The Apprentice: "Sir Alan's advisers were a joke"
By Kate Pritchard
In the run up to the final episode of The Apprentice, recruitment entrepreneur Zena Everett has hit out at Sir Alan’s advisers for their unprofessional interviewing style: “Their bully boy tactics went against every single professional rule in the book.”

The Good Redundancy Guide
By Real Business
About to make redundancies but worried you'll end up in an employment tribunal? Before you make the dreaded annoncement, read our 14-point check list.

Wolseley suffers as Pimlico Plumbers soars
By Kate Pritchard
Wolseley, the world’s largest plumbing supplies firm, yesterday announced a 30 per cent drop in pre-tax profits and is expected to cull hundreds of jobs, as the housing slump hits demand for repairs. So has come entrepreneur plumber Charlie Mullins is announcing bumper sales?

The people problem: a start-up's perspective
By Catherine Woods
Innovantage founder Matthew Dewstowe identifies managing and motivating his staff as one of the most challenge aspects of owning a growing business.

Staff turnover linked to good packages
By Catherine Woods
Staff retention is crucial in a relationships-focused business like recruitment. That’s why Jo Sellick doesn’t shy away from offering his key employees at Sellick Partnership lucrative packages.

Childcare: "Sir Alan Sugar's got the wrong attitude"
By Kate Pritchard
Olly Swanton's £2m-turnover digital press agency is a "baby factory", with employees taking time off to have children or look after their kids. It costs Swanton a fortune – but he's backing the breeders.

Flexi-time works for small business
By Catherine Woods
T-Enterprise co-founder Zarrar Chishti says the bigger the software and games development firm gets, the less likely it will be able to offer the flexible working conditions its employees currently take advantage of.

How to whip your employees into shape
By Real Business
Are your staff snoozing on their keyboards or staging a walk-out? Here are our top ten tips to keep your employees motivated and chomping at the bit for more work.

Staying attractive to your employees
By Melissa Hancock
When it comes to employing staff, recruitment tends to be the easy part. Retaining the best staff is where the battle often begins. But as John Hughes, founder and MD of Cygnet Health Care discovered, financial incentives and employee share schemes are a good start – the company hasn’t lost a single senior manager since being set up in 1987.

Recruitment MD gives advice on reference checks
By Catherine Woods
Hiring new people? Be systematic about checking their references, urges Jon Nicholson, the managing director of recruitment firm Astbury Marsden & Partners.