(PR in) HR Pulse | HR News Round-up: March
Photo by Utsav Srestha on Unsplash
As spring starts to emerge and the days are getting longer, we shine a light on some key stories that are currently affecting HR.
We have also looked into the current position of using AI for PR in our latest blog article. An interesting read for those that are utilising the apps for their workload.
AI - is it ever okay to use it for media commentary?
Ignoring AI isn’t an option. But it cannot - and must not - be used for everything.
So what about journalist enquiries - Is it okay to use AI applications to answer these?
Our latest article explores the minefield of AI, and where PRs currently stand on using the applications available.
DEI - What’s the update in the UK?
The UK, as with much of the world, are waiting with bated breath to see what President Trump does next. His targeting of the US government and signing of executive orders has world and business leaders alike on edge.
For the HR world, his ending of federal DEI policies and the take-down of what they stand for in the US is already filtering into the UK.
Melanie McDonagh from The Standard has reported that Goldman Sachs considers their previous DEI policies as ‘job done’. As with many firms, Goldman Sachs has a collective policy on governance across their US, Europe and UK locations, so it’s simply a case of following suit of the US offices.
However, other big firms, such as London-based Deloitte, have decided to drop their policy of requiring staff to provide their preferred pronouns. A small change perhaps, and a welcome change for columnist McDonagh, but potentially the start of a big step backwards for many.
Personnel Today has reported that training provider Skillcast has seen a 92% surge in page views of its Protected Characteristics at Work guide – a resource outlining legally mandated DEI standards in the UK.
Vivek Dodd, CEO of Skillcast, commented, “By setting a precedent for companies to deprioritise DEI, this shift has risked stalling and reversing decades of progress. While some US businesses are moving away from DEI, UK companies remain legally required to uphold and safeguard DEI standards under the Equality Act 2010 – emphasising the importance of ethical and legal compliance, regardless of the current political landscape.”
It’s not all backward steps. Jason Tarry, chairman of John Lewis told Jonathan Prynn, business editor of The Standard that he has no intention of backing down on diversity and inclusion, it’s part of what he sees as the company’s identity.
McDonagh goes on to point out that at the end of 2023, 96 out of the FTSE 100 had ethnic minority board members, with a dozen as CEOs and a fifth of directors coming from ethnic minority backgrounds. And at the end of 2024, 174 of the FTSE 250 had at least 40% female board members.
As with Trump’s rhetoric of jobs appointed based on merit, many may welcome this change. But, the point of diversity, and DEI initiatives, is to encourage and give opportunities to those with merit, to be able to make it to the top. It is, after all, well reported that diversity on boards offer a variety of outlooks, making for good decision making.
Read the full articles in:
Do recent comments on Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership style reflect badly on HR?
People Management's recent report on Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership style being compared to an ‘HR manager’ has made many consider the meaning behind the statement. Is being an HR manager considered a weakness and is there a misconception behind the HR function?
Some say it’s a function in crisis, and with some studies citing employee burnout and outdated perceptions as an administrative department, HR is shifting the narrative to demonstrate their effectiveness as a key driver for organisational growth.
Cathy Acratopulo, CEO of LACE Partners, acknowledges that “there is without doubt a branding or perception problem – people may have a view of HR taking orders or policing policies – rather than what we see far more of now – co-leading with CEOs and CFOs.”
But with the publication of Get In, a book about Labour's success in government, the prime minister’s chief of staff is reported to have suggested that Sir Keir Starmer “acts like an HR manager, not a leader”. Resulting in a fresh wave of negative headlines about HR.
Acratopulo responds to the statement: “(Sir) Keir Starmer should take this as a compliment.” A CPO wears many hats, so it makes them ideally placed to drive change and transformation.”
With this in mind, it’s time to have a better understanding of the differences between people’s archaic view on ‘HR’ and what HR actually does.
HR’s are very aware that their roles aren’t fully understood, and they know the need to advocate an accurate understanding of their organisational role.
By shifting the narrative, HR teams can demonstrate their ability to work across all functions across the business, from effective hiring processes, to job progressions to organisational growth.
Hayley Saunders, HR Technical Consultant at AdviserPlus believes “Successful businesses will have HR deeply embedded in business strategy, driving culture, innovation, and workforce transformation.”
HR managers must continue to reinforce the value they bring to senior management teams, to organisations, to employees generally, to dispel the HR myths, convincing them that given the time, “HR can focus on strategies that link people plans to financial performance, drive meaningful change, and give the organisation a competitive advantage.”
Read the full article n People Management
LACE Partners and AdviserPlus are PR in HR’s clients, we help them gain repeated thought leadership coverage in the media.
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