February 8, 2022

New business climate demands agility from managers, report claims

A new report, The Big Reset Playbook: Change Agility (registration) from work trends analyst The Josh Bersin Company, claims that traditional approaches to change management have often fallen short of expectations, and that new workplace practices based on agility are now needed to manage change in a new business climate. According to the report ‘businesses are looking to tackle the challenge of managing change in a new reality that includes the shift to hybrid working, globalization and The Great Resignation’. The research claims that in companies that successfully manage change, leaders and high performers reinforce the company’s mission and purpose, explain how their reinvented business models work, create cross-functional teams to design and implement change, and maintain forward momentum. (more…)

February 3, 2022

Workplace culture needs a rethink in line with employees’ changing priorities

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Considerable job insecurity and uncertainty has pushed companies to rethink their workplace culture to meet employees’ new needs, priorities, and expectations, according to the annual Fjord Trends report from Accenture. According to the report, nearly two years of social, economic and employment disruption has resulted in a collective shift in people’s relationships with work and employees are re-assessing what they want and expect from a company culture and employee value proposition. This means enhancing workplace flexibility, benefits packages, and greater employee care and compassion will continue to be notable trends in 2022, creating both challenges and opportunities for businesses looking to retain and recruit talent. (more…)

January 17, 2022

Working from home isolation felt more keenly by younger workers

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A new poll from RingCentral, a provider of cloud communications claims that younger workers are more likely to report feelings of isolation and anxiety when working from home. The firm claims that the results of the survey highlight the need for employers and others to ensure they stay connected and engaged with those working from home alone. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that around 1 in 6 (17 percent) adults experienced depression during the latter half of 2021 – almost double the rate before the pandemic (1 in 10). (more…)

December 14, 2021

Councils can meet net zero targets with help of building renovation

by Jayne Smith • Environment, News, Property

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), together with the World Green Building Council, several European Green Building Councils, Climate Alliance and the Buildings Performance Institute Europe, has published a framework to support cities and local authorities to measure the impacts and wider benefits of building retrofit as a way of meeting their net zero targets. (more…)

November 23, 2021

Employees ready for hybrid work—employers, not so much

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

Global Workplace Analytics and Owl Labs, have released the annual State of Remote Work 2021 report. More than 2,000 full-time employees across the United States were surveyed to gain insights into who is still working from home, who has returned to the office. Also pandemic-related job and residential moves and the motivations behind them, dependent care issues, the pros and cons of hybrid communications, employee desire for flexibility, intent to leave a current job, employee productivity, stress and its causes, pet adoption during the pandemic, how office spaces are changing, and much more. (more…)

November 18, 2021

Creating a supportive environment for vital deskless workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working lives

The Josh Bersin Company a research and advisory company focused on HR and workforce trends and issues, has released its latest report based on insights from its ongoing Big Reset executive working groups. The report, The Big Reset Playbook: Deskless Workers, focuses on the recommended practices needed to create optimal work experiences for “deskless” employees in retail, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, transportation, and other sectors. (more…)

November 16, 2021

Powell Software launches Together to allow SMEs to connect and collaborate with ease

by Freddie Steele • Company news

As SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) grapple with a myriad of challenges to keep their companies running successfully, Powell Software introduces Together, the small business intranet accessible from Microsoft Teams that helps meet their productivity, communication and collaboration needs. (more…)

November 9, 2021

Air quality concerns hindering return to five-day office week

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Businesses whose personnel are resistant to resuming full-time office working should address the issue of workplace air quality. A survey of UK office workers claims that 80 percent would feel more positive about a return to a five-day office week if action was taken to measure and improve the quality of air in their workplace. (more…)

November 8, 2021

Millions of workers feel rushed back to the office before being ready

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

With more than 13.5 million workers having returned to their place of work for at least one day a week, more than four million say that they do not feel entirely safe doing so, claims new research by Direct Line Life Insurance. Some 5.5 million workers would work from home permanently if given the option and 3.6 million feel as though they are being rushed back in by their employer. (more…)

November 3, 2021

The office of the future will be a leader-free, social-space

by Dawn Sharifan • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Workplace design

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to work. Every business will need to test, iterate, and refine approaches depending on their team’s needs. However, after the once in a generation changes in the last year, and all of the talk about the office of the future, setting a digital-first baseline is a key first step. This means embracing a mindset shift to thinking of the physical office not as the HQ, but as just one tool at your organisation’s disposal. The HQ, meanwhile, becomes digital. (more…)

November 3, 2021

Employers struggling to adapt employee experience to meet workforce needs

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working lives

Despite their best intentions, most employers are facing difficulties responding to changing employee expectations around employee experience and wellbeing during the pandemic. 69 percent of HR leaders admit that their efforts to improve employee experience are being held back by a lack of a clear strategy, and 76 percent report that they are struggling to adapt their employee experience to meet the needs of a hybrid workforce. (more…)

November 1, 2021

Companies focusing on holistic organisational health outperform their peers

by Jayne Smith • News, Wellbeing, Working culture

The Josh Bersin Company have released a global study on the factors involved in creating a holistically “healthy” organisation. The research emphasizes the importance of transitioning from the traditional focus on employee benefits to one that encompasses job and work design, management, rewards practices, a demonstrated commitment to psychological safety and fairness, and a culture of employee health and listening. The research claims that a people-centric approach to all work is the foundation of every healthy organisation. (more…)