Yet, one of the most popular speakers at the HR Forum on the Oriana in past years has been the image consultant and performance coach Mary Spillane. Spillane is a highly entertaining speaker and there is something strangely satisfying about being dragged to the stage and told to throw away that tie or much-loved navy blazer.
But I think it also reflects the fact that, love it or loathe it, we live in an age where split-second impressions can make a huge difference. HR professionals already have to contend with the fact that the image of their profession is not great. But the fact is there is a large gap in many peoples minds between the critical importance of people at work and the thing called HR. Richard Donkin raises this very question in his column. The profession has come a long way, Donkin says, but many people are still unconvinced about its usefulness. In this context, it is doubly important for the many talented individuals who have chosen to go into the HR profession to ensure that their image does not let them down. To show you what can be done, we asked four leading HR personalities to be our guinea pigs for a Mary Spillane makeover.
On the issue of substance over image, we announce this years winners of the HR excellence awards. Here there is abundant evidence of the contribution that strategic HR can and must make to business success. The winners embraced a range of areas from M&As to the development of skills and learning to change management. The companies proved how effective a calm, detailed and innovative HR approach can be. They developed the right level of influence with the board, built on their experience, without being blind to the need for new approaches. Finally, and not least, our overall winner Astron proved that innovation, hard work and sheer enjoyment of the task equals an immensely impressive HR story.
E-cruitment or e-recruitment many still dont know what to call it is undoubtedly here to stay, says Meg Carter. But attention is shifting from whether or not to advertise a job on the web to understanding how to maximise its potential. Finally, we publish a second portfolio in this issue this one provides a listing of some major players in the employee benefits field. We have an interview with two recently recruited police constables to the Lancashire force. If you had to say what motivates these two impressive individuals, it would be the desire to serve the public and to face constant challenges.
Morice Mendoza
Editor
