September 1, 2022

Skills gap is the most prominent hiring challenge facing HR leaders

New research from ECI Partners, a private equity firm, suggests that HR leaders believe the most prominent hiring challenge they currently face is a lack of technical skills and knowledge. Nearly a fifth (18.3 percent) of managers said this was their single biggest obstacle, highlighting the growing concern over the UK’s skills gap. The current labour shortages prompted by a range of factors including Brexit and Covid-19, appear to have further widened the skills gap for recruiters. More →

August 3, 2022

We can re-imagine the future of human resources

by Richa Gupta • Comment, Workplace

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 →

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 20, 2022

Enduring problems holding back success of UK government property strategy

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Public Sector

Longstanding problems such as poor data pose major risks to the successful delivery of the UK Government’s property strategy, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Central government property, valued at £158 billion, is one of government’s largest assets. It includes offices, hospitals, academy schools, jobcentres, courts, prisons and museums. The Office of Government Property (OGP) sets the strategic direction for the management of government property. The Cabinet Office has categorised properties into 12 portfolios (such as health, defence and school portfolios), 10 of which are led by a single department or arm’s-length body. The Government Property Agency (GPA) sets and implements a property strategy for the government’s office and warehouse portfolios. More →

July 6, 2022

Hybrid working can help graduates succeed

by Lindsey Rowe • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace

The pandemic has transformed how we think about and approach the workplace, with the majority of employees having alternated between remote and hybrid working over the last two years. While this experience has been almost universal, many have found this transition challenging – even for the established professionals used to adapting to change. But what does this mean for those about to enter the workplace for the first time? More →

July 1, 2022

Skills shortages lead to fall in wellbeing, increased workload and decreased profitability

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

According to The Open University’s Business Barometer 2022 report, published in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, UK organisations are experiencing the knock-on effect of ongoing skills shortages, as more than three quarters (78 percent) report seeing reduced output, profitability or growth. The Open University’s annual report which sets out to provide an overview of UK skills , also highlighted the effect the skills shortage seems to be having on morale and wellbeing, as almost three-quarters (72 percent) of organisations say the impact increases workload on other staff. More →

June 20, 2022

People working from home feel less sense of belonging to work culture

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

Almost half of workers feel working from home has diminished their feeling of ‘belonging’ to an organisation, according to the Employee Job Satisfaction Report [registration] from recruitment firm Morgan Phillips. According to the poll, UK workers feel they are treated well by their employer (58 percent quite well and 27 percent very well), but half are still considering changing their jobs, with 17 percent looking for a change in 2022. More →

June 15, 2022

Tech firms now less likely to offer fully remote working

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Fully remote working is no longer viewed as the ‘holy grail’ by tech employers, with hybrid working now viewed as the perfect model for aiding retention and recruitment of talent. That is the main conclusion of Robert Half’s Demand for Tech Talent report, which surveyed 750 tech hiring managers across the UK. The results of the survey suggest that remote working – which the report claims was widely touted as the ‘future of work’ both before and during the pandemic – is now being shunned by companies in favour of a flexible approach. More →

June 7, 2022

Are these the best countries in Europe for work-life balance?

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design

A new study from recruitment firm Remote claims to analyse how European countries are looking after the work-life balance of their employees. The report sets out to take an ‘holistic’ view on work-life balance taking into account of factors such as minimum wage, maternity leave, statutory annual leave, sick pay, the country’s healthcare system and the country’s overall happiness level to help workers determine the best locations for life-work balance. The UK comes in a lowly 28th place, in case you didn’t want to click on the report link. More →

May 20, 2022

Half of people aren’t comfortable talking about disability in the workplace

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace

A new poll from Samsung UK claims that people are generally uncomfortable talking about disabilities, including the issue of disability in the workplace. According to the survey, nearly half of the population (45 percent) admit to feeling uncomfortable saying the word ‘disabled’ or ‘disability’ in everyday conversations. Meanwhile, over half of people with disabilities say they have tried to conceal their challenges from work colleagues due to the fear of stalling their professional progression or landing a promotion (almost 45 percent) or being judged and made to feel like an outsider (41 percent). Forty percent felt that their colleagues valued them less after they realised they had a disability. More →

May 16, 2022

Competition for talent is fierce, but employers edge away from pay to attract people

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

New CIPD research claims that almost half (45 percent) of UK employers report having vacancies that are hard-to-fill, and almost two thirds (65 percent) anticipate problems filling vacancies in the next six months. The most common response made in the past six months by employers with hard-to-fill vacancies has been to increase pay (44 percent). However, only a quarter (27 percent) of organisations plan to raise wages in response to the competition for talent in the future. This suggests that organisations may be approaching their limit on this ‘quick win’ strategy and are exploring alternative options, such as upskilling people and flexible working, to attract and retain people. More →

May 9, 2022

Human resources professionals should focus on boardroom partnerships

by Jeanette Wheeler • Comment, Workplace

The future of Human Resources remains a hotly debated topic, with conversations often focusing on whether the term is still accurate and how internal and external changes often put HR in a state of flux. As working models shift and new post-pandemic challenges emerge, the focus should be on what skills today’s HR leaders need to support the business and ensure its continuity and success in an evolving landscape. This includes embracing imminent changes to the HR strategy to develop additional skills and capabilities whilst ensuring compliance with new regulations, overcoming staff shortages and meeting heightened candidate expectations. More →