Search Results for: workplace

Proceed with caution when using social media to recruit new talent

by • Comment, Knowledge, Legal news, Workplace

Why you should proceed with caution when using social media to recruit new talent

Time was, not so long ago that a job seeker could choose which aspects of their experience, interests and personality they wanted to reveal on a job application. For the employer this meant wheedling out the right candidates from a pile of written applications, then using the interview process to determine whether the applicant measured up to their requirements. Today, social media not only makes it easier for employers to reach a much wider universe of candidates – it also gives them the opportunity if they choose, to screen potential employees, and this is where legally, ethically and practically, new largely uncharted problems lie. More →

Worldwide space standards moving closer to UK norm, claims new report

by • Comment, Facilities management, Flexible working, Knowledge, News, Property, Workplace design

ShrinkingWorldwide office space standards are now moving closer to the norm seen in the UK according to a new survey from CoreNet Global. According to the CoreNet survey of real estate managers, the average amount of space per office worker globally has dropped to 150 sq. ft (14 sq.m.) , from 225 sq. ft. (21 sq.m.). This is still well outside the standards from the British Council for Offices Specification Guide which reported a fall to 11.8 sq. m. in 2009 and which will be revised downwards even further with the publication of the new guide which has been promised soon.  Even this figure might be seen as high and makes assumptions about the relevance of such space standards given the way some firms now work.

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Unilever extends BT partnership to further more sustainable ways of working

by • Company news, Environment, Flexible working, Technology

Unilever extends BT partnership to further sustainable and flexible working plan

Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, which includes Wall’s Ice Cream, Dove beauty products, Lipton and Knorr brands has announced a three year extension to its IT outsourcing contract with BT. It’s part of the firm’s Sustainable Living Plan to grow its business, while reducing its environmental footprint and increasing its social impact. BT, which first won its first contract with the Anglo-Dutch company in November 2002, delivers a fully integrated network providing voice, data, video and mobility services to the company’s 173,000 employees across nearly 100 countries. This includes the delivery of collaborative services such as audio-conferencing and video-conferencing, which is helping Unilever introduce more sustainable ways of working. More →

Pressure to fill roles as employers struggle to persuade cautious workers to switch jobs

by • News, Workplace

Challenge to fill roles as employers struggle to persuade cautious workers to switch jobs

More good news on the economy today with the Summer 2013 CIPD/Success Factors Labour Market Outlook (LMO) survey report showing that for the sixth quarter in a row, employers expect jobs growth. However, while this means more opportunities for job seekers the pressure is mounting for employers to attract the right talent. It seems that despite employment confidence being at its highest level since the 2008 recession, this isn’t shared by those already in work, who are showing a marked reluctance to change jobs, leading to a struggle for employers to find the right candidates. More →

Sharp increase in UK commercial property activity during July

by • Knowledge, News, Property

commercial-propertyThe signs that the UK’s economic recovery is now underway are given credibility with news that the UK’s commercial property sector is at its most buoyant for six years. According to a report from Savills which looked at new build and refurbishment activity during July, a fifth (20.1percent) of UK developers reported an increase in activity compared to 18.9 percent in June. Savills claims this is the greatest rate of growth since May 2007. The rise was driven primarily by an increase in private sector work as reported by nearly a third (31.4 percent) of developers, with only 1.4 percent reporting a rise in public sector activity. Developers are also optimistic about their prospects in the near future, with a quarter (25.1 percent) saying they were positive about what would happen over the next three months, up from 14 percent in June. The Savills report links this positivity to greater occupier confidence and more finance from banks.

The war against environmental cynicism puts an onus on suppliers to be honest

by • Comment, Environment, Furniture

Roller Painting House Siding GreenGreenwash is one of those terms that has gone from needing an explanation to being in common usage in the space of a few years. The reason for that is quite simply that it is the perfect description of a particular form of marketing bullshit that we all recognise. However, while a degree of scepticism about what you hear from marketers is always healthy, but I fear the point has been reached where some people find it easy to dismiss real environmental claims as greenwash. The war against cynicism can partly be helped if more manufacturers and suppliers could get better at demonstrating the validity of their claims.

