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November 9, 2016

When art meets brand; James Burke, Acrylicize in conversation with Roger Beckett ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Company news, Events, Workplace design

Following on from the successful collaboration between Bisley and Acrylicize during Clerkenwell Design Week 2016, the two organisations will join forces once more for a discussion about the impact art can have in the workplace. James Burke, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Acrylicize, will be joined by Roger Becket, the launch publisher the iconic design publications Design Week and Creative Review, and most recently founding the international art competition, Pintar Rapidao.

Acrylicize is an Art Collective which examines the relationship between art and brand to design and develop thought provoking and visually exciting statements for, and about, commercial entities and organisations. In the course of his discussion with Roger, James will reveal the creative influences that led him to explore the relationship between art and brand and its commercial currency, sharing insights into some of the high profile projects his team has worked on with brands such as The Office Group, Coca-Cola and Google.

The event takes place at the Bisley showroom in Central London on the 24th November. For further information contact: events@bisley.com or call + 44 (0) 07780 956291

November 4, 2016

Corporate responsibility now essential to attract and retain millennials ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Workplace

Corporate social responsibility is no longer seen as more than a nice to have, with those working within the built environment for example, appreciating the role it has in reducing greenhouse gases. But it is also being increasingly seen as a positive way of attracting and engaging the right talent. Now according to a new survey carried out in the US, meaningful engagement around CSR is becoming a business – and bottom line – imperative, impacting a company’s ability to appeal to, retain and inspire Millennial talent. Three-quarters (76 percent) of Millennials consider a company’s social and environmental commitments when deciding where to work and nearly two-thirds (64 percent) won’t take a job if a potential employer doesn’t have strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, according to the 2016 Cone Communications Millennial Employee Engagement Study. Because the millennial generation are the most likely to blend their personal and working lives, it’s more important to them than other generations to view their job as a way to make a positive impact on society, the study suggests.

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November 2, 2016

Employers increased focus on wellbeing lacks adequate training and support ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Nearly half (46 percent) of employers say that their organisation has increased its focus on wellbeing over the last 12 months; and when asked the reasons for this, 63 percent of respondents to the 2016 CIPD/Simplyhealth Absence Management Survey said they want their organisation to be a great place to work, 47 percent said their organisation believes employee well-being is linked to business performance, and 43 percent said their organisation believes it’s the right thing to do. Additionally, nearly two-fifths (37 percent) of organisations that invest in wellbeing say they have increased their well-being spend over the last twelve months and almost two-thirds (64 percent) have improved communications to staff about the wellbeing benefits on offer and how to access them. However, the survey found that while more employers are recognising the value of line managers in managing absence at work, they are not giving them the tools and support necessary to do it effectively.

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November 2, 2016

Calming office space and flexible hours best ways to combat workplace stress ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace, Workplace design

More flexible hours, a more caring attitude from management, a welcoming office design and space away from the desk to take a break are much more effective ways to reduce workplace stress than expensive office overhauls or the provision of mindfulness classes, a new survey claims. A study into the measures that help reduce stress conducted by Cascade HR, explored what workers feel bosses can do to reduce their stress levels, and found that introducing flexible working hours (47 percent), early finishes on Fridays (39 percent) and a caring, friendly management style (38 percent) would have the biggest impact. The research also revealed the physical aspects of the workplace which employees believe employers could change or introduce to improve their occupational mental health. In fact, the workplace being clean and tidy was the factor that workers felt could go the furthest to reducing their stress (35 percent), while almost 1 in 3 felt having music playing would help to keep their stress at bay; as would simply having a space away from desks in which to chill out (29 percent) or to eat (27 percent) during breaks.

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November 1, 2016

UK Green Building Council’s HQ claims to set new environmental standards in office refurbishment ⁰

by Sara Bean • Case studies, Environment, Facilities management, News, Wellbeing, Workplace design

By achieving the lowest embodied carbon footprint ever recorded for an office refurbishment in the UK, the new headquarters in Central London for the UK Green Building Council is designed to inspire and encourage employers, landlords and occupiers alike to set the bar high when upgrading their office spaces, according to the organisation. It claims that the project is an exemplar for sustainable office refurbishment and features a range of wellbeing measures. UK-GBC says it hopes that this landmark project will also demonstrate that even a 160m² floorspace can deliver commercial, social and environmental value if each decision is challenged and scrutinised. Wellbeing measures have been incorporated into the design in order to improve staff satisfaction, productivity and overall health and wellness. These measures include: a living wall with over 1,500 plants; an innovative ventilation system, which has delivered a 750 percent increase in background fresh air; an automated low-energy LED lighting system; and products and finishes that minimisepollutants from the air.

