November 22, 2022

Inconsistent flexible working strategies drive people away from businesses

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new poll of 3,450 people in a dozen countries from Unit4 claims that around two in five organisations have lost employees over the last year because they believed they would enjoy better flexible working options elsewhere. While most firms now have a formalised approach to flexible working, the report claims that policies vary enormously, exacerbating the challenge of recruiting and retaining people for those firms with an inconsistent approach. More →

November 22, 2022

HR profession should rebrand and shift its focus, claims a new report

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

The time has come to re-brand the human resources profession and shift its focus from processes to people, a new report from Sage claims. The authors claim the study emphasises the scale of the challenge facing teams, with 92 percent of executives believing the perceived value of human resources is a challenge for the profession. The poll of more than 1,000 HR and C-suite leaders working in SMBs across six of the world’s largest economies also highlights that 81 percent of human resources professionals are feeling burnt out and 62 percent are considering leaving the industry. More →

November 15, 2022

Hybrid working is now an essential part of many job offers

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace

A new US study conducted by IWG claims that employers view the hybrid working model as an essential part of their toolbox when it comes to recruitment, hiring and retention, with nearly 95 percent of HR leaders saying it is an effective recruitment tool. Released today, the ‘HR Leaders & Hybrid Working Report’ examines findings from a poll of more than 1,000 HR professionals at managerial and board level. More →

November 14, 2022

Investment in real estate upgrades stalls in face of economic and business challenges

by Neil Franklin • News, Property

Research by ULI and PwC claims that nearly half of Europe’s real estate leaders are concerned about buildings becoming obsolete in the next five years in the face of long-term upheavals in demographics, climate change, technology and lifestyles. Most of the 900 or so industry leaders that participated are making long-term resources available to address the fit-for-purpose agenda. However, the challenging business environment has reshuffled priorities to financing and high construction costs, and scarcity of resources has made real estate renewal more expensive to achieve, consequently delaying much needed investment. More →

November 11, 2022

Problems at Twitter, grease proof chairs, and the trouble with AI

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design

The level of layoffs at several Big Tech firms has been the main source of news and comment over the past week or two. Around 11,000 people at Facebook and another 7,500 at Twitter are to be made redundant. Elon Musk then ensured the conversation moved on by forbidding remote work completely. More →

November 10, 2022

BDP reports on successful year for the design firm

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Works Magazine

BDP has published its results for the financial year ended 30 June 2022. The practice achieved revenues of £136.6m and an operating profit of £13.2m. The multidisciplinary practice won a number of prestigious projects in the financial year and expanded into new locations by establishing new presences in New York, Lima and Edinburgh to create a network of integrated, collaborative studios with global reach. The organisation’s employee numbers have also returned to pre-pandemic levels as it welcomed talented people back to its workplaces across the globe. More →

November 4, 2022

BCFA rebrands to shape the future of commercial interiors

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

Commercial Interiors UK, is to be the new name for the BCFA – the UK’s largest trade association representing the commercial interiors sector. Its 250+ members represent leading manufacturers, suppliers, and designers – all shaping inspirational commercial interiors internationally. The rebrand comes after an in-depth strategic review ensuring that this highly respected trade association continues to deliver unrivalled support to its members, addressing the business challenges they face, and in doing so, championing issues affecting the commercial interiors sector as a whole. More →

November 3, 2022

Are digital skills the key to a happier, more productive workforce?

by Katy Liddell • Comment, Technology, Workplace

The rising cost-of-living is impacting life and work in all four corners of the UK. Research from BCC has found that businesses feel compelled to increase their own prices. With costs rising, businesses are facing growing pressures. Not least the need to attract and retain the talent they can depend on to deliver. Research has shown that taking time to upskill current employees, especially in terms of their digital skills, benefits both productivity and engagement at all levels of an organisation. Our own Tech and Battle for Talent report recognises that 42 percent of employees in organisations across the UK would be more likely to stay in their current role if employers provided regular and intensive training, while 47 percent would be happier. More →

November 3, 2022

Younger workers turn to friends rather than colleagues for career advice

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

A new poll from Right Management, claims that British office workers aged 18-24 years are much more likely to turn to friends in similar jobs for career advice, than to seek guidance from their immediate manager or any other colleagues (older or younger) in their team. After two years of remote and hybrid working impacting on office life, younger workers who need career guidance are more likely (38.1 percent) to turn to their friends in similar jobs for advice, whereas all other working age groups (those aged 25+) prioritise getting their career advice directly from their immediate manager. More →

November 3, 2022

Flexible working takes a step back in face of economic certainty

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

As economic storm clouds gather, the flexibility and freedoms introduced during the pandemic that employees benefited from are now at risk according to a new study conducted by LinkedIn. It claims that in the UK, the current economic and business climate is causing concern among business leader that companies will be forced to wind back progress on important areas of working life such as flexible working (75 percent), skills development (76 percent), and employee wellbeing (83 percent). More →

October 27, 2022

Hybrid isn’t working for many people because nobody can agree what it is

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Property

A new poll published by Landsec claims there is a distinct lack of clarity around what hybrid working means, with less than one in five UK workers agreeing on a definition. The report suggests that this hybrid ‘hotchpotch’ is having a negative impact on bosses’ relationships with their teams. More →

October 19, 2022

Remote workers can find it hard to switch off. There’s now an app for that

by Anthony Thompson • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

The last few years have seen our approach to work change dramatically. Technology has helped to unlock whole new ways of communicating and interacting, providing the flexibility for employees to work in a way that suits them best and creating a large number of remote workers for the first time. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, this switch was on the cards. From an employer perspective, digital tools can allow for communication across the world, opening up access to a whole host of talent and wider consumer exposure. More →