December 5, 2019
As 2020 approaches, HR leaders are focused on five key measures to continue driving business outcomes, according to a report from Gartner. The priorities include: building critical skills and competencies, strengthening the current and future leadership bench, incorporating organisational design and change management, driving digital business transformation, and enhancing employee experience. More →
December 4, 2019
Companies which make employee engagement a strategic priority may be more likely to perform better financially, according to research released today. An analysis of the UK’s biggest companies found that those which frequently reference “employee engagement” in their annual reports also perform better financially. The findings were released by Sideways 6 which analysed the annual reports of the FTSE100 Index for each of the last three years (2016-18). More →
December 3, 2019
A leading non-profit disability and business organisation is calling on the future Government to commit to a series of actions to support businesses to deliver on disability inclusion. Business Disability Forum published its ‘Manifesto for Inclusive Change’ today (3 December) to mark the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The manifesto calls for action in seven areas to ensure that the role businesses play in disabled people’s lives is enhanced, not inhibited, by government policy. To read Business Disability Forum’s ‘Manifesto for Inclusive Change’ go to www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk . Follow the debate at #DisabilitySmart. More →
November 27, 2019
New research published today by City & Guilds Group claims that the UK risks being left behind as employers across the world race to upskill their workers. As digitalisation and fluctuating economies transform the skills needed in the workplace today, employees are less confident than their bosses that they’ll have skills they need for the future. The study, conducted by City & Guilds Group business Kineo, surveyed 6500 employees and 1300 employers across 13 international markets. It found that employers in developing countries with rapidly emerging economies are among the most likely to ramp up investment in upskilling their workforce in the near future, compared to developed economies such as the UK.
November 26, 2019
Ambius has published its latest annual report (registration) which claims to highlight the top trends in office design for 2020 and beyond. It suggests that the new year will see a continued evolution in the understanding of the human-centric workplace with designs that improve employee performance and wellbeing, integrate innovative technologies, offer multi-functional capabilities, and facilitate an inspiring and engaging environment for top talent. More →
November 22, 2019
The way companies design physical environments is a direct reflection of their values and beliefs. Inequality is hardwired into the “standard” office layout, with perimeter offices and fixed desks offering limited settings for unstructured collaboration and recreation, further perpetuating the issue. Modern office design often favours extroversion and emphasises a hierarchy with values that benefit only a small portion of the overall workforce, contributing to organisation-wide imbalance. So how do we create more inclusive workplaces that can be leveraged as vehicles for change? More →
November 22, 2019
Forty percent of workers already consider themselves entrepreneurs according to The Myers-Briggs Company research report, Type and entrepreneurship, which investigates the relationship between personality and entrepreneurship in the workplace. The research suggests that entrepreneurial businesses perform better financially, and thus, creating a work environment where employees of all personality types can embrace their entrepreneurial qualities is beneficial to businesses. More →
November 21, 2019
Human beings are hardwired to be creatures of habit. From birth, we learn behaviours and develop routines that are reinforced over time through repetition. Researchers at MIT claim the neurons in our brains are responsible for this process. When someone begins a new activity a certain part of the brain kicks into gear, helping them to learn the exercise quickly. But once the action is repeated successfully, the scientists found, those same neurons only really come to life at the beginning and end of the activity. This is the reason that mundane tasks, like getting dressed or driving a car often feel like they’re performed on ‘autopilot’ and why breaking bad habits is so difficult, including those we develop in the workplace. More →
November 20, 2019
A near universal 91 percent of UK workers believe collaborative work with colleagues is essential for their productivity and creativity, yet nearly three-quarters of them work in traditional, enclosed spaces non-conducive to active participation and spontaneity according to new research from Steelcase. The report claims that team-based work is fundamental to modern businesses with 55 percent of the UK spending their time working with others but workspaces are actually unable to support collaborative work. More →
November 15, 2019
The increasing migration of flexible offices to the outskirts of major UK cities is creating a ‘flex economy’ that could contribute more than £12 billion to local economies in the next decade. That’s according to the first comprehensive socio-economic study of second-city and suburban workspaces. The analysis, conducted by economists on behalf of Regus, claims that as Brexit uncertainty continues to impact the economic landscape, individual flexible workspaces in suburban areas could be a welcome lifeline for local economies.
November 15, 2019
A fifth of of UK businesses say they are planning to axe contractors completely to ensure they are fully tax compliant ahead of the IR35 changes planned for next year, according to a survey from recruitment firm Harvey Nash. The 2019 Harvey Nash IR35 Sentiment Survey (registration) of 1,200 businesses and contractors claims to reveal the confusion that still reigns around IR35 legislation among both contractors and the businesses that rely on them. The findings suggest that 83 percent) of businesses believe IR35 will impact negatively on their industry. Meanwhile 60 percent of contractors say they have experienced increased anxiety, stressing or worrying about how the new rules will affect them. More →
November 27, 2019
Designers may be ignoring leadership style in quest for productive workplaces
by Jayne Smith • Comment, Workplace design