Government urged to give regions greater power over skills and employment

Government urged to give regions greater power over skills and employment

The Government must give UK regional economies greater autonomy over skills and employment to develop grassroot recovery strategies – or risk levelling down the chances of millions, according to a new report published by City & Guilds Group. More →

Oslo tops list of cities with the best work-life balance

Oslo tops list of cities with the best work-life balance

work-life balanceCloud-based access control company Kisi has released their 2020 work-life balance city index, highlighting how major cities from the 2019 edition have since been impacted by the global pandemic. While every city in the index suffered economic, social and structural consequences, the results of this year’s edition claim that having a safety net in place for workers made a large difference in how a city navigated the crisis. More →

COVID-19 driving top talent migration to rural parts of UK

COVID-19 driving top talent migration to rural parts of UK

migrationOver half (52 percent) of UK workers think we will see a “reverse brain drain” of talent migration away from big cities like London and Manchester towards regional areas as a result of COVID-19, according to latest research from the Adecco Group UK and Ireland. More →

Businesses feel more vulnerable to cyber-attack due to the increase in remote working

Businesses feel more vulnerable to cyber-attack due to the increase in remote working

cyber-attackResearch conducted by NFU Mutual, a commercial insurer, claims that 47 percent of businesses feel more vulnerable to cyber-attack since the increase of remote working. Despite increased concerns, 45 percent of businesses have not taken any action to protect themselves from cyber-crime. Of those who have not taken action, 79 percent think that because their business is small, the threat of cyber-attack is low. The remaining 21 percent were not aware of, or did not understand, the protection measures available to them. More →

COVID-19 accelerates Milton Keynes tech transition

COVID-19 accelerates Milton Keynes tech transition

Milton KeynesAs the tech sector and associated businesses rise to the pressures and opportunity presented by the reality of COVID-19, Sue Foxley, Research director at Property Consultants Bidwells delves into the impact of the virtual change within the Milton Keynes office market. More →

Commercial rental prices fall in the UK as pandemic continues to bite

Commercial rental prices fall in the UK as pandemic continues to bite

Prices

Commercial real estate rental prices are continuing to drop in all the UK’s main business centres according to the latest quarterly figures by national office agent FreeOfficeFinder.com. Office rental prices and those for coworking spaces at the UK’s major cities are all feeling the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic with predictions that they will slump even further as a result of the new lockdown measures announced by the government. More →

Ten pandemic related responses with highest business impact

Ten pandemic related responses with highest business impact

businessThe Josh Bersin Academy, a development academy for HR professionals, has announced the release of its newest research-based report, Business Resilience: The Global COVID-19 Pandemic Response Study. The 38-page complimentary report is based on a survey conducted in August 2020 of 1,349 HR leaders and professionals across the globe and all industry segments. More →

Frontline leaders blocked from strategic decision making

Frontline leaders blocked from strategic decision making

strategicNew research commissioned by Workplace from Facebook claims frontline managers are being shut out from making strategic decisions, due to a prevailing disconnect with leaders in HQ. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic highlighting the importance of the frontline and its leaders, managers in this environment have not been empowered to make decisions. More →

Uncompetitive companies pose threat to future prosperity

Uncompetitive companies pose threat to future prosperity

uncompetitive companiesA new model of competitiveness devised by academics at Goldsmiths, University of London in partnership with Microsoft scores almost half (46 percent) of UK firms in the lowest quadrant, posing a threat to Britain’s prosperity as organisations rally from the impact of COVID-19, and prepare for Brexit as UK-EU negotiations reach their conclusion that such uncompetitive companies pose a serious threat to the country’s future prosperity . More →

Businesses favour the commercial brain over the creative one, study claims

Businesses favour the commercial brain over the creative one, study claims

BusinessesBusinesses in the UK are disproportionately made up of logical and rational thinkers, over intuitive and expressive ones, claims a new study. The study from Genius You, involved more than 2000 individuals across 10 different sectors and highlights a trend that could be impacting creativity and innovation in the UK. More →

One in twenty premises remain closed following lockdown

One in twenty premises remain closed following lockdown

New data released by facilities services provider phs Group claims one in 20 premises remain closed after 43 percent were shut down during the coronavirus lockdown. In London, the impact is even more pronounced with the city failing to attract people back in the aftermath of stringent COVID-19 lockdown measures. More →

High-status individuals are influential, but only if they have a mainstream ideology

High-status individuals are influential, but only if they have a mainstream ideology

InfluentialHigh-status political figures and senior executives are only influential if their own ideologies are seen as mainstream and not too extreme, claims new research from business school ESMT Berlin. Those with high-status in an organisation have greater influence, making it easier for them to get their ideas and initiatives adopted by the organisation. Their views often carry greater weight due to the greater attention paid to them, the higher likelihood they are seen in a positive light, and the strong support networks around their ideas. More →