June 29, 2023

Half of traditional non-tech firms now consider themselves tech firms

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Technology, Workplace

The pandemic years forced traditional industries to digitise their operations at speed, but three years on, non-tech enterprises across the UK – from sectors including finance, advertising, manufacturing and more – are actively embracing the ‘tech mindset’ more than ever, according to a new report. The poll from Pendo [registration], claims that nearly half (49 percent) of ‘traditional’ enterprises now consider themselves tech firms, and are adopting more ‘tech-like’ strategies, roles and tools to drive innovation and growth. More →

June 9, 2023

Artificial intelligence will boost short term headcount, claim half of employers

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace

More than half (54 percent) of Britain’s employers expect Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies will have a positive impact on their staff headcount over the next two years, according to a survey by Experis, a part of ManpowerGroup. The survey of 2,000+ British employers also suggests that more than two thirds (69 percent) of businesses expect AI tools and technologies – including ChatGPT, Machine Learning and Virtual Reality – to have a positive impact on upskilling and reskilling, as well as on employee training (68 percent). 67 percent of British organisations anticipate a positive impact on employee engagement because of AI technology, and 60 percent think it can positively impact the onboarding process too. More →

May 24, 2023

BCO Awards for Central England continue focus on wellbeing and the environment

by Mark Eltringham • Company news, Property

What are claimed to be the Midlands and Central England’s most outstanding workplaces have been announced, with British Council for Offices Awards going to five office buildings across the region. Held at ICC in Birmingham, the BCO Awards for the region set out to recognise projects that demonstrate best practice in office design, fit-out, operation and sustainability. The organisers claims that the winners of this year’s competition in the Midlands and Central England stand out for their user-centred design credentials, as well as their creative implementation of wellbeing and sustainability measures. More →

May 17, 2023

Ahrend UK and Techo UK to merge with opening of joint showroom at Clerkenwell Design Week

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design, Works Magazine

Ahrend UK and Techo UK have announced their merger which becomes effective on the first of July 1st. The move will see the companies operate under the global name Royal Ahrend and will be evident at the opening of a renovated joint showroom during Clerkenwell Design Week in London from May 23rd to 25th, 2023. The Techo name will continue to exist as a distinctive product brand and will be part of the Royal Ahrend brand portfolio. The firm claims that by combining forces, it will be able to ‘further strengthen the customer experience with an exceptional customer-oriented service, aimed at both the direct market and the dealer market in the UK’. More →

May 3, 2023

Around a quarter of jobs will shift over the next five years, WEF report claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Almost a quarter of jobs are expected to switch in the next five years according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. Its Future of Jobs Report for 2023 suggests that employers anticipate 69 million new jobs to be created and 83 million eliminated among the 673 million jobs corresponding to the dataset, a net decrease of 14 million jobs, or 2 percent of current employment. The data is an extrapolation of data from 803 employers employing around 11 million people. More →

April 21, 2023

Hybrid working is the new normal and is here to stay, report claimzzzz

by Mark Eltringham • Flexible working, News

Mace has published a new report into workplace trends which claims that hybrid working with a collaborative central space is (brace yourselves) the new normal for a preferred post-pandemic working style. The Mace Operate Workplace Survey looked at the enduring role of a central office for businesses and considered what an office space needs to offer in an era of hybrid working. The majority of respondents (87 percent) said that interaction with people and workplace culture are the main benefits of going to the office with employees and employers seeing eye-to-eye on the need for collaboration for motivation, resilience and effective hybrid working. More →

April 7, 2023

The need for reimagination in an age of uncertainty

by Eugenia Anastassiou • Comment, Everything Omni

Since we are now very much in the age of uncertainty being the new certainty, with all the old playbooks out the window and no cookie cutter approach in the ways we work, since one size doesn’t fit all – what the hell do we do? Curl up in a ball and die? Go into panic mode and go around shouting ‘We’re doomed! We’re doomed’ manically? Or just ostrich the problem and hope it all goes away or at least reverts back to how it was before? More →

April 5, 2023

Do you have a crystal ball when it comes to leading change?

by Jennifer Bryan • Comment, JB, Workplace

If you think about a change that is happening to you, in some way, right now – how are you feeling? Are you feeling scared, anxious, worried or happy, excited, looking forward to it? The same thing happens with a workplace change. Some people like the old ways of working because they are use to them, feel comfortable, they don’t have to think about it. Whereas others are looking forward to the new ways of working, as they think they are exciting, new and different. More →

March 29, 2023

Leesman partners with MIT Center for Real Estate to explore long term impact of hybrid working

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Flexible working

Workplace analyst Leesman has joined the MIT Center for Real Estate (MIT/CRE) as a Strategic Partner and will be working with its Real Estate Transformation Lab to examine issues related to hybrid working. This collaboration will support Leesman’s three year investigation into the impact of hybrid working on people, places and societies. The Leesman project, entitled ‘The Hybrid Future’, will survey over 10,000 participants from around the world, to explore the impact of hybrid working on everything from productivity, diversity and urban centres to the environment, wellbeing and even our love lives. With 24 surveys set to be issued every six weeks, the volume and diversity of data, length of study, and breadth of topic range, make The Hybrid Future the most comprehensive study of hybrid working ever conducted. More →

March 23, 2023

Canary Wharf Group shifts its focus to life sciences sector

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

The development of a major life science cluster at Canary Wharf continues to build momentum with a range of life sciences focused start-ups and scaleup businesses joining the growing community of technology businesses at its specialist co-working and office hub, Level39, according to a new statement from Canary Wharf Group. Launched by Canary Wharf Group ten years ago, Level 39 is now home to over 180 start-ups and scaleups innovating in FinTech, Cyber Security, CleanTech, Blockchain, Life Sciences and HealthTech. More →

January 20, 2023

Vast majority of IT managers prioritise commercial success over sustainability

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Technology

A new poll claims that the vast majority of tech managers prioritise commercial success over sustainability, despite the fact that nearly all agree with the idea that sustainability is good for business. The report from Software AG is based on a survey of 2,000 senior IT decision-makers from the US, Canada, UK, Germany and France. It suggests that most organisations prioritise commercial objectives over sustainability in the face of economic challenges. This is despite the fact that almost all (95 percent) leaders agree sustainability is either a top or high priority and a similar number (97 percent) agree that other firms’ sustainability credentials are either essential or important in their own buying decisions. The annual Reality Check reports seeks to investigate how technology initiatives can benefit both sustainability and commercial objectives. More →

December 13, 2022

Hybrid working not always well supported by current tech infrastructure

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

Almost two thirds (63 percent) of IT directors are not very confident in their IT estate’s ability to fully support hybrid working, but over seven-in ten (71 percent) of organisations are not placing IT investment at the top of the priority list. These are among the findings from a new poll undertaken by Apogee Corporation. Due to limitations with the current IT setup, 89 percent of respondents identify that it is preventing effective collaboration, with almost half (48 percent) admitting that remote staff don’t have access to the same solutions as office workers. More →