March 2, 2020
A new report from the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) claims that better support for line managers is needed in the workplace. The Squeezed Middle: Why we should be hugging and not squeezing line managers recommends that HR metaphorically ‘hugs and not squeezes’ people in management roles, if organisations are looking to lower health related sickness absence and stimulate productivity growth. (more…)
February 26, 2020
The UK is ignoring the value of millions of workers by overlooking workplace training and opportunities to upskill, a new survey has suggested. According to the Missing Millions report from City & Guilds Group, a third of employees have either not received workplace training in the last five years or have never had any such training – equating to 17.8 million people in the UK with outdated skills. The result, the report claims, is declining productivity and problems remaining competitive. (more…)
February 26, 2020
Three quarters of organisations say access to market opportunities is their key motivation for international expansion, according to a report. Businesses also named access to specialist skills as one of the main factors that influence their international growth ambitions (cited by 67 percent), alongside proximity to suppliers and resources (66 percent) and access to affordable labour (55 percent). (more…)
February 26, 2020
Two thirds of UK business leaders expect developments in technology to lead to an increase in the number of permanent jobs created this year, a survey has suggested. The South West and Wales region is the most confident about the impact of new technology, with nearly three quarters of businesses anticipating jobs growth, compared to 56 percent in the least optimistic region, the North of England. (more…)
February 21, 2020
A new analysis of the UK’s job market claims there were 52 percent fewer available jobs listed for professionals with technology skills at the end of 2019, compared to six months earlier. Accenture’s UK Tech Talent Tracker analysed data from LinkedIn’s Professional Network. This shows 78,000 job vacancies advertised that require skills in emerging technologies, down from 162,000 last June. This decrease was driven by a 64 percent reduction in the number of advertised jobs for data analysts. (more…)
February 19, 2020
The inherent preference employers have for candidates with natural leadership ability could have a negative effect on their organisation, according to new research by Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). The study, On Leading and Managing: Synonyms or Separate (and Unequal)? published in the Academy of Management journal suggests that firms tend to choose leaders over managers regardless of their culture and needs. (more…)
February 19, 2020
Employees use just 38 percent of their knowledge and expertise at work, meaning organisations are failing to unlock even half of the brainpower of their people, research has claimed. According to the survey of more than 1,000 UK and US “knowledge workers” by Starmind, 90 percent of employees want more opportunities to share knowledge and expertise and three quarters believe their organisation would benefit from accessing more of their expertise. More than 6 in 10 respondents feel they could contribute more but don’t know how, while nearly two-thirds say they have knowledge their organisation isn’t aware of or doesn’t capitalise on. (more…)
February 17, 2020
An increase in hiring intentions among public sector employers looks set to support further employment growth in the UK, according to a report from the CIPD and the Adecco Group. The latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook survey suggests that public sector employment growth is expected to increase in line with the private sector for the first time since 2008. (more…)
February 11, 2020
Freelancers value the freedom and flexibility of being their own boss but their happiness is most closely correlated with how much money they earn, a survey of 7,000 freelancers has claimed. According to the report from Payoneer (registration required), the worldwide average hourly rate charged by freelancers is $21, up from $19 two years ago. This is significantly higher than the average salary in many of the 150 countries surveyed. Those who work exclusively in freelancing earn a higher rate and are more satisfied with their lifestyle than those who split their time working for a company. (more…)
February 7, 2020
According to new government figures, the country’s digital sector contributed £149 billion to the UK in 2018, accounting for 7.7 percent of the economy. This is up 7.9 percent on the previous year, meaning growth in the sector is nearly six times larger than growth across the economy as a whole, which increased by 1.4 percent. (more…)
February 5, 2020
Employees believe flexible working allows them to do their best work yet they also feel permanent connectivity is damaging their health, an international survey of more than 1,000 workers has suggested. In the study conducted by Quartz Insights in partnership with Citrix Systems, Inc, respondents ranked flexible working as the third most important factor – behind salary and leadership – enabling them to do their best work. However, two thirds also believed the “always on” mentality has a significant negative impact on their health. (more…)
February 21, 2020
What happens when leaders have too much charisma?
by Kevin Murray • Business, Comment