November 17, 2017
How to navigate beyond sustainability buzzwords
The communist party offices around the world
Hawking’s fear that AI may replace humans altogether
Tech giants are transforming Sydney’s business district
How AI will transform the employee experience
Promotion improves men’s job satisfaction but not women’s
Why we value physical objects over digital
November 16, 2017
Impostor syndrome (where we feel like we are ‘faking it’ at the job we are doing) could be holding back many senior executives from realising their potential – according to new research from Dropbox on the state of teamwork within businesses in the UK. The research, which marks the launch of a new study, conducted in conjunction with philosophers at The School of Life reveals that 80 percent of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and 81 percent of Managing Directors say they sometimes feel ‘out of their depth’ and as if they are ‘struggling’ in their role. The research investigates behaviours in business that are limiting to great teamwork. Being averse to disagreeing with others – often seen as a typically British trait – is identified as a key issue holding back teams within British business. The data also claims that two thirds of British workers (69 percent) say that they aren’t comfortable disagreeing with others at work.
November 16, 2017
A fear of change among staff is putting British companies at risk, according to new research that looks at how businesses are preparing for a technology-led future. A significant number of workers from across the UK admitted to anxiety and concerns over job security when their firms introduced technology to help them in their roles. Just under half (49 percent) of the people surveyed by Microsoft, Goldsmiths, University of London and YouGov said they feared the change that comes with digital transformation. Sixty-one percent said they felt anxious when bosses brought in new technology, while 59 percent were worried about the impact the automation of tasks would have on their job.
November 15, 2017
The introduction of agile working into organisations has typically focussed on the workstyles of different job roles, but has tended to treat the jobholders within these groups in the same way. The successful introduction of new ways of working clearly relies on the willingness of the people occupying the job roles to embrace new ways of working; yet there has been little investigation of the needs of agile workers with different personality types beyond looking at the needs of extroverts and introverts. These studies have tended to focus on the workplace; for example, the Cushman Wakefield Workplace Programme briefing paper examines how organisations can accommodate the needs of extroverts and introverts working together in the workplace. However, using OCEAN personality profiles, Nigel Oseland found that different personality types have different preferences, which in turn are likely to affect their performance at work.
November 14, 2017
A new quarterly report that claims to analyse the latest trends taking place in cities across the UK has been published by Future Cities Catapult, the Government-backed centre of expertise in urban innovation, the City Innovation Brief (automatic download) summarises key developments and changes from cities across the UK, identifying where money is being invested and what future opportunities might look like within the advanced urban services sector.
November 10, 2017
There are ongoing dual narratives in UK economy caused by the 2016 Brexit vote, the latest Morgan McKinley October Employment Monitor suggests. On the one hand, a new report by Colliers International dubbed London Europe’s top economic City. On the other hand, institutions are stubbornly stuck in limbo, and the fear of major jobs losses looms thick in the sky, keeping hiring low. “The economic tug of war that Brexit kicked off means we still have no idea quite where we’ll land,” said Hakan Enver, Operations Director, Morgan McKinley Financial Services. October was the lowest jobs month of 2017, a possible indication that the closing months of the year will be especially quiet. Job seekers increased by 6 percent month-on-month, but were down just under 40 percent year-on-year. The trajectories are in line with the overall dual trends of 2017. Jobs available were down 14 percent month-on-month and 20 percent year-on-year. Given the underlying health of the economy, Brexit looks to be the main culprit for the job market attrition.
November 10, 2017
UK law firms chop staff space despite headcount growth
What 15 minutes of solitude does for your emotions
Like it or not, popularity at work still matters
How younger men can help to break the glass ceiling
What do small businesses really contribute to the economy?
What technology will mean for traditional real estate models
Poor posture in people with disabilities can be fatal
Image: Claremont Group Interiors
November 7, 2017
Over half (52 percent) of people who work remotely feel their colleagues don’t treat them equally, claims a new study. Working remotely has become a highly sought-after job perk and having the flexibility to live and work where you please, regardless of corporate headquarters, often draws people to take one job over another. But a survey from VitalSmarts produced by David Maxfield and Joseph Grenny, authors of the bestsellers Crucial conversations and Crucial Accountability, found that remote employees have a significantly harder time with a number of workplace challenges than their onsite colleagues. 67 percent of remote employees complained that colleagues didn’t fight for their priorities compared 59 percent of onsite employees. 41 percent of remote employees believed colleagues say bad things about them behind their back compared to 31 percent of onsite employees and 64 percent of remote employees had changes made to a project without warning vs. 58 percent of onsite employees. Over a third (35 percent) of remote employees thought colleagues were lobbying against them vs. 26 percent of onsite employees.
November 6, 2017
Rapidly changing work and workplaces. Productivity languishing below optimum levels. Staff engagement well below where it should be. Ongoing recruitment and retention challenges. All this has been building over the last couple of years; it would appear that organisations have never had it so tough. There have been plenty of tough times before, of course, but we have been witnessing something of a ‘perfect storm’ in recent months, where a whole range of issues and developments, as well as advancements and opportunities, have come together to push these challenges up the management agenda. But there are things we can do to make the workplace a better experience for everybody.
November 3, 2017
The link between air pollution and worker productivity
Amazon’s wish list for it new HQ and what it means for the future of cities
WeWork in talks to buy £785 million London project
The startup era may be ending in the tech sector
Rocking and rolling with the new era of workplaces
Is Google’s plan for smart cities an attempt to control them?
Offices that embrace the idea of a human workplace
November 3, 2017
Despite recent figures indicating that work productivity is down in Britain, the UK remains a highly attractive country for employers and employees based on a combination of talent, location, quality of life and cost, according to the latest edition of Colliers International’s European Cities of Influence report. The analysis of 50 major European economic cities for employers saw London retain its top position, with all other UK cities in the analysis featuring in the top 20 (Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow).The report finds that quality of life factors are important to accelerate business and attract talent with the research revealing that the nature of workplace strategy is evolving so rapidly that keeping up — let alone staying ahead of the curve — can be a challenge. Employers are now focused on creating a workplace that can attract and retain talent by incorporating co-working and collaborative facilities, flexible working options and ingraining a healthy mindset. With the onus on keeping employees happy and productive, the design and utilization of the workplace is helping to accelerate business productivity more than ever before.
November 9, 2017
Review: ushering in a new era for the coworking phenomenon 0
by Paul Carder • Comment, Coworking, Technology, Work&Place, Workplace design
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