November 28, 2018

Generation Z are more motivated by job satisfaction than money

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

Generation Z, the latest generation to enter the workforce, are more likely to be motivated by job satisfaction and working for social good than by money, a new report claims According to new research from Huawei, in partnership with Chris Brauer, Director of Innovation at Goldsmiths, University of London, based on responses from 2,000 18-25-year olds’ across the UK, also reveals that a new tribe of working professionals among Gen Z is emerging, the ‘New Working Order’. More →

November 27, 2018

Meaningful work an important driver of health and wellbeing for men

by Mark Eltringham • News, Wellbeing

Men’s care brand Harry’s has published the findings from their first US Masculinity Report in partnership with University College London psychologist John Barry, co-founder of the male psychology section of the British Psychological Society. The report surveyed 5,000 men aged 18-95 across the US, weighted for race, income, education, sexual orientation and other factors. Respondents were asked about their wellbeing, happiness, confidence, emotional stability, motivation, optimism, and sense of being in control. They were then asked how satisfied they are with their careers, relationships, money, work-life balance, physicality, and mental health. The reports key finding was the strong correlation between wellbeing and meaningful work.

November 21, 2018

Career opportunities with SMEs are growing, but graduates not convinced

by Sara Bean • Cities, News, Workplace

Small and mid-sized businesses have hired three times more people than larger businesses over the past five years and could overtake large companies by 2030, according to new analysis of the latest ONS data commissioned by Santander Business Banking. However, separate research commissioned by the bank has found that significant numbers of young people are failing to recognise the significant job opportunities that SMEs offer. Just a third (35 percent) of Generation Z and Millennials leaving full time education say they wish to work for an SME, while an even smaller proportion, just one in six (18 percent), want to work for a start-up or micro business. More →

November 16, 2018

More needs to be done to bridge the digital gender divide, says OECD

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

Barriers to access, education and skills, as well as ingrained socio-cultural biases, are driving a digital gender divide that is holding back women’s participation in the digital economy, according to a new OECD report. Bridging the Digital Gender Divide: Include, Upskill, Innovate says women are not currently empowered to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital transformation. While G20 economies have taken important actions to narrow gender gaps in general, more needs to be done to increase the participation of women and girls in the digital economy so that they too can contribute to and benefit from the digital transformation that is under way.

November 13, 2018

Activity in leisure time does not compensate for sedentary workplace behaviour

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Employees are wrongly assuming that keeping active outside of the workplace and during leisure time will protect them from the danger of sitting for long periods when working in an office, a new study has found. The report defines an ‘active coach potato’ as a person who is physically active in their leisure time, but who also spends long periods of time sat down. Such sedentary behaviour increases the risk of chronic health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and strokes. The study is published in the scientific journal Occupational Medicine. The researchers asked 222 desk based workers and 121 managers to rate the healthiness of various combinations of sitting and physical activities during work and leisure time. They found that if a scenario included being physically active during leisure time, the employee didn’t appreciate the detrimental effect of workplace sitting alongside it.

November 9, 2018

Gen Z are technologically literate but not actually robots, Dell study confirms

by Freddie Steele • News, Technology

Generation Z is entering the workforce, bringing with it a tech-first mentality that will propel businesses further into the digital era while potentially deepening the divide among five generations in the workplace. According to global research commissioned by Dell Technologies, post-millennials – those born after 1996 and known as Gen Z – have a deep, universal understanding of technology and its potential to transform how we work and live.

November 8, 2018

The commuting gap: men account for two thirds of commutes lasting more than an hour

by Mark Eltringham • News

Men undertake almost two-thirds of commutes lasting more than an hour, a new analysis from the Office for National Statistics shows. It also reveals that women tend to undertake shorter journeys to work, accounting for more than half (55 percent) of commutes lasting 15 minutes or less. But, for all people, commuting times are most likely to last 15 minutes or less and least likely to last more than an hour.

November 5, 2018

An intersectional approach to trends in workplace design at Orgatec 2018

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Workplace design

There are perhaps three characteristics that ensure the European office furniture and workplace design fair Orgatec continues to attract so many exhibitors and visitors to Cologne. Firstly, it takes place every two years, so offers a snapshot of a sector, framing the most important workplace developments in a particular time and place. For those of us who’ve been attending the shows for any length of time (in my case 26 years), we can track the evolution of workplace thought in a measured way, noting key developments like the launch of the Aeron chair (1994), Vitra’s Alcove (2006) and in 2018 – what?

October 31, 2018

What is in a name for the UK facilities management sector?

by Jo Sutherland • Comment, Facilities management

Westminster. Home to fiery debate, unwavering scrutiny, calls for change, and cries of “Order! Order!”. Once again, RICS’s HQ, on Parliament Square, was jam-packed with a passionate and feisty crowd, panellists and audience alike, all set on pushing the industry conversation forward. While some were keen to maintain order during FMJ’s most recent RICS-IFMA debate concerning facility management’s place in the 21st century, others were set on redefining FM in order to pinpoint what this yet unestablished definition means for the future of the profession.

October 31, 2018

Top global industries leading the way in remote work

by Neil Franklin • Features, Flexible working, Property

More business owners are swapping rigid 9-5 schedules and traditional office environments in favour of flexible space and remote work as an option for saving costs, retaining employees and encouraging a healthy work-life balance. With this in mind, Instant Offices has investigated what industries are leading the way for remote working and how to overcome the typical challenges of managing a remote team.

October 31, 2018

Conversations may be more productive when held in the great outdoors

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing

Conversations are more responsive in natural environments such as parks and gardens than indoors, finds new research by the University of Manchester and Cardiff University. The researchers recorded conversations between three- and four-year-old children and their parents while they explored a city park and the park’s indoor education centre and found that the conversations in the park were more responsive and connected compared to those recorded indoors. The study ‘Responding to nature: Natural environments improve parent-child communication’ is published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

October 26, 2018

We need to move on from the stigma of mental health to finding solutions

by Gary Helm • Comment, Wellbeing

Just as in physical health, everybody has a level of mental health. And while companies have begun to offer corporate gym membership discounts, bowls of fruit around the office, monthly massage and investment in huge amounts of ergonomically supportive furniture to try to assist their colleagues in maintaining a good level of physical health, few seem to be getting to grips with their colleagues’ mental wellbeing, despite the reality that they are dealing with huge numbers of employees who struggle.