May 10, 2019

A balanced approach to stress has its benefits

Stress is an unavoidable part of everyday life and our bodies are hard-wired to respond to it. It’s often wrongly labelled as a sign of being unable to cope, but in reality, manageable stress can give us the boost to perform better at work. When we view the demands placed upon us as close to/exceeding the resources we have to cope, a sense of stress occurs. The situation is seen as threatening. When we experience stress, our brains release chemicals and hormones that prepare us for danger. They elevate our heart rate, sharpen our senses and get us ready to act. In the short term, it can boost our ability to perform, giving us more energy and increased concentration. More →

May 9, 2019

Property investors cool on issue of climate change

by Mark Eltringham • Environment, News, Property

According to a RICS global survey of Commercial and Construction market professionals, in the UK, 47 percent of respondents reported that climate change risks are not important or irrelevant for investors. In addition, while 25 percent reported that there is more interest in energy efficient buildings than two years ago, 37 percent noted that investment into energy efficient buildings was limited to niche investors. The study concludes that it still appears that other considerations take precedence in the UK for investors, and the UK is lagging behind China and Hong Kong in this area, where 41 percent reported that energy efficient buildings are increasingly seen as an attractive form of investment. The issue of responsible investment, will be being discussed on the 13 and 14 May at the RICS World Built Environment Forum, Summit in New York. More →

May 2, 2019

Vast majority of accountants think there’s been a cultural shift in the profession

by George Eltringham • News, Workplace

Sage has released its annual Practice of Now research report, which claims that there is a shifting cultural landscape in the accounting sector driven by evolving client demands and the marketplace. Of the 3,000 accountants surveyed worldwide, 90 percent believe there has been a cultural shift in accountancy as it enters the next decade. This shift is driving significant changes in hiring practices, business services and attitudes toward emerging technologies across the globe. More →

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 18, 2019

Stress in legal profession widely misunderstood, research paper claims

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

The latest Bellwether research paper titled, ‘Stress in the Legal Profession: Problematic or Inevitable’, published by LexisNexis UK claims that stress is an endemic issue in the legal profession with two thirds of respondents currently experiencing high levels of stress despite the confident ‘business as usual’ industry outlook. Almost 1 in 4 solicitors feel that more could be done to support them in the workplace although 4 in 5 report high levels of job satisfaction and 5 out of 10 consider they have a positive state of mind.

April 17, 2019

London leads Siemens Atlas of Digitalization as most digitally ready global city

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Technology

Siemens has launched a new web-based application which reveals the readiness and potential of six major cities to embrace digitalization and develop new ways of living, working and interacting. The Atlas of Digitalization is based around the interconnected themes of Expo 2020 Dubai – Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity – and assesses how the fourth industrial revolution has already impacted urban life around the world, and the potential it could have in the future. More →

April 17, 2019

Uncertain times demand a new approach to strategic people management

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Is the management of people in organisations today really about growing the long-term value of an employers’ most important asset in an increasing uncertain and skills-short labour market? Or is it more to do with continuing to drive costs down and shareholder returns up; and meeting the bare minimum standards required by legislation? The Institute for Employment’s (IES) latest research, carried out in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), looks at the reality of people management and comes up with some generally positive findings and conclusions. More →

April 17, 2019

Bristol has lowest Grade A office vacancy rate among UK largest cities

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property

Bristol has the lowest vacancy rate for Grade A offices amongst the UK’s leading Big 6 cities, reflecting strong demand combined with a shortage of high quality commercial space, according to new figures published by property consultants JLL. Although the city and region’s reputation for talent and innovation has so far countered the shortage of space, with inward investors citing access to a highly skilled, graduate workforce as one of the main reasons for relocation, JLL is warning that more needs to be done to ensure Bristol continues to attract investment. More →

April 12, 2019

Manchester is the number one tech location outside of London

by Marie Hillen • AI, Cities, Facilities management, News, Property, Technology

The UK’s regional cities are competing harder than ever with London to become the location of choice for the tech sector. According to CBRE’s report ‘Tech Cities: Exploring tech hotspots in the UK regions’ Manchester ranks number one amongst the top 10 UK tech location outside of London, but Scotland features highly with Glasgow and Edinburgh in second and third position respectively. Birmingham has risen three places, from seventh to fourth position but smaller conurbations such as such as Reading, Oxford, Cambridge, Southampton, Brighton and Bracknell also feature, based on their concentrations of tech employment, tech businesses and high education levels. More cities are competing for the very top spots in the ranking

April 8, 2019

Navigating organisations through digital transformation

by Ian Tickle • Comment, Technology

It’s hard to escape the digital disruption that is reshaping not only the world we live in, but the fundamental way that businesses operate. Greater levels of data exchange and automation are creating new layers of innovation, shifting functional workflows to agile systems. And to prosper in this upheaval, leaders must look at how they can support their company’s ability to adapt and identify new opportunities to embrace these changes.

April 8, 2019

Commercial property investors underestimate risks of climate change

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

Investors in commercial property are underestimating the risks associated with climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme weather events, and need to rethink their assessment of asset vulnerabilities, according to a new report from the BlackRock Investment Institute.

April 5, 2019

Brexit, Brits and blending: what MIPIM told us about the state of corporate real estate

by Anna King • Comment, Property

MIPIM celebrated its 30th anniversary during uncertain political and economic times, yet the mood was positive and even the backdrop of an impending Brexit decision failed to derail the UK contingent. However, the one thing missing from MIPIM in 2019 was British politicians. They were all back home, participating in decisive votes in the House of Commons as Parliament continued to kick the Brexit can down the road.