Eurofound Research Pay gaps between men and women – that is, when women earn less than men for doing the same work or work of equal value, or when the set-up of pay structures and career progression disadvantages one gender over another ‒ can arise for a variety of reasons, including direct and indirect discrimination. They can also stem from an undervaluation of work traditionally carried out by women. The Pay Transparency Directive goes some way towards addressing this by requiring companies to ensure that their pay structures are based on objective, gender-neutral job evaluation that supports the implementation of the work of equal value principle. It also encourages the social partners to take pay equity for the same or equivalent jobs into account in collective bargaining. This article reflects on this principle and how social partners can support its implementation. Introduction The principle that workers shall – irrespective of their gender – receive the same pay not only for th

Masterclass Evidence-Based HR: een dag die blijft hangen Sommige dagen blijven nazinderen. De HRPro Masterclass rond Evidence-Based HR in Brussel was er zo een. Toepasselijk vond de dag plaats op International HR Day. Vijftig HR-professionals verzamelden zich. Allemaal deel van een groep die stilaan groeit: mensen die willen begrijpen hoe je evidence-based werken in HR kunt toepassen in de praktijk. En als kers op de taart waren twee van mijn persoonlijke helden aanwezig: Denise Rousseau en Eric Barends, internationale voortrekkers van deze aanpak. De dag stond helemaal in het teken van de praktijk: hoe pas je dit nu toe? Deze allereerste editie werd mogelijk gemaakt dankzij HRPro, Beam, CEBMa, KU Leuven, Otolith Consulting en #ZigZagHR. Hoe begin je met evidence-based HR? Denise Rousseau (Carnegie Mellon University, CEBMa) en Eric Barends (CEBMa) namen ons mee in de essentie. Stap één: pauzeer even. Wat is nu eigenlijk het probleem dat je probeert op te lossen? Daarna: · Werk met vers

By David Ducheyne Is HR truly a profession? If we go by the definitions from Oxford, Cambridge, or Merriam-Webster, a profession involves a specialized body of knowledge, formal training, ethical standards, and a commitment to long-term learning. Yet, when it comes to HR, this identity is not always clearly claimed — or recognized. The Challenge: Trustworthiness in HR Human Resources has long been questioned for its credibility. Is HR seen as competent, loyal to its stakeholders, and guided by integrity? If not, why? The issue runs deeper than reputation management. It is rooted in the norms, expectations, and standards we set for those who enter and practice in the field. Too often, HR operates in an environment where fads, fashions, and unverified theories flourish. Popular but untested practices are embraced simply because they are widely adopted, attractively packaged, or seemingly aligned with company culture. In doing so, HR risks trading professional rigour for perceived relevan

Researchers from Louvain and Groningen conducted an in-depth review on evidence-based HR practices, providing valuable insights into how HR professionals can strengthen their decision-making through evidence-based management. The study highlights three key areas of focus for HR leaders: Effective Methods for Evidence-Based Management Critical Skills for HR and Business Leaders Bridging the Gap Between Research and Practice Methods to use in an EBHR approach A wealth of high-quality evidence is available to support effective HR practices, including meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and controlled evaluations. To implement evidence-based management effectively, HR professionals should utilize rigorous methods such as: Systematic literature reviews Quasi-experimental designs Evidence-based problem-solving cycles Evidence-based management framework. By adopting these practices, HR can ensure that decision-making is driven by data, not intuition, and remains aligned with organizational obj

A happy employee is a productive employee, right? While it sounds logical, scientific studies show that while job satisfaction is important for employee well-being and other outcomes, it is only weakly related to performance. This may come as a surprise, but it illustrates why scie ntific research is so valuable in HR decision-making. In this article, we’ll outline four straightforward steps to help you find and use scientific research in HR decisions, along with some useful, free resources to help you along the way. Obviously, science isn’t just lab rats and cool laser experiments. It’s a way of thinking that aims to collect information in a systematic way, so that we can explain and predict things that happen around us. Looking at science is relevant for your HR job Scientific research in fields like management, organizations, and psychology sheds light on HR topics such as: Recruitment methods that best predict the performance of a new hire Characteristics of training that make it m

Text by Edward Van Houtte & Iulia Cioca Evidence-based HR (EBHR) is a way to make people decisions in organizations. It’s a day-to-day practice of using the best available evidence and looking at it with a critical eye, to inform HR decisions. By practicing EBHR, your decisions are more likely to achieve the results you expect from them. Questioning Your Evidence What about you and your last decision at work? Are you confident the process and the outcome were good? What if there’s a better way of making HR decisions that makes it more likely to actually get the results you expect? Let’s learn to expect the unexpected. You might be thinking: “So, what’s wrong with my decision-making methods? I’m pretty happy with how most of my decisions turn out.” You might be, but researchers have looked at how decisions are made in organizations, and their conclusions are not so optimistic, namely: decision-makers use whatever evidence they have at hand, without asking themselves where it comes from