Back to work: Pause before doing away with your annual appraisals September 4, 2015 As the new term kicks off one rather large organisation, Accenture, won’t be carrying out any more annual appraisals. Managers and junior employees alike must have extra springs in their steps as they, gleefully, head through the revolving doors and into work. The case against is strong. The annual appraisal system is time-consuming, regimented (often [...]
Leaving the EU is a walk into the unknown that would put our prosperity at risk June 14, 2016 As arguments on either side of the EU referendum debate are increasingly cast as products of fear or fantasy, an objective assessment is becoming, for the many in the undecided camp, increasingly difficult. I appreciate that there are emotional and political considerations in this important debate. But I prefer to see it in purely business [...]
What will Brexit mean for the City? June 27, 2016 Online protest-petitions aside, the people have spoken and the UK is now facing an exit from the European Union. What might this mean for the City, and Britain’s businesses more broadly? The short term We are already in the midst of extreme political uncertainty, and thus it is unsurprising to see panic and volatility in the [...]
These are 2016’s top 100 influential leaders in fintech (part 1 of 4) December 7, 2016 It is no secret that the financial services industry continues to be transformed by the digital revolution. According to PWC, roughly 20% of financial services business is at risk of disruption to fintech companies by 2020. It follows that investment into the sector continues to rise. In 2015, funding of fintech businesses more than doubled [...]
Eurozone employment hits highest level since 2009 but financial sector job growth stalls March 15, 2016 Employment in the Eurozone climbed at the end of last year as the currency-bloc's moderate economic recovery continued. However, the Eurozone's financial sector failed to register a growth in job numbers. There were 151.9m people in work in the Eurozone between October and December, according to figures published by EU statistical office Eurostat this morning. It is 0.3 [...]
Beware the unintended consequences of Theresa May’s flawed executive pay proposals July 21, 2016 Theresa May is absolutely right to ensure that the UK does not work for just “the privileged few”. But her suggestions for reforming executive pay – while well-intentioned – are not backed up by evidence and may well backfire. Before addressing the specific suggestions, let’s first ask whether the government should be intervening in the first [...]
Libor scandal: Those trading with Barclays would have felt cheated by accused bankers if they had heard about alleged actions April 6, 2016 Those trading with Barclays would have felt cheated if they had got wind of what the five accused bankers had allegedly done, said the lawyer for the fraud squad today. Former Barclays traders Stylianos Contogoulas, Jay Merchant, Alex Pabon and Ryan Reich, along with one of Barclays' former Libor submitters Jonathan Mathew, have been charged with conspiracy to [...]
Here is how banks can better compete for, and profit from, SME business May 20, 2016 SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy, generating roughly half of all private sector turnover and employing around 60 per cent of the UK workforce, according to the Federation of Small Businesses. For banks, then, addressing the needs and expectations of this fast-growing and influential segment must be high on the agenda. The good news? [...]
Five top US women footballers have accused US Soccer of wage discrimination March 31, 2016 Five stars of the successful US women's football team have accused US Soccer of wage discrimination. Co-captains Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn, forward Alex Morgan, midfielder Megan Rapinoe and goalkeeper Hope Solo have filed a federal complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. They intend to [...]
Zero hours contracts: A godsend for high-flying professionals May 19, 2015 The professions are not well-known for the flexibility of their working environments. But with technology allowing employees to work remotely, and staff wanting to juggle family life or keep a work/life balance, many employers are finding that their employees want more innovative solutions. Flexibility can benefit employees, the employer and clients. Advantages can include: a [...]