October 17, 2023

Why your business needs to invest in embedded BI

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Technology

In this day and age, businesses are constantly searching for strategies to enhance their operational capability. With the advent of technology, numerous tools have emerged that aid companies in achieving a significant edge in the competitive business environment. One such essential tool is embedded business intelligence (BI), which is pivotal in making informed business decisions. Keep reading to learn more about embedded BI. More →

October 16, 2023

London Real Estate Forum makes the right noises, but will be judged on action

by Helen Parton • Comment, Events, Property

This year’s London Real Estate Forum (LREF), held from 27-28 September at the Barbican, had a general air of optimism but tempered with the uncertainty of a general election in the next twelve months and elements of political and economic uncertainty globally. The day began with a state of the market discussion chaired by dRMM’s Sadie Morgan, with challenges facing the industry identified as the current valuation of the office market, the rate of housebuilding and the government’s lack of investment in infrastructure – the event coinciding with the furore over the cancelling of the northern part of HS2. More →

October 12, 2023

Hybrid working and flexibility seen as drivers of successful employee experience

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology

A new report claims that while 90 percent of businesses see the enablement of remote and hybrid working as having a positive impact on their bottom line, less than half (48 percent) of organisations strongly agree that employees have access to the technology they need to work well both at home, and in the office. The report from NTT claims that approximately 56 percent of hybrid workers spend half the work week at the office. More →

October 1, 2023

Three days in the office seems to be the ‘sweet spot’ for hybrid working

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new survey concludes that three days a week in the office appears to be optimal for many people to optimise key aspects of workplace culture and performance. The report claims to provide empirical analysis into the impact that remote and hybrid working are having on employee experience, culture and productivity. The report commissioned by Ipsos Karian and Box is based on a survey of 1,400 full-time UK office workers. More →

September 27, 2023

Half of landlords now planning a flexible working offer

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Property

Over half of UK landlords are planning to independently develop an offering for the growing flexible working market across their portfolios, according to the annual report on the flexible workspace sector by The Instant Group. The 2023 UK State of the Flex Market report [registration] polled more than 200 flex operators and landlords for insights into the sector. Findings also suggest that two-thirds (61 percent) of flex operators intend to increase their footprint in the next two years, while market imbalances in regional hubs, enduring occupancy rates, and surging demand for sustainable buildings all featured prominently in the report. More →

September 20, 2023

Knowledge workers have a particularly unhealthy relationship with work

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Three quarters of UK knowledge workers say they have an unhealthy relationship with work and two thirds of those say that work has had a negative effect on their health and wellbeing. That is one of the headline findings from a new report into the working lives of 15,600 people worldwide from HP. The report also suggests that three quarters of respondents would take a pay cut to be happier at work or to work wherever they want. More →

September 11, 2023

Is the workplace experience shaped more by maintenance or by design?

by Andrew Brown • Facilities management, Features, Workplace design

What has resilience got to do with the workplace experience? It is a word that has been used a lot recently as the great British public has demonstrated massive amounts of resilience in coping with Covid-19, fuel shortages, worries about food availability and a massive shift in how we work. So what is it? The dictionary gives two meanings: firstly the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, i.e. toughness. And then secondly, the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity – like nylon for example. More →

August 30, 2023

Commercial Interiors UK appoints new managing director

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Commercial Interiors UK (CIUK), the Trade Association for the UK’s Commercial Interiors Sector has appointed Sean Holt as its new Managing Director. As the new Managing Director, Sean will be responsible for leading a dedicated team to deliver the revised strategy of CIUK following its recent re branding from BCFA, improving member engagement and benefits, increasing membership and growing the CIUK events portfolio whilst working closely with its media partner Design Insider to build on its growing reputation as the premier online portal dedicated to commercial interior designers and architects. More →

July 21, 2023

‘People insight deficit’ puts firms’ reputations at risk

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

The CIPD is urging business leaders to have board-level HR representation or input to ensure there is the necessary expertise and ‘people insight’ to develop positive corporate cultures and manage workforce risks such as sexual harassment. This is the unsurprising message in a new report from the CIPD ‘The value of people expertise on corporate boards’. It claims just a quarter (25 percent) of FTSE 350 firms have a board member (both executive and non-executive) with an HR background, while only 2 percent have an HR director as an executive board member. More →

July 7, 2023

Most people now at risk of poor mental health as a result of social exclusion

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing

More than half of people in the UK have experienced social exclusion in the past year, leading to poor mental health and wellbeing, according to a new report from BUPA in partnership with ParalympicsGB. The poll suggests that 58 per cent of British people have felt excluded at some point in the past year – leading them to feel shut out when going about their daily life (28 percent), at work (27 percent) or within society (24 percent). Bupa’s survey also claims that 30 per cent of people have felt a negative impact on their general mental health due to their experience of social exclusion, with many left feeling isolated (41 percent), sad (41 percent) and anxious (33 percent). More →

July 3, 2023

‘Performative work’ is holding back productivity, poll claims

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Technology

A new poll from Slack claims that a focus on performative work, rather than impact, is holding back UK businesses; leading to them falling behind the likes of Germany, France, India and Singapore when it comes to adopting, and gaining, the efficiency benefits of technological advances in AI and automation. Based on findings from 2,000 desk workers in the UK, only 21 percent say their company is using AI tools to improve productivity, compared to 75 percent in India, 35 percent in Singapore, 29 percent in Germany and 23 percent in France. Meanwhile, 37 percent of UK workers say their productivity is measured on visibility (i.e. hours spent in the office or online). As a result, almost one third (30 percent) of the average day is lost to performative work that doesn’t contribute to company goals, but is simply done to appear productive. More →

June 27, 2023

Understanding the power of mindset and what it can do for you

by Lisa Collinson • Business, Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace

An individual’s mindset influences everything that they do. Built around a set of established values, beliefs, and attitudes, your mindset frames your outlook and guides your behaviour, demarking your perceived limitations. It’s something that influences every area of our lives, from the relationships we form to the way we approach challenges and change. When you’re working with people, implementing policies, and trying to get the best from your available talent, it’s vital that you understand what motivates your team members – and what’s holding them back. Understanding mindset, its power, and how to change it, can be transformative on both an individual and team level. More →