October 22, 2018
Nearly a quarter of London office take up is in financial sector, says CBRE
Despite political and economic uncertainly and the aftermath of the global monetary crisis in 2008, London remains a leading global financial centre, with nearly a quarter (24 percent) of the capital’s office take-up attributed to banking and finance occupiers over the last ten years. London is by far the most active banking centre in Europe, according to the latest research from global real estate advisor CBRE. According to the report, 1.1 million people were employed in the UK financial services sector in 2017, of which 34 percent were in London. (more…)
Work/life balance, and the ability to take more annual leave, is the top priority for most European workers and 52 percent explicitly see this as an incentive for choosing certain benefits claims research from SD Worx. Employees in France (63 percent) prioritise this the most across the Europe, next is the UK, whilst workers in Austria (36 percent) and the Netherlands (32 percent) are least likely to opt for additional annual leave. Flexible working also plays a significant role in the benefits employees would choose, with home working allowances being a key factor for 21 percent of respondents and 21 percent wanting a laptop or smartphone included in their benefits package. 
More than half of CEOs (53 percent) admit they can’t find candidates with the necessary skills to help them navigate an increasingly digitalised business landscape a new survey from Robert Half has claimed. These include data analysis and digital skills, as well as softer skills such as resilience, adaptability to change and critical thinking. This means that nearly five million UK SMEs, the equivalent to four out of every five (82 percent) small and medium-sized companies, are struggling to attract the skills they need. As a result, many are being forced to offer salary packages higher than originally expected to recruit the right talent. 
The vast majority (98 percent) of UK employees think learning is essential in deciding to stay or leave their employer, yet new research claims that three quarters (75 percent) of companies don’t have a learning culture and 66 percent don’t have a digital learning strategy. The research from Bridge in collaboration with Two Heads Consulting, finds that most businesses in the UK are struggling to engender a culture that prioritises learning and development with only 25 percent of HR staff saying their organisations have a learning culture. In comparison, three quarters of companies don’t have one at all (11 percent), are still trying to establish one (59 percent) or report it is not a priority (5 percent). Furthermore, despite recognising its importance, 60 percent of UK companies don’t measure the impact of learning on business performance. Employees also complain that their performance reviews are ill thought out and infrequent.
October 16, 2018
Law firms are finally embracing the agile workplace
by Simon Pole • Comment, Workplace design
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