Search Results for: job satisfaction

‘Beleaguered’ UK workforce is poorly motivated and unproductive

by • Flexible working, News, Workplace

UK workers are lacking motivation and job satisfaction, with over half either feeling neutral or unhappy about going to work most days, only one in four very satisfied with their jobs and 20 per cent who dread going to work. According to a new report, ‘The Forgotten Workforce’ a series of blows to UK workers, including cuts to their working hours, increasingly inconsistent working patterns, pay freezes, and introduction of zero hours – coupled with little or no investment in technology to support employees – has led to a UK workforce lacking morale and disengaged from the business. An efficient business needs an efficient workforce. If this cycle continues, businesses will face increasingly poor productivity and the UK economic recovery will suffer warns the report. (more…)

UK staff showing higher levels of happiness – except those in finance sector

by • News, Workplace

Happiness at work in increasingFresh evidence that those working within the financial sector must be in it for the money as, following the news earlier this week that they get the least amount of sleep, they’re also the most unhappy with their work. A third (32%) describe themselves as unhappy at work compared to the 78 per cent of those working in sales, media, and marketing who class themselves as happy. Overall, the number of British workers who are happy at work has jumped by a fifth (20%) compared to this time last year according to Office Angels’ ‘Happiness at Work’ study. More than half (56%) of workers stated they were happy at work during quarter two 2013, compared to just a third (36%) during quarter two 2012.  (more…)

Employee engagement, not fear, behind the fall in staff turnover

by • Facilities management, Legal news, News, Workplace

Job satisfaction and engagement could be real reasons for low staff turnoverExplanations for a marked fall in employee turnover have largely attributed it to the recession, which, it’s been suggested, has led cautious employees to prefer to stay put in a secure position, rather than risk losing their place in an uncertain job market. However new data published today from the CIPD’s Megatrends research project suggests a more positive picture. The proportion of workers leaving their employer at any given time fell by over two fifths between 1998 and 2012, long before the downturn took hold. And the good news for those concerned with improving the quality of the workplace environment is that increased job satisfaction and improved levels of employee engagement could play a significant role.. (more…)

Personalised design and office plants proven to boost wellness and performance

by • Facilities management, News, Workplace, Workplace design

Personalised design coupled with office plants boost well-being at workAllowing staff to make design decisions in a workspace enhanced with office plants can increase wellbeing and wellness by as much as 47 per cent, increase creativity by 45 per cent and increase productivity by 38 per cent, new research has revealed. Visitors at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show were challenged to take part in the study which measured their creativity, happiness and productivity as they experienced a range of different workspace designs. The findings, which would be expected to translate to a significant increase in business profitability, confront the popular belief that plants and art are an unnecessary or even wasteful element of the business environment. Results from this and related scientific investigations indicate that across all measures of psychological comfort and business performance, the managerially popular flexible, controlled, lean office, is consistently inferior to a space enriched by the design decisions of people who work there.

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New research from China highlights benefits of working from home

by • Facilities management, Knowledge, Workplace, Workplace design

CTripA new report from researchers at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Guanghua Management School at Beijing University looking into the experience of working from home at one large Chinese firm has found that the practice led to a 13 per cent increase in productivity. The research also found that workers reported increased levels of job satisfaction and half elected to continue working from home when the choice was given to them at the end of the study period even though it was evident that their chances of promotion on the basis of performance had reduced as a result of the experiment.

