May 8, 2015

The world’s enduring addiction to the joy and misery of commuting

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Work&Place, Workplace

Commuting is one of the most complained about yet least explored facets of our working lives. This is in spite of the fact that it consumes so much of people’s time, energy and money, is presented as one of the main arguments for more flexible working practices and is so closely linked to our wellbeing. Yet the half a billion – and growing – commuters worldwide could be forgiven for assuming nobody is really that much interested in the effects of their daily grind into work, especially when you consider the attention given to other workplace issues. Douglas Langmead in his feature on page 32 of the new issue of Work&Place does his bit to redress this imbalance with a fascinating look at commuting in the rapidly developing and endlessly fascinating economies of the United Arab Emirates.

May 7, 2015

Learning needs to be linked to overall business strategies says the CIPD

by Sara Bean • News, Technology, Workplace

The CIPD has warned that Learning and Development (L&D) professionals need to link learning more directly to their organisation’s business strategies. This follows the results of its annual L&D survey which found that by limiting their focus to learner and manager feedback, just 7 per cent of L&D professionals evaluate the impact of their initiatives on the business. This lack of evaluation can contribute to skills gaps being undetected, particularly in the use of new learning technologies such as Gamification. The CIPD is urging L&D professionals to look beyond trainee satisfaction and measure initiatives in terms of how they add value to the organisation and society in general. This latest research follows the publication of a report by Skillsoft last week which revealed that 55 per cent of employers admitted they were more likely to recruit externally to address skills shortages.

April 30, 2015

Many ‘under-appreciated and marginalised’ older workers seek job move ⁰

by Sara Bean • Legal news, News, Workplace

The over fifties feel disregarded and under-appreciated at work, with a quarter considering looking for a new job in the next two years. That’s according to new data by AXA PPP Healthcare which looked at the experiences of the over 50s – many of which, since the phasing out of the default retirement age, aim to work on as long as they can. In fact, the research found that 15 per cent plan to work into their seventies and beyond. However, nearly a third of the over fifties (30 per cent) surveyed, said they didn’t feel they had a career path, compared with 13 per cent of those under fifty. Only one in six over fifties felt their line manager supported them and nearly half (49 per cent) of this group reported to a younger line manager.

April 28, 2015

Microsoft named most attractive major employer to work for worldwide ⁰

by Sara Bean • Company news, Flexible working, News, Workplace

Microsoft has been voted the most attractive employer of the world’s top fifty companies. Over two thirds (67.8%) of respondents in the Global Randstad Award survey 2015, said they would like to work for the multinational tech company. The IT industry was revealed as the most popular sector by 69 percent of men and 70 percent of women, with the runners-up being Sony and Samsung. Microsoft was voted the most attractive employer within the IT industry for its highly educated potential workforce, being the primary global employer brand for women and for its ‘drivers of choice’; named as salary, career progression, pleasant working atmosphere, interesting job content and strong leadership. In the survey, respondents said the most important reason why they’d leave an employer is a limited career path with the most mentioned reason to stay being a good work-life balance.

April 28, 2015

Why it’s time for more companies to roll the dice for gamification ⁰

by Maciej Markowski • Case studies, Comment, Workplace

As was reported recently, gamification remains practically unknown to many managers yet companies like Nike, Microsoft, Samsung and eBay are beginning to see it as a useful tool. Generally adopted by marketing and sales professionals, gamification can also influence behaviour, increase productivity and improve wellbeing. Gamification is all around us, even if we don’t always notice it. It’s used in sales competitions, frequent flyer programmes and marketing initiatives. So what is gamification? In short it’s the concept of applying game mechanics and game design techniques in order to engage and motivate people to achieve their goals. It’s about turning something potentially mundane into a game – similar to many ingenious mothers who might turn cleaning a room or washing dishes into a game for their children.

April 28, 2015

Work life balance ranked over performance in global career poll ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

A global survey has revealed being happy at work is more important to staff than a high performance, while nearly half of those polled (45%) in the career survey of 1,225 employees worldwide, by Right Management say achieving a work life balance is the most important issue in their career. This was compared to 17 percent who voted ‘being the best at what they do’ as their top career aspiration. More than half of European workers, (55%) aspire to a work life balance, followed by Asia Pacific (37%) and North America (35%). And in terms of age, it is Millennials at 14 percent that are least likely to aspire to be the best at what they do, compared to Baby Boomers (22%) and Gen X (17%). When it comes to success, enjoyment/happiness at work trumps performance and salary: as 26 percent of employees define success in the workplace as enjoyment/happiness.

