Search Results for: culture

Automation fear for workers not developing new skills

Automation fear for workers not developing new skills

A confident worker clearly has the right skills to adapt to automationOver half of workers believe automation will significantly change or make their job obsolete within the next ten years and three quarters would learn new skills or completely retrain to improve their future employability. Yet people given fewer opportunities to learn new digital skills are more fearful of the impact of automation, and are more likely to have lower levels of education. (more…)

Are coworking spaces really all the same?

Are coworking spaces really all the same?

If you’ve ever shopped around for a coworking space, you’ve undoubtedly heard every shared workspace operator brag that its offices aren’t just a place to work – they’re all about community and culture. As Fast Company’s Ruth Reader put it, we’re just a “bunch of co-work startups saying the same things about how different [we] are.”  She’s not entirely wrong, but (with all due respect) I think she’s missed the point about coworking.

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AI revolution means 120 million people need to reskill

AI revolution means 120 million people need to reskill

The AI revolution means a large number of people need to reskill soonAs many as 120 million workers in the world’s 12 largest economies may need to be retrained or reskilled over the next three years as a result of the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, according to a new IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) study. It also suggests that only 41 percent of CEOs surveyed say that they have the people, skills and resources required to execute their business strategies.

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Wellbeing depends on workplace basics more than trivial features

Wellbeing depends on workplace basics more than trivial features

Workplace design and wellbeingA new report supports the idea that when it comes to the workplace and the effect it has on personal wellbeing and productivity, employees want the basics first. According to the Workplace Wellness Study published by Future Workplace, a New York-based research firm, and office technology provider View, the most highly prized features of an office are good air quality, access to natural light, and an ability to personalise immediate workspace. (more…)

UK workers ready to embrace automation

UK workers ready to embrace automation

UK workers are optimistic about the opportunities technology will create in the future as over 90 percent believe it is changing their workplace and everyday lives for the better. Professionals in the UK stand ready to embrace automation, as findings from over 14,500 respondents in the Hays What Workers Want 2019 Report (registration) suggest that they are interested in using the latest digital technology both in everyday life (70 percent) and even more so in the workplace (80 percent). (more…)

Workplace jargon should be banned and replaced

Workplace jargon should be banned and replaced

A new survey claims to show the extent to which British workers hate workplace jargon and identifies the words and phrases that they would most like to bin and replace with normal English. The survey from ANNA claims that almost three quarters (73 percent) of workers want to see the term ‘annual leave’ dumped – and named once more as ‘holiday’. (more…)

Shaping the workplace of tomorrow

Shaping the workplace of tomorrow

serviced officesThe workplace, as we know it, is rapidly evolving and the role of the traditional office is changing. In fact, what current trends are pointing towards is that the whole work culture is shifting, with the employee experience becoming equally important as consumer needs. The new norm of the workplace is being flexible, dynamic, and versatile – yet, more often than not, companies lag behind in providing the right tools to support these trends. We can often see a significant gap between what the workforce needs and what the workplace offers. (more…)

Back to workplace basics, the joy and pain of work, squeezing people in and some other stuff

Back to workplace basics, the joy and pain of work, squeezing people in and some other stuff

A coworking workplace in Chengdu by WeWorkLet’s get the inevitable WeWork story out of the way first. A supposed news item in Crain’s New York Business has claimed that WeWork is ‘squeezing’ people into half the space recommended in the BCO’s Specification Guide; “roughly the size of two standard doors laying side by side”. You can see the editorial cogs at work here, combining a story about WeWork with one about how people are crammed into the workplace like cattle these days.

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Acting like an extravert increases wellbeing (and the reverse is true too)

Acting like an extravert increases wellbeing (and the reverse is true too)

extraversion and wellbeingAlthough researchers have long recognised a correlation between extraversion and general levels of happiness and wellbeing in individuals, the idea that simply acting in more extraverted could make people happier has been a source of contention. Now a new study from researchers at the University suggests that not only does acting in more extraverted ways increase people’s levels of positive emotion, the converse is also true, so merely acting like an introvert can reduce wellbeing. (more…)

Shifting cultural expectations in the workplace

Shifting cultural expectations in the workplace

workplace cultureThere has been much talk of digital, agile and organisational transformation for businesses for many years now. While the intricacies of each are separate discussions, one thing is clear – the world of work and the workplace are changing and as businesses we need to adapt.

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How a group of visionaries predicted the modern world

How a group of visionaries predicted the modern world

<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/118134/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" />From shamanic ritual to horoscopes, humans have always tried to predict the future. Today, trusting predictions and prophecies has become part of daily life. From the weather forecast to the time the sat-nav says we will reach our destination, our lives are built around futuristic fictions. (more…)

Freelancers and the self-employed need holidays too

Freelancers and the self-employed need holidays too

Taking time off improves the work performance of freelancers, a new study from IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) claims. The research suggests that almost two-thirds of freelancers believe taking holiday improves their work performance in some way. Asked what advantages came with taking more time off, 63 percent said it improved aspects of their work including productivity, energy, creativity and confidence in their work. (more…)