officebroker.com Blog

89% Bad Bosses Demotivating Workforce

2012-02-10T15:48:00+00:00

Would you rather be hungover, holding a credit card bill and facing a messy house than talking to your boss?

An international survey from Development Dimensions International (DDI), which polled nearly 1300 workers from around the world, has revealed that most of their survey respondents would.

As well as rating talking to the boss worse than many other dreaded tasks, the majority of unhappy international employees find their managers:

• Not motivational (89%)

• Not calm or constructive (70%)

• Not good for self-esteem (60%)

• A good reason to quit (55%)

If they were working for their ‘best ever’ boss, 79% of the same respondents claim they would be significantly more productive. But since they’re not, nearly half declare that even if they could bring themselves to do better for their current manager, they wouldn’t.

“We wanted to hear how the customers of leaders themselves saw their managers and bosses,” explains Simon Mitchell, DDI UK director and a co-author of the report, Lessons for Leaders from the People Who Matter. “Workers report that managers fail to ask for their ideas and input, are poor at work-related conversations and do not provide sufficient feedback on their performance, so it’s no wonder employee engagement levels are low.”

In 2010 a previous DDI survey found that 87% of bosses rated themselves either ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ even though 53% were found struggling to gain commitment from their staff. Apparently, there are a lot of bosses out there wondering why no one in their department is putting in much of an effort.

Are the world’s leaders failing the workforce? Or is this just a gripe as old as the working world?

Elsewhere on the Blog...

• 40% of Employees Don’t Trust Boss

• Britain: Land of the Rich & Stressed?

• Top 10: Resolutions at Work

England Manager Vs Serviced Office

2012-02-09T17:06:00+00:00

Choosing the right manager for England is a lot like choosing the right serviced office – you must explore your options, assess the pros and cons of each candidate and ultimately decide which of the choices will provide the best fit both structurally and culturally.

Ok – so this is certainly a tongue-in-cheek connection - but whoever the FA elects to be the next England manager (assuming they actually want the thorny crown) will have a host of expectations, hopes and concerns placed upon their shoulders – mirroring the factors that a decision maker also faces when selecting the right location from which to operate their business.

What matters in both cases is that you balance the options, digest the advice on offer and ultimately select the solution which you believe will deliver the best results in term of meeting the aims and objectives of the organisation concerned.

While the FA “know” football, it will not always be the case that such a detailed knowledge of the existing options will be available – perhaps one reason why many firms seek out expect advice or guidance when moving toward important decisions.

Here at officebroker.com, the UK’s leading independent broker to the serviced office market, we understand this better than most – after all we guide 1,000’s of businesses through the process of searching, selecting and securing office space each year.

So while FA Chairman David Bernstein may not be ringing us for advice on the merits of Harry Redknapp or Jose Mourinho as the future of English football – we would be a great contact if any of the parties involved were in need of an office from which to plan their tactics for Euro 2012.

The Olympic Lockdown: Is Homeworking an Option?

2012-02-08T12:31:00+00:00

The government recently issued advice to businesses around working hours and commuting times during the London 2012 Olympics, in an effort to prevent traffic chaos.

A Department for Transport spokesperson has said: “The government wants to deliver a great 2012 Olympic Games and keep London and the UK moving at the same time.

“This is about encouraging staff to reduce the impact of their travel by either walking or cycling, changing their route of travel to and from work, re-timing their working day to avoid the busiest periods or working from home.”

But many may choose to avoid the commute altogether. Today in Slough, O2 is trialling an option set to be taken by many local businesses by sending employees home to work for the day in readiness for the summer’s disruptions. But is this otherwise favourable method really a viable option?

Homeworking may turn out to be unfeasible for many, as fears have arisen that the internet will not be able to cope with significantly increased demand during the 2012 Olympics.

The government has warned that many service providers may choose to cap their data to cope with an influx of visitors, many of whom will be streaming Games footages live across the UK. Capping data would allow for more users, but each with limited bandwidth. Workers based at home during this time could seriously struggle with their access.

“There’s a major risk that home workers are unable to work effectively due to internet over-capacity and being out of the office environment for over a month,” says Kathryn Hunt, Head of Olympic Operations for MWB Business Exchange.

“Traffic hotspots have received a lot of media coverage but we’ve heard very little about potential internet traffic problems.”

This latest development, coming just months away from the opening ceremony, may throw a spanner in the works for the strategies of hundreds of businesses in and around London.

How will your business cope with the impact of the London 2012 Olympics?

Elsewhere on the Blog...

• Workspace Revolution Planned for Whitehall

• 2012: The Year of the Flexible Office

• Olympics Bring Golden Opportunities for UK Businesses

Britain: Land of the rich & stressed?

