Tag Archives: workplace

Healthcare, HR, News, North of England, Training, Training News

PAM Group takes a leap forward with new training academy

Occupational health and corporate health services provider PAM Group has opened a dedicated training academy to enhance the learning and development of its workforce.

The PAM Academy is based on the ground floor of a two-storey building at Mandarin Court in Warrington.

The 4,000sq ft building houses client services teams for PAM’s Wellness Solutions division on the first floor alongside the group’s IT support staff.

PAM Group founder and chief executive James Murphy said the academy fulfils a long-held ambition to create a bespoke training centre for clinical and non-clinical staff. It features a series of fully-equipped replica clinics and an audio booth where PAM Group specialists can train in a realistic setting.

The academy space will also be used to stage training courses and sessions for clients, covering topics such as mental health awareness, neurodiversity and health and wellbeing in the workplace.

PAM Wellness Solutions’ client services teams have relocated from the group’s corporate headquarters in Warrington and other sites, bringing together under one roof those running the group’s employee assistance programme, physiotherapy and occupational health advisory services. The open-plan upper floor can accommodate 50 staff.

James said: “I’m passionate that PAM becomes the employer of choice for people wishing to start or develop their careers in the fields in which we operate, and the academy is a leap forward for this.

“It’s common, for example, for people from the nursing profession to join us to start their journeys as occupation health professionals.

“We are developing a new career path framework for our colleagues, branded as the Elevate Programme. This will enhance routes for career development across the group, and the facilities at the new academy provide an effective and engaging space to host the learning opportunities on offer through the programme, in a bespoke environment.”

He added: “It’s a very versatile building where we can also hold departmental and inter-departmental meetings, planning sessions and workshops.

“In terms of the client services teams, the building provides a tremendous space to bring people together and improve efficiency by inspiring greater collaboration, engagement and teamwork in a stimulating working environment.”

The Mandarin Court site is a high-spec office building which PAM Group has fitted out to include a breakout area and meeting rooms as well as office space and training facilities. It has parking for 20 vehicles.

PAM Group is a major provider of occupational health, health screening and wellbeing services across the UK and Ireland. It