The CIPD’s spring 2013 Labour Market Outlook (LMO) survey suggests that UK employment growth is set to continue in the second quarter. The study shows that the employment balance – the difference between employers intending to hire and reduce staffing levels – increased to +9 from +5 for Q1 2013. This is the fifth consecutive quarter of projected growth.

In the private sector, the balance is up +5 to +21 on the last quarter, according to the report, which “continues to accurately predict official employment statistics quarter on quarter.” By contrast, public-sector employment levels are set to fall further in the second quarter of 2013 (-32).

The CIPD’s latest quarterly Employee Outlook benchmark report reveals cautious optimism among employees from across the sectors on a range of engagement indicators, with the voluntary sector, in particular, leading the way in good practice for employee engagement. 

The findings indicate that the quality of management "is a principal driving factor behind high levels of job satisfaction and employee engagement, despite prolonged job insecurity," according to Claire McCartney, research adviser at the CIPD.  

Overall, the survey revealed a “slight improvement in employee engagement” – up to 37 per cent from 35 per cent last quarter, although marginally down from the 38 per cent of autumn 2012. 

A new report from Ernst & Young, Global Payroll: Myth or Reality, suggests that cost, vendor selection, loss of control or project management, geographic capability, and legal and regulatory requirements are the top five challenges to implementing a global payroll system for UK companies.

The findings add detail to the survey’s key conclusion that firms worldwide are sceptical that a global vendor currently exists that can provide a truly global payroll solution.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has welcomed measures set out in the 2013 Budget which, it says, will help more people to get a foot on the employment ladder, make it easier for those who have been off sick to return to work when they are able, and help those in work to plan their retirement.

Commenting on the Budget and the accompanying forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), Mark Beatson, CIPD chief economist, said, “The economic forecast contains few surprises. The very difficult situation in the Eurozone casts a long shadow over the UK because of our close trade relationships with Europe, so halving the growth forecast for 2013 to 0.6% was to be expected.

“The OBR admits that it was surprised by the 600,000 increase in employment in 2012, given the lack of economic growth. In this respect, the OBR forecast of 100,000 employment growth in 2013 and a further increase of 100,000 in 2014 may prove to be conservative.

“The difficult fiscal situation gave the Chancellor little room for manoeuvre in terms of measures to stimulate the economy, but the Budget did contain a few measures that should encourage employment creation and retention and provide a degree of support and certainty for employers.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) People Management Awards are now officially open for entries. The Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in people management and development, as well as the impact the HR and L&D professions have on business success.

The 2013 CIPD People Management Awards include four new categories, amongst them is an award for an organisation that can demonstrate exceptional practices in terms of promoting diversity and another, linked to the CIPD’s Learning to Work programme.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has welcomed the move towards greater employer involvement in the apprenticeship system and is urging employers to think beyond blue collar jobs when designing their own apprenticeships.

Employers’ concerns about the extent to which apprenticeships are sufficiently tailored to their needs was found to be one of the biggest obstacles for taking on apprentices, according to research conducted as part of the CIPD’s Learning to Work programme.

New nationwide Barclays ‘Bridges into Work’ scheme will help businesses across England to receive free support to take on a local apprentice and help 10,000 young people into work.

The new programme is being launched at major events in Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London as part of National Apprenticeships Week and will be available for businesses large and small to access support across the country.

New research from specialist recruitment consultancy Office Team UK has found that increasingly HR directors are relying on the advancement in technology to support their wider recruitment drive.

More than 41% of UK HR directors say that compared to three years ago, they have increased their use of video conferencing to conduct interviews, presenting a radical shift in the overall hiring process.