Why don't firms hang on to their good staff?

Research from the Taleo Corporation, a top flight provider of on-demand talent management solutions, reveals that almost a quarter (22%) of HR decision makers expect to see an increase in voluntary churn in 2011, highlighting this as a major threat to business growth over the next 12 months.

According to Taleo’s Talent Mobility in 2011 research, which surveyed 500 HR decision makers in large UK companies, increased 'churn' was highlighted as a particular issue for business services (32%), public sector (28%) and IT/technology companies (27%).

But while HR decision makers identified this as a concern for 2011, the majority attributed retention problems to external factors, like better salaries (48%) or opportunities (45%) elsewhere, as opposed to internal factors.

“As many organisations plan for growth in 2011, and confidence in the job market returns, employees who may have chosen to sit tight over the last few years are likely to begin exploring new opportunities, seeking new roles and new challenges,” pointed out Alice Snell, Vice President, Research, Taleo.

“But introducing an effective talent mobility strategy, which allows companies to mobilise people internally in response to business needs can not only make great business sense, but can prove an excellent retention tool, offering employees internal opportunities to develop their career with their current employer.”

Overcoming the barriers to talent mobility – why ‘making do’ won’t do

The recent research highlighted talent mobility is increasingly on the HR agenda for 2011, with 71% of respondents agreeing that it is important for companies to be able to proactively and strategically move people from role to role.

However, the extent to which companies are currently moving people within their businesses effectively remains limited, with many citing a number of recurring barriers, which they believe are currently preventing them from achieving a truly mobile workforce.

The top three barriers to talent mobility were identified as:

• Lack of visibility into talent gaps and opportunities
• Lack of systems/technology to support talent mobility initiatives
• Quality and reliability of employee talent data

A low level of sophistication in terms of talent mobility technology emerged as a particular barrier for the majority of organisations, limiting the ability of HR professionals and senior management to identify where the opportunities and gaps within their organisation lie and matching these with existing, internal skill sets.

Overall, only one in ten (10%) of the companies surveyed were using dedicated talent management systems, with the use of dedicated systems proving higher in the construction/manufacturing (14%) and IT/technology (14%) sectors. The majority of companies reported they were still ‘making do’ with company intranets to facilitate internal mobility, and in 30% of cases, companies were still relying solely on email to facilitate internal mobility.

Alice Snell concluded: “The value of a talent mobility strategy is clearly recognised among the HR profession. However, it is currently being thwarted by a number of factors, most notably easily corrected system and data shortcomings. While the use of technology to support mobility is currently limited, evidence suggests that there are notable business benefits associated with a more sophisticated level of technology usage, from boosting the leadership pipeline to being better able to drive change and business growth. The companies that will be best placed to meet future challenges as we return to economic growth will be those that have the processes, systems and culture in place to support a truly holistic approach to talent mobility.”

(EDITOR: Some firms have decided to use “the recession” as an excuse as to why training is not done, why wages have not been increased in four or five years and why posts are not advertised, thus making one member of staff cover three or even more different roles. And I am aware of one company that edged out a worker with exceptional qualifications and skillsets because: “you make the other workers here look bad, by comparison.” And this was in a private company! With attitudes like this, it is no wonder that 'employee churn' is so high...)

Windmill Leasing launches new car leasing website

Windmill Leasing has launched a new website to promote its position in the UK company car leasing market.

The Bromsgrove-based organisation, which specialises in providing contract hire and fleet management solutions to SMEs and large corporate enterprises across the UK, now has an improved and effective online platform to showcase its selection of competitive car leasing deals and its full range of car leasing services for businesses.

In a triangulated initiative involving the company's online marketing team, a top digital agency, and an external web development team, the website evidences best practices in search engine optimisation, design and usability. It incorporates refreshed branding, a substantial increase in page count, and additional functionality in comparison with the previous website.

In addition to the expected increase in customer enquiries, the website will play a pivotal role in raising the brand awareness of Windmill Leasing as the company bids to establish itself as a leading provider of contract hire and business car leasing solutions.