2012-02-07T15:58:00+00:00

A new report by the Chartered Institute of Personal & Development (CIPD) has found that we Britons are richer but more stressed than we were when the Queen first took to the throne in 1952.

The report, which states that nearly 6m extra workers are clocking in each day, highlights the continued threat of unemployment as one factor upping the levels of work-related stress affecting us afflicted Brits.

Whilst stress levels have reportedly risen, the average number of hours worked by the Queen’s subjects has decreased – falling from an average of 42 hours in 1952 to 32 in this, the year of the diamond jubilee - driven by a 22% increase in part time workers.

Also highlighted in the report is the rise of the entrepreneurial spirit, with the number of self-employed workers doubling to 14%.

More concerning however was the number of households in which no one was apparently earning anything – which has reportedly jumped from just 4% to 18.8% in the last 60 years.

The report does however conclude that those of us in employment have become far more productive – with the value of the goods and services produced quadrupling.

Google Set to Open 'Internet University' in East London

2012-02-07T14:46:00+00:00

Search giant Google recently unveiled a plan to establish an ‘internet university’ at their refurbished seven-storey office space in Shoreditch, East London.

Google signed a ten-year contract on the building in Bonhill Street in 2011 to provide opportunities for local online start-ups and entrepreneurs, alongside Google advisors.

These plans will come to fruition when the Google Campus opens next month, bringing new vitality to the vision of East London’s ‘Tech City’ innovation project and helping create a tangible digital presence for entrepreneurs in the East End.

The so-called Google ‘Campus’, developed in cooperation with existing local technology firms, includes the following benefits to new businesses:

• Over 200 desks for rent

• Project booths for private working

• Meeting rooms, presentation rooms and event spaces

• Entertainment and refreshment facilities

“In the coming weeks, Google, working with a number of partners, will officially open Campus - Silicon Roundabout’s largest co-working space and entrepreneur community,” Google has announced on their new Campus website. “Across seven floors, Campus will offer work areas, events space, chilled out relaxation points and a cafe.

“East London’s Tech City is already home to hundreds of world-leading developers, entrepreneurs and ideas. It is rapidly developing into an exciting centre for tech start-ups. Campus’ goal is to fuel the success of the UK start-up community.”

Elsewhere on the Blog...

• Innovation Office Space Offered by Google

• Tech Start-ups Face Office Shortage

• At Home in the Office

Technology Firms Upgrade Office Space Demand

2012-02-06T10:40:00+00:00

The flurry of tech-orientated firms snapping up office space in Central London should underpin a long-term confidence in the market according to Knight Frank – with the arrival of Apple, Facebook and Google helping to double the up-take of office space secured by the technology sector during 2011.

Outlined in the commercial agents Silicon London report, it is reported that office take-up by technology firms increased from 640,000 sq. ft. in 2010 to 1.3m sq. ft. in Central London during 2011.

The report also shows that demand was widespread – extending beyond the so-called “Silicon Roundabout” of Shoreditch to reach Covent Garden, Farringdon, Fitzrovia and even the Southbank.

While the overall up-take of office space decreased across Central London during 2011, particularly in the financial sector, it is also reported that supply continued to decrease – resulting in stable rent levels being recorded in the City.

The report does however state that a wider demand for office space across the capital could return as early as the summer of 2012 – with James Roberts, head of commercial research at Knight Frank stating that: “If office demand from tech firms doubles during an economic slowdown, it will be interesting to see what happens when growth improves.”

John Snow, head of central London offices for the commercial agent explained: “That companies, like Apple, Google, and Facebook want to be in London over other European cities is a great vote of confidence in the capital.

“This is a time of huge change for London, with the foreign influence growing in both the leasing and investment market. London is a business friendly environment, which is the lure for overseas companies and investors. I expect this globalisation of London to continue.”

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Related Articles:

Central & Greater London Q4 2011

Tech Start-ups Face Office Shortage

Innovation Office Space Offered by Google

Central Bristol Overview: 2011

2012-02-03T13:57:00+00:00

The number of businesses enquiring about serviced office space in Bristol city centre increased by 16% during 2011 – highlighting the growing appeal for flexibility amongst UK companies.

Published in the City Focus: Bristol report from officebroker.com, part of a regular research series which tracks trends and changes in the UK’s serviced office market, the higher enquiry levels coincided with a rise in uptake – with the number of businesses signing up to a serviced office solution shown to have been 19% higher in 2011 when compared to 2010.

As enquiry levels and take-up increased so did the cost of securing serviced office accommodation in Bristol city centre – with the average monthly cost of a serviced office workstation having risen by £37 from £194 in 2010 to £231 during 2011.

