Search Results for: communication

One in eight firms already use software to monitor remote workers

One in eight firms already use software to monitor remote workers

monitoring remote workersA large number of British companies companies say they plan to install monitoring software of some kind to keep an eye on employees working from home, according to a new survey. Around 20 percent of employers said their firms have either implemented, or plan to implement, online software which monitors their remote workers. (more…)

Work really has become much harder during the pandemic

Work really has become much harder during the pandemic

The burden of work, Sisyphus by TitianThe pandemic has seriously altered how we work. According to statistics published by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in September 2020, US$35 trillion (£26 trillion) has been lost globally in labour income. There has also been an estimated loss of 17 percent of working hours worldwide since 2019, with young people and women being hit hardest. And many of those still in jobs are working under very different conditions. (more…)

Supplier codes of conduct can be ineffective in practice

Supplier codes of conduct can be ineffective in practice

A new white paper claims that while supplier codes of conduct are important, they are ineffective if their requirements are not met with actions to bring about transparency. To be effective, codes of conduct should support an authentic determination to embed company values and to foster strong business relationships that encourage honest communication and transparency that include monitoring the effectiveness. (more…)

HR professionals must seek a new connection with the IT team

HR professionals must seek a new connection with the IT team

HR and ITIt has now been more than eight months since the government first advised people to work from home if possible, due to COVID-19. The shift to remote working happened suddenly in March and quickly became part of everyday life; in April 2020 alone, 47 percent of people in employment did some work at home, compared to just 16 percent in the whole of 2019. IT teams were extremely successful in getting staff up-and-running with the right technology, but there was little time for organisations to fully train users before driving adoption, or personalise the approach based on individual need. This places a new onus on HR teams. (more…)

Six key factors of productivity for organisations disrupted by lockdown

Six key factors of productivity for organisations disrupted by lockdown

workplace productivityWith a new national lockdown, the situation in the UK remains unpredictable and complicated, and renewed pressure to work from home has forced many organisations to reverse their back-to-work plans, according to a new study from Advanced Workplace Associates (AWA). The study has detailed the matrix of pain that employees may be suffering due to this challenging situation – from those who didn’t want to return to the office when restrictions were eased but had to, to those who are unhappy about working from home. In creating unhappy, disengaged employees, these pain points undermine the six key factors of productivity, defined by the AWA as: social cohesion, trust, perceived supervisory support, information sharing, vision and goal clarity, and external communication. (more…)

New to working from home? Here is how you should set up

New to working from home? Here is how you should set up

Companies are in danger of losing top talent due to lack of flexible workingThe past year has been something of a game-changer in many ways and perhaps one of the most unexpected has been how people have had to embrace the idea of working from home. (more…)

November lockdown reignites concerns about mental health and productivity

November lockdown reignites concerns about mental health and productivity

ProductivityA vast majority of managers (75 percent) faced challenges with employees when working remotely, causing concerns within businesses preparing for the second UK lockdown. (more…)

Leadership in a new age of virtuality

Leadership in a new age of virtuality

workplace leadershipWe are living through a fundamental transformation in the way we work. The pandemic has forced organisations to go virtual. New government guidelines, including a tiered alert system, suggest that this will be the norm for the foreseeable future. But step back from the noise and it is easy to see how the current crisis is simply accelerating the inevitable. A confluence of forces, including advancements in technology and infrastructure, increasing globalisation, shifting demographics and COVID-19, has enabled greater connectivity and mobility, making obvious to organisations, their leadership and individuals the wisdom of adopting flexible work models. (more…)

Pick Everard reveals new bespoke HQ office space

Pick Everard reveals new bespoke HQ office space

Independent property, construction and infrastructure consultancy Pick Everard has unveiled its new-look head office following an extensive refurbishment led by its recently established in-house interior design team. (more…)

Trust from the boss outweighs all other factors for employee happiness

Trust from the boss outweighs all other factors for employee happiness

Trust

While some organisations have welcomed remote working with open arms, other employers have struggled to trust their employees to work autonomously with some even ramping up on surveillance to track exactly what their workforce is doing. This may however be problematic for organisations looking to attract and retain talent as, according to a recent report from UK-based tech-for-good developer, Culture Shift, almost all (93 percent) of Britain’s workforce say having an employer that trusts them is important for their overall happiness at work.  (more…)

Office design should embrace the new digital workplace

Office design should embrace the new digital workplace

A new era of office designIt almost goes without saying that how we work and interact with each other has changed dramatically over the past few months. We have come to rely on technology to replace in-person interactions, be it for a meeting, birthday party, or dinner with friends. Thankfully, most people are able to stay digitally connected through the “three screens of our lives”—a mobile device, a tablet, and a desktop or laptop computer. This would not have been possible in the very recent past and it has profound implications for office design. (more…)

Young people suffer most from lack of motivation at work

Young people suffer most from lack of motivation at work

MotivationNew research by management consultancy Lane4, claims 44 percent of employees under 35 years old say that a lack of motivation has been hindering their performance at work since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in March.

The study of over 1000 UK employees, carried out by YouGov, suggests that the performance of younger workers (under 35 years old) is twice as likely to be impacted by a lack of motivation than that of 45-54-year olds (22 percent), and significantly more likely to be impacted by a lack of motivation than the average for all age groups (28 percent). (more…)