July 21, 2022

Corporate real estate firms lagging on digital transformation

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Technology

Resistance to change and lack of resources are holding back real estate firms on digital transformation, a new report [registration] claims. The study involved more than 175 innovation leads in corporate real estate organisations at locations worldwide, including British Land, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield and Buro Happold. Authored by Swedish PropTech academic Olli Vigren, the report sets out to explain why the sector has fallen behind other industries in adopting new technology. (more…)

July 21, 2022

Flex office provider Mindspace opens its first Düsseldorf location

by Neil Franklin • Company news

Mindspace is opening its first location in Düsseldorf: the flex office provider is moving into 4,100 square meters in the centrally located mixed-use commercial complex “Stilwerk” on a long-term basis. The location “Mindspace Grünstraße” will include 600 workstations overlooking an attractive atrium and will include the numerous Mindspace benefits and amenities such as meeting rooms, lounges and kitchens. Mindspace Grünstraße is scheduled to open in February 2023. (more…)

July 20, 2022

Toxic work culture continues to bedevil certain sectors

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Healthcare is among the worst industries in the UK for a certain type of toxic work culture, a new study by Delamere claims. The study claims to have identified the industries with the worst attitudes towards what it calls toxic hustle culture. Hustle culture refers to people feeling pressured to work tirelessly in order to constantly make money and be productive. (more…)

July 20, 2022

People who are proactive at work find their jobs more meaningful

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Being proactive at work is key to finding your job meaningful, a new study from ESSEC Business School suggests. According to the research, undertaken by Karoline Strauss, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at ESSEC Business School, proactivity at work and job meaningfulness are linked, especially when employees are otherwise unsure about the impact their tasks will have. (more…)

July 20, 2022

Enduring problems holding back success of UK government property strategy

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Public Sector

Longstanding problems such as poor data pose major risks to the successful delivery of the UK Government’s property strategy, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Central government property, valued at £158 billion, is one of government’s largest assets. It includes offices, hospitals, academy schools, jobcentres, courts, prisons and museums. The Office of Government Property (OGP) sets the strategic direction for the management of government property. The Cabinet Office has categorised properties into 12 portfolios (such as health, defence and school portfolios), 10 of which are led by a single department or arm’s-length body. The Government Property Agency (GPA) sets and implements a property strategy for the government’s office and warehouse portfolios. (more…)

July 20, 2022

Four day week seen as unrealistic for millions of people

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Interest in the four day work week is rising yet millions of UK workers are set to miss out, according to research from ClickUp. It found that certain careers are more likely to miss out on the idea of working a day less each week for no reduction in pay, as other employment sectors may go ahead. Businesses must take action to close these gaps to create equity for workers in the UK, the report argues. (more…)

July 18, 2022

The future of work is asynchronous

by Adam Dover • Comment, Flexible working, Technology

In our pre-, post-, and mid-pandemic worlds, the corporate workspace landscape underwent – and continues to undergo – a great many adaptations. It is changing out of necessity so firms can survive in a new present and future of work. The way we work had never evolved as much as it has in the past 2 years. It was dominated by strict schedules, physical meetings and on-site technology only. As time passed and technology evolved, the 9-to-5 in-office schedule remained, and teleworking, despite being possible, was extremely rare.

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July 17, 2022

Design freely with the Origin 70 Luxury Vinyl Tiles Collection from IVC

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Works Magazine

Origin 70 is the new Luxury Vinyl Tiles flooring collection from IVC Commercial, letting you design freely with the ultimate in performance through quality, loose lay installation and design flexibility. With loose lay installation and plank and tile formats that let you mix and match seamlessly with carpet tiles, IVC Commercial’s Origin 70 Luxury Vinyl Tiles collection brings design freedom to flooring for projects. Designed and made in Belgium to be completely recycled, projects benefit from a more sustainable floor as well. (more…)

July 15, 2022

Ditch the compulsory fun and ping pong tables. What people really want from the office

by Neil Franklin • News

As companies try to attract employees back to the office, a new survey of 4,000 people claims to reveal that what employees really want are yoga studios, office gyms and designated quiet spaces where they can work in peace. The survey findings suggest that employees are less interested in fun and games during the work day and more hungry for perks that enhance their work-life satisfaction. (more…)

July 15, 2022

What makes for an effective human to machine conversation?

by Terry Walby • Comment, Technology

To quote the famous Honda advert of the early 2000’s, ‘wouldn’t it be nice if things just worked?’ If you haven’t seen it or would like to again, you can find it at the bottom of the page. Nowhere is this more applicable than when it comes to chatbots. As consumers, we’ve all been on the end of a pretty unsatisfactory experience that has left us feeling anywhere from a little annoyed to totally exasperated. The question is, what does it take to get a chatbot to work as it ought to? What are the elements of an effective human to machine conversation? (more…)

July 14, 2022

Rising office fit-out costs begin to hit occupiers

by Jayne Smith • News, Property

An analysis by Savills of Q2 2022 Prime Office Costs (SPOC) in global markets around the world suggests that inflation and supply chain issues are now feeding into office fit-out costs and keeping occupiers’ net effective costs high in many cities around the world. Over the past year office fit-out costs have risen an average of 6 percent across the SPOC cities that have so far reported rises says Savills, although proportionally they remain a small part of overall costs compared to rents. (more…)

July 14, 2022

Six ways to get into the entertainment industry

by Freddie Steele • Company news

So you want to break into the entertainment industry? It’s not as impossible as it may seem. In fact, there are many different ways to make your dream a reality. You could be an actor, singer, writer, or director; the list goes on and on, but how do you get started? In this article, veteran sports and entertainment agent Nancy Etz advises aspiring artists. Stay tuned to learn how to get your foot in the door of the entertainment industry. (more…)