Business benefit Archives - Peter Thomson, speaker, writer, coach

Flexible workers are happier and more effective

20/12/2018

Yet another survey has shown that flexible workers are more effective than those working normal office hours. Research commissioned by the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) looked at the productivity of a group of workers who set their own hours or working location against a group of those who are not doing so. Flexible workers said they felt they worked effectively for more of a typical working day than those working a traditional ‘nine-to-five’. A quarter said they work longer…

Collaboration – Benefits of knowledge sharing

29/01/2018

Having looked earlier at the overall benefits to business that can be achieved through collaborative working, let us now consider one particular area where collaboration can deliver real improvements in performance and productivity, namely knowledge sharing. Using a variety of online platforms and technologies, tailored so as to be appropriate to the business and the individual workers involved, the sharing of knowledge, data and work tasks is a very effective way of working. Among the benefits to the business itself…

Business benefits of collaborative working

19/01/2018

Today many more businesses are embracing a collaborative workstyle with a small core of full-time professionals managing the business; more functions being outsourced to a contracted workforce of freelance, self-employed specialists who are engaged on an as-needs basis; and a flexible contingent workforce including part-time staff, interim managers and agency temps. This model was outlined in 1989 by Charles Handy in his book “The Age of Unreason” where he described “The Shamrock Organisation” with three leaves depicting each of these…

Where are we more productive – Office or Home?

26/09/2017

Almost every day we hear of yet another survey that ‘proves’ people are more productive when they are working from home, only to see other surveys that favour the office. It’s worth looking a bit closer at who is sponsoring or running the ‘research’ and how objective it really is. Recently, a survey of 5,500 ‘respondents’ concluded that 66% of professionals think they would be more productive working remotely rather than in a traditional office. Just 7% chose ‘The office…

Mobile working will reach tipping point next year

04/03/2016

The Work Foundation have just produced a fascinating report on mobile working. They have trawled through a wide range of existing literature and surveyed over 500 managers across the UK to build up a picture of the extent of mobile working today and the way it is headed over the next few years. Their survey showed that mobile working was the norm by 2014 for over one third of the individual respondents and over one third of the organisations they…

Zero Hours contracts – here to stay

27/12/2015

The CIPD have recently issued a research report on zero-hours and short-hours contracts. It makes interesting reading. It should certainly be studied by all those people criticising these flexible working arrangements and calling for more legislation or even an outright ban. The government’s Labour Force Survey shows that the number of people on zero-hours contracts has almost tripled in less than three years. Although some of this may just be greater public awareness of these arrangements it does look like…