positioning.

The comprehensive changes include the introduction of a brighter range of colours, such as cool blue, mint green and mauve pink, and a softer, more ‘approachable’, flat logo design that works across the primary palette. There’s also contrasting typography, combining the Söhne Leicht and GT Super Text fonts in headlines to great effect. Illustrative flourishes highlight key ideas and photography, and a range of bespoke ‘doodles’ from Mr Woody Woods, a Manchester-based illustrator, add personality throughout.

Luke Kelly, founder and creative director of Airborne Studio, says: “It was clear from the outset of this project that Ciphr’s employees are ‘people people’. It’s not just a software or a consultancy business. Ciphr understands the importance of people and the importance of HR to a successful organisation, and cares deeply about helping others benefit from recognising that value. They champion HR and empower their customers to do the same within their organisations.

“The new branding and website reflect this – mirroring the warmth and humanity that exists across Ciphr – and crystallising their exciting vision into the powerful new ‘Amplify HR’ brand positioning.

“The Ciphr team has been a delight to work with and we’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together.”

Ciphr is the go-to HR software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Based in Reading, and backed by ECI Partners, Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.

More than 600 organisations use Ciphr globally, including Volkswagen Group UK, Lifetime Training, Crisis UK, Bensons for Beds, Natural History Museum and the Met Office.

For more information, please visit www.ciphr.com.

HR, HR News, News

Disciplinary delays draining employer time and resources

Despite disciplinary actions in the workplace taking one month or more to complete, new research by employment law and HR consultancy firm, WorkNest, reveals that 18% of employers experience matters dragging on for longer than three months.

The survey of 356 employers found that mounting delays in increasingly complex disciplinary processes are causing a significant drain on organisations’ time and resources.

The research shows that the leading cause of a protracted disciplinary process is an employee taking sick leave due to stress and anxiety, with almost a quarter (23%) of employers questioned citing this as the most common cause of delays.

Lack of available staff to deal with such matters is also given as a reason for setbacks by almost one in five employers (19%).

A huge concern for employers

Disciplinary matters are the most common type of issue that the WorkNest employment law team supports clients with. Its experts dealt with over 100,000 related queries in 2023.

Disciplinaries can be a source of significant stress, not only for employees, but also for employers taking action, with worries over the potential legal ramifications. The WorkNest research found that almost six in 10 employers’ (58%) greatest concern is making a legal mistake when handling a disciplinary matter.

Employer apprehension

The research also points to a lack of confidence amongst employers when navigating disciplinary situations. Just 37% are ‘fully confident’ handling disciplinaries effectively, while almost one in 10 (9%) described themselves as ‘not confident’.

Considering the average award for an unfair dismissal claim in the UK, before legal costs, topped £11,914 in 2022/23, , it is no wonder that fear of financial and legal repercussions can deter employers from taking disciplinary action, even when it is warranted.

Pete Sewell, Employment Law Adviser and Solicitor at WorkNest, said: “In an ideal world, disciplinaries should be straightforward.  Whilst in some cases, a longer process is justified, our research shows that all too often, employers are finding themselves ensnared in protracted processes that suck up valuable time and resources, whilst causing stress for employees and employers alike.

“It’s not surprising that employers are nervous about legal missteps. If an employer is perceived as treating an employee unfairly during a disciplinary process, it can be grounds for legal action. Clear policies, training and access to proper legal guidance are essential to minimising these risks and ensuring disciplinary situations are handled consistently, compliantly and with confidence.”

Common causes for disciplinaries

According to the research, the top three reasons an employer takes disciplinary action against an employee are:

  1. Absenteeism (36%) – including excessive short-term absences, timekeeping challenges and employees going AWOL.
  2. Poor performance (30%) – including repeated errors, unmet targets, subpar quality of work.
  3. Poor conduct (21%) – including rudeness, lack of teamwork, failure to follow instructions.

Commenting further on the research, Pete Sewell added:

“The fact absence tops this list isn’t surprising given the direct impact it has on workplace business operations and morale. We know that absenteeism in the workplace has been on the rise in recent years and our research highlights the critical need to address this issue at its core. This can involve reactively managing issues when they arise, cultivating a supportive work environment, implementing wellness initiatives and nurturing transparent communication channels, thereby mitigating the necessity for lengthy formal action.”

Deciding the best course of action

Pete continues: “It is disconcerting to see that almost a third of employers are disciplining employees for poor performance and we would caution against this. In truth, the disciplinary process should be reserved for cases of poor conduct only.  Different methods to tackle absenteeism and performance issues such as performance management procedures or separating out issues within a disciplinary process can often lead to a better outcome for all involved. This is a complex area, which even the most experienced managers and HR professionals grapple with. The overriding message is, if in doubt, seek advice.”

In light of the findings, a free-to-attend webinar from WorkNest presented by Kirstie Smith and Pete Sewell on why handling disciplinaries are such a burden on employers and how to manage the process better will take place on 8 February at 14:00 pm. Register here now.

 

News

Org Group appoints Pernille Fabricius as new Group CFO

Org Group today announced the appointment of Pernille Fabricius as Group Chief Finance Officer into a newly created role supporting growth plans for the Group and its subsidiaries – global talent services firm Morgan McKinley, business process managed services company Abtran, and advisory and technology services firm Org.