Features of the new website include a showcasing facility for a range of car leasing deals, a comprehensive car configuration tool, the ability for a customer to determine their contract hire profile and a Quick Quote form for ease of enquiry. There is also a blog, links to Twitter feeds, detailed navigational copy, and extensive content around each of the company's car lease finance options available to businesses.

Jason Marshall, sales executive, Windmill Leasing commented: "We are pleased to announce the launch of the new Windmill Leasing website. Substantial investment both in time and money has gone into the project and we are delighted with the final result.

"The website is fully interactive and gives the user access to a wide range of information and complete control of their car lease. It allows the user to configure the vehicle to meet their specific requirements – including the finance aspect of the lease – and presents a comprehensive list of standard specification and technical data.

"The new website will allow us to drive the business forward substantially in the coming months and, in cohesion with a new agreement with a leading finance company and the impending opening of our new office in the North of England, these are exciting times for Windmill Leasing."

The new website also marks the beginning of a rejuvenated marketing campaign from the automotive company, which will initially embrace the website, social media and e-marketing initiatives over the coming months.

FACTFILE:
Windmill Leasing is an award-winning provider of car leasing and contract hire services to businesses throughout the UK. Formed in 2004 and based in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, the company employs a range of experts in the car leasing field to offer initial advice and ongoing account management services to its clients. From Audi car leasing to GAP insurance, the company prides itself in its holistic approach to contract hire for businesses.

For details for how Windmill could answer your fleet questions visit www.windmillleasing.com

Pioneering Association Champions Intellectual Property in Business

Top figures from corporates and professional services, including IP services company Coller IP, have come together to form a new association championing intellectual property (IP) from a business perspective.

The International IP Strategists Association (INTIPSA) is a professional association serving the community of intellectual property strategists worldwide. INTIPSA provides a unique forum for chief intellectual property officers (CIPOs), chief technology officers (CTOs), IP consultants, investors and others to develop best practice in IP strategy and management, share their knowledge and experience, and build their careers.

Dr Jackie Maguire, CEO, Coller IP, which offers a full range of specialist IP services, is one of the founder members of INTIPSA, and is the Association’s co-chair. She commented, “INTIPSA has been borne of the desire to raise the profile of IP strategy in business. This is very much an emerging field and we believe there is a real opportunity to build a vibrant international body that provides a voice for those involved in commercial strategies related to IP.”

INTIPSA aims to raise awareness of the value of IP strategy in business; allow professionals to improve their knowledge and skills; and promote excellence and professionalism within the IP strategy community. It will also provide an international marketplace for IP strategy services.

Meeting an Emerging Need
Intellectual assets – which include aspects such as brands and corporate know-how – are something that all businesses should be concerned about, not just technology companies holding patents. With knowledge and information now major drivers of the global economy, more and more companies are coming to recognise the management of IP as a function distinct from day-to-day IP protection.

They also appreciate the strategic role of IP and other intangibles in building and maintaining competitive advantage. From multinationals to start-ups, companies in all countries and sectors are focusing on the role of intellectual property in building business value.

IP strategists are found in a wide variety of roles, like CIPOs, CTOs, and VPs for research in corporates and start-ups, as well as in-house IP counsels. This area is also of interest to professional and advisory services, including strategy consultants, IP attorneys and IP lawyers, specialist brokers & valuers, venture capitalists, and corporate and angel investors.

A One-Stop-Shop?
Membership of INTIPSA means being part of a global network and think-tank for IP strategists, providing an international perspective in a field that transcends national boundaries. CIPOs, entrepreneurs and others will be able to develop new business relationships and partnerships. They will also have access to tools and resources to help them grow their businesses, and case studies and best practice guides on how to achieve IP strategy excellence.

“We see career development as being one of the biggest benefits”, commented Jon Calvert, INTIPSA’s other co-chair. “Our aim is to create an environment where up and coming IP strategists can learn from other professionals and trainers – through both training and mentoring – and progress their careers. INTIPSA will also serve as a specialist marketplace for IP strategy-related jobs and services.”

The Association’s website (www.intipsa.com) offers a one-stop-shop for news and information, and also a window on the IP strategy community. “We’ve thought long and hard about what it means to run a professional association in the age of social media” explained Mike Sharpe, INTIPSA’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). “We want to make the site the hub for the IP strategist community worldwide, showing who’s doing what and showcasing the best around. So, we’ll be giving a high priority to discussions, forums, blogs and other forms of community participation.”

