August 4, 2023

Insight confirms partnership with Material Matters for sustainable design event

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, News, Workplace design

We are part of the London Design Festival for the first time this year, developing an exciting new project that promises to mark a significant shift in the way we think about workplaces and sustainable design. We have partnered with Material Matters to create a space that will showcase the latest and most innovative thinking on sustainable office design, circularity, new materials and innovation. Known as The Works Place, products and ideas will be presented in a range of working settings so that visitors can see how they might be applied in their own offices and other spaces. More →

August 3, 2023

People who drive networking in businesses often end up burnt out and abusive

by Neil Franklin • Business, News, Wellbeing

People who adopt a role as a ‘network broker’, connecting other colleagues and teams who might otherwise not know each other, often end up burnt out and more abusive towards their co-workers. That is the key finding of a new study from ESSEC Business School published in The Journal of Organizational Science. These networking go-betweens often receive career advantages such as faster promotions, unique information access, or a creativity boost. They play a critical role in the functioning of the organisational. However, there can be hidden psychological and social ramifications associated with this important role as they’re also more likely to suffer the consequences of being so socially adept. More →

August 2, 2023

JLL claims it has unveiled the first GPT model for commercial real estate

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Facilities management, Technology

JLL has announced the launch of JLL GPT, which it claims is the first large language model purpose-built for the commercial real estate sector. Developed by JLL Technologies, the firm claims the bespoke generative artificial intelligence (AI) model will be used by its 100,000 plus workforce around the world to provide CRE insights to clients in what it believes will be a whole new way. JLL’s extensive in-house data will be supplemented with external CRE sources, and the company plans to offer made-to-order solutions to clients later this year. More →

July 31, 2023

Best practice for maintaining an agile workforce through upskilling

by Kirsty Greene • Company news, Workplace

Workforces need to evolve now more than ever. A report from the World Economic Forum claims that around a quarter of jobs will shift in the next five years. Its ‘Future of Jobs Report for 2023’ notes that though an estimated 69 million new jobs will be created, another 83 million will be eliminated. A few factors contributing to creating and eliminating jobs are macro trends—such as a rise in sustainability efforts among businesses, the localisation of supply chains, high inflation, and slower economic growth. More →

July 26, 2023

One-third of hybrid working managers feel they need to prove their worth when working from home

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A poll of 3,000 workers in Europe and North America from Insights Learning & Development claims that managers of hybrid working teams see multiple benefits to a new working arrangement. These include improved team performance, improved team agility and increased ability to deliver on objectives. However, on a personal level, many managers highlighted the need for more support. Almost one-third (30 percent) of these managers feel they need to prove their worth when working from home – significantly higher than the non-management population. More →

July 25, 2023

Office lease lengths may be decreasing but majority of firms will increase their footprint

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Workplace design

Responding to reports from property management platform, Re-Leased, that UK office lease lengths has fallen to the lowest on record and that vacancies rates had soared, office designers Unispace are suggesting firms should be wary of making ‘rash decisions’ regarding their office footprint over the long term. A study published by the firm – Returning for Good – which surveyed 9,500 employees and 6,650 employers from 17 countries worldwide – claims that while employees in the UK spend the least amount of time in the office compared to any other country, there is an expectation that this will increase as workers face limited access to career progression opportunities while working remotely. More →

July 18, 2023

CIPD says HR professionals should ‘lean in’ to artificial intelligence

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology, Workplace

The swift rise of generative artificial intelligence and its potential impact in the workplace puts people professionals at the heart of understanding how this fast-evolving technology can be responsibly used, and the business impact it may have, according to the CIPD. To support this change, the trade body has launched a new guide, Preparing your Organisation for AI Use, which stresses the importance of people professionals creating clear policies on the use of easily accessible, web-based generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Bard. More →

July 14, 2023

To boost productivity in the UK, we need to think big and different

by Peter McAteer • Comment, Technology

The decline in UK productivity since the Great Recession of 2008/2009 has been a matter of concern for business leaders, policymakers, and economists alike. Despite hopes that the pandemic would act as a catalyst for transformation and boost productivity, recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the UK still lags behind several other G7 economies. More →

July 12, 2023

Generations in the workplace: setting the record straight

by Jo Sutherland • Comment, Workplace

If there were an algorithm to create a word cloud in response to searches for ‘What millennials want in the workplace?’, you’d expect to see Google spew out terms such as ‘flexibility’, ‘meaning’, ‘fairness’, ‘equality’, ‘inclusivity’, ‘opportunity’, ‘connections’, ‘socialising’ and ‘experience’. Do the same with ‘Gen Z’ replacing ‘millennials’ and – guess what – you’ll see the exact same word cloud, although perhaps in a different colour and order so you don’t think it’s based on the same homogeneous assumptions about younger generations. More →

July 11, 2023

Workplace generations express different demands of their jobs

by Neil Franklin • News

Even though people who belong to so-called Generation Z are often described as digital natives, it is actually ‘Baby Boomers’ who are most focussed on workplace technology, a new poll claims. The report from interior design and fit-out business Claremont claims that firms are having to work increasingly hard to address the needs and priorities of different workplace generations. It claims that Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964) want better technology in the office to help them be more productive. They also want more face-to-face collaboration and team spirit more than any other generation. More →

July 7, 2023

While most people feel they belong at work, many also complain about being silenced

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Although two thirds of people feel a sense of belonging in the workplace, half also think they are unable to share their opinions freely at work, according to a a new poll of 4,500 individuals working for large organisations around the world and commissioned by facilities management firm ISS. While the poll found that 69 percent of workers do feel a sense of belonging at work, it also discovered that feelings of not belonging were linked to “decreased productivity, worsened mental health and an increased risk of employee turnover”. 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 →