While demand was shown to have increased, the data suggests that those companies making the move had smaller requirements. This is shown through the average number of workstations required by serviced office based businesses – which fell from 5.4 workstations in 2010 to 4.9 workstations during the same 12 month period of 2011.

During 2011 it would also appear that the commitment levels of those entering serviced offices increased, with an initial licence length of 10 months recorded in 2011 – an increase of 2 months on the 8 month average recorded throughout 2010.

Download Report | City Focus : Bristol Q4 2011

Related Articles:

Rise In Demand From Firms For Space In Bristol Centre

Serviced Office Review: South West Q4 2011

Avanta Expands Reading Office Space

2012-02-03T10:09:00+00:00

The Avanta business centre on Duke Street, Reading has been expanded to provide additional office space for small businesses.

The offices, between three and five workstations in size, will provide the centre with more capacity to meet the demands of SMEs and start-ups who are reportedly targeting business in the area.

“Flexible managed workspace is proving very attractive to SMEs which don’t want to incur huge set-up or cap-ex costs and which appreciate hassle-free access to high quality office accommodation,” says Geraint Evans, Sales & Marketing Director for Avanta.

“During the past six months some 87% of our enquiries have been for 10 workstations or less and this demand is showing no sign of slowing down. In fact, Reading’s position at the heart of the M4 corridor’s ‘silicon valley’ combined with its great road and rail links to London, the Midlands and the South West, make it a desirable location at which to base a business.”

The view that office space in Reading is becoming increasingly popular with SMEs and start-ups is supported by our own research here at officebroker.com in the form of our quarterly Serviced Office Reviews.

Statistics gathered for the Thames Valley region record that the average size of office space required by serviced office tenants in 2011 was 4.6 workstations; suggesting that the offices being made available at Dukesbridge House could be ideally suited to current demand.

The Avanta business centre at Dukesbridge House is now in a position to offer even more small businesses in the area access to their range of fully furnished office space, advanced technology, Wi-Fi-equipped meeting rooms and the support of highly trained centre staff.

Find out more about the business centre at Duke Street, Reading through the officebroker.com website.

Elsewhere on the Blog

• Green Light for Leeds Office Development

• Expansion for Runcorn Business & Technology Park

• Orega to Open Hammersmith Business Centre

Orega Signs New Tenants to Staines Office Space

2012-02-02T12:15:00+00:00

Seven new signings at Orega’s office space in Staines has seen the business centre grow to a total of 87 occupied workstations.

Three of the new tenants are international organisations establishing office space in Staines for the first time and another three were sourced from nearby offices seeking an alternative service offering in the local area.

Centre Manager, Sarah Pennacchini, reports that the Staines office has been enjoying a ‘wave of activity’ in recent months.

“This has resulted in signings totalling almost 5,800 square feet,” says Sarah. “International clients like Coraid and McDermott recognise our excellent access to Heathrow airport, London and southern England via the motorway network.”

Orega, whose Gatwick office won our Business Centre of the Month award in January 2011, is a national serviced office provider, priding itself on the provision of flexible office space suited to a range of businesses. A new part-time office scheme allows clients to rent permanent office space while they may spend a portion of their weekly business hours elsewhere.

As Sarah Pennacchini reports: “Our flexible and well-equipped offices and professional, friendly staff appeal to a wide range of companies considering relocating or expanding.”

Elsewhere on the Blog

• 2012: The Year of the Flexible Office

• Further Success and Expansion for Orega in Manchester

• officebroker.com’s Business Centre of the Month: January 2011

Harrogate Council to Invest in Greener Office Space

2012-02-01T15:18:00+00:00

Harrogate Borough Council could be the latest authority to undertake an initiative to reduce carbon emissions, as the cabinet meets to consider selling five office spaces in Leeds town centre and relocating to a single office space.

The new Leeds City Region Green Panel, of which Harrogate chief executive, Wallace Simpson, is a member, is leading the region’s green promotion with an aim to cut Council office emissions by 40% for 2020.

“The buildings that we occupy, how we buy fuel and energy, the cost of our fleet of vehicles and ways of working to minimise impact on public and private transport,” Mr Sampson said to the Yorkshire Post.

“The accommodation move strategy is an environmental policy as well as a money-saving one. The new building will enable us to occupy the building in a much more sustainable way.”

Harrogate Borough Council has a strong green history, having reduced emissions in houses by 50-70% through new heat pumps and equipped local exhibition halls with various forms of renewable power. This proposed relocation would see the authority following in the footsteps of other councils around England as the government continues to demonstrate a commitment to eco-friendly operations.

The decision is due to be discussed by Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet today (February 1st 2012).

Elsewhere on the Blog

• Red Light on Green Belt Development

• Going Green in 2012

• £120m Eco Development Planned for Dudley