Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Economics, government & businessLatest News

HR shares blame for Whitehall problems

by Michael Millar 26 Jul 2006
by Michael Millar 26 Jul 2006

Poor people management and inadequate HR provision are at the heart of failings in Whitehall, according to detailed scrutiny of four main government departments.

The Home Office, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) were all subject to wide-ranging ‘capability reviews’, which were ordered by cabinet secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell.

The Home Office fared worst, with the review calling for an urgent improvement in leadership, project management, people management and the department’s inflexible and unresponsive HR systems. On its leadership’s ability to motivate staff, the Home Office was judged a “seriously poor performer”.

Home secretary John Reid immediately announced a purge in top-ranking Home Office officials, with more than a quarter of directors set to be shifted from their jobs.

The review of the DfES was scathing about its people management, declaring it was “underdeveloped and undervalued”.

“Managers feel they lack support from senior managers and HR professionals to deal confidently with poor performers,” the review said. “Some specific skills are in short supply, particularly in HR.”

David Bell, permanent secretary at the DfES, admitted that “our management of people needs to improve dramatically”.

The DWP needs urgent development in the ability to build the capacity of its staff, the review said. The DWP’s permanent secretary, Leigh Lewis, said: “The review rightly identifies that too many of our staff, while proud of what they do, are not proud of the department or the way they are led.”

Mike Emmott, head of employee relations at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said the failings in HR could partly be explained by “huge pressures”, such as the government efficiency review.

And Jonathan Werran, director of public sector consultancy Governetz, said the tightening of budgets meant that Whitehall managers were less likely to go the extra mile for their departments.

“If you are an entrepreneurial civil servant, the risks of screwing up are far greater than monetary or promotional reward,” he said.




Avatar
Michael Millar

previous post
Plans to privatise NHS logistics division leads to vote for strike action by staff
next post
Council pay freezes and service cuts likely after equal pay cases

You may also like

P&O Ferries boss denies reputational damage after mass...

27 May 2022

Parliament launches UK labour market inquiry

27 May 2022

Menopausal worker loses sex and disability discrimination claim

27 May 2022

Employers must help employees ‘flourish’ post-pandemic

27 May 2022

‘Inequality is embedded in our labour market’ says...

27 May 2022

More than £1bn of upskilling loan money has...

26 May 2022

Monkeypox advice for employers: working from home and...

26 May 2022

Davos 2022: Upskilling workers necessary to overcome business...

26 May 2022

Strathclyde Business School expands its Degree Apprenticeship offer...

26 May 2022

Personnel Today Awards 2022: Two weeks left for...

26 May 2022
  • Strathclyde Business School expands its Degree Apprenticeship offer in England PROMOTED | The University of Strathclyde is expanding its programmes...Read more
  • The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls PROMOTED | The Great Resignation continues unabated...Read more
  • Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022, and beyond PROMOTED | Cornerstone OnDemand conducted a global study...Read more
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+