Search Results for: motivation

Two thirds of employees are now worried about paying for essentials

Two thirds of employees are now worried about paying for essentials

As real time pay fails to keep up with rising costs and soaring inflation, employees are increasingly anxious about their financial situation. And employers are failing to keep up according to a new survey from Personio. The poll suggests that over two thirds (69 percent) of employees are worried or stressed about their ability to pay for essentials if the economy worsens over the coming months. A further 22 percent are concerned about losing their job whilst a fifth (20 percent) are worried they will need to take on a second job to support themselves. (more…)

Who’s driving this bus, anyway? A critical review of Leading People in Change by Jennifer Bryan

Who’s driving this bus, anyway? A critical review of Leading People in Change by Jennifer Bryan

A caterpillar sits on a dew dropped leaf to serve as a metaphor for changeWriting about change isn’t easy, but too many people try it. I tried it with Elemental Change (LID, 2020). Jennifer Bryan succeeded where I didn’t, and managed a short book about change. Her book Leading People in Change also succeeds where I didn’t by focussing on one aspect of change, leadership. So far so good, despite my initial uncomfortable reaction to the title suspecting it might be a handbook for ensuring people did what we wanted them to do, regardless. Fortunately, not so. (more…)

The rotting one hit wonders of the workplace

The rotting one hit wonders of the workplace

Painting of a fruit basket by CaravaggioOn the 8 December, you’ll be able to get your hands on a new book called Out of the Blue: The inside story of Liz Truss and her explosive rise to power. Or not. At the time of writing, its publication still seems to be going ahead, but I’m not even sure this introduction will be current by the time I press ‘publish’ so I wouldn’t bet on it. I imagine the publishers of the book haven’t given the green light to the printers just yet but nothing a change of title, a hasty rewrite and few extra chapters can’t fix. (more…)

Working from home is a double-edged sword, according to UK workers

Working from home is a double-edged sword, according to UK workers

working from homeA new poll from SD Worx claims that while 72 percent of British workers think working from home offers a better chance of improving their work-life balance, they have concerns about wellbeing and working culture. Based on data from over 4,000 companies in the UK and across Europe, the findings suggestthat the appetite for working from home (WFH) in the UK (72 percent) is creeping ahead of mainland Europe (66 percent). (more…)

Getting working culture right is essential to hiring, supporting and retaining workers

Getting working culture right is essential to hiring, supporting and retaining workers

working cultureAs workers continue to adjust workstyles to fit with their new priorities, a PwC survey reveals nearly two-thirds of workers are on the hunt for a new job. Many employers are scrambling for strategies to attract top talent and retain their employees. But actively developing working culture and designing new ways to secure the best talent and look after it requires first listening and reacting to the impact the changing work landscape is having on employees’ mental and physical health, as well as understanding and prioritising new and sought-after benefits. (more…)

Firms need a better understanding of their psychological contract with employees

Firms need a better understanding of their psychological contract with employees

psychological contractCompanies and employees are often acutely aware of the terms of their written employment contracts. The roles, responsibilities, working hours and salaries are clearly laid out for all to see. What is often overlooked, however, is that there is a second, hidden, contract within the employment relationship. This is known as the psychological contract. The psychological contract refers to the often implied, unwritten mutual expectations, beliefs and obligations between employee and employer. For example, an employee may take on additional work in the expectation that it will help to advance their career, or an organisation might expect employees to be more flexible in their working patterns during peak times. (more…)

Two thirds of businesses set to increase borderless working over next 12 months

Two thirds of businesses set to increase borderless working over next 12 months

borderless workingA new poll from Perkbox suggests that a growing number of businesses are going to look to borderless working to resolve hiring challenges. According to the survey, almost two-thirds of businesses (62 percent) plan to increase the number of remote staff they hire outside of their main country of operations over the next 12 months. This drive is fuelled by technological advances over the past two years facilitating greater hybrid and remote working. There are a range of motivations, but the survey of 500 UK business leaders identified the top three as building a more diverse workforce to access a wider talent pool (35 percent), encouraging innovation (32 percent), and building a global workforce (29 percent) to service a wider customer base. (more…)

Generational careers divide opens up in wake of pandemic

Generational careers divide opens up in wake of pandemic

careers divideAlmost half of UK employees aged between 18 and 24 think that COVID-19 has decreased the importance placed on their careers, compared to 35 percent of 55-64 year-olds. And more than half think the pandemic has negatively impacted their career progression, compared to just 35 percent of 35-44 year olds and 17 percent of 54-65 year olds. Those are the key findings of a poll presented in a report from Employment Hero, shows that COVID-19 has caused a widening generational divide in the career motivation and wellbeing of UK employees. (more…)

People who are proactive at work find their jobs more meaningful

People who are proactive at work find their jobs more meaningful

Being proactive at work is key to finding your job meaningful, a new study from ESSEC Business School suggests. According to the research, undertaken by Karoline Strauss, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at ESSEC Business School, proactivity at work and job meaningfulness are linked, especially when employees are otherwise unsure about the impact their tasks will have. (more…)

95 percent of organisations have experienced issues implementing hybrid working

95 percent of organisations have experienced issues implementing hybrid working

hybrid workingA new poll from XpertHR claims that nearly all UK organisations (95 percent) have encountered challenges implementing hybrid working, with reluctance to return to the workplace the leading issue currently faced by employers. Of the 292 organisations XpertHR surveyed, almost all (95 percent) operate a hybrid model. For most (59 percent) organisations, staff generally spend between 2-3 days working from home each week, however, over a third (37 percent) of staff are unhappy with this split and would prefer to spend even less time in the office. (more…)

One in five people have started a ‘side hustle’ in the last two years

One in five people have started a ‘side hustle’ in the last two years

side hustleOne in five (19 percent) adults in the UK have started a ‘side hustle’ since March 2020 and, almost one in six  (16 percent) claim to earn upwards of £1,000 a month from their new venture, according to new research from Aviva. Just under two thirds (63 percent) of those who started a side hustle since March 2020, the equivalent of 6.49 million people, are still active in them today. 37 percent have returned to their day jobs being their main source of income now that lockdowns are over and normality has ensued. (more…)

Young people should optimise the time they spend in the office

Young people should optimise the time they spend in the office

young people in the officeDuring the pandemic, around 100 million people in Europe switched to working from home – nearly half of them for the first time. This shift was rapid, with employees quickly noticing the benefits of remote work. These can include freedom from commuting, more time for personal wellbeing and increased productivity. As we move on from pandemic restrictions, we’ve seen a strong, global demand for more flexible forms of working, particularly to retain an element of remote work. While some employees want to work from home permanently, most want what’s coming to be regarded as the best of both worlds: hybrid working. Only a minority of workers now want to return to the office full time. (more…)