We’re looking back over the year here at HRzone and it’s safe to say the recession has had a tremendous effect on business and how we manage people.

Some of the most popular articles on HRzone this year have been to do with motivating in the recession. In many ways HR has had to work harder and be more innovative and inventive when it comes to motivating and engaging. HR has also had to make cuts, scrap ambitious plans and make redundancies. Some argue this is good for business and will weed out weaker businesses to leave stronger ones to thrive after the recession. Either way it’s been tough on employees and has presented the biggest challenge HR has seen in years.

As David Fairhurst said in his interview, published earlier this year: "You have to continue to engage with employees because they are going to be with you at the end of a recession." Retaining the best while under pressure to make redundancies has been a balancing act for HR, and many believe it’s not over yet.

When it comes to motivation it seems we all need ideas, and who better to ask than the experts from industry, which is exactly what Lucie Mitchell did earlier this year. Sometimes it’s just as good to be reminded of things we shouldn’t be doing, as Tim Holden deftly did in this article.

Suzanne Bates put a stop to the mythology surrounding employee motivation with her top five motivation myths, including shattering the idea that ‘people are just grateful to have a job’ and that ‘money is the only means of motivation’.

And there are some things we just can’t see coming: a personal hygiene problem could become a HR issue at any time – this HR tip gives advice on how to deal with it.

And now we turn to you: what strategies and tips have you found invaluable this year to help you manage people better in the recession?