Blog posts of '2026' 'January'

Let’s be honest. If traditional goal-setting worked, January wouldn’t feel like Groundhog Day every year. - You wouldn’t be recycling the same resolutions. - You wouldn’t be quietly abandoning them by mid-February. - You wouldn’t be wondering why motivation evaporates just when you “should” be at your most disciplined.

Across the UK, businesses of all sizes are feeling the squeeze. Wage inflation, skills shortages, and fierce competition for talent are forcing leaders to rethink how they set pay, structure benefits, and retain their best people, all while keeping an eye on financial stability. As we head into 2026, these pressures are only set to intensify.

“Change is inevitable. Preparation is a choice.” 2026 is set to be a transformative year for UK employment law, with a raft of new regulations and reforms that will reshape the HR landscape for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As someone who has spent decades guiding businesses through regulatory shifts, I know that being proactive, not reactive, is the key to compliance and commercial advantage. This blog synthesises insights from leading sources including CIPD, Clyde & Co, Pinsent Masons, and more, to help SMEs understand what’s coming and how to prepare.

Why Your Training Fails Before It Begins Last week, an HR Director asked me: “Bob, we’ve tried everything—e-learning, workshops, external consultants—but nothing sticks. What are we doing wrong?” My answer surprised her: “You’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just doing the right things for the wrong outcomes.” This is the hidden crisis in corporate training. Research by Carter, Tracey, and Noe reveals that training effectiveness depends less on budget and more on matching method to desired outcome. Get this wrong, and even a £500,000 programme delivers negligible results. Get it right, and a £50,000 investment transforms performance.