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Happiness levels in UK workplaces growing, says Government.

by • Knowledge, News, Public Sector, Workplace

smiley faceThe general level of satisfaction in the UK’s workplaces has increased significantly in spite of ongoing economic uncertainty according to a report from the Government published yesterday. The study of more than 21,000 employees, found that job satisfaction levels actually increased in 2012 with a fifth (20 per cent) of employees either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with all aspects of their job, compared to just 16 per cent in 2004 when the survey last appeared. The report also showed that levels of commitment to individual employers had also increased over the same period, with the proportion of employees who said they shared the values of their organisation up from 55 per cent to 65 per cent. (more…)

Designing for productivity means creating space for us to be alone

by • Facilities management, Furniture, Knowledge, Workplace design

WilkhahnOn the face of it, the case for working in open plan offices is clear cut. Not only are they  more conducive to collaborative work and less bound by ideas of that great no-no that we used to call ‘status’, the economic case is seemingly open and shut. Open plan workstations not only take up around half the space of cellular offices, the fit-out costs are typically 25 per cent lower. And yet there are clear signs of a backlash, at least to the idea of them fostering collaborative work.

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People impressed by corporate bullshit tend to make worse decisions

People impressed by corporate bullshit tend to make worse decisions

by • Business, News

Employees who respond positively to management jargon and corporate buzzwords may be less effective at analytical thinking and workplace decision-makingEmployees who respond positively to management jargon and corporate buzzwords may be less effective at analytical thinking and workplace decision-making, according to new research from Cornell University. The study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, examined how office workers reacted to what researchers describe as “corporate bullshit” – abstract, jargon-heavy language that sounds impressive but often lacks clear meaning. (more…)

The new leadership imperative: from decision makers to experience makers

The new leadership imperative: from decision makers to experience makers

by • Business, Comment, JB

the leaders who truly make change stick aren't just making decisions, they are making experiences and those two things are very, very different.Ask most leaders what their job is, and they’ll tell you: to make decisions, to set direction and to drive results. They are not wrong but they are also not telling the whole story about leadership. Here’s what 25 years of working with organisations through some of their most complex transformations has taught me: the leaders who truly make change stick aren’t just making decisions, they are making experiences and those two things are very, very different. (more…)

Hybrid working is now more about when work is done, rather than where

Hybrid working is now more about when work is done, rather than where

by • Flexible working, News

The defining issue in workplace flexibility and hybrid working is now time rather than locationA new report from Owl Labs suggests that the debate over where people work is being replaced by questions about when they work. The firm’s 2025 State of Hybrid Work report argues that the defining issue in workplace flexibility and hybrid working is now time rather than location. The study, based on a survey of 2,000 US workers, claims that almost half of respondents believe they do not have enough flexibility in their working hours. Thirty seven percent said they would turn down a job that did not provide flexible scheduling, an increase compared to last year. Around a quarter said they would find a four day week more attractive than a traditional arrangement, with many indicating they would be willing to take a pay cut in exchange for greater control over their time. On average, workers said they would give up around eight to nine percent of their salary to secure more flexible hours or a reduced working week. (more…)

Flexible working policies have only a limited effect on how people actually work

Flexible working policies have only a limited effect on how people actually work

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A major UK policy reform to expand workers’ rights to request flexible working has not substantially changed how people work in practice, according to new researchA major UK policy reform to expand workers’ rights to request flexible working has not substantially changed how people work in practice, according to new research from King’s Business School, UCL and City, University of London. The study analysed data from more than 15,000 employees in the UK Household Longitudinal Study spanning 2010 to 2020, focusing in particular on the 2014 policy that extended the legal right to request flexible working to all employees with at least 26 weeks’ service, rather than just parents or carers. It found that while women are more likely to reduce their hours following the reform, there was no corresponding increase in remote working or flexitime among either men or women. (more…)

People want performance over quirky features in their offices

People want performance over quirky features in their offices

by • News, Workplace

A new report claims that employees are less interested in quirky office features and more concerned about how well their workplaces support performance.A new report claims that employees are less interested in quirky office features and more concerned about how well their workplaces support performance. Mitie’s latest Productivity Reset Report [registration requires you to receive marketing – you can’t opt out] highlights that while games areas and other recreational facilities may generate headlines, only 14 percent of employees believe such features contribute meaningfully to workplace satisfaction or productivity. In contrast, almost nine in ten (88 percent) said that a safe, well-maintained office is a critical factor in their day-to-day working experience. (more…)

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