Search Results for: engagement

Creating the epicentre: unlocking the untold benefits of next-generation office spaces 

Creating the epicentre: unlocking the untold benefits of next-generation office spaces 

Many associate the notion of futuristic office spaces, filled with equipment like sleep pods and beer taps, with companies that have a young workforce or challenger brand identityMany associate the notion of futuristic office spaces, filled with equipment like sleep pods and beer taps, with companies that have a young workforce or challenger brand identity. The association is often linked to tech giants like Google, which created quite a stir when it originally revealed its indoor slides. Whilst the inclusion of playground furniture in the office is not right for every business, the assumption that unconventional workspaces should be limited to unconventional companies simply isn’t true.  More →

‘Return-to-office’  rates vary widely across Europe

‘Return-to-office’ rates vary widely across Europe

New data demonstrates varying approaches to the so-called return to office across Europe, with France and Belgium leading, spending an average of 3.5 days working from the officeA new survey from JLL, Is hybrid really working? [registration] claims that the majority of international organisations (87 percent) are encouraging employees to work from the office at least some of the time. In fact, only 20 percent of employees who can work remotely all of the time or one-two days in the office now do so, down from 39 percent a year ago. However, the data demonstrates varying approaches to the so-called return to office across Europe, with France and Belgium leading, spending an average of 3.5 days working from the office. Germany, Netherlands, Spain and the UK are however lagging behind with an average of 2.5 days working from the office. More →

No one shouted stop, although we all should have seen it coming

No one shouted stop, although we all should have seen it coming

And No One Shouted Stop! seems to me to be an apt phrase to capture these post- pandemic times as we grapple with work and workplace dilemmas. It comes from the little-known but widely acclaimed book of the same name by John Healy. It is set over 50 years ago and it chronicles the decline of an Irish town. The book’s underlying narrative is a train crash happening in slow motion, people see it coming but nobody feels able to stop it. I sincerely hope that this will not prove to be the case for the world of commercial real estate as it grapples with hordes of tenants asking not just ‘where is my office?’ But ‘why do I need an office?’ More →

The challenge for fit-out firms is to deliver best value despite supply chain challenges

The challenge for fit-out firms is to deliver best value despite supply chain challenges

Whilst industry supply and demand dynamics may have found a level of equilibrium since the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, economic disruptions, and an unstable domestic policy environment continue to have an impact on the office fit-out marketThe past year has been a challenging one for London’s commercial fit-out market. Whilst industry supply and demand dynamics may have found a level of equilibrium since the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, economic disruptions, and an unstable domestic policy environment continue to have an impact. In tandem with this, the commercial fit-out market is adapting to changing needs; from accommodating hybrid working models to growing demands for sustainability and reuse, the workplaces of today are ever changing. More →

Squirrel! Distraction costing the UK economy nearly £20 billion a year

Squirrel! Distraction costing the UK economy nearly £20 billion a year

Scrolling on social media, checking messages, daydreaming and other forms of distraction are costing the UK economy £19.9 billion each yearScrolling on social media, checking messages, daydreaming and other forms of distraction are costing the UK economy £19.9 billion each year, new research from The QEII Centre claims. The report The Distracted Economy: We are losing focus – how to hold attention and keep delegates engaged during business meetings and events was commissioned by the London conference and events venue. It suggests that 83 percent of people admit to being distracted during in-person meetings while the number rises to 85 percent during online meetings. More →

Angry, stressed and worried. The utter state of the UK workforce in 2023

Angry, stressed and worried. The utter state of the UK workforce in 2023

Gallup has published its 2023 Gallup Global Emotions report [registration]  – a study of employee sentiment in the UK workforceGallup has published its 2023 Gallup Global Emotions report [registration]  – a study of employee sentiment in the UK workforce. According to the report’s Negative Experience Index, which tracks how many people experience daily sadness, anger, stress, worry, and physical pain, full-time UK employees are experiencing historically high levels of daily negative experiences. This latest Gallup data claims that full-time UK employees scored a 32 on Gallup’s Negative Experience Index. This is up substantially from 23 in 2020. Full-time employees in the UK are now some of the most emotionally distressed in Europe, second only to employees in Malta. More →

Many business leaders inadvertently create a culture of fear at work

Many business leaders inadvertently create a culture of fear at work

A new poll of workplace leaders suggests there is an environment of unconscious fear in modern-day leadership, leading to toxic culture, stunted growth, performance and productivity, and decision inertia. The global study of 2,500 emerging leaders in corporate businesses by consultant Margot Faraci, claims that around one quarter (23 percent) of UK leaders are unconsciously creating an environment of fear with direct reports. Globally, this figure rises to one in three (30 percent), indicating a growing worldwide phenomenon of fearful leadership. Fearful leadership carries significant implications for team morale, performance, and overall well-being within organisations. It’s often attributed to past experiences, creating an ongoing cycle of leadership driven by fear. More →

Nothing propinks like propinquity, but tech is still vital for trust when hybrid working

Nothing propinks like propinquity, but tech is still vital for trust when hybrid working

Nothing beats in-person meetings, but tech is vital for hybrid working trust and equality. That is the main conclusion of a new report from Jabra’s LSE Behavioural Lab. According to the study, people are 56 percent more engaged in face to face meetings. In instances where hybrid meetings are required, meeting room participants saw an 84 percent increase in engagement from remote participants when using a professional meeting-room headset and video camera. The study is based on observations of 88 people of 15 different nationalities in a range of work settings. More →

A Newtonian perspective on reason, productivity and creativity

A Newtonian perspective on reason, productivity and creativity

On the doorstep of the British Library, you will find Edouardo Paolozzi’s imposing statue of Sir Isaac Newton. At first glance, this position seems to make perfect sense. Where better for a monument to the Enlightenment’s poster boy than raised on a plinth at the entrance to the world’s second largest library? And yet, there’s more going on here than is evident at first glance. More →

Not even a third of employees say they feel engaged at work

Not even a third of employees say they feel engaged at work

Less than one-third of employees report they are engaged, enthusiastic and energised by their work, according to a new report from Gartner. The survey was showcased during the Gartner ReimagineHR Conference, which took place this week. Gartner defines engagement in three ways: employees feeling energised; employees finding purpose in their work; employees feeling empowered to do valuable work. More →

Five reasons why (Framery) office pods help to solve the great workplace debate

Five reasons why (Framery) office pods help to solve the great workplace debate

Here are five reasons why the world’s top companies, including the likes of Tesla, Microsoft, LinkedIn and Puma, are using office pods – and why they will be coming to an office near you.  It’s a fact – pods are taking over the office. In 2010, Framery introduced the first pod to the market and now there are over 200 suppliers globally. Framery, the market leader in this space, was a major pioneer of their development and subsequently has supplied 70 percent of Forbes 100 companies with office pods. More →

Manufacturers have sustainability strategies in place but progress remains slow and patchy

Manufacturers have sustainability strategies in place but progress remains slow and patchy

Two-thirds of board-level executives at UK-based manufacturing companies agree that sustainability is a high priority and a third have decarbonisation plans in place, but according to new research conducted by management consultancy, Vendigital, progress in decarbonising products, processes, and supply chains is patchy at best, and this could cause UK industry to fall behind global competitors in the race to net zero. More →