Challenge Network Middle East

31/03/2022

"In 2021, digital delivery was characterized by a lot more thought leadership and process redefinition. By this time, it had become clear that the workplace had permanently changed. People wanted to build on what they now had, but they also wanted to revisit some of their earlier decisions around processes and tools, and apply a more careful and methodical approach to reworking them. And so most digital delivery teams really used 2021 to set a new baseline for the digital workplace and for digital project delivery.

Things started to shift again in the last three months of 2021. Digital workplace leaders started to talk more about automation. It was a case of now that processes were laid out and well-defined, how could they be improved? [...]"

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We need to get smarter at how we source and administratively support talent, in order to deliver the next batch of digital workplace projects this year.

11/03/2022

"Biotech giant Genentech has long been hailed as a great place to work. In the mid-2000s, magazine profiles highlighted its informal, freewheeling culture and mission-driven science but emphasized its campus’ many perks: made-to-order sushi, onsite day care and regular Friday evening parties known as “ho-hos.”

But in a , such perks—or such antics—aren’t as accessible. Currently, about 5,500 of the 13,000 employees at Genentech, No. 14 on Forbes list of America’s Best Large Employers, work onsite in an average week. [...]

The pandemic has certainly changed the workplace. The entire workforce had no choice but to develop new skills and experiences during the pandemic."

Read the full article here below!
Forbes

The squishy definition of culture that consultants like to repeat—“how things get done around here”—gets even harder to grok when the “here” is no longer a place most people go every day.

04/03/2022

A decade from now, offices shall be used for one thing and one thing only: quality time with colleagues.
This seemingly bold prediction comes from Prithwiraj Choudhury, a Harvard Business School professor and expert on remote work.

“We will probably in 10 years stop calling this ‘remote work’. We’ll just call it work,” he said.
A long-time advocate of “work from anywhere,” Choudhury has studied firms that went 100 per cent remote years before the pandemic, including software companies Gitlab and Zapier. His research showed that a hybrid workforce is more productive, more loyal and less likely to leave. With companies from Twitter o PwC now giving employees the option to work virtually forever, Choudhury said businesses that don’t adapt risk higher attrition. [...]"

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A decade from now, offices may only be used for one thing and one thing only: quality time with colleagues.

18/02/2022

"If there’s one phrase we’ve heard constantly for the past two years, it’s that work will never be the same again. On the cusp of 2022, who’d have ever imagined we’d still be figuring out what that means?

In 2021, we assumed we’d return to something a little more consistent, with more concrete answers than we had in 2020. We envisioned ourselves back in offices at least a few days a week, returning to meetings (albeit with more hand sanitiser). But, for much of the workforce, things haven’t played out that way; if anything, 2021 showed us that what’s going to be ‘normal’ in the world of work is a constantly moving target. [...]"

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BBC

The workplace is now… different, to say the least. The biggest lessons we’ve learned about the world of work in 2021 are at once stark and exciting.

08/02/2022

"New research by Bupa claims there are five toxic workplace habits that are especially harmful to employee wellbeing, including ‘chronic procrastination’ and ‘workplace stress’. As a result, UK employees are actively searching for advice on how to manage their at work.

These new habits are harming our workplace health and wellbeing, according to Bupa’s Lead Behavioural Insights Advisor Lauren Gordon: “With so much change to our working lives over the past year, our usual work behaviours and routines have been disrupted. This is causing many employees to feel anxious, stressed and underwhelmed in their working lives."

Read the full article here: https://workplaceinsight.net/toxic-workplace-habits-continue-to-undermine-wellbeing/

27/01/2022

"The sweeping change that has taken place over the last two years with the outbreak of COVID-19 has made everyone realize that things will not be the same anymore. According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, 50% of all employees will need to reskill by 2025 as the adoption of technology increases.

New technologies will come up, making the old ones obsolete, which makes it absolutely essential for the professions to keep learning, unlearning, and relearning. In fact, emerging technologies are transforming the world of work, pushing the workforce towards the need to acquire new in-demand skills and adapt to future jobs."