Membership is offered in three categories – Fellow, Member and Associate – depending on professional standing and experience. Student and Corporate packages are also available. Those joining INTIPSA before 30 June 2011 will benefit from preferential initial subscription rates.
Although having its origins in the UK, INTIPSA aims to be fully international and will draw its members from around the world.

Setting the Agenda
While it will be down to the community to set the agenda, two initial priorities have already been identified. “As a relatively new sector, IP strategy is more or less unregulated in terms of professional standards”, explained Maguire. “We believe there is an opportunity to develop a widely-accepted and recognised professional accreditation for IP strategy practitioners and this is something that we will be consulting with members about.”

Related to this is education. “On the whole, business schools pay little attention to these issues at the moment”, said Calvert. “We aim to lead a debate on this so as to raise the profile of IP strategy within management education.”

INTIPSA is already active on the policy front, for instance through its recent submission to the UK’s Hargreaves Review of intellectual property. The Hargreaves report, released earlier this week, highlights the crucial role of IP strategy and commercial advice for businesses, especially SMEs. The Association will also be represented at the IP Business Congress (IPBC) in San Francisco in June, where it has official supporter status.

Colortrac launch new Professional MFP solutions based on the SmartLF wide format scanners

Colortrac, an innovator in the field of large format scanner technology, has launched Four new wide format Professional Multi-function Peripheral (MFP) solutions providing a full and pretty neat range of large format scan, copy, share and print capabilities for users of wide format printers.

Each Colortrac Professional MFP solution has been designed to satisfy the most rigorous of demands in a specific target group of customer applications. Ranging from the affordable ultra-compact and space-saving 24 inch solution for the small office or home office creating CAD based technical drawings, to the full 42 inch version providing high speed volume technical imaging & high fidelity color reproduction for the Bureaux and Repro services professionals. Colortrac have a Professional MFP solution to match your individual needs.

Commenting on the new solutions, Sales and Marketing Director - Peter de Winter Brown said that “Adding a Colortrac Professional MFP solution to their wide format printer, customers are enabling large format scanning, sharing print ready files such as PDF to the “cloud” with a copying capability that increases productivity and provide new applications with further revenue opportunities available to capture.”

Each Professional MFP solution has a built-in competitive advantage based on the Scan-Once workflow technology built into the SmartWorks Pro scanning and copying software, users have instant control over the output quality of their scanned images by selecting any one of the 10 Pre-set filters to control the key quality attributes of the document being scanned, copied or shared through.

By using standard Windows™ printer drivers, any compatible large format printer can provide excellent copy quality and also give you greater control over the output copy size by printing only what you need helping to reduce media wastage.

For demanding originals then the integrated ICC colour management in SmartWorks Pro combined with the Media Profiler facility can help create outputs specifically suited to your chosen media and large format printer. For scanning and printing service providers with large format document requirements, the comprehensive quality controls contained in SmartWorks Pro will give you all the tools you need to provide your customers with premium quality output time after time.

For small to medium sized enterprises such as Architects, Drawing Offices, In-House Repro departments; the robust and simple graphical user interface provides easy access to the important quality, productivity and file sharing facilities you need at the touch of a button.

To find out how the Colortrac Professional MFP solutions can provide you with the improved output quality, then check for further information on the Colortrac website – click here to view the various Professional MFP solutions available now. If you need more information how the MFP solutions are suitable for your enterprise, then why not discover the rationale for MFP in detail by downloading a copy of “The Professional Buyers Guide to large format MFP” now.

To find out how Colortrac can help you and your print needs visit them at www.colortrac.com

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“Who moved my talent?” Lumesse offers free copies of a new e-Book by Peter Gold of HireStrategies

“…armed with his new smartphone, an updated LinkedIn profile, a Facebook page and a Twitter account, 46 year old Henry ventured forth into the cloud to find his new social world. He had absolutely no idea where he was going or what he was going to do.”

Lumesse, formerly StepStone Solutions, is making available for a limited period of time a free electronic copy of a short new book by renowned HR guru Peter Gold.

