Search Results for: motivation

Virtual meetings can boost wellbeing and performance

Virtual meetings can boost wellbeing and performance

by • News, Technology, Wellbeing

Virtual meetings – often derided as impersonal and prone to technical glitches – can improve employee wellbeing and performanceVirtual meetings – often derided as impersonal and prone to technical glitches – can improve employee wellbeing and performance, a new study led by a Trinity Business School researcher has found. The research, conducted alongside Karin S. Moser (UniDistance Suisse, University of Queensland), Stefan Diestel (University of Wuppertal) and Isaac Alshaikh (South East Technological University Waterford), conducted during the ongoing shift to hybrid work environments and just published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior, concludes that virtual meetings, a staple of the COVID-19 pandemic, are not just a necessity but can also be beneficial. (more…)

There never was a new normal

There never was a new normal

by • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Our strength will come in admitting that the ‘new normal’ was a mirage. It’s time that we all stopped focusing so hard on trying to reach it.Four years ago this month, we were all given our first ‘work from home’ mandate. A clear, unambiguous instruction from the UK government that, in the grip of a quickly spreading global pandemic, we should all work from home where possible. And amid the biggest seismic shift of our lifetime, it was an easy instruction to follow. Hunker down and wait patiently until we find a ‘new normal.’ But four years on, the question remains – are we nearly there yet? Are we ever going to find a ’new normal’? (more…)

Workplace piffle, humane design and throwing away the blank slate

Workplace piffle, humane design and throwing away the blank slate

by • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

workplace designThe piece I wrote on workplace bullshit came in for quite a bit of attention when it was published and also meant I was pointed to this excellent article on how to spot it when you see it. Lots is said about the skills we’ll need to cope with the challenges of the current Century, but this is perhaps one of the most important. Especially trying to spot it in ourselves. Paradoxically, but understandably, we already seem reasonably able to spot it in our politicians and other people we don’t quite trust. (more…)

Over one quarter of employees do not trust their CEO to be honest and transparent

Over one quarter of employees do not trust their CEO to be honest and transparent

by • News, Workplace

A new poll claims that over one quarter (26 percent) of employees in the UK do not trust their CEO to be open and honest, while 24 percent do not trust their senior leadership to do the same. According to the survey of 2,000 employees in the UK from Personio, transparency and employer-employee communication are pivotal to a positive employee experience and trust in the workplace. The research suggests that feeling unheard by leadership could be fuelling employees’ distrust. Over a quarter (28 percent) of employees surveyed say that they are not given a chance to share feedback to leadership on their experiences. Meanwhile, less than half (46 percent) of employees feel that leadership in their organisation actually listens and acts on any feedback when given from staff. (more…)

We are not blank slates and we don’t adapt to change in predictable ways

We are not blank slates and we don’t adapt to change in predictable ways

by • Features, Flexible working, Wellbeing

An idea that has never really gone away, but which seems to be enjoying a new lease of life is the tabula rasa. The conception of people as a blank slate is something that has crept back into mainstream political and social thought for a variety of reasons. Arguably, it is also behind many of the most misleading notions about work and workplace design, perhaps most importantly that a change to some single element or characteristic of a working environment will lead to a specific outcome in the behaviour of people. (more…)

Curtail zero hour contracts and give workers guaranteed work hours, say researchers

Curtail zero hour contracts and give workers guaranteed work hours, say researchers

by • Flexible working, News

the increase of zero hours contracts over the last 20 years has created significant risk for workersAn evidence review led by the University of Warwick has concluded that the increase of zero hours contracts over the last 20 years has created significant risk for workers. They found that unreliable work can result in a sudden loss of hours and earnings, and an inability to access legal advice for unfair or potentially unlawful employment practices. Along with colleagues from the ReWAGE expert advisory group, academics at the Institute of Employment Research at the University of Warwick examined the legal and workplace practices associated with zero hour contracts, along with data covering flexibility, pay insecurity, workers ability to assert their rights and workers health and wellbeing. (more…)