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Costs of tenders deterring Scottish builders from bidding for public sector work

by • Knowledge, News, Property, Public Sector

Too expensiveConstruction firms in Scotland are increasingly reluctant to bid for public sector building work because of the spiralling costs of tendering for work, according to a new survey from the Scottish Building Federation. The SBF claims that the cost of tendering for public sector contracts has sky-rocketed in the past five years – and is now equivalent to £94 million each year as firms vie for a share of the £2 billion worth of public sector construction contracts awarded annually in Scotland. The survey claims that the annual cost to construction firms of participating in public procurement is now 4.4 percent of the total value of contracts, with builders reporting an increase of between 20 percent to 50 percent on most projects over the last five years.

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New online survey will explore the psychology of collaboration spaces

by • Furniture, Knowledge, News, Workplace design

psychHerman Miller is sponsoring the next stage of Research into the Psychology of Collaboration Spaces being carried out by Dr Nigel Oseland of Workplace Unlimited The key methodology is an online survey which determines your personality profile and collaboration preferences. To enter the survey click here. The research stems from a literature review that Nigel conducted on behalf of Herman Miller last year. For a copy of the previous research report please click here for a summary or the full paper. The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete. Participants  will receive a copy of the new research report and an invitation to a seminar of the research findings. You may also enter a prize draw for a Herman Miller Mirra chair and Workplace Trends conference tickets. The survey closes on Friday 16th August.

UK construction and manufacturing buoyant but mixed picture in global property market

by • Knowledge, News, Products, Property

Construction savingsThere are signs that the UK’s faltering economy is on the road to recovery.  Construction activity in the UK jumped sharply in July to hit its highest level in over three years, according to the latest Markit/CIPS  survey of purchasing managers. This may have been driven primarily by a surge in house building, but even the recently moribund commercial construction sector saw an increase in activity. However a new report from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors has highlighted that while the UK may have reason to smile, the picture of global commercial property markets is very patchy.

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Effective recycling is about good management as much as it is materials and design

by • Comment, Environment, Furniture, Products

We all like to think we are discerning about what we will and won’t put in our trolleys at the supermarket. Not any old salty, fat-saturated gloop will make the cut these days. That’s why the producers of food like to proclaim its healthiness on packaging, regardless of the nature of the product within. ‘Lower fat’ doesn’t mean low fat. Companies in other sectors follow suit. The office products market is one in which some manufacturers don’t mind a splash of green on product labels. This doesn’t do the customer or the buyer any good and can breed cynicism in the market, undermining the efforts of those suppliers who actually take a sophisticated approach to the environmental performance of their products.

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100% Design announces new collaboration with Design Guild Mark

by • Furniture, News, Products, Workplace design

Mir by Mark Gabbertas for Chorus Furniture

Mir by Mark Gabbertas for Chorus Furniture

The UK’s largest and longest running contemporary design event 100% Design has announced a new collaboration with The  Furniture  Makers  Company  to  promote  British  design  excellence through the Design Guild Mark. The Design Guild Mark was introduced by The Furniture  Makers Company  in 2008 to recognises excellence in the design of mass produced furniture in the UK. Ten of the products which earned a Design Guild Mark will be exhibited at 100% Design this year including products from designers such as Barber Osgerby, Terry Hunt, Mark Gabbertas and James Irvine.

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Predicting the future of the office means looking at what is happening now

by • Comment, Facilities management, Furniture, Workplace, Workplace design

display_img_01Futurology is notoriously a mug’s game. Especially when it comes to making predictions about technology. Just ask Ken Olson, the founder of DEC who in 1977 pronounced that ‘there is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home’. Or Bill Gates himself who once claimed that Microsoft ‘will never make a 32 bit operating system’. Most recently Steve Ballmer, a billionaire executive said in 2007 ‘there’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share.’ But mone of these retrosepctively viewed dodgy predictions should make us blind to those that we know will certainly come true, especially those based on what we know is happening in the present.

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