The UK Working Lives report by the CIPD was released on 11 April. The CIPD surveyed approximately 6000 workers in the UK across different sectors focussing on 7 key dimensions of “job quality”. The survey results reveal what employers should be focussing on to enhance job quality and improve working lives.
Planning where to invest training budgets? Having the confidence to speak the language of your colleagues and clients and being able to communicate effectively should be an essential part of your Training Plan.
Spring officially began in the UK on the 20th March 2018. I love Spring! I love to see flowering daffodils, tulips, crocuses and hyacinths in our gardens, new born lambs springing around the fields and eating my own bodyweight in chocolate over the glutinous Easter weekend. I love the lighter and longer days and the longed-for sunshine and higher temperatures after the long, cold winter. But what is there out there in the wider world to love about Spring?
Easter is one of the most important festivals in the Christian calendar, celebrated across the world in different ways. In the UK at Easter we commonly celebrate by going to church, having a family roast dinner, joining an Easter egg hunt and eating plenty of chocolate eggs. Have you ever wondered what is happening around the world at Easter?
With the 2018 Academy Award celebrations fresh in our minds, let us turn our attention to “Best Foreign Language Film” category. Chilean drama “A Fantastic Woman” won the 2018 Academy Award and marks the first ever win for Sebastián Lelio (Director). Past winners include popular films such as Life is Beautiful (1998), All About My Mother (1999), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and The Salesman (2016).
During Chinese New Year celebrations, it is traditional for Chinese families to clean their houses (sweeping away the bad luck to make way for the good luck) and wear new clothes. Families decorate their houses with red lanterns and usually gather with relatives for a big meal.
From experience, being able to speak a second language is like nothing else. The sense of pride and enjoyment you get from being able to converse with “foreigners” is huge. You can also show-off to your family, friends and business colleagues!
Personal development is a “process of self-education aimed at enhancing professional skills, employability, quality of life, self-discipline, talent and potential”. For anyone hoping to climb the career ladder or improve their sense of purpose, personal development is invaluable.
We were chatting in the office today and wondered whether animals have regional accents like Liverpudlians, Brummies, the Scots and the Welsh?
Whether you are going abroad for a business meeting with colleagues or suppliers or to finalise a £1 billion deal with a new customer, it is very important to familiarise yourself with the local social customs and business etiquette to avoid offending anyone and potentially losing clients. However, it is not straightforward – a social norm for one country could be a total no-no in another.