Read more at: https://www.cxotoday.com/ai/most-in-demand-tech-skills-for-2022-and-beyond/

CXOToday speaks to experts from the industry to identify the most in-demand skills employers are going to prioritize in 2022.

11/01/2022

"2021 has shed light on antiquated leadership skills, employee wellness over revenue, and, most of all, creativity to remain relevant as the world continues to change and digitalize. So, as individuals and companies slow down and begin to reflect on the past year, CEOs across various sectors ponder the following question: What lessons can leaders take from 2021 and put into practice in the coming year?"

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Forbes

2021 has shed light on antiquated leadership skills, employee wellness over revenue, and, most of all, creativity to remain relevant as the world continues to change and digitalize. So, what lessons can leaders take from 2021 and put into practice in the coming year?

20/12/2021

"According to a recent survey by TELUS International, 51 percent of employees felt less connected to their company culture while working remotely during the pandemic. 57 percent missed interacting with colleagues, 53 percent missed in-person team collaboration, and 50 percent simply missed having a clearly defined separation between work and home.

In response to feedback received in similar surveys, many companies are seeking to answer questions related to a remote work environment.
👉 How do companies engage a distributed workforce?
👉How do companies transition company culture to remote work environments?
👉How does HR retain quality staff?"

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theHRDIRECTOR



https://www.thehrdirector.com/5-ways-to-build-corporate-culture-remotely/

01/12/2021

"Over the years, the notion of the “workplace” as the place where work gets done has come under challenge. An employed individual typically spends over 8 to 10 hours a day at work, whether on premise or remotely, and if we consider the time someone spends thinking about a work problem or a solution to a challenge, the actual figure may be higher.
Given this, the role of organisations and of the workplace in aiding health and wellness – physical and mental – is only becoming more important. [...]

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Employee wellbeing needs to be at the core of any workplace discussion around policies procedures and practices and this focus on well being needs to cascade from the top

19/11/2021

"Just over a fifth of the world's largest companies have announced aggressive net-zero carbon goals in the last year, a trend bolstered by the current economic situation and changing consumer preferences.
For the manufacturing and supply chain sectors, these goals play a significant role in reducing environmental impacts. Approximately 77% of all emissions in the U.S. are attributed to manufacturing production. At this rate, while other industries reduce or eliminate emissions, the U.S. Energy Administration predicts a 26% increase from the industrial vertical by 2050.

As other industries plan for a more agile and greener future, how can industrial companies make the same positive strides? [...]"

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Forbes

As other industries plan for a more agile and greener future, how can industrial companies make the same positive strides?

05/11/2021

"Covid-19 meant that public sector workers had to adapt – and fast.
Mass homeworking became a reality overnight in March 2020.
80% of council staff worked from home last year.
This has brought some benefits, including increased productivity and more time spent with loved ones, but it has also had a negative impact on mental health. Many people have found themselves working longer hours, with less social contact, which has led to burnout, frustration and loneliness.

Now, with lockdown restrictions lifted, many public sector organisations are taking on hybrid working models, where employees work from different locations, including the office."

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https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/importance-of-employee-wellbeing-hybrid-working/122153/

Erin Eatough, Behavioral Science Manager, BetterUp, explores why hybrid working has elevated the importance of employee wellbeing

26/10/2021

"As we shift toward a hybrid workplace, both the equity-enhancing and equity-reducing aspects of remote work are likely to be complicated and intensified. On one hand, it’s easy to imagine a two-track situation in which some people put in more face-time at the office, thereby garnering advancement opportunities and promotions, while others fall behind. It’s also easy to imagine a world in which the benefits of working remotely all or most of the time are a privilege given to some demographics more than others.

So how do you make sure your company keeps moving in the right direction — and doesn’t move backward? [...]"

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Harvard Business Review

Ask these five questions to make sure employees are being treated equitably.