October 10, 2023

Canary in the coal mine: other business districts are watching what happens next for Canary Wharf

by Mark Eltringham • Cities, Features, IN Magazine, Property

The first casualties of the already cliched injunction to make offices worth the commute were always going to be the world’s most inaccessible business districts. In the UK the most high profile of these is Canary Wharf, 52 hectares of former wasteland in East London that became a financial powerhouse. Part of the regeneration of the area that began in the 1980s, it became synonymous with the era and with Margaret Thatcher and her reform of the financial services sector. This came to pass even though its most iconic structure One Canada Square was only completed in 1990, shortly after she had left office and shortly before its developer filed for bankruptcy. More →

September 14, 2023

Boasting about ESG credentials can really put people off a business

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

Efforts by some businesses to promote their environmental and social impact on society are pushing some customers away and risk damaging their reputations, according to a poll conducted by public relations agency, Clearly PR. Of the 2,072 business leaders, entrepreneurs, and marketing professionals polled, 31 percent said they were “put off” a business that talks a lot about their ESG initiatives in the media and on social media. More →

September 7, 2023

AI is giving business leaders the heebie-jeebies, new poll suggests

by Jayne Smith • News

An overwhelming majority of business leaders (94 percent) admit to some form of ‘tech anxiety’ when it comes to AI and other technology, according to a new survey from Kin + Carta. This anxiety is on the rise as the pace of digital and technological change accelerates, and is prompting top executives to invest more in digital transformation, according to the survey. The report defines tech anxiety as the feeling senior leaders have as a result of the rapid pace of advancements in technology that are causing concern when it comes to how their business operates. While the top source of that anxiety is cyber security (cited by 24 percent of respondents), close behind, and rounding out the top three, are concerns over AI and machine learning (19 percent), and anxieties about sustainability strategy and tracking (17 percent). More →

August 3, 2023

People who drive networking in businesses often end up burnt out and abusive

by Neil Franklin • Business, News, Wellbeing

People who adopt a role as a ‘network broker’, connecting other colleagues and teams who might otherwise not know each other, often end up burnt out and more abusive towards their co-workers. That is the key finding of a new study from ESSEC Business School published in The Journal of Organizational Science. These networking go-betweens often receive career advantages such as faster promotions, unique information access, or a creativity boost. They play a critical role in the functioning of the organisational. However, there can be hidden psychological and social ramifications associated with this important role as they’re also more likely to suffer the consequences of being so socially adept. More →

July 26, 2023

Cost of living crisis and other employee concerns are top risk concerns of businesses

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

The managers and owners of firms across the UK now believe that the cost of living crisis is the top risk to their business, closely followed by a range of employee related issues, according to a new poll. Employee related risks in the top five include lack of skilled talent, employee retention and cost of salaries. Despite the cost of materials continuing to rise over the last 12 months, this risk has dropped back from first place in 2022. Risks relating to debts, late payments and fraud all make an appearance in the top ten for the first time. More →

July 18, 2023

Sluggishness in sustainability risks brain drain for businesses

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News, Workplace

Employers are being urged to shore up their commitments to meeting sustainability and net zero targets or risk an exodus amongst younger workers. Nearly half (48 percent) of Gen Z workers agree they would consider leaving a job that didn’t walk the talk in its promises on sustainability. This is according to the latest Bupa Wellbeing Index, a landmark survey that uncovers the state of the nation’s health and wellbeing. More →

June 29, 2023

Business leader express concerns about ethics and implementation of artificial intelligence

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology

A new survey of 1,000 global business leaders claims that although leaders say they understand how valuable artificial intelligence can be to their business, over two-thirds (69 percent) say their organisation lacks the skills to fully implement artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The report – AI IQ: Insights on Artificial Intelligence in the Enterprise [registration] – also suggests that the majority of business leaders believe humans should be involved in AI decision-making, citing ethical and data concerns. More →

June 22, 2023

Businesses need to take real action to create a more sustainable workplace

by Ashley Lawrence • Comment, Environment, Workplace design

For the last decade, if not longer, we’ve heard businesses saying they are focused on reducing their environmental impact. It’s been written in annual reports and immortalised in pledges shared with stakeholders, but the question still remains – what action is actually being taken, including in the creation of a sustainable workplace? More →

June 20, 2023

Businesses need three years to prepare for impact of AI

by Jayne Smith • News, Technology, Workplace

A new survey of 600 UK human resources (HR) managers and directors suggests they will need three years to be ready for the impact of AI on the workplace – yet 99 percent believe artificial intelligence (AI) will deliver benefits. Almost 40 percent said it would take a minimum of three years before they were prepared for the impact of AI on their roles, and fewer than one in six (15 percent) said they would be fully prepared for the potential impact of AI on the workforce within the year. To integrate AI, nearly 40 percent were investing in their tech teams, while 35.5 percent were already trialling AI in their businesses. More →

June 6, 2023

Business leaders don’t think higher education prepares people for the workplace

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Most UK business leaders say that higher education doesn’t fully prepare graduates for the workplace, according to a new poll from Multiverse. Yet the survey also suggests that over half (54 percent) of senior leaders at those companies still require degrees for entry-level roles. The findings, which come as part of a global report into business leaders’ attitudes to on-the-job learning, show just a third (32 percent) believe a graduate’s degree grade is one of the top three indicators of their potential. This comes as almost twice as many (59 percent) say they actually learned more valuable skills during their first two years in the workplace than they did during university. More →

May 18, 2023

Hybrid working averse businesses missing out on €113 billion opportunity

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News

European businesses continue to miss out on the full potential of hybrid working, according to a new survey from Ricoh Europe. The research, conducted by Opinium and analysed by CEBR, polled 6,000 workers and 1,500 decision makers across Europe. Business leaders say that workers are, on average, 4 percent more productive in a hybrid culture, equivalent to an additional €113 billion to the European economy compared with pre-pandemic ways of working. More →

May 9, 2023

Three quarters of small business owners say overwork leads to strife at home

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

A new poll from Sky Business claims that whilst 67 percent of SME owners and decision makers would recommend someone should start their own business, more than half (54 percent) have found running their own business more stressful since the threat of impending recession in the middle of 2022. And one of the consequences of overwork for SME owners is a tendency for stress to spill over into other parts of their lives. More →