Search Results for: cyber

September 7, 2017

Remote workers perceived as less valued by management than office based staff

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

Remote workers perceived as less valued to workplace by office based staff American office workers think it’s twice as difficult for remote workers to build relationships with the boss, make work friends, collaborate with their team and navigate the workplace culture than in-office workers, according to recent research. The “Reality of the Remote Worker Report,” claims that remote workers tend to have their presence go by unnoticed, with 43 percent of office workers believing it’s harder for remote workers to be seen in the workplace than those non-remote. The report, conducted online amongst over 1,500 US workers by YouGov for CyberLink, found a number of disadvantages for remote workers; with nearly 1 in 6 (15 percent) of office colleagues thinking that remote workers are less valued by a company, 20 percent believing they’re promoted less often and 8 percent even viewing them as less trustworthy. And office workers who were asked about their own concerns about working remotely expressed a range of potential frustrations.

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May 26, 2017

An overdue attempt to connect smart buildings with smart people ⁰

by Xenia Kingsley • Comment, Property, Technology

As first events go, the inaugural outing for the Smart Buildings series of conferences succeeded in delivering a full day of insightful presentations and debates, with a highly engaged audience of industry experts. A theme to emerge early on – in the opening remarks by Worktech Academy’s Jeremy Myerson in fact, was that the concept of ‘smart buildings’ is far from new. Depending who you ask, the idea goes back to the 90’s, the 80’s or even the 60’s. So why have we waited until 2017 for a conference on the topic? Many of the presenters agreed this is because we have only recently entered a new technological phase – the ‘plateau of productivity’ of Gartner’s Hype Cycle, as Owen King of Unwork pointed out – the time when widestream adoption of a technology kicks in and its viability becomes more clear. Indeed, the benefits of smart buildings are now widely regarded to fall into six categories; sustainability, productivity, talent, wellbeing, brand and cost control. And, while sustainability was the topic du jour at similar events six or seven years ago, the industry focus has shifted towards productivity and wellbeing.

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May 19, 2017

Inventing the Future: techUK launches 2017 manifesto ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

techUK, the association that represents a large part of the UK’s technology sector, has published a new manifesto ahead of the General Election which it claims ‘sets out a bold and ambitious vision for the next Government to create a modern and dynamic digital economy that works for everyone’. The organisation has set out a series of recommendation that aim to show how Britain can remain at the forefront of global tech innovation while it navigates Brexit and other forces. Its objectives include: boosting the UK’s productivity; harnessing digital transformation to build a smarter state; creating new jobs and a new skilled, adaptable workforce; and protecting and empowering people in a digital age.

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April 27, 2017

London businesses lead the way in uptake of flexible working ⁰

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

London-based businesses are leading the way in flexible working in the UK, according to a new report from conference call provider Powwownow. The study of 2,000 people claims that business leaders in the capital let their staff spend the most time working out of the office during an average week – a total of 3 hours and 31 minutes, compared to the UK average of 2 hours and 34 minutes. The survey also suggests that young people, many of whom are graduates with sought-after skills such as digital and cybersecurity expertise, are the most likely to consider flexible working a main attraction of a new job, with three quarters (76 percent) agreeing. While young people in London (18 – 24 year olds) are the most likely to want flexible working (85 percent), they are the least likely to be offered it by businesses. Over half of young people (53 percent) are not proactively offered flexible working, compared to just a third (33 percent) of 35-44 year olds who also have to ask for it.

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March 27, 2017

State of the nation report sets out impact of digital transformation on the UK ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News, Property, Technology

The Institution of Civil Engineers has published its State of the Nation 2017 report, looking at how advances in digital technology and data are transforming how infrastructure is designed, delivered and operated. The report claims that digital transformation is bringing benefits to clients and end users as well as unlocking economic growth and productivity across the UK. The report, based on interviews with 350 organisations and industry figures discusses the practical steps firms and government need to take to maintain momentum and truly harness the benefits.

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March 22, 2017

Employers in industries reliant on overseas workers will be hardest hit by Brexit ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

Accommodation and food services, manufacturing, and transport industries will be hardest hit by limits on movement of EU and non-EU workers following Brexit, a new report has claimed. The latest edition of Mercer’s Workforce Monitor has highlighted how reliant certain sectors of the UK economy have become on EU-born and non-EU born workers, as respectively, 33 percent, 23 percent and 20 percent of accommodation and food services, manufacturing, and transport are made up of non-UK-born nationals, meaning companies in those sectors, and those reliant on them, are especially at risk from the changes in the UK’s migration policy. According to Gary Simmons, Partner at Mercer, “Since 2013, the UK-born workforce has been declining as people retire and we can see how reliant certain industries are on overseas workers filling the gaps. The UK is likely to impose more stringent migration controls in the future and this will reduce the number of overseas workers available.”

