August 15, 2019

Firms with a balance of men and women outperform male dominated rivals

The share performance and other metrics of listed companies with a balance of men and women tend to be better than those of male-dominated rivals, according to a new report from Morgan Stanley. The report is based on Morgan Stanley’s HERS ranking, a new measurement the investment bank has developed to evaluate gender diversity at companies and its impact on performance. It determines the gender diversity of a company by factoring in the percentage of women on boards, in the executive and management team, and in the workforce generally. (more…)

August 8, 2019

Bosses at financial services firms falling behind on tech know-how

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

With widespread disruption from new and emerging technologies facing companies, the financial services sector is still lacking in both diversity and CEOs with a background in technology, according to recent analysis from recruitment firm,Robert Half UK. According to the results of the annual Robert Half FTSE 100 CEO Tracker, not one of the CEOs leading the FTSE 100’s financial services companies has a background in technology. By contrast, the proportion of CEOs with a background in technology across all sectors has increased by 27 percent over the past year, as the impact of digitisation is felt across multiple industries and sectors. (more…)

July 31, 2019

Political chat dominates watercooler moments

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

UK workers are becoming increasingly saturated with political chat with just under half (46 percent) claiming they’ve noticed a significant increase in discussions had by colleagues since the EU Referendum. Despite once being considered the ultimate professional faux pas, new research from Jobsite.co.uk claims that political chat has now entered our workplaces in a big way with 3 in 5 comfortable discussing political matters. (more…)

July 29, 2019

The tipping point for flexible working arrives

by James Geekie • Comment, Flexible working, Workplace design

Although people have been talking about flexible working in one way or another for decades – the economist John Maynard Keynes declared in 1930 that technological advances would lead to a 15-hour working week – we may now be at the tipping point where work takes on an entirely different character. (more…)

July 24, 2019

Commercial property sector shifts focus to wellbeing in response to tenant demands

by Mark Eltringham • News

A new report from the Urban Land Institute (ULI), claims that the wave of interest in wellbeing in the UK is expected to translate into significant investment from the commercial property sector over the next three years. The report, Picture of health: the growing role of wellbeing in commercial real estate investment decision-making, has been published by the ULI UK Sustainability Forum to highlight the rise of wellbeing investment in commercial buildings. The report from ULI UK was sponsored by E.ON and addresses questions about the investment case for incorporating wellbeing into buildings and how to measure its impact. (more…)

July 10, 2019

Vast majority of workers want more flexible hours

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

The overwhelming majority (84 percent of workers) would like their organisations to offer more flexible hours of work, whether that’s time to suit personal needs, or the occasional early finish, according to a new report from Totaljobs. While employees have the legal right to request flexible working from their employer regardless of their existing contract, some companies have already built greater flexibility into their employer offering. Some go one step further with “agile working”, whereby employees can work from any location, at any time, by utilising appropriate technology. (more…)

July 10, 2019

Google remains most attractive company to work for

by Jayne Smith • News, Workplace

Universum Global has launched the findings for the UK portion of its annual Global Talent Survey (registration) which claims that Google is the UK’s most attractive company to work for by graduates for the seventh consecutive year. Universum studied 39,500 students from 97 British Universities to understand the career aspirations, goals and workplace requirements for graduates.

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July 8, 2019

Flexible office demand in Paris almost double the global average

by Neil Franklin • Coworking, News, Property

Demand for flexible office space in Paris is almost double the global average, according to a report by Instant Offices. With demand for office space on the rise in Paris, serviced offices have seen a 26 percent increase while hybrid space has seen a 23 percent increase. While the city ranks fourth globally by the size of supply, Paris is considered to be one of the largest flexible office markets in Europe and ranks among the top 10 best start-up cities in the world. Alongside New York, San Francisco and London, Paris also remains one of the most expensive places to rent a desk. Despite this, demand in the city is on the rise as more large businesses choose flexible offices over conventional leases. (more…)

July 2, 2019

More people than ever plan to work past 65 but health fears remain

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

According to ONS statistics, nearly three quarters (71 percent), or 23 million UK based employees, plan to work beyond the age of 65, but two in five of these (41 percent) – equivalent to 9.5 million workers – are concerned their health will make it difficult to do so, according to new research from Canada Life Group Insurance. Over a quarter (27 percent) of UK employees think their boss views older workers as a ‘hassle’ because of these possible health struggles. This highlights the potential for poor health to act as a barrier to employment and retention of older workers. Employees also believe their boss perceives older workers as stuck in their ways (30 percent) and technologically inept (30 percent). Among the biggest concerns of those intending to work beyond the age of 65 is that they will be treated differently because their boss or colleagues perceive them as being ‘old’. (more…)

June 26, 2019

Flexible working is the new measure of success

by Ben Chatfield • Comment, Flexible working

Professional bragging rights were once the preserve of top earners. Those with massive salaries, huge bonuses, and in some cases, even bigger egos. Money equals success – technology has shifted that long held view. Today flexible working, in terms of hours, location and role, has become an embraced reality and chief workplace priority. Technology has blurred the lines between work and life. The new “digitally native” workforce now expect a flexibility and access in every aspect of their lives. More than ever, work is seen as an adventure which is to be explored, rather than accepted. (more…)

June 20, 2019

Tech workers prefer to work for larger corporations

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology, Workplace

UK SMEs are losing out to big tech in the battle to recruit top tech talent, according to Robert Half UK’s new report, Recruiting for the future: The challenges for UK SMEs. The white paper, which was based on an independent study of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) across the UK, found that three quarters (75 percent) of CIOs believe that it is more challenging for SMEs to attract tech workers because they prefer to work for larger technology companies. (more…)

June 20, 2019

Area opens new Birmingham office

by Freddie Steele • Company news

Office design and fit-out form Area is expanding its UK operation and opening a new office base in Birmingham to support and grow its existing client base. The move to Birmingham – one of the UK’s most dynamic regions – comes on the back of a series of successful projects in the region and builds on strong relationships with local clients such as Mills & Reeve, Zurich, Legal & General, Jaguar Land Rover, KPMG, Handelsbanken, Aviva, Grant Thornton and Deloitte. Birmingham and the West Midlands are regarded by economists and businesses alike as one of the most promising places in Britain to invest and grow, which creates opportunities for the commercial property market. (more…)