I’ve been researching and writing on employment-related issues for almost 25 years. In that time, I must have covered most topics in this vast, and hugely fascinating, area. My current interests are focused on recruitment, retention and absence issues, together with the use of competencies in the workplace: large enough subjects in their own right. However, I hope that I continue to take an interest in almost anything of relevance to HR and industrial relations.

From being a practitioner of sorts, I took an MA at Warwick University in industrial relations, then worked for a trade union as a researcher and trainer. I left to join IRS back in 1986. As well as working on the journals side of things in the company, I’ve also had the opportunity to investigate some subjects in considerable depth for both publication as special reports and as part of the consultancy operation that IRS ran until fairly recently.

IRS employs both office-based and teleworking staff. I’m one of the latter, and it’s interesting to get a personal perspective on this much-hyped form of flexible working. Is it the way forward? Not sure – further investigation is required, as we researchers tend to say.

Email : neil.rankin@rbi.co.uk

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