Appetite for hybrid working shows no sign of letting up at large firms

Appetite for hybrid working shows no sign of letting up at large firms

by • Flexible working, News

companies have been posting hybrid working related roles in record numbers, according to a new report from GlobalDataThe ongoing advancements in technology have made remote collaboration more feasible and seamless than ever before. Collaboration tools have become essential in ensuring the coexistence of the digital and physical workplace, both internally with employees and externally with clients. And in 2023, companies have been posting hybrid working related roles in record numbers, according to a new report from GlobalData. (more…)

People seconded from other roles come up with the best ideas

People seconded from other roles come up with the best ideas

by • Business, News

Seconded employees - employees temporarily assigned to a different role, organisation, or department - choose more innovative ideas and influence permanent staff to do the sameSeconded employees – employees temporarily assigned to a different role, organisation, or department – develop more innovative ideas and influence permanent staff to do the same, according to new research from ESMT Berlin and published in the Strategic Management Journal. Despite the motivation to select new ideas, individuals and organisations often still reject or overlook them. These ideas can be difficult to understand, risky, and challenging as their inherent uncertainty makes it harder to predict reception and usage. (more…)

Workers are generally happy at work, but bored by what they do

Workers are generally happy at work, but bored by what they do

by • Business, News

Happiness and boredom are the most common emotions experienced by people at work, according to a Right Management survey of more than 2,000 British workers and managersHappiness and boredom are the most common emotions experienced by people at work, according to a Right Management survey of more than 2,000 British workers and managers. According to the poll, ‘Gen Z’ are most likely to be bored at work (23 percent). But Gen Z leaders worry more than others about reduced employee productivity due to hybrid-working (37 percent). In addition, 70 percent of British employees feel they work better as a team in-person, but only 1 percent claim face-to-face time with colleagues contributes to their wellbeing. (more…)

Wellbeing, flexibility and work-life balance top most employees’ wish list in 2023

Wellbeing, flexibility and work-life balance top most employees’ wish list in 2023

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

around 9 in 10 employees consider wellbeing facilities and offerings are 'critical' when choosing a workplace, and 82 percent expect support from their employers in achieving a work-life balanceThe latest Employee Wellbeing Data Report [registration] from flexible office provider Mindspace claims that around 9 in 10 employees consider wellbeing facilities and offerings are ‘critical’ when choosing a workplace, and 82 percent expect support from their employers in achieving a work-life balance. The report argues that whilst the trend of ‘quiet quitting’ may be abating and the ‘return-to-office’ mandates are increasing, the survey suggests that attitudes towards the workplace and work-life balance continue to shift, with the majority of employees putting more emphasis on mental and physical health and overall wellbeing. (more…)

Passionate firms make more progress in teamwork, research finds

Passionate firms make more progress in teamwork, research finds

by • Business, News

Passionate firms perform higher in terms of team progress, regardless of whether that passion is focused on one or multiple team activities, finds new researchPassionate firms perform higher in terms of team progress, regardless of whether that passion is focused on one or multiple team activities, finds new research from Aalto University School of Business. According to Associate Professor Ewald Kibler, Head of the Entrepreneurship Unit at Aalto, and postdoctoral researcher Bernadetta A. Ginting-Szczesny, team entrepreneurial passion (TEP) plays an important role in business ventures as it can positively impact team outcomes and venture performance. Analysing survey data on 326 individuals from 107 teams at Finnish SMEs, they suggest having a shared passion helps teams work together toward a common goal while maintaining focus and motivation. (more…)

The challenge for office acoustics is to make people feel at home

The challenge for office acoustics is to make people feel at home

by • Comment, Workplace design

The need for quiet work remains wherever we work, and so our approach to office acoustics should shift in particular waysA number of apparent truisms about work and workplaces entered mainstream consciousness in the wake of the pandemic, and the shift to more flexible and hybrid working cultures. One of them is that people are better off carrying out focussed, quiet work at home, and creative and collaborative work in the office. And that this might suggest our approach to office acoustics would shift in particular ways. (more…)

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