businessinfomag.uk
magazine
10
agenda
Tear up the rule book to encourage innovation
CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, is urging employers to create
more stimulating working environments and to reduce the number of unnecessary rules and
procedures.
In its latest E
mployee Outlook Survey
, produced in partnership with Halogen Software, the
CIPD asked 2,000 office workers what enabled them to be productive in their jobs. The most
common answers were interesting work (40%), being able to use their own initiative (39%) and
being given tasks suited to their skills (25%).
The main obstacles to employee productivity are unnecessary rules and procedures (28%), not
having the resources available to do their jobs (28%) and office politics (24%).
Claire McCartney, research adviser at the CIPD, said businesses should foster innovation
through more empowering leadership and improved job design.
“Setting employees free to innovate and play to their strengths also involves an employment
relationship based on trust and removing unnecessary and restrictive rules and procedures that
get in the way of common sense and agility,” she said.
Wellness works
Unhealthy employees are costing British firms
£57 billion a year in lost productivity, with
an average of 23.5 days per worker, per year
lost to presenteeism and days off sick, claims
Britain’s Healthiest Company (BHC).
A study by VitalityHealth, Mercer, the
University of Cambridge and RAND Europe
shows that 36% of UK employees have a chronic
condition, such as heart disease or diabetes, and
that even those who consider themselves healthy
have unhealthy lifestyles.
The report states that 61% of workers have at
least two risk factors, such as lack of exercise or
poor diet, while a third are suffering from three
or more. Around 60% of those with three or
more risk factors believe their health to be good
or very good, which makes them less likely to
change their behaviour, BHC warns.
On a more positive note, there is evidence
that workplace wellness programmes do help.
The amount time lost to illness in BHC’s top five
ranked companies was more than a week lower
than the average; and the 25% of companies
with the largest health promotion budgets saw a
16% year-on-year reduction in productivity loss.
Back off, I’m innovating!
UK teachers remain in favour of interactive
classroom technology, despite recent
reports questioning its value.
In a Censuswide survey commissioned by
technology distributor Steljes, 97% of primary
and secondary school teachers agreed that
interactive technology does deliver an improved
learning experience in the classroom.
More than four out of five teachers (82%)
use interactive whiteboards, 64% use laptops
and 49% use tablets. Two thirds (64%) use
such technology at least four times a week to
increase engagement with students (57.9%) and
to deliver a more dynamic learning experience.
Many teachers feel they could get even
more from technology if they were given better
training and more up to date tools. Almost half
(47%) rated the technical training they receive
as satisfactory, poor or very poor. Less than a
third (31%) said their interactive technology is
regularly updated and refreshed.
Steljes commissioned the survey to promote
ClaaS, a subscription-based technology service
launched with SMART Technologies that
enables schools to acquire interactive displays
and collaborative learning software in a cost-
effective way.
Teachers back
interactive
technology
The Hannspree Pulse smart watch is the ideal
accessory for a healthier 2016. Combining a
heart rate monitor, pedometer and stopwatch,
it can also monitor sleep quality
and count calories burned
during exercise. Bluetooth
pairing with a smartphone
enables the wearer to
make/take calls, receive
email and SMS and play
music from the phone’s
library.
The secret to an innovative workplace isn’t quirky chill-out
zones, but being open to ideas and using old-school tools like a
whiteboard.
A poll of The Supper Club – a membership organisation for founders
and CEOs of high-growth businesses – reveals the three most important
tools for nurturing innovation to be fast, reliable broadband (65%),
whiteboards for brainstorming (46%) and high-speed mobile internet
access (40%).
Only 7% who took part in the Exact Innovation Pulse Check by
software provider Exact said beanbags, Ping-Pong tables and other fads
had any impact.
The survey also highlights the importance of fostering a creative
workplace culture. Six out of 10 entrepreneurs said the best way to
achieve this is for leadership teams to stop meddling and encourage
greater employee autonomy; 53% recommended continuous training
and development so staff can keep up-to-date with trends; and 40%
suggested a flat hierarchical structure to encourage open and free-
flowing lines of communication.
The greatest innovation killer was said to be a lack of encouragement
from leadership teams, with 59% saying those at the top need to adopt
a ‘no idea is a bad idea’ attitude. This was followed by ‘a lack of time
to focus on innovation’ (57%) and ‘reluctance of employees to change’
(40%).
Innovation boost: Mezzanine 3, the new Oblong Industries collaboration
solution, turns office walls into an interactive workspace. It supports an
impressive variety of screen configurations and allows participants in
multiple locations to share content.
