Search Results for: business

June 22, 2016

One in six business leaders don’t link staff wellbeing with organisational success ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

You can take this story however you like, but a new YouGov survey of attitudes amongst British business leaders claims that just one in six (17 percent) believe that fostering a healthy work-life balance for employees is not important for their organisation. The research also found that 15 percent of organisations in the UK don’t place any focus on the mental health and wellbeing of employees. Furthermore, three in ten (31 percent) say that their company does not do anything to actively promote mental well-being in the workplace. However, there is a clear difference in approach based on size of the organisation involved. Small businesses (44 percent) surveyed are far more likely to admit they don’t do anything, compared to medium (29 percent) and large (15 percent) businesses. This all still means that the majority of firms are actively interested in their employees’ wellbeing, but the proportion of those who aren’t may raise an eyebrow.

June 17, 2016

US small business owners still cling to ‘office basics’, claims study ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Products, Technology

Small businesses still rely heavily on the traditional working environment, according to the 2016 Business Survey from office equipment maker Brother. The report says these businesses are open to adopting next-generation cloud based and mobile technology, but they’re also ‘holding on to’ what it calls office basics such as printers, scanners and faxes. Over half (58 percent) of small businesses’ daily work tasks still require a physical office presence and 91 percent of small business owners currently have a printer, scanner, copier or fax machine within their work space. The need for these devices is confirmed in the data showing 43 percent of this same group use a printer, on average, 10 or more times per day. The online survey of 509 small business owners in the US claims that the attachment to traditional devices does not mean that firms aren’t adopting new tech, but rather that they are trying to ‘have the best of both worlds’.

June 7, 2016

New guide available on building the business case for agile working ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace

For employers and employees who have yet to persuade senior management of its benefits, the work-life balance charity Working Families has launched a new online guide on how to construct a business case for agile working. The step-by-step guide spells out the argument that flexible working brings; higher levels of productivity which can lead to increased output at no additional cost; staff retention, reducing turnover and the cost of retraining; recruitment opportunities, ensuring you have access to the best talent; and that flexible working is necessary to adapt to future trends. The guide covers the globalisation of work and demand for 24 hour service; changing demographics and attitudes towards work and both the social case and the health and wellbeing case for flexible working. It also provides some evidence and case studies which show that flexible working increases organisational performance and productivity, along with a look at how technology can facilitate changing working styles and bring about change.

May 19, 2016

Where is the data for disability on boards – and do businesses care? ⁰

by Neil Barnfather • Comment, Legal news, Workplace

When it comes to diversity on boards, I would confidently say that disability comes in a poor fourth behind gender, age and ethnicity. It’s something I take a great interest in as a blind person, a senior executive who sits on boards and as a start-up champion. While acknowledging a limited perspective, over the years I have noted a lack of disabled representation at board level and when I joined the NonExecutiveDirectors.com recruitment platform, we had a conversation about this. The result was that the organisation and its partners decided to commission some research into the issue. The research involved the Office of National Statistics, EU Equality and Diversity Commission, Department of Business Innovation and Skills, leading academic experts in disability, in social policy and in work and employment, Trade Union Congress (TUC), business surveys, policy documents and more.

April 27, 2016

Digital divide in businesses is holding back the British economy ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

A digital divide is opening up across the British economy, with just over half (55 percent) of “pioneer” firms adopting digital technologies and processes, while the other half (45 percent) are falling behind, according to new research by the CBI and IBM. Despite the UK taking top place globally for e-commerce and fifth place for the availability of technology, it ranks only fourteenth in the world for company-level adoption of digital technology, with many companies struggling to digitise their businesses at the rate of peers in other countries. Companies cite a mix of connectivity challenges and security concerns as barriers to digital adoption, but predominantly they are hindered by a lack of appropriate skills inside their business (42 percent of firms) and an unclear return on investment (33 percent). The report’s findings for the UK echo those of a global study carried out by Cognizant.

April 5, 2016

HR Best Practices linked to improvements in business performance ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

As we outlined last week, when the positive role played by Human Resources is applied throughout an organisation – levels of motivation, retention and engagement do indeed rise. Now a new report from Top Employers Institute and HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®) reveals that better business performance – measured by higher stock prices, faster revenue growth and more favourable perception of an employer brand – is the direct result of best practice performance by HR professionals. The paper also shows that this effect has the biggest impact on business performance when it is embraced company-wide, starting at the top, and adapted smartly and sensitively by expert professionals. The paper, “Emerging Evidence: Business Performance and the Validation of HR Best Practices”, shows recent research that suggests there is evidence for HR practices driving financial results, including increased revenue growth and a rise in the value of stock prices.

