Search Results for: budget

July 26, 2019

Hosting playdates is more stressful than a job interview

With the summer holidays in full swing, Bella Italia researchers polled British parents around the pitfalls of keeping kids entertained and claims that hosting playdates and sleepovers is the thing we dread the most. Overall, 84 percent of parents claim having other people’s children over to play is an “extremely stressful” experience. In fact, playdates fill parents with so much dread and anxiety, that as many as 67 percent have told a lie to another parent to back out of having their child’s friend over. 43 percent said their biggest concern was their house getting trashed, while 41 percent worry about the kids being totally uncontrollable. More →

July 24, 2019

Organisations upskilling to make sense of people data

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

New research claims that there has been a huge rise in the number of people analytics teams as HR is called on to take an increasingly strategic role in shaping business performance. Innovation generation: the big HR tech disconnect, a report released by Thomsons Online Benefits, claims there has been a significant increase in the proportion of UK-based global organisations building people analytics teams, rising from 8 percent to 43 percent in just three years. With tech talent in short supply, the survey of 60 HR decision makers from UK-based companies suggests that employers are looking to upskill existing HR team members to make sense of the data now available to them. More →

July 21, 2019

Sleeping on the job is now acceptable behaviour

by Colette Wade • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Recently, Cornerstone OnDemand tested which learning and training courses are of most interest and truly matter to employees to help them navigate the world of work. Among the top five most popular courses, there was a resounding demand for those that centred around wellbeing. And the training that claimed the top spot was ‘The Science of Sleep: Sleep hygiene’. More →

July 14, 2019

Sheer volume of data can make marketers blind to strategy

by Neil Franklin • News

The vast majority (83 percent) of senior marketers are struggling to adapt to the volume of data available to them, while 80 percent feel the industry as a whole focuses on too many performance metrics, according to a new report from research company Censuswide and Domo. The study polled 681 senior marketers around the world on their opinions, routines and plans for the future. It revealed that analytics, from a vast number of sources, are driving ‘data blindness’ as marketers lose sight of KPIs, and 78 percent of respondents admit to chasing short-term results over long-term strategy. More →

July 3, 2019

Getting a sense of productivity and motivation

by Jeff Revoy • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

When business operators are planning their company’s office, price is often chief among their priorities. Keeping the fixed cost of real estate low helps companies project—and increase—their expected income. Price is not just a consideration when it comes to rent; assets such as office furniture are often purchased en masse and for purely utilitarian reasons. Sure, a business is saving money by designing a no-frills, utilitarian office, which some Feng Shui experts would agree with, but what they are ignoring is how space affects productivity, motivation and enjoyment. More →

May 27, 2019

Wellbeing rather than growth should be focus of government policy

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Personal wellbeing rather than economic growth should be the primary aim of government spending, according to a new report from the from the all-party parliamentary group on wellbeing economics which urges a complete change in thinking from ministers,.Gus O’Donnell, who served as cabinet secretary, said Britain could lead the world by making the issue the primary goal of government policy. More →

May 9, 2019

Report calls for investment in line management training

by Marie Hillen • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

More than two-fifths (45 percent) of workers believe their line manager don’t help morale at work and one in three (32 percent) feel uncomfortable approaching management about work problems, according to a poll published today. The TUC report, Improving Line Management claims that while the majority of UK workers feel supported by their bosses, more than a third (35 percent) don’t think that their line manager treats them and their colleagues fairly. The TUC says the findings expose the patchiness of management training in the UK, as despite being crucial to workers’ well-being and productivity, less than half of UK managers got any training in the last year, according to most recent government statistics.

May 3, 2019

Is stress killing creativity and innovation in your organisation?

by Alf Rehn • Comment, Wellbeing

Around 90 percent of CEOs state that they are displeased with returns of their investments into innovation. Companies invest in innovation projects, hire innovation consultants, run innovation workshops, and send their best and brightest to conferences and courses on innovation, yet fail to see the magic appear. Angered by this, many companies double down, throwing yet more money on innovation, only to see that returns fail to appear.

May 1, 2019

Your company has a culture, whether you have designed one or not

by Jonathan Richards • Comment, Workplace

Company culture has been in the spotlight even more than usual recently, with stories continuing to surface about the impact that it is having on businesses. The most recent being Revolut, who were called out on their questionable culture and business practices. The issues were put down to “growing pains” and a lack of budget. The truth is, every company has a culture It’s not the state-of-the-art office, the bean bags or pool table. It boils down to the founding principals and the way business gets done. It is the feel of the work environment and the way people treat each other and your implicit attitudes and behaviours. Ultimately, all of these things are in your hands — if you take it seriously from the beginning.

April 9, 2019

UKGBC issues circular economy guidance for construction clients

by Marie Hillen • Architecture, Environment, Facilities management, News, Property

New guidance has been launched by the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) to assist client organisations to include more ambitious circular design and construction best practices in project briefs for non-domestic projects. It addresses the commercial realities associated with making this practically happen and provides support and evidence to assist clients in setting clear strategies that ensure budget, project timescales and risks are all minimised and mitigated. The guidance may also be helpful for those in the supply chain looking to support construction clients on their journey towards specifying and practically applying circular economy principles.

April 1, 2019

RICS’ new commercial property service charge rules come into effect today

by Marie Hillen • Facilities management, Legal news, News, Property

New service charge rules which aim to ensure there are no hidden costs and clarity around disputes, come in to force today (1 April 2019) and are mandatory for RICS professionals. ‘Service charges in commercial property’ has been developed with industry leaders, including major property organisations and professional bodies to secure transparent, upfront and fair costs for businesses as part of the maintenance and upkeep of their building. Amongst the rules, any charges incurred by the tenant must be explained fully at the outset and in accordance with the terms of the occupational lease, whilst any upkeep costs not specifically mentioned or explained in a lease must be made irrecoverable from the tenant.

March 18, 2019

Greatest motivator for employees is more recognition, whether monetary or not

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

The biggest motivator for staff at work is more recognition, whether monetary or not, according to a new survey on rewards at work by XpertHR. When asked which rewards are most important to employees, more than half (53 percent) said higher basic pay, followed by a wider range of benefits (37.1 percent), but being recognised for the work they do was also cited as an employee priority by 56.1 percent of respondents). The survey also claims that employers are facing a constant battle to get employees’ salaries at the right level. Almost all (97.7 percent) organisations questioned said they would be looking at salary levels in some way over the coming year – whether that be through the annual pay review, benchmarking salaries against the market or complying with the national minimum wage legislation.