“Who moved my talent?” is a lighthearted but pointed look at the why, what and how of finding, connecting and engaging the people that will transform your business. For a limited time the book is free to download in PDF and e-book formats, in English, French, German and Chinese, to anyone who visits the Lumesse website at the following URL: www.lumesse.com/whomovedmytalent

“For over 20 years I have been in the recruitment and talent management business, so I’ve seen many different ways of companies trying to attract and develop people,” said author Peter Gold.

“As we enter another period of growth, business leaders are evangelising the need for great people to help their businesses grow and prosper. I wrote ‘Who Moved My Talent?’ to remind people they need to continually review and improve how they hire, train and motivate people. If they don’t they might find – just like the famous cheese – that someone has moved their talent when they weren’t looking.”

Lumesse is one of the world’s leading talent acquisition and management companies, helping over 1,700 businesses worldwide find and manage the people they need in a changing world. Lumesse rebranded from its former identity, StepStone Solutions, in early May 2011 following a management buyout of the business in mid 2010.

Matthew Parker, CEO, Lumesse comments: “At Lumesse we’re delighted to sponsor this free download of Who Moved My Talent? Every day we work with ambitious companies that realise that talented people are the core of their success, and the book does a great job of highlighting what can happen, both personally and corporately, when you forget that.”

FACTFILE:

Peter Gold has successfully helped a number of enlightened organisations use technology to help people perform better and can often be found sharing his latest thoughts at conferences and workshops. His direct and uncompromising approach to technology has led to his established reputation as one of Europe’s leading Talent Technology bloggers:

http://blog.hirestrategies.co.uk

Lumesse is the only global company making talent management solutions work locally. We help customers around the world to implement successful local talent management initiatives that identify, nurture and develop the right people, in the right place, at the right time.

Their multi-cultural background and presence means they understand how to deliver talent solutions that work the way our customers work, as individuals and as teams, because no two people, organisations or cultures are the same. They regard differences as strengths, not as obstacles.

They work with 1,700 customers in over 70 countries because they recognise commitment, innovation and value only come from people. They help customers to unlock and inspire that human potential in their businesses. Their integrated talent management solutions are comprehensive, intuitive, secure and in over 50 languages.

www.lumesse.com

SMEs! Stand Up for your Patent Rights! At last, Intellectual Property Insurance that allows you to fight for your patents in court.

Patenting your ideas is important, vital, even! But it is crucial to protect them with proper insurance, too. La Playa’s Matthew Clark celebrates the arrival of a new insurance product that’s made for SMEs.

Intellectual Property is arguably your most important asset – but could you actually afford to defend a patent? An average patent law suit in the United Kingdom can easily exceed £250,000 (per side).

Much has been written about the importance of patents to support the growth of the knowledge economy. Yet patent owners receive no government or patent office help when faced with having to enforce their patent rights if they are infringed or if their validity or ownership is challenged.

Who could you turn to for help in defending your rights? This is particularly an issue for SMEs, many of whom would be forced to “roll over” rather than pay the legal costs to defend their intellectual property.

You wouldn't hesitate to insure office contents and other assets - so why leave your patents unprotected? Without insurance, the financial burden of a patent infringement case can be tremendous -crippling for start-ups and smaller businesses. But with the right insurance policy in place, you have the financial muscle to defend yourself – and merely having the insurance is itself a powerful deterrent to any potential infringer.

Intellectual Property insurance has long been available to large companies – but at a price; smaller firms have struggled to find affordable cover. Cambridge and London based insurance specialist La Playa has teamed up with leading global IP insurer SAMIAN Underwriting Agency, to provide PatentEnforcerTM - a cost effective insurance solution to protect the fruits of your invention with the financial means to enforce your patent rights.

PatentEnforcerTM is specifically designed for the SME market, with sensible levels of protection at reasonable prices, and the cover allows you to pursue infringers of your intellectual property.

More information and online quotations for Intellectual Property Insurance are available online.

EDITOR: That's Business would like to thank Matthew Clark and La Playa for their help in compiling this article. You can visit La Playa at www.laplaya.co.uk/intellectual-property.htm