Search Results for: retention

March 18, 2019

Greatest motivator for employees is more recognition, whether monetary or not

The biggest motivator for staff at work is more recognition, whether monetary or not, according to a new survey on rewards at work by XpertHR. When asked which rewards are most important to employees, more than half (53 percent) said higher basic pay, followed by a wider range of benefits (37.1 percent), but being recognised for the work they do was also cited as an employee priority by 56.1 percent of respondents). The survey also claims that employers are facing a constant battle to get employees’ salaries at the right level. Almost all (97.7 percent) organisations questioned said they would be looking at salary levels in some way over the coming year – whether that be through the annual pay review, benchmarking salaries against the market or complying with the national minimum wage legislation.

March 15, 2019

How artificial intelligence changes occupant experience

by David Karpook • Facilities management, Features, Technology

If a robot received a signal that you had entered the building, it might bring you a fresh cup of coffee just as you reach your desk. If the front door recognised your face, it might unlock itself for you without requiring you to use a fob to gain access. If your desk knew you had left for the day, it might offer itself to a colleague who is looking for a quiet workspace. Throughout history, the interaction of humans with technology has been pretty much one-sided. We turn our technologies on and off, operate and guide them in their tasks, and use our senses to monitor their functioning and detect anomalies.

March 14, 2019

Majority of British workers prepared to turn down job without flexible working option

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News

A new survey from IWG claims that UK businesses without a flexible working policy risk losing out on top talent. IWG’s Global Workplace Survey claims that 80 percent of workers in the UK would choose a job which offered flexible working over a job that didn’t and that 73 percent think that flexible working has become ‘the new normal’.

March 7, 2019

Firms must break bad habits if they want to improve relationship with employees

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

To select, engage and retain the best talent, companies are going to have to break their entrenched bad habits, according to a new report from The Myers-Briggs Company. It claims that its Global Trends Report (registration) sets out how businesses can select the best employees, provide effective leadership and help their people to work together efficiently and harmoniously, despite a rapidly changing and increasingly complex business landscape. More →

March 5, 2019

Designing a better workforce: how workplace design can impact wellbeing

by Mary Lawrence • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace design

In a recent survey, 95 percent of office workers said their physical work environment is important for their wellbeing and mental health. However, half believe their current working environment does not have a positive effect on their mental health, wellbeing, mood and productivity. The issue of employee wellbeing has risen up business’ agendas in recent years, and, as part of the drive for better mental health support for workers, companies are looking at ways in which the physical workplace can improve the mental health of their employees.

February 25, 2019

Growth of flexible working locations in London is lowering the costs of office space

by Sara Bean • Cities, Coworking, News, Property

There is a boom in the number of new flexible working locations opening in Central London, which has seen a growth of 42 percent year-on-year. According to the new report by Office Freedom this growth is driving ever more competitive rates and lowering the cost of all kinds of office spaces within the capital. Over the last two years, office prices in Hammersmith have fallen by 29 percent, whilst Paddington is 32 percent cheaper as a direct result of greater flexible space availability. The rates in prestigious Knightsbridge are still amongst the highest in Central London, but have dropped by 38 percent between 2014 and 2018. More →

February 22, 2019

Managers blame cost of adjustments for reluctance to hire disabled workers

by Sara Bean • Facilities management, Flexible working, Legal news, News, Workplace

Nearly a quarter (24 percent) of UK employers admit they would be less likely to hire someone with a disability, new data from disability charity Leonard Cheshire shows, and over two thirds (66 percent) of managers cite the cost of workplace adjustments as the barrier to employing a disabled person, up from 60 percent in 2017. Seventeen percent of disabled candidates that had applied for a job in the past five years said the employer withdrew the job offer as a result of their disability. Attitudinal barriers continually featured in the latest research. Of the employers across the UK that said they were less likely to employ someone because they were disabled, 60 percent were concerned that a disabled person wouldn’t be able to do the job. Of the disabled people in the UK who applied for a job in the last five years, 30 percent said they felt like the employer had not taken them seriously as a candidate.

February 19, 2019

Productivity only a priority for a third of employers as skills shortages persist

by Sara Bean • News, Public Sector, Workplace

Despite its importance to the economy, productivity is only a priority for 36 percent of employers and only half (50 percent) use the term when discussing organisational performance according to the latest Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD and the Adecco Group. And LMO data suggests that employers are overconfident when it comes to assessing their own productivity, with just 7 percent believing their organisation’s productivity is below average. More →

February 15, 2019

A sense of belonging is crucial factor for employee engagement

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

A sense of belonging is just as important an employee retention tool as good pay and benefits, a new academic paper has found. In his paper Creating a committed workforce: Using social exchange and social identity to enhance psychological attachment within an ever-changing workplace, Dr Ali Fenwick of Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Breukelen, the Netherlands., argues that identifying with the team, leader, brand and organisation is paramount to workplace commitment as well as work performance. More →

February 14, 2019

Digital transformation requires more than just new technology

by Arnab Banerjee • Comment, Technology

Digital transformation has been a priority for businesses for many years, primarily to benefit from the opportunities presented by a mix of digital technologies and their impact across all aspects of society. Customer-facing functions such as sales, marketing and procurement, in their quest for new revenue sources and information-powered ecosystems of value, have led the way on digital transformation, while HR has historically taken a back seat. But in order for the entire organisation undergoing transformation to work together holistically, HR needs to take the lead and embed a digital DNA within the organisation.