March 30, 2016

Isn’t it time that UK businesses thought more like the Scandinavians? ⁰

by Richard Morris • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Wellbeing, Workplace

The clocks went forward on 27^th March meaning darker mornings and lighter evenings – at least for a time. But the standard working day doesn’t reflect such changes, with commuters setting out in darkness to make a fixed 9am start. The changing of the clocks raises interesting questions about the UK work model. Why does UK business persist with the 9-5? We know that commuting in and out can be stressful and detrimental to productivity – not to mention expensive. So why do we continue to do it? Why is the UK’s workforce all boarding the same trains to arrive at the office at the same time? Today, the very notion of the 9am start to the working day should seem archaic. Sweden – often a forerunner of best practice when it comes to wellbeing – recently introduced a 6-hour working day in a bid to reduce sick leave and make staff happier. To date, there has been no hard analysis of results, but anecdotal evidence suggests a healthier, more engaged workforce.

March 15, 2016

US businesses wasting $1.8 trillion annually on mundane tasks ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new report from enterprise software firm Samanage, claims that US businesses are wasting up to $1.8 trillion annually on repetitive and mundane tasks that could easily be automated, leaving people free to carry out more productive and creative work. The Samanage State of Workplace Survey, polled around 3,000 US working adults and claims that workers spend an average of 520 hours a year – more than one full day’s work each week – on repetitive services and tasks that could be easily automated, such as, password reset requests, contract reviews and approvals, office supply requests and performing other simple administrative tasks. In addition to lost time and money, the survey also claims employees are skirting organisational IT policy. Outdated technology is holding employees in the modern workforce back from driving process efficiency and identifying ways to make their work life better.

March 4, 2016

Fewer than ten percent of business processes will rely on paper by 2018 ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

A new report from Xerox suggests that the use of paper in business processes continues to fall away. The Digitisation at Work report claims that the move from paper to digital processes is nearly upon us although many of the 600 survey respondents admit they may not be ready for it. The report found concerns remain over paper-based processes, with cost (42 percent) and security (42 percent) cited as primary issues. Survey respondents predicted an average of nine percent of key business operation processes will run on paper in two years time. However, over half (55 percent) of the respondents admit their organisation’s processes are still largely or entirely paper-based and about a third (29 percent) are still communicating with customers via paper.This is despite the fact that 41 percent agree moving to digital workflows will cut organisational costs and 87 percent appear to have the skill sets available to make this happen.

March 4, 2016

World cities are victims of own success as high costs price out businesses ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, News, Property, Technology, Workplace

The two highest ranking global cities in the world, London and New York (as measured in the A.T. Kearney Global Cities Index), are also the most expensive for businesses and workers to occupy. According to Savills latest Live/Work Index, which measures the combined cost of residential and office rental per person per year across leading world class cities, the cost of accommodating an employee in London (US$112,800) is more than double that of Sydney, ($49,500). The average total cost of accommodation per worker, per year in the 20 cities that were measured is US$56,855, in a list that includes established world cities and some dynamic up and coming rivals, dubbed “upstarts” by Savills. The rise of the digital economy has pushed these smaller cities, such as Berlin (population 4.3 million) and Dublin (1.7 million) into the realm of world class city status; with San Francisco seeing the greatest price rise over 2015, up by 13 percent, compared to a 9 percent fall in Moscow and Rio de Janeiro.

February 11, 2016

Majority of UK’s small businesses would opt for coworking spaces ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Property, Workplace design

Almost three quarters (72 percent) of small businesses in the UK believe coworking spaces are the ideal environment to base a start-up. Although the research was carried out by Regus, which happens to provide just that sort of workspace, the research did detect some strong preferences from small businesses that suggests sharing office space is the best solution for fledgling firms to thrive. When asked about the benefits of coworking compared to other workspace options, more than eight in ten respondents (83%) from the research, which canvassed the opinions of over 2,600 UK-based small companies, claimed it was a much more cost-effective alternative to a fixed office. The opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs (70 percent) was also identified as a major plus point, with 63 percent believing that shared space provides more inspiration than a traditional office setting and 61 percent saying that this kind of workplace offered a more creative environment that regular offices.

January 18, 2016

Managerial fairness key to successful business change, claims report ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Managers are underestimating the impact they have on their workforce during a period of organisational change, according to a study from EMLYON Business School authored by associate professor Tessa Melkonian. The study claims that employees are more likely to cooperate in the process of a disruptive change if the management is seen to be fair in their treatment of staff. This will increase employees’ willingness to cooperate in long-term transitions and work harder to support the process. Over 600 interviews in 10 countries and thousands of questionnaires were carried out to gauge employee satisfaction and willingness to cooperate with change following the merger of KLM and Air France. During the interviews employees revealed they were more inclined to back change because of the example set by their CEO. Leading from the front remained a strong influence two years into the transition.