March 3, 2023

Artificial intelligence could mean we all do more work, not less

by Barbara Ribeiro • Comment, Technology

There’s a common perception that artificial intelligence will help streamline our work. There are even fears that it could wipe out the need for some jobs altogether. But in a study of science laboratories I carried out with three colleagues at the University of Manchester, the introduction of automated processes that aim to simplify work — and free people’s time — can also make that work more complex, generating new tasks that many workers might perceive as mundane. More →

March 1, 2023

Employers prioritising long term return on investment in recruitment

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Following the ‘hiring frenzy’ of the pandemic, recruitment strategies are focused on total value creation by empowering their teams to learn, grow and be ready for any contingency, according to the 2023 Talent Trends Report from Randstad. The poll of over 900 C-suite and HR leaders in 18 markets focussed on their talent and career development priorities for the year ahead. Now in its 8th year, this year’s report claims that despite an uncertain economic environment, business leaders are focused on driving long-term value and business impact by increasing talent engagement, satisfaction, productivity, and retention, following the ‘hiring frenzy’ of the last two years. More →

February 20, 2023

Unlocking the digital frontier: hiring the next generation of tech talent

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace

Any business that is looking to grow its consumer base or expand into new markets is likely to be relying on digital technology to a greater extent than ever before both in their operations and management. This also means that the world of employment, both for workers and enterprises, is necessarily evolving too. An inevitable consequence of this evolution has been that those for whom technology has been an essential part of their life and education — so-called digital natives — are in growing demand. More →

February 16, 2023

Employers brace for ‘talent exodus’ as people seek better pay

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

Over half (58 percent) of employers in the UK believe that they will lose staff in the next six months as they seek to earn more by moving jobs, according to a new poll. According to the survey by talent services company, Morgan McKinley for its 2023 Salary Guide, 56 percent of employees in the UK are looking to move jobs in the first half of the year, with 49 percent selecting better pay as the primary reason, followed by ‘better career growth and development opportunities’ (17 percent). More →

February 13, 2023

Childhood’s end for work and the need for a grown-up conversation about it

by Mark Eltringham • Features, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing

Arthur C Clarke’s finest novel Childhood’s End is the story of an Earth that is invaded by a force of alien Overlords. This is not a destructive colonial invasion, which is why there’s no Hollywood blockbuster in the tale, but a seemingly benevolent intervention which ushers in a golden age for humanity. Although humankind initially does not get to meet the Overlords in person (for reasons I won’t give away here), the aliens unite the world’s governments, eradicate crime, conflict and the nation state and do away with the need for creativity and hard work. It is the literal end of history.

February 10, 2023

Working parents are resilient, and a resilient team is good for business

by Erin Eatough • Comment, Wellbeing

Last week, Parent Mental Health Day renewed our focus on working parents and their resilience, the ability to adapt to change, deal with stress, and foster optimism despite difficulty. From a business perspective, resilience is the way that employees recognise and respond to challenges as opportunities to develop rather than as a threat or setback. Resilience is an important skill for us all as we manoeuvre through life’s daily trials and it is particularly important for working parents as we often juggle more responsibilities outside of the workplace. More →

February 9, 2023

Working mums feel forced to limit careers due to inflexible working practices

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Workplace

A new report claims that many working mums have felt forced to limit their careers as a result of their employer’s inflexible and outdated working policies and cultures. The Shift from Worker to Working Parent sponsored by WOMBA (Work, Me and the Baby) and carried out by Hult International Business School (Ashridge) interviewed working mums and dads who had recently taken extended parental leave about the experiences they faced as they transitioned to parenthood in an organisational context. More →

February 9, 2023

Firms struggle to get a grip on people data despite workplace challenges

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology, Workplace

A new CIPD survey of business leaders claims there is a significant mismatch between the scale of the challenge that workplace issues currently pose to businesses and how often workforce issues and people data are discussed by senior leaders. In response, the CIPD is warning that organisations are unlikely to perform well in the long term unless decisions taken at a board and executive management level are informed by an in-depth and evidence-based understanding of the value and risk their workforce poses. More →

January 31, 2023

Multi-tasking managers offer the key to cooperation between rival firms

by Neil Franklin • Business, News

For rival companies to successfully cooperate in the name of innovation, they need “ambidextrous” managers who can make the most of their pooled resources and exhibit strong multi-tasking skills, research from NEOMA Business School claims. Antony Paulraj, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at NEOMA, co-authored a study analysing the approach of over 300 companies that are collaborating with their competitors, known as “coopetition”. More →

January 30, 2023

New study will explore the impact of economic turmoil on workplace experience

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

People’s workplace experience in the wake of recent economic upheavals is to be investigated as part of a major new survey led by Cardiff University and funded mainly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The Skills and Employment Survey 2023 (SES2023), which also involves researchers at UCL, the Universities of Oxford and Surrey and the National Centre for Social Research, will help academics assess the impact of an extraordinary period of turbulence for workers which includes the economic downturn, Cost-of-Living Crisis, Covid-19 and Brexit. More →

January 17, 2023

A workplace for entrepreneurial mindsets to thrive should be your goal

by John Mullins • Business, Comment

These days it seems like everyone is looking to become more entrepreneurial. It’s a word that’s often used by big companies on the hunt for innovative thinkers and new ways of doing things. But sadly, the workplace doesn’t always work for those with entrepreneurial minds. It is too rigid, too hierarchical, too conventional. Entrepreneurs, by nature, are rule-breakers, always looking for new opportunities and fresh ideas that could change the world. From my research, they differ from other businesspeople in some fundamental ways – six ways, to be exact. More →

January 12, 2023

Wellbeing and organisational agility will dominate workplace conversations in 2023

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Mental health and wellbeing will dominate conversations about the role of work in people’s lives this year, due in part to the effects of the global pandemic, as well as social and economic instability around the world, according to the latest megatrends report from UKG. The report claims that many people are feeling overwhelmed in the face of negative news cycles headlining economic uncertainty, climate change, violence, and political unrest have contributed to a spike in mental wellbeing issues. More →