Search Results for: workforce

Connection through design: The role of office designers in fostering workplace ties

Connection through design: The role of office designers in fostering workplace ties

For office designers creating spaces that foster rich, interpersonal connections between colleagues both in-person and remote is essential.For office designers creating spaces that foster rich, interpersonal connections between colleagues both in-person and remote is essential. Design with Impact is a philosophy that can help workplaces prepare to host these meaningful interactions, cultivating a shared sense of purpose among employees. There are many ways that people connect with spaces and within spaces. Physical connection is the most fundamental, and perhaps most obvious type of workplace connection. In-person interaction allows for immediate communication, the ability to read body language, and some would argue, a more meaningful connection than any relationship that can be built over video call. More →

The city and the office have much to teach each other

The city and the office have much to teach each other

It’s common to hear people say that the boundaries between the traditional workplace and the outside world have become blurred but it might be closer to the truth to say that in a growing number of cases they have been eradicated and that the evolution of cities and offices is informed by a two way exchange of DNA. Whatever you might hear, these times are far from unprecedented. History has lessons for us both in terms of how we view the events of 2020 and how we might respond to them, including how we progress as a species and make our lives and the world a better place. In 1832, there was an epidemic of cholera in the UK’s towns and cities. In those with a population of 100,000 or more life expectancy was just 26 years. The reasons for this were picked up on by a government official called Edwin Chadwick as a member of the Poor Law Commission.   More →

People are cautiously optimistic about the impact of AI and other tech

People are cautiously optimistic about the impact of AI and other tech

both employers and employees are optimistic about the impact new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will have on their workplace – even though decision makers feel more optimistic than staffEmployers and staff are optimistic about impact of new technologies, despite uncertainty about safety according to a new British Safety Council survey. The YouGov survey commissioned by British Safety Council among 4018 UK employers and employees claims that both employers and employees are optimistic about the impact new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will have on their workplace – even though decision makers feel more optimistic than staff. More →

Mediocre offices won’t encourage people to spend more time in them

Mediocre offices won’t encourage people to spend more time in them

Dry, uninspiring offices and long, costly commutes are principal causes for a lack of office-based working, according to a new poll.Dry, uninspiring offices and long, costly commutes are principal causes for a lack of office-based working, according to a new poll. The survey, commissioned by design and fit-out firm Peldon Rose claims that 1 in 3 (34 percent) office-based workers in London have a ‘nightmare journey’ into work each day, which ultimately deters almost half (46 percent) from travelling into the office. For those that do come into the office, more than a third (38 percent) believe their working environment is uninspiring and unfit for purpose. More →

How IT Simplification creates a superior Digital Employee Experience

How IT Simplification creates a superior Digital Employee Experience

Digital Employee Experience refers to the quality of employees' interactions with technology in their work environment, and as remote work becomes the norm, a seamless DEX is crucial. The workplace continues to evolve rapidly, with the shift to hybrid models now featuring heavily in employees’ expectations. Indeed, a recent global study of workers from 11 countries, including the UK, shows 44 percent of employees prefer hybrid work. This new chapter in workplace dynamics could explain Gartner’s recent research, which has shown a growing focus on the Digital Employee Experience (DEX). The findings revealed that by 2025 half of IT organisations will have a DEX strategy, up from just 20 percent in 2023. DEX refers to the quality of employees’ interactions with technology in their work environment, and as remote work becomes the norm, a seamless DEX is crucial. More →

Why a ‘listening culture’ could do more harm than good 

Why a ‘listening culture’ could do more harm than good 

Over the past few months, we have seen large corporates hit the headlines due to some poor business practices. Leaders from all of those companies have made statements where they accept responsibility and state they are looking to do things differently in the future. Whether it’s the statement by CEO Nick Read in light of the Post Office Horizon scandal, or Boeing CEO David Calhoun answering questions in the US Senate, one word that keeps cropping up is ‘listening’. More →

How AI will transform the way we design and manage the places we work

How AI will transform the way we design and manage the places we work

The future of work is here. It's AI-powered, human-centered, and brimming with possibility. Are you ready to shape it?The integration of Artificial Intelligence into the workplace is not just a technological shift; it’s a fundamental reimagining of how we work, interact, and manage our professional environments. As AI capabilities rapidly evolve, they promise to transform every aspect of workplace design and management, from physical layouts to organizational structures and employee experiences. More →

Book review – Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm

Book review – Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm

This is almost certainly the most important book about work and workplaces to appear in the first half of this year. Working Assumptions by Julia Hobsbawm will be one of the two most important published this year, as we shall soon discover. It is also one packed with wisdom, knowledge and a central premise that is undoubtedly true. Namely that the events of the past four years have given us the opportunity to rethink how we work and so how we spend our days and our lives more generally. More →

Understanding enterprise search software and its importance in the business landscape

Understanding enterprise search software and its importance in the business landscape

Businessman using enterprise search tool and talking on the phoneAs the digital landscape of business continues to expand, the ability to navigate vast repositories of information swiftly and accurately is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. In this article, we will explore the span of enterprise search, its central features, and the positive outcomes it ripples through an organization. Keep reading to understand how enterprise search software can transform your business processes. More →

What’s so wrong with being slaves to the rhythm of the working week?

What’s so wrong with being slaves to the rhythm of the working week?

we need to rethink our attitude to the working week, and that shouldn’t mean replacing one rigid approach with anotherOne of the most familiar ways we measure time has its roots in a famous instance of daydreaming. The story goes that in 1583 a young student at the University of Pisa called Galileo Galilei was daydreaming in the pews while his fellow students were dutifully reciting their prayers. He noticed that one of the altar lamps was swaying back and forth and even as its energy dissipated, the arc of each swing slowed so that each took the same amount of time as the last, measured against his own pulse. More →

Majority of working parents say they would look for a new job if they were required to travel

Majority of working parents say they would look for a new job if they were required to travel

New research among working parents claims that three quarters (74 percent) would look for a new job if they were asked to travel to a central office five days a week.New research among working parents claims that three quarters (74 percent) would look for a new job if they were asked to travel to a central office five days a week. The study, undertaken by International Workplace Group among more than 1,000 parents in hybrid working roles, highlights that 83 percent said they were better parents as a result of the flexibility offered by hybrid working. 89 percent say they are closer to their children and are more present (92 percent), while 86 percent say their family’s quality of life has improved. More →

Younger people put far less emphasis on flexible working than older colleagues

Younger people put far less emphasis on flexible working than older colleagues

Demand for flexible working options surged during the pandemic but has since become less important to people, according to ADP Research Institute’s People at Work 2024: A Global Workforce ViewDemand for flexible working options surged during the pandemic but has since become less important to people, according to ADP Research Institute’s People at Work 2024: A Global Workforce View [registration]. Overall, the survey of  nearly 35,000 people in 18 countries suggests flexible working hours are important to 25 percent of workers, while 15 percent value flexible locations. Workers of all ages and in all regions rank flexibility of location below salary, job security, work enjoyment and career progression. In Europe, only 14 percent of respondents favour flexible location, a slightly smaller share than in Asia Pacific (15 percent), Latin America (15 percent), and North America (17 percent). More →