Pernille joined from NNIT where she was EVP, Head of Strategy, Transformation and M&A, and previously CFO. Prior roles included executive positions at ISS, GN, APMM, Getinge with the latest being Executive Director at Reliance Worldwide Corporation. In addition Pernille has held a number of Non Executive positions.

Pernille Fabricius’ appointment was welcomed by Group CEO Seb O’Connell, “Pernille is a strategic finance leader with an exceptional international track record in strategy and transformation which makes her an invaluable addition to both our Group and Operating Boards. We believe that Pernille’s expertise will elevate our capabilities through the next phase of growth and innovation.”

Incoming Group CFO, Pernille  said, “I’m delighted to be joining Org Group as it continues to strengthen its portfolio of services across international markets. The strong foundations established over 30 years allow us to provide long-term partnerships and solutions for our global client base.”

News

Firstup Appoints New CPO and CTO to Advance Intelligent Communication for Employee Experience Optimisation

Firstup, the first intelligent communication platform for the workplace that connects over 17 million employees worldwide, today welcomed Cheryl Chavez as Chief Product Officer and Ed Bielawa as Chief Technology Officer.

With decades of combined enterprise software experience, Chavez and Bielawa will play key roles in advancing the Firstup mission to help companies connect the employee experience ecosystem, understand employees better, and gain insights that can improve engagement, productivity and retention.

“Firstup is revolutionising the employee experience through data-driven personalisation. With industry veterans Cheryl and Ed joining our team from companies such as UKG and Marketo, we are poised to deliver enterprise-level personalisation at scale for the moments that matter in each employee’s journey and set the new standard for employee engagement in the market,” stated Nicole Alvino, Firstup Co-Founder and CEO.

Chavez will lead Firstup’s product team as CPO, including product management and design, and will work closely with the technology team to deliver product strategy and roadmap for Firstup’s category-defining software. Chavez most recently served as CPO at Bloomreach where she was focused on connecting data to the right action for customers. Prior to that, she held product leadership roles at Duetto, Engagio and Marketo, where she was the company’s first product management hire and went on to lead the product and UX teams through $300 million in revenue and IPO.

As CTO, Bielawa will lead the company’s technology development. Bielawa brings more than twenty years’ experience delivering scalable architectures for enterprise class, multi-tenant SaaS and PaaS. Most recently, as Vice President of Engineering at UKG, Ed led a 500 person global engineering team and successfully delivered a next-generation SaaS product that grew into a $400M recurring revenue stream in under five years. He also previously held technology and engineering leadership roles at Kronos and Hasbro.

Today’s news comes after Firstup recently introduced a platform that connects all aspects of the employee experience ecosystem to unlock real-time intelligence and deliver personalised communications at scale.

As Josh Bersin recently stated in The New World of Intelligent Employee Communications, “Employee-centric communication depends on a new way of thinking, designing, and executing, and it needs new technologies to help it personalise and orchestrate. Intelligent communication platforms allow you to see a richer view of your employees’ journeys so you can make actionable, impactful decisions faster and drive better outcomes.”

For more information about the Firstup platform and to learn how real-time intelligence can fuel more meaningful employee engagement campaigns, please visit Firstup.io/platform.

Appointments, News

Quinyx announces the appointment of Tristan Rogers as Chief Strategy Officer

Quinyx, a global leader in AI-powered workforce management (WFM) software, has announced the appointment of Tristan Rogers as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO).

UK-based Rogers is the former CEO and founder of Concrete, a retail-centric employee task and engagement platform which Quinyx acquired in March 2022.

Quinyx customers include Boots, Domino’s, HMV, Lindex, McDonald’s and Starbucks.

“As Quinyx continues to grow, and with huge demand in the US and Europe for advanced workforce management, Tristan will play a key role in connecting our future vision to the company’s market presence and product capabilities,” said Quinyx CEO Erik Fjellborg.

The announcement comes ahead of the NRF 2023 (National Retail Federation) trade show in New York, where Quinyx will showcase its unique task management, employee engagement, AI-powered workforce management, and optimisation capabilities.

“I am excited to join the executive leadership team and to help Quinyx continue delivering best-in-class, AI-fuelled solutions that improve employee experiences and operational efficiency,” said Rogers, who will present Quinyx’s Frontline Working Platform’s vision at the NRF.

Quinyx’s all-in-one WFM solutions enable frontline worker-reliant organisations to optimise their businesses, manage their workforce and engage their frontline employees. The platform lets Quinyx customers increase employee retention and improve business efficiency by supporting the frontline workforce journey.

In a recent study conducted by Forrester Consulting, Quinyx delivered a 376% return on investment (ROI) and $1.4M in savings based on a 50% reduction in overtime costs over a three-year period, which resulted in $3.67M in net present value (NPV).

 

About Quinyx
Quinyx is a leading AI-powered workforce management software that makes the complex tasks of scheduling, time reporting, communicating, budgeting, and forecasting deskless workers simple.

With offices in the UK, US, Australia, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Norway and Denmark and the Netherlands, Quinyx helps more than 1000 companies around the world reduce labour costs, remain compliant, and improve workforce efficiency – all the while boosting their bottom line, employee satisfaction, and retention.

Quinyx customers include McDonald’s, London City Airport, Hilton, Virgin Atlantic, and Starbucks.