February 21, 2022

Who watches the workplace watchmen?

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Technology

One of the world’s best known and most enduring foundational psychological experiments does not appear to be as clear cut as we commonly think. It was back in 1961 that a team led by the American psychologist Stanley Milgram asked a number of ordinary people to administer what they believed to be increasingly high levels of electric shocks to a person in another room while listening to their responses. More →

February 20, 2022

The rise of DBS checks in the modern workplace

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are becoming an increasingly common requirement. More and more industries are realising their utility, for important functions such as increasing the safety of the workplace, and protecting the broader interests of the brand. In this article, we take a closer look at some of the causes behind the rise of DBS checks, to help employers and employees alike better understand their importance. More specifically, we outline the importance of such checks in a modern work environment, and their place in a society which is ever-conscious about the role of privacy. Let’s explore further. More →

February 20, 2022

How to convey company culture instantly while hiring

by Nicky Garcea • Jobs, News, Workplace

Thirty-eight million American workers left their jobs last year. While better pay and more flexible working conditions typically top the list of reasons for leaving an employer, workers need a bit more than that to seal the deal. To be sure, in a recent Cappfinity /YouGov survey, 80 percent of job seekers said it’s important to understand a company culture before accepting an offer. Company culture, in fact, has played a key role in the pushing and pulling of workers from and to jobs. Some job seekers are motivated by the escape from a toxic work environment. Others are looking for companies that have figured out how to support more social interaction across teams. If you can’t authentically convey your own company’s culture to job candidates, they won’t be able to determine whether the job is right for them. More →

February 20, 2022

Firms will need to build bridges with employees as they adapt to hybrid working

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

As we enter a new phase of working life following the short term changes made to cope with the pandemic, the three key priorities for the 1,300 employers surveyed by the Benefits & Human Resources Consulting operation of Gallagher for its 2021/2022 State of the Sector report (registration) are: the need to re-engage their teams around purpose, strategy and values (53 percent); the need to adapt communication channels to engage the workforce better as they move to newly implemented models of hybrid working (39 percent); and the need to enhance people manager communications (31 percent). More →

February 17, 2022

ESG issues top wish-lists for investors and employees

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Workplace

The annual EY Long-Term Value and Corporate Governance Survey finds a significant increase – from 66 percent to 84 percent – of board members and C-suite who say the COVID-19 pandemic increased expectations from consumers, employees, governments and broader society that companies will drive societal impact, environmental sustainability, and inclusive growth. However, there’s also an increase – from 28 percent to 43 percent – in respondents identifying lack of commitment from the board to make decisions that fully integrate ESG factors that would lead to long-term value. Fifty five percent of respondents say there are significant differences of opinion among leadership on how to balance short-term considerations with long-term investments and sustainable growth. That figure jumps to 68 percent of board chairs and non-executive board directors. More →

February 15, 2022

Office still important for nurturing friendships and inclusivity, report claims

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

The physical office remains vital for nurturing friendships, and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce, according to O.C. Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report which analysed the perspectives of over 38,000 employees, leaders, HR practitioners and executives from 21 countries around the world, including over 2,500 from the U.K. Around two thirds (63 percent) of U.K. workers admit that it’s more challenging to form new friendships with colleagues when working remotely, and 58 percent of workers state that the office is where most of their new friendships are formed. More →

February 15, 2022

The opportunities and challenges of new technologies for AML

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Technology

Back in 2021 the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) put out a paper on the opportunities and challenges that new technologies are bringing to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CTF) efforts. If you are unaware of who the FATF is it may be worth your while to investigate farther into it. For now, though, let it be known that they are an independent inter-governmental body that defines the rules and procedures that need to be in place to prevent these two criminal activities. More →

February 15, 2022

Skills crisis intensifies as demand for white collar jobs outstrips supply

by Neil Franklin • Jobs, News

Demand for people to fill permanent and contracted white-collar jobs while the UK continues to battle a skills crisis. That’s according to the latest Recruitment Trends Snapshot report from The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo). The data provided by Bullhorn, claims that demand for contractors was also up year-on-year, increasing 38 percent. Month-on-month figures also showed a spike in jobs, with permanent and contract vacancies increasing 104 percent and 78 percent between December and January, which can be attributed to a bounce back following a seasonal lull. More →

February 14, 2022

The Great Resignation will cast a long spell

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The writer Alan Moore believes in magic. Not hocus-pocus magic, double double toil and trouble, but in the power of words and art to change reality and bring things into existence. It’s a compelling idea, one that Moore shares with Picasso amongst others, and the evidence for it in its metaphorical sense is all around. More →

February 14, 2022

Record pay rises on the cards to address tough recruitment conditions

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Employers anticipate offering record pay rises of 3 percent in 2022 as they look to combat increasing recruitment and retention difficulties. This is the headline finding from the CIPD’s latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook, which highlights the scale of the growing challenge facing organisations in finding and keeping staff, and how they are responding. This quarter’s pay award figure is the highest since the survey was conducted using its current methods in the winter 2012/13 report. The Labour Market Outlook surveyed more than 1,000 employers in January 2022 about their hiring, pay and redundancy intentions for the first quarter of the year. More →

February 14, 2022

Costa Coffee opts for My Work Booth to offer mobile workers a bookable quiet space

by Freddie Steele • Company news

My Work Booth has collaborated with Costa Coffee to fulfil the need of mobile workers for confidential meeting spaces in public areas. The pilot scheme sees the introduction of the four Framery Pods into Costa locations in London and Manchester, providing a sound proofed environment for concentrated working and confidential meetings/calls bookable via the My Work Booth app. More →

February 10, 2022

ESG concerns mean half of younger workers considering career change

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Companies across the UK risk losing out on top talent if they fail to take account of younger workers’ greater ethical awareness, with the majority willing to sacrifice earnings for their values. New research by Robert Half claims that nearly two in five (38 percent) employees would look for a new role if they thought their organisation was not doing enough on ESG (environmental, social and governance) issues, such as reducing carbon emissions or operating ethically. More →