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October 26, 2016

Two-thirds of British workers more productive working in the office ⁰

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Despite half (50 percent) of the British workforce saying they are equipped with the right tools and technology to enable them to work anywhere, half (50 percent) of respondents to a new survey stated that remote working can make them feel stressed, isolated or lonely (43 percent) and over half (53 percent) said that working out of the office makes them feel disconnected from colleagues. The survey from Peldon Rose, found that two-thirds (66 percent) of British workers say they work most productively in the office compared with a quarter (26 percent) who work most productively at home. The survey results also underline how vital close working relationships with colleagues are to employees’ happiness, wellbeing and productivity with nine in 10 (91 percent) of office workers stating they value their friendships within the workplace and 80 percent crediting their friendships with colleagues with helping them to be more productive at work – something they feel boosts their productivity even more than personal technology (66 percent).

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October 25, 2016

How tech giant EMC standardised the design and management of its office portfolio ⁰

by Cathy Hayward • Case studies, Facilities management, Features, Workplace design

This summer’s headlines have been full of discord, a cacophony of angry voices either directed at continental Europe, or at the Brexiters who voted for Britain to leave the European Union. But EMC, a global leader in information technology-as-a-service which has recently been acquired by Dell, is a leading light of European integration through its One Team approach to workplace management and design across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Over the past three years, the EMC Global Real Estate and Facilities Team (GREF), which supports more than 12,000 people in around 130 office locations across 50 countries in EMEA, has transformed from a group operating independently, to a fully-aligned team which provides a uniform and standardised approach to workplace delivery and management to enable greater business success.

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October 24, 2016

Gartner report identifies the Top 10 strategic technology trends for 2017 ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

A new report from tech analysts Gartner highlights the top technology trends the firm believes will be ‘strategic for most organisations in 2017’. Gartner defines a strategic technology trend as one with substantial disruptive potential that is just beginning to break out of an emerging state into broader impact and use or which are rapidly growing trends with a high degree of volatility reaching tipping points over the next five years. They include artificial intelligence, blockchain, intelligent devices, digital technology platforms and advanced machine learning.

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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

New CoreNet Global / HOK report explores impact of coworking on corporate real estate ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Coworking, Flexible working, News

The UK Chapter of CoreNet Global, in partnership with HOK’s WorkPlace practice, has released a new report that studies the impact of coworking from a corporate real estate (CRE) perspective. With coworking now one of the fastest-growing sectors of the commercial real estate market, the new report, Coworking: A Corporate Real Estate Perspective, examines the drivers of coworking from the demand and supply side, the industry risks and implications for corporate real estate, as well as information about the owners, coworkers and centres. The CoreNet Global / HOK Coworking report highlights the ideas that changing business priorities and the need to attract talented people, reduce real estate costs, improve speed to innovation and increase productivity are driving corporations to consider different workplace models, including on- and off-site coworking.

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October 17, 2016

Creating the workforce of the future; the Barclays perspective ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Company news, Workplace

Apprenticeships are growing faster than ever in the UK. This is fantastic to see. Within our organisations we are making giant strides to re-carve and re-define talent whilst investing in the workforce of the future. The topic of Apprenticeships remains top of the government agenda and top of the employability agenda and great things are starting to happen. Yet, how much of the evolution of apprenticeships is understood by those who are seeking opportunities? Has society evolved in such a way that would-be potential candidates are ‘switched-on’ to the fact that Apprenticeships is both a viable and powerful means to securing a long, sustainable, and credible career? What are we doing to define Apprenticeships to our audiences outside of our own organisations? How are we marketing opportunities in a way that will ‘connect’ with our audience that will inspire them and others to invest in us?

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