August 3, 2022

We can re-imagine the future of human resources

The world of work is changing rapidly. Businesses are having to make fundamental shifts to adjust to the emergence of new business models, technologies and the changing expectations of the workforce. This has left human resources teams all over the world needing to efficiently adapt the way they hire, develop and take care of their staff, with the most significant challenge being managing the needs of the current workforce, and addressing their future demands. More →

August 1, 2022

Employees who practice mindfulness are more likely to think their job is stimulating

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Employees who practice mindfulness are less bored at work and less likely to quit, according to a new study. Researchers found that in monotonous jobs, employees who are more ‘mindful’ have greater job satisfaction, are less likely to quit and think their job is less boring. The study, entitled “It’s so boring – or is it? Examining the role of mindfulness for work performance and attitudes in monotonous jobs”, has been published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology and is co-authored by Andreas Wihler of the University of Exeter Business School, Ute Regina Hülsheger of Maastricht University, Jochen Reb of Singapore Management University and Jochen?Menges of the University of Zurich and Cambridge Judge Business School. More →

August 1, 2022

Podcast: the weak arguments in favour of offices and the problem with the future of work

by Neil Franklin • Features, Flexible working, Podcasts, Property, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Mark Eltringham the publisher of Workplace Insight and IN Magazine recently joined Caleb Parker, the founder of Bold, on his Work Bold podcast for an unscripted chat on: the future of work and how it may shape the future of commercial real estate; the reasons why anybody might ever want to go back to an office to work; the problem with weak arguments both for and against offices; and the importance of culture and flexibility rather than fixed times and places of work in determining people’s day to day experiences of work. The prompt for this conversation was the occasional discussion on social media over the past couple of years and a recent article exploring the value of weak ties. More →

July 29, 2022

It should be much easier to identify genuinely green products

by Julie Hadley • Comment, Environment

We all need to become more environmentally conscious, so there’s a greater focus than ever on workplace sustainability. Trying to find greener products, and making sure they truly are better than the alternatives, is a complex task. Once you’ve acknowledged that you really do need to make a purchase and other options have been exhausted, you’re in a prime position to swap to a cleaner, greener alternative, but choosing one product over another can be a headache. More →

July 28, 2022

Personal space is not merely an issue of hygiene, but a biological imperative

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

The current debate about how much space we will need in the office from now on is not new. As with many of the debate’s facets, the point at which we find ourselves has long been our destination. We’re just here earlier than we might have expected. More →

July 28, 2022

Hybrid working success depends on the creation of ‘digital HQs’

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

Around three quarters of people think that so-called digital HQs are fundamental to making hybrid working a success, according to a new report from Slack. The study also claims to reveals how both virtual and in-person office etiquette has changed along with new workplace habits. The survey of over 1,000 UK office workers suggests that the majority (73 percent) believe hybrid working is ‘here to stay’ and 53 percent think businesses should operate on a digital-first approach. Spending more time at home is a must for most with over 3 in 5 (66 percent) likely to start looking for a new job if hybrid or remote working is not offered. Over two-thirds believing hybrid work has helped them with the cost of living crisis, with less being spent on transport and lunches. More →

July 28, 2022

Quarter of European firms now use HR analytics tools

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology, Workplace

Just over a quarter of European companies are using HR analytics tools for performance management, according to new research from Durham University Business School. The researchers also claim that firms that monitor and manage the performance of their employees using HR analytics are also the ones that use financial incentives to staff intensively. Hence, there appears to be a positive relationship on the role financial incentives have on performance of employees and the use of HR analytics. Whilst also, the researchers discovered that the larger the organisation, the more likely they were to invest in HR analytics for monitoring, although this effect appeared to taper off for the largest firms. More →

July 25, 2022

Have we arrived at a point of equilibrium in the great workplace conversation?

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Perhaps the greatest irony of the tedious home v office debate is that the absolutists on both sides rely on many of the same fallacies. They tend to build their arguments around a simplistic view of the office and remote work that has little basis in reality. Unsurprisingly, when they do get their way, reality often bites them in the arse. More →

July 22, 2022

Awards and recognition for innovation can harm future levels of creativity

by Neil Franklin • News

New research from Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, claims to have identified one reason why some first-time innovators struggle to repeat their initial creativity while others go on to continually produce creative works. Markus Baer, Professor of Organizational Behavior at Olin, and Dirk Deichmann, of the Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands, discovered that recognising first-time producers of successful novel ideas with an award or recognition can significantly decrease the likelihood that they will produce future creative work. More →

July 21, 2022

Corporate real estate firms lagging on digital transformation

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Technology

Resistance to change and lack of resources are holding back real estate firms on digital transformation, a new report [registration] claims. The study involved more than 175 innovation leads in corporate real estate organisations at locations worldwide, including British Land, JLL, Cushman & Wakefield and Buro Happold. Authored by Swedish PropTech academic Olli Vigren, the report sets out to explain why the sector has fallen behind other industries in adopting new technology. More →

July 21, 2022

Flex office provider Mindspace opens its first Düsseldorf location

by Neil Franklin • Company news

Mindspace is opening its first location in Düsseldorf: the flex office provider is moving into 4,100 square meters in the centrally located mixed-use commercial complex “Stilwerk” on a long-term basis. The location “Mindspace Grünstraße” will include 600 workstations overlooking an attractive atrium and will include the numerous Mindspace benefits and amenities such as meeting rooms, lounges and kitchens. Mindspace Grünstraße is scheduled to open in February 2023. More →

July 20, 2022

People who are proactive at work find their jobs more meaningful

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Being proactive at work is key to finding your job meaningful, a new study from ESSEC Business School suggests. According to the research, undertaken by Karoline Strauss, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at ESSEC Business School, proactivity at work and job meaningfulness are linked, especially when employees are otherwise unsure about the impact their tasks will have. More →