April 27, 2015

Firms in Middle East could drive the global uptake of HR analytics ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology, Workplace

First generation organisations in the Middle East have a unique opportunity to lead the development of HR analytics worldwide but are hampered by unreliable data, a lack of analytical skills and inadequate infrastructure, according to a new report from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Evolution of HR Analytics: A Middle East Perspective highlights the appetite for Middle Eastern firms to use HR and people measurement capability – or ‘HR analytics’ – to gain insights that can improve overall performance and productivity. It explores the unique opportunity that ‘adolescent’ and fast growing firms have to develop innovative approaches to HR analytics, without being shackled by legacy IT systems, ingrained HR policies and strategic barriers that more established organisations can face.

April 27, 2015

How remote working employees go rogue in search of productivity ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

Although many European employees now spend long hours each week working remotely, many of them don’t think their employers provide them with the tools they need to do their jobs properly and so go ‘rogue’ to find the best ways of communicating with each other and using information. That is the key finding of a new study from internal communications specialist Newsweaver which explores the ways remote working employees use mobile devices. It found that while one in five workers across the EU now spend at least ten hours a week working remotely, 41 per cent do not believe that the tools their company provides meet their needs. They therefore choose to use their own apps instead. This fact is well understood by IT teams with three out of four technology managers admitting they are offering staff outdated tools.

April 25, 2015

The latest issue of Insight Weekly is available to view online ⁰

by Sara Bean • Architecture, Facilities management, Newsletter, Workplace, Workplace design

In this week’s issue; the ten most sustainable buildings in North America; Mark Eltringham examines the ways different countries approach ergonomics. Steve Taylor looks at the evidence for doing less sitting and more standing at work, while a new report from the Work Foundation sets out the challenges facing the next UK government to improve the health of the country’s workforce. In news; Facebook almost doubles the size of its London HQ, the adoption of flexible working by UK organisations increases by over a third and new data shows that the UK office market is growing as employers strive to create environments designed to enhance staff wellbeing. Sign up to the newsletter via the subscription form in the right hand sidebar and follow us on Twitter and join our LinkedIn Group to discuss these and other stories.

April 24, 2015

Half of people say flexible work is a key consideration when changing jobs ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Workplace

The days when staff would commit to a business for life and be chained to a desk for upwards of 10 hours per day are long gone, as today’s employees increasingly seek flexible work. According to a survey of over 1,000 UK workers by PageGroup, 26 percent of people would cite flexible working as the most important consideration for their next job, compared to 18 percent who cited it as a primary consideration in their current role. Across all age categories, respondents are more motivated by the opportunity to work flexibly than they were at the start of their career, with 57 percent of respondents highlighting this as a key motivator. Forward-thinking organisations, particularly the media and tech start-ups typified by those based at London’s Silicon Roundabout, are now high on the wish list for candidates.

April 22, 2015

Flexible working and smart tools prove a big hit with UAE employees ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

It’s not just in the UK where employees say they are attracted by the idea of flexible working. A new study from YouGov commissioned by the Dubai based Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR) claims that employees in the United Arab Emirates now rate employers most highly for the smart tools and flexible working opportunities they offer. The study of over 1,000 employees and HR professionals in the UAE was commissioned to uncover emerging trends in human capital management. It found that 64 percent of employees rate flexible working hours, provided by employers based on personal circumstances, as good or very good, which is particularly prevalent amongst Emirati respondents (83 percent). The majority of employees (74 percent) also believe a remote and flexible work schedule increases their productivity.

April 22, 2015

UK’s health and social systems failing to improve workforce wellbeing ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Public Sector, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new report published this week by The Work Foundation, Healthy, Working Economies sets out the challenges facing the next UK government to improve the health and wellbeing of the country’s workforce. The report calls on the government to review how it is using local organisations, such as Health and Wellbeing Boards and Local Enterprise Partnerships to encourage improvements in workforce wellbeing and health. The Work Foundation recommends that a standardised set of measures be included in the Joint Strategic Needs Assessments performed by Health and Wellbeing Boards, including measures of employment outcomes for individuals with health issues. The report also suggests that employer leadership is needed to drive the step-change needed to improve the health of the workforce.