HR news this week: Leadership and management

For the first weekly HR roundup of 2023, leadership and management are key topics.

Diversity of leadership

As seen in an article by The Guardian on 8 January, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK has introduced a ‘comply or explain’ policy towards gender and ethnic diversity of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.

According to The Guardian, from this year, organisations on the list will have to provide evidence of progress towards achieving 40 per cent participation of females in board positions. A minimum of one board member should be an ethnic minority, and one of the senior board positions should be a woman.

Return to office mandates

An article posted to Forbes by US-based Dr Gleb Tsipursky on 4 January was shared with HR Leader this week, discussing return to office mandates that are picking up in 2023.

According to Dr Tsipursky, companies are ramping up required in office days this year, with many opting for a 3–5-day policy.

The article says these mandates are seeing resistance as employees have decided they’d rather flexible working arrangements. According to a 2022 report by Gallup mid last year, 60 per cent of respondents want a hybrid plan, 34 per cent want full time remote work, and just 6 per cent want to be full time onsite.

Decisions to restrict flexible working are seeing push back from employees, as Dr Tsipursky referenced automotive company GM’s choice to enforce a three-day minimum onsite policy for workers. This policy was scrapped just days later after staff resisted, calling for GM to allow individual teams the choice to decide their own onsite work days.

Dr Tsipursky has previously published an article for HR Leader discussing remote working misconceptions.

End these management trends

As seen in Human Times’ 11 January bulletin, Singaporean HR author Adrian Tan shared his pick for the management trends he wants to see erased in 2023, to LinkedIn.

Some of these picks were listed as:

• Mandatory return to office
• After hours pings
• Micromanagement
• Missing promotions due to ‘budget’
• Meetings that could have been an email
• Requiring three years’ experience for entry level roles

Transparency in leadership

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) posted an article on 11 January outlining why it’s important for leaders to be transparent about their weaknesses.

HBR referenced a study by Frontiers in Psychology, which found that authentic leaders are able to better connect with staff, which increases employee creativity and commitment.

Promoting your own weaknesses can empower and create trust with subordinates, boosting performance. Another study referenced by American Psychological Association found that leaders find it hard to present their flaws because they’re too focused on promoting their strengths.

Learning to shift behaviour and create transparency between staff and management can benefit both the individuals and the organisation as a whole.