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January 16, 2017

UK CEOs bullish on business growth but concerned about skills and global economy ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace

UK CEOs are more upbeat about the growth prospects for their own companies than 12 months ago, according to PwC’s 20th annual CEO Survey published today at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Almost nine out of 10 (89 percent) respondents say they are confident of their company’s growth in the year ahead, up from 85 percent in 2016, and above the 85 percent global figure and 77 percent in Germany. Forty one percent of UK CEOs describe themselves as being ‘very confident’. More generally, UK bosses are in hiring mode. Sixty three percent expect to grow their workforce over the coming 12 months, compared to 52 percent of their global counterparts. Just 10 percent expect headcount to decrease, down from 20 percent in 2016. Access to key skills is considered to be the single biggest business threat facing their organisations. More than four in five (83 percent) of UK bosses are concerned about how to get hold of key skills, up sharply from 71 percent last year. The skills most highly prized by UK leaders – adaptability and problem solving, leadership and collaboration, and creativity and innovation – are also proving the hardest to recruit.

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January 12, 2017

New report highlights potential of technology to wipe out jobs and businesses ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News

Unregulated technological progress is one of the greatest threats to global prosperity, peace and stability, claims a new report from the World Economic Forum. The WEF’s Global Risks Report, published before 3,000 business leaders and politicians gather for its annual conference in Davos, claims that regulation is trailing far behind technological innovation and that without action, it could lead to the destruction of untold jobs and businesses and catalyse major social upheaval. Economic inequality, societal polarisation and intensifying environmental dangers are the top three trends that will shape global developments over the next 10 years, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2017 claims. The report says that collaborative action by world leaders will be urgently needed to avert further hardship and volatility in the coming decade.

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October 21, 2016

New BIM initiative announced as report slams dysfunctional construction sector ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Property, Technology

Digital Built Britain, the latest stage of the UK’s BIM Task Group programme, has officially been launched at the ICE BIM 2016 conference by Mark Bew, chair of the BIM Task Group. The launch comes in the wake of the publication of the Government commissioned Farmer Report into the state of the construction industry which laid out in stark terms the structural problems that suggest the sector risks terminal decline without innovation and cultural change. The report, subtitled Modernise or Die, suggests that the UK’s construction industry faces ‘inexorable decline’ unless longstanding problems are addressed. In particular, the review highlights the sector’s dysfunctional training model, its lack of innovation and collaboration, and a non-existent research and development (R&D) culture. First announced in the 2016 budget, Digital Built Britain aims to deliver reductions in the whole-life costs and carbon emissions of buildings, while improving productivity and capacity by using intelligent building information models, sensing technology and secure data and information infrastructure. Digital Built Britain will also continue the work of the BIM Task Group programme, set up in 2011 to deliver a projected 20 percent saving on the costs of major projects.

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October 20, 2016

Small businesses failing to reap full benefits of digital skills ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

Small businesses in the UK are failing to invest enough in digital skills even though there is clear link between digital orientation and commercial success, according to Lloyds Bank’s third annual Business Digital Index. The reports key finding is that firms with a string digital focus are twice as likely to see an increase in turnover than those that aren’t. The report also found that 65 percent of small business owners in the UK have already used digital tools to cut costs. On the down side, the study also found that 38 percent of small firms lack “basic digital skills”. The report claims that independent sole traders have the lowest levels of digital skills with around half having just basic levels of expertise. Despite this, over three quarters (78 percent) of these had no plans to invest to increase the levels of expertise in their business. The study gauged five factors that contribute to a firm’s digital skills score including managing information, communicating, transacting, creating and problem solving, with 62 percent of small businesses were found to have all five skills.

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October 18, 2016

London office sector still recovering from Brexit shock ⁰

by Sara Bean • Cities, Facilities management, News, Property

Although the UK economy has shown a measure of resilience post referendum, take-up in the key London office market, although still on a quarter to quarter rise of 34 percent, is 7 percent below its long term average. According to the latest London Office Snapshot from Colliers, transactions were largely boosted by major deals to Apple (500,000 sq ft) and Wells Fargo (220,000 sq ft), with both deals for new headquarters buildings, in Battersea and the City core respectively, being a major vote of confidence for London. In the City, the level of take-up demonstrated some positivity as it rose by 8 per cent quarter on quarter, though the quarterly take up is still 26 percent below average. Though pre-letting activity was healthy, doubling quarter on quarter, West End take-up was disappointingly subdued in the third quarter, falling further from the already sharply below trend Q2 total. Encouragingly, a number of deals that were seemingly ‘mothballed’ post referendum have now been concluded, albeit at marginally lower price points.

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August 5, 2016

Corporate real estate sector needs to step up to meet new challenges ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Knowledge, News, Property, Workplace design

The corporate real estate profession will be influenced, disrupted and transformed in the years ahead by a powerful combination of forces that are re-shaping business strategy and operations, consumer preferences, and how and where people want to live and work, according to a new report from CoreNet Global. The Bigger Picture: The Future of Corporate Real Estate draws on the expertise of more than 30 thought leaders to provide insights from multiple perspectives beyond CRE: technology and the internet of things; risk mitigation; cyber security; environment, energy and sustainability; corporate social responsibility; the global economy; people, talent, wellbeing; and the future of cities. The report argues that CRE must deliver greater value in this dynamic business environment and a world that is changing rapidly, is more interconnected than ever before, is constantly disrupted by technological innovation, and is replete with both risks and opportunities.