February 13, 2019

Organisational innovation being stymied by lack of senior support

by Sara Bean • AI, News, Technology, Workplace

A lack of senior stakeholder support is the greatest inhibitor of change, new research suggests as despite considerable enthusiasm to innovate, organisations are being thwarted by tight resources and strong internal resistance. The data commissioned by KCOM found that organisations are also limiting themselves by turning away the specialist skills and experience that could help them advance, through overly predictive procurement processes. They are however, eager to be more competitive, which is why organisations are making big investments in innovation projects. Almost half (43 percent) consider driving digital transformation to improve competitive advantage to be their top priority in the next year. A further 32 percent are allocating at least 20 percent of their IT budget to new projects. Both public and private sector organisations are also taking an increasingly people-centric approach to digital transformation. In the next year, 80 percent said they would incentivise staff retention through training, accreditation and career development to deliver on their innovation strategy. This is compared to 71 percent who said they would do so by investing in new technologies.

January 31, 2019

Insight Promotion: Make wellbeing and ergonomics your New Year Resolution

by Freddie Steele • Company news, Promotion

2019 has arrived and a new year means an excuse to make a change. It’s therefore the best time of the year to make the necessary adjustments that are needed to make your office work has efficiently as possible. However, in order to achieve this, you must always remember one important criterion: ergonomics.Ergonomics relates to the study of working conditions and how they affect staff. Typically, this refers to equipment and furniture that can be utilised and/or adapted in order to increase levels of employee wellbeing and therefore productivity. This includes items such as chairs that support posture and sit/stand desks.

Why is Ergonomics so Important?

Steve Bays, Director at Century Office, comments: “In the UK today we have a very mixed group of employers. Some will buy any type of office chair, as long as it has “office chair” written in the description; some will buy cheap chairs and throw them away when broken; some see furniture as a non-profit making necessity; some recognise the benefits of good furniture over workers’ performance and staff retention.”

Many businesses in the UK have started to recognise the importance of ensuring their staff are comfortable, happy and healthy. Moreover, a 2018 study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)backs up the idea that companies that prioritise workplace wellbeing are more likely to report better employee morale and engagement, as well as a healthier culture and lower absence from sickness. However, the study also found that if an organisation was more “reactive” rather than “proactive” (they address the issue of wellbeing on an ad-hoc basis instead of having an implemented wellbeing strategy) then there was no progress realised from their wellbeing activity.

How can Century Office help?

Century Office are advocates for office wellbeing and their range of furniture reflects this. The newest additions to their selection of ergonomic seating are the Influence and Grace mesh chairs. They both boast extraordinary comfort as well as ergonomic support and can be adjusted in a variety of ways to fit your work environment and your body posture. They are the perfect addition to any workspace as they come with height-adjustable lumbar support, with or without headrests, and seat-depth adjustment. Adjustable active tension control, lockable back positions, and 3D height-adjustable gel arms pads provide the user with the ultimate flexibility to change their chair to suit a wide range of office environments. Grace can additionally be specified with a cantilever frame instead of a task chair, depending on your needs.

Influence and Grace, as well as Century Office’s extensive collection of ergonomic office chairs, are perfectly suited to the sit/stand desks that they provide. Autonomy Pro and Liberty offer employees the chance to break up the sedentary day, thus helping to alleviate aches and pains. Each desk can also be specified to with different base colours, desktop colours and optional extras such as screens and can suit any budget.

Sit/stand desks don’t have to just be for personal workstations anymore either as the Autonomy Pro desk also comes as a meeting solution. A sit/stand table is the ideal solution for quick group meetings; you wouldn’t have to worry about squeaking chairs or everyone shifting in their seats (the amount of which will increase the longer the meeting goes on. Having the option to stand will also help staff or clients to work collaboratively in a more effective way. After all, if everyone is trying to look at the same thing at the same time, being able to stand over it instead of stretching or bending awkwardly will mean that every individual can do so in a more comfortable manner.

The Importance of C.A.P.S

However, making a workplace work for its staff isn’t as simple as just buying suitable desks and chairs. It is important that you know how to use the chairs and desks properly otherwise you won’t be reaping the full benefits. This is why Century Office regularly speaks about the importance of C.A.P.S (Circulation, Activity, Posture and Support). The C.A.P.S initiative includes showing staff the functions of their chairs and how to achieve the correct seating position and posture, thus maximising comfort and productivity throughout the working day.

Century Office are a leading UK office and contract furniture supplier, with over 40 years’ experience in the industry. They provide workplace solutions and offer a tailored approach for architects, interior designers & facility managers for small offices to large corporations as well as educational facilities. Please visit the Century Office website at www.century-office.co.uk or telephone 08000 929301 for more information. Century Office offers a complete service from survey and design through to supply and installation.

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