May 6, 2021

Why mobile site surveys have changed so dramatically

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Technology

Central to any business is the need to communicate effectively. Whether you’re relocating to new or refurbished premises, or switching providers, it is vital to ensure your communications networks are up to the job in terms of performance and reliability. Not only is this required to support conventional telecoms and OTT services, it is key to smart building and smart infrastructure applications. Connectivity should not be limited to Wi-Fi either. Businesses are increasingly pushing mobile-only strategies and landlines are fast becoming obsolete in the workplace. PwC, for example, removed all landlines from their offices back in 2018 and many other organisations have since followed suit, with smartphones providing a single point of contact for all voice and internet connectivity, as well as being used as resilient IT infrastructure. (more…)

May 5, 2021

The future of work will see profound changes in the way firms engage with customers

by Yusdi Santoso • Comment, Technology

Businesses are managing a new work dynamic that’s made up of three parts, or three ‘types’ of employee. Some are keen to go back to the office, some want to stay working from home, and some want an entirely flexible arrangement so they can fit work around important personal commitments. (more…)

May 4, 2021

Why some people are more productive working from home than others

by Stephen Bevan • Features, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Has working at home during lockdown made people more productive or not? This has been the subject of some lively debate recently. Many companies do not routinely measure productivity. A large number will have traditionally assumed that they get the highest output when staff work longer hours or under close supervision, but remote working is clearly causing some to re-evaluate this. Major firms, for instance professional services group PwC, have been sufficiently impressed to make remote working a permanent option for their staff. (more…)

May 4, 2021

New guidance to increase natural settings into urban spaces

by Neil Franklin • Cities, Environment, News

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has published its ‘Principles for delivering urban Nature-based Solutions’ (NBS), to help developers and owners increase the incorporation of NBS within the construction and operation of built assets. The report claims that the development and function of the built environment has significant impacts upon both climate and biodiversity, locally and globally, and the pressure for our industry to be part of the solution is accelerating. The recommendations of the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) have led to a growing requirement to measure and mitigate the physical risks to built assets from climate change, such as flooding and overheating. (more…)

May 4, 2021

Workspace Show announces details of speakers lineup

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Workplace design

Workspace Design Show, the event bringing together the commercial interiors community with its inaugural event taking place over the 4-5 November this year at London’s Business Design Centre, is building momentum with news of new speakers and partners that have joined the party, as well as details of its discussion on ‘New Product Ideas for Tomorrow’s Workspaces.’ The show’s organisers say they are especially thrilled to announce that its inaugural event will feature key speakers from the world of commercial interiors, from established brands including Gensler, Perkins and Will, BDG, tp bennett, Unispace, Arup, PwC, Landor and Fitch, Aviva, Areen Design, KKS Savills, MF Design Studio, Susan Lake and The Office Group. Workplace Insight and IN Magazine are also partnering with the event. (more…)

April 30, 2021

Apple commits to new campus as part of huge investment plan

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Technology

Apple has announced an acceleration of its US investments, with plans to make new contributions of more than $430 billion and add 20,000 new jobs across the country over the next five years. The plans include the creation of a new campus in the Research Triangle in Raleigh, North Carolina. Apple will spend over $1 billion on the campus, where it will employ around 3,000 people working on technology including software engineering and machine learning. Employees are expected to start work at the campus next year. (more…)

April 30, 2021

Half of workers expect their employer to make Covid vaccine mandatory

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Half of Britain’s workers expect their bosses to demand a vaccine passport before they can return to their workplace claims new research from BrightHR. The study of 5,000 British workers across various sectors claims only 17 percent have had a conversation about their companies’ policy on vaccines, but over a third said they expect it will be mandatory. (more…)

April 29, 2021

More than half of international tech professionals looking beyond London

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Technology

A recent survey by Frank Recruitment Group, claims that more than half of tech professionals thinking about moving to the UK would consider choosing a city outside of London. Conducted by Frank Recruitment Group’s Salesforce recruitment arm, Mason Frank International, the survey asked over 1,800 IT professionals from around the world for their opinions on the tech jobs market, salaries, and benefits. (more…)

April 29, 2021

Over a third of IT leaders state their remote workers have knowingly put corporate data at risk

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology, Working culture

More than a third (35 percent) of UK IT decision makers admitted that their remote workers have already knowingly put corporate data at risk of a breach in the last year according to an annual survey – conducted by Apricorn. This is concerning given that over one in ten surveyed IT decision makers also noted that they either have no control over where company data goes or where it is stored (15 percent) and their technology does not support secure mobile/remote working (12 percent). (more…)

April 28, 2021

Global real estate CEOs plan for industry transformation

by Jayne Smith • News, Property

The real estate industry needs to transform to serve the needs of people and cities in the next decade, according to a new report released by the World Economic Forum. COVID-19 has revealed vulnerabilities throughout the real estate industry, ranging from indoor air quality problems to excess supply and accelerated underlying demand drivers, which need to be addressed for buildings and cities to be healthier, prosperous and more sustainable. (more…)

April 28, 2021

Strong mutual trust between managers and employees boosts company’s financial performance

by Jayne Smith • Business, News, Working culture

Companies that have a high-level of mutual trust between their management and employees are much more likely to have a greater economic and financial performance, according to new research from Durham University Business School. (more…)

April 27, 2021

Majority of employees feel optimistic about returning to the office as UK opens up

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

As pubs, shops and other workplaces re-open this week, the success of the vaccine rollout has helped employees feel much more optimistic about their return to work than they were following November’s lockdown, according to Aviva’s research of more than 2,000 employed adults across the UK. (more…)