November 7, 2023
In the first of a new series of news-based podcasts, I catch up with Chris Moriarty, the co-founder of Audiem and much besides. Over a glass of gin and tonic, we discuss the AI Safety Summit and the proclamations of imminent doom that came before and after it. We also talk about the covid inquiry and the toxic workplace culture it exposed as an intriguing subplot. More →
November 6, 2023
What does it take to make hybrid working a success? Many workplace leaders are asking themselves this question as real estate portfolios shrink and companies struggle to get employees back in the office. The answer is a data-powered framework for making high-impact workplace decisions like: how much space workplaces actually need; how workplaces should be designed; and what hybrid working policies should look like. More →
November 6, 2023
The ongoing challenges that come from balancing childcare with work have forced over 249,124 working mothers of children aged 4 or under to leave their employer due to a lack of childcare support, according to new research. The new report from Totaljobs and the Fawcett Society, Paths to parenthood: Uplifting new mothers at work, claims to demonstrate the disproportionate impact childcare responsibilities have on women and their careers. More →
November 3, 2023
Following on from successful shows in both the UK and the Netherlands this year, Workspace Design Show is pleased to announce the first names to be added to the speaker programme for its London 2024 show. Held from 27-28 February 2024 at the Business Design Centre, Islington, the event will feature an impressive mix of senior professionals from architects and designers to developers and end users, who will come together to discuss the most pressing issues facing the workplace design community now and into the future. More →
November 3, 2023
Miller Knoll has introduced a new framework that helps organisations uncover the purpose of their workplace. The approach addresses the human needs of employees to improve their wellbeing, fosters a sense of community and connection, and helps organisations navigate, prepare, and design for change. The firm sets out its thinking here. More →
November 2, 2023
Research commissioned by the Department for Education’s Teach in Further Education campaign claims to set out the top three factors working parents consider when looking for a job. Work life balance came out on top (70 percent), while flexible working hours (43 percent) and a job where they can use their existing skills (26 percent) also ranked highly. More →
October 30, 2023
BNP Paribas Real Estate has predicted that super prime office rents in London’s West End could hit £300 per sq ft by December 2024, as it says demand continues to outstrip the constrained supply of space. The prediction has been made on the basis of evidence shared by an expert at the firm. BNP Paribas Real Estate West End office agent Simon Knights claims that lettings could see rents for super prime office stock reach highs of “up to £300 per square foot by December 2024” as demand continues to outstrip constrained supply. More →
October 30, 2023
Despite a recent track record of failure when implementing digital strategies, more than three quarters of UK businesses are gearing up to invest in artificial intelligence over the next 12 months without really knowing what they are doing. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) admit to being ill-prepared for the integration of the technology into their operations, according to new survey. The report [registration] from tech consultancy Infinum suggests that over two-thirds of UK businesses that invested in digital products over the past five years have faced failure and are about to invest in AI knowing of their own poor track record. More →
October 27, 2023
The new digital issue of Works magazine is available for you to read, download, print and share right here. In this issue: we report on the inaugural Works Place event at Material Matters in London in September; visit three new offices in London that show how outstanding offices are retaining their role in making the capital a great place to work; we speak to Andreu World about their partnership with design legend Philippe Starck; and catch up for a drink with our friends Rawside who are maintaining Clerkenwell’s reputation as a new design powerhouse. More →
October 26, 2023
The latest findings from the CIPD’s People Profession 2023: UK and Ireland survey report, which surveyed 1,456 HR and workplace professionals across the UK, show that technology and hybrid working have had a significant impact on their roles and organisations. The report found that rapidly evolving technology, like generative AI, is having an impact on people teams as well as the wider business. Over half of UK people professionals, 55 percent, surveyed believe that advancing technology is transforming the way HR teams operate and deliver in their role.
October 19, 2023
A new study by psychologists at Durham University claims that the best way to create a good first impression on Zoom calls or in any virtual meeting, is a visual background of house plants and books, especially when they are real. In the recent paper published in the Journal PLOS ONE, Associate Professor Paddy Ross and colleagues from Department of Psychology, investigated what really matters when it comes to making the best and worst first impressions in a virtual meeting environment. More →
October 19, 2023
There is always time and place for a primal scream
by Simone Fenton-Jarvis • Comment, Wellbeing