Search Results for: skills

July 4, 2017

Fourfront Group announces merger of commercial interior businesses ⁰

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Workplace design

Fourfront Group has merged design and fit-out company Area Sq with contractor Cube to create Area, one of the largest workplace design and fit-out firms in the UK. The move comes off-the-back of an 80 percent increase in Group turnover over the last three years. Fourfront Group now consists of three businesses: Area, Sketch Studios which specialises in office furniture and logistics, and 360 Workplace which provides workplace consultancy services. Area’s CEO Gary Chandler, said the merger was agreed to ensure that Fourfront Group “can deliver a single, focused offering to the market, allowing professional teams to engage with one business irrespective of procurement criteria, for the first time. The commercial design and fit-out market is evolving at rapid pace, as professional teams become more prevalent in the procurement of projects, acting on behalf of end-user clients. This bold move of merging two well-recognised brands will enable us to be more agile and aligned to our clients and their diverse requirements. With the creation of Area, we are bringing together expertise, market knowledge and skills to create a platform for delivering excellence.”

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June 29, 2017

Majority of new managers are unprepared and unable to manage their teams ⁰

by Sara Bean • News, Workplace

Businesses across the UK could be experiencing significant losses in productivity because managers are unprepared and unable to manage their teams new research suggests. The research which was carried out by chartered fellow of the CIPD Susan Binnersley MD of development consultancy H2H, found that a majority (77.42 percent) of managers didn’t feel prepared to take on their first management role. Only 21.5 percent of people felt they had the full support of their manager when taking over a team and 69 percent admit they spent the majority of their time not managing their team in their first management role. This gets worse over time with 74 percent saying they now spend majority of their time not managing their team today; 81 percent say this is because they spend a large part of their time doing tasks their team should be responsible for. The majority (72 percent) claim this is because they want to lead by example but more than half (51 percent) admit they feel the task if done quicker if they do it. Managers also admit struggling with delegation, with 35 percent saying the struggled to let go of control, 35 percent saying they didn’t feel they had the resources and 29 percent saying it didn’t feel fair to ask someone to do the task.

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June 28, 2017

Artificial intelligence could add £232 billion to UK GDP by 2030, claims PwC research ⁰

by Neil Franklin • AI, News, Technology

UK GDP could be around 10 percent higher in 2030 as a result of artificial intelligence (AI) – the equivalent of an additional £232 billion, according to new research by PwC. This makes AI the biggest commercial opportunity in today’s fast-changing economy, according to the report’s authors. The research shows that the majority of the UK’s economic gains over the period to 2030 will come from increasing consumer demand resulting from AI driving a greater choice of products, increased personalisation of those products and making them more affordable over time. Labour productivity improvements will also drive GDP gains, but to a lesser extent. PwC’s research notes that the benefits from labour productivity growth will be felt first, with the increased consumption-led benefits from AI-enhanced products coming through later as more of them come onto the market. As this happens, competition within the AI goods market will increase dramatically, leading to future increases in the value of goods to consumers and therefore the amount people spend on them.

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June 26, 2017

Digital tech is fastest growing sector in Scotland, claims report ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

The digital technology sector is forecast to grow twice as fast as the Scottish economy overall in the years to 2024, according to research published by Skills Development Scotland and the Digital Technologies Skills Group. This growth is ‘creating unprecedented demand for digital skills with employers across all sectors seeking to harness the benefits of technology to drive innovation and increase competitiveness’. The new publication, Scotland’s Digital T echnologies, found that digital tech was the fastest growing sector of the economy accounting for five percent of Scotland’s total business base and employing two per cent of the national workforce.

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June 22, 2017

Firms still paying lip service to digital transformation, but change may be coming ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology, Workplace

Britain’s biggest businesses risk being disrupted by the pace of technological change because their senior leaders are paying lip service to the need for digital transformation, according to a study from tech startup AVADO. The study of senior managers responsible for the learning and development (L&D) of staff at Britain’s biggest firms with turnovers of over £100m found that the need for digital transformation is accepted, almost universally, among respondents. 86 percent say they have assessed the business risk of not taking action and 88 percent have taken steps to address this. Yet, despite 93 percent of L&D professionals saying a digital transformation strategy is in place, the report suggests critical top down buy-in is missing. Yet, a second report from recruiters Robert Half suggests that a growing number of firms in the key finance sector are now actively recruiting to improve their digital transformation strategy.

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June 21, 2017

Report sets out costliest cities for mobile workforce of multinationals ⁰

by Neil Franklin • News

In a rapidly changing world, mobility has become a core component of companies’ global talent strategy and as a result, multinational organisations are carefully assessing the cost of packages for their international mobile workforce, claims a new report which sets out the costs of living in the world’s major cities. Mercer’s 23rd annual Cost of Living Survey finds that factors like instability of housing markets and inflation for goods and services contribute to the overall cost of doing business in today’s global environment. Mercer’s 2017 Cost of Living Survey finds Asian and European cities – particularly Hong Kong (2), Tokyo (3), Zurich (4), and Singapore (5) – top the list of most expensive cities for expatriates. The costliest city, driven by cost of goods and security, is Luanda (1), the capital of Angola. Other cities appearing in the top 10 of Mercer’s costliest cities for expatriates are Seoul (6), Geneva (7), Shanghai (8), New York City (9), and Bern (10). The world’s least expensive cities for expatriates, according to Mercer’s survey, are Tunis (209), Bishkek (208), and Skopje (206).

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June 20, 2017

Lack of digital adoption is the greatest social challenge we face, claims new report ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Public Sector, Technology

More than 50 percent of organisations claim existing processes are preventing digital adoption, claims a new report from Agilisys, a tech firm focussed on projects in the public sector. The ‘State of the Digital Nation’ draws on findings from a survey of over 400 individuals from private and public sector organisations, who shared the progress they are making on their ‘digital transformation journeys’. The report, based on the key findings of a survey conducted by online publication Digital by Default News, considers the role of digital inclusion in the adoption of digital public services. The survey revealed that 40 percent of respondents had a clear digital vision and were already well on their way to realising the benefits. The majority (65 percent) of those surveyed considered digital one of their top organisational priorities.

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June 19, 2017

Businesses sound the alarm over Brexit as negotiations get under way ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • News, Workplace

The end of free movement of people from the EU will damage UK businesses and public service delivery unless post Brexit immigration policies take account of the need for both skilled and unskilled labour from the EU. This is a key message in new research from the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR). It also calls on businesses to broaden their recruitment and people development strategies to ensure they are doing all they can to attract and develop UK born workers, and highlights the need for significant changes to Government skills policy. The study joins a growing chorus of business leaders appealing for a rational approach to Brexit negotiations. Britain’s top business lobby groups have already come together to demand open-ended access to the European single market for as long as it takes to seal a final Brexit deal.

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June 15, 2017

Millennials most likely to have left their jobs by the end of this month ⁰

by Sara Bean • Flexible working, News, Technology, Workplace

An exodus of staff is expected at the end of June, claims a new study which predicts that 36 percent of employees will have left their jobs by the end of this month. Research from Robert Half UK entitled: ‘It’s time we all work happy: The secrets of the happiest companies and employees’ finds employees in London and the East of England are most likely to have left their roles by the end of June with nearly half of Londoners (49 percent) and 42 percent of those in cities like Cambridge, Norwich and Peterborough admitting they anticipate quitting their jobs in the first six months of the year. This trend is being driven by the millennial generation (aged 18–34), who despite experiencing above average levels of happiness (71.7) and interest (71.3) in their roles, are more likely to have left their jobs (49 percent) compared to a third of 35–54 year old’s and a fifth (21 percent) of those aged over 55. (more…)

June 14, 2017

Climate change demands a rethink for our economic models ⁰

by Neil Franklin • Environment, News

Swift and effective action is needed to create new, sustainable economic models to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on the world’s working population, claims a report published by the International Bar Association Global Employment Institute (IBA GEI). The Climate Change and Human Resources Policies Report focuses on the relationship between climate change and employment, and aims to contribute to nascent discussions anticipating structural changes to business and the training needs of workforces transitioning to low-carbon economies. The report also highlights potential issues in relation to employment policies, labour law, ‘weak’ jobs, ‘expanding’ jobs and new jobs. Further, it draws attention to what some countries are doing to help their nations’ employees adjust to industrial change, and how trade unions, employers and educators are working together to deliver green skills training.

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June 12, 2017

What will the UK General Election mean for the workplace? Some experts respond ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Architecture, Comment, Flexible working, Property, Workplace, Workplace design

Any residual feelings of certainty that anybody in the UK may have had about the country’s future following last year’s Brexit vote, will have had them pretty much eradicated by last Thursday’s General Election result. However, we must try to make sense of things for society and the wider economy as well as specific facets of it, such as the world of work. The whole thing looks like the pig’s ear that it is, of course. Fortunately, as some experts have already argued, there are some reasons to see some positive outcomes, including a soft (or softer) Brexit and the chance of a more positive approach to workplace rights, now that the Government needs to maintain a broader consensus. The fear or hope that the UK would lighten its already soft touch approach to workplace legislation would seem at least to be less well founded.

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June 9, 2017

Job satisfaction is high but more focus is needed on employee development ⁰

by Claire McCartney • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace

The CIPD/ Halogen’s Employee Outlook survey of over 2,000 employees has been tracking employee perceptions of work and working lives since 2009. In this article we explore trends in employee satisfaction with their jobs and broader engagement measures, as well as views on managers and satisfaction with learning and employee development opportunities and career fulfilment. Job satisfaction has increased since 2016, with 64 percent of employees now saying they are satisfied with their jobs, compared to just 16 percent who are dissatisfied. What is particularly interesting, though, is that job satisfaction continues to rise in the public sector at levels not seen before in this survey series. Seventy-two per cent of public sector workers are now satisfied with their jobs, compared to just 13 percent who are dissatisfied. While it’s not clear from this research exactly why such improvements have been made, it is part of an overall improvement in scores for the public sector which include attitudes to senior leaders, opportunities for voice in the workplace, as well as increased opportunities to learn and grow.