Working from home lifts employee productivity

More businesses are allowing staff to work from home with studies showing it increases employee productivity.

Social research and generational expert Claire Madden.

More businesses are allowing staff to work from home, with studies showing it increases employee productivity.

Telsyte research shows 84 per cent of Australian organisations have systems permitting their employees to work remotely.

Social research and generational expert Claire Madden says the flexi-work movement is spurred by widespread access to fast broadband allowing access to company files from home.

“Australia is a lifestyle-driven nation and the flexi-working movement, assisted by access to fast broadband, is opening up new opportunities for Australian workers to pursue meaningful careers while also prioritising personal commitments,” Madden says.

“The highest uptake of the new nine-to-five is expected to fall across millennials, who are accustomed to playing, learning and working anywhere, anytime.”

DIGITAL DIVIDE

The digital and technological divide between jobseekers and job requirements has never been greater, says recruiter Hays.

Australia & New Zealand managing director Nick Deligiannis calls this divide the fourth industrial revolution, with almost all the new jobs added to their quarterly report requiring the knowledge and capability to use new technologies and digital trends.

“If you aren’t continuously upskilling in new technology relevant to your field, you’re behind the times,” Deligiannis says. “Change happens so fast that some of the skills now required hadn’t been heard of a few years ago.”

Deligiannis advises people to focus on relevant fields. He says no-one can be an expert in every new development, but upskilling in relevant areas can help.

DHL TOP WORKPLACE

Asia’s best multinational workplaces list has named transportation services company DHL as the best place to work in 2017, followed by IT organisation Salesforce and the Hilton hotel group.

The Great Place to Work Institute surveyed team members in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore and Australia.

Employees from the top 60 organisations said several factors made them an attractive employer, with the most important being trust.

The report also found Australia is facing a growing skills shortage in the labour market as the economy shifts to a service dominated country.

It also puts Australia second on gender parity at the management and executive level following China’s gender balance, where 54 per cent of executive roles are taken by women and 46 per cent by men.

LEADERSHIP CAMP

A group of company directors has formed an organisation called Get on Board Australia and is offering an online boot camp to skill the next level of leadership.

Managing director Lisa Cook says with the sharing economy and tech-enabled businesses disrupting industries, directors need to tackle challenging times, increase diversity, make sure they represent client needs and understand their responsibilities — particularly in sporting or community organisations.

The 12-week online course has been created by experts in governance, law, human resources and communications. Modules cover compliance, risk management, board dynamics, resilience, decision-making, leadership and financial literacy.

“If you don’t understand the numbers consider getting up to speed before joining a board,” Cook says. “Not understanding the financial aspects is one of the quickest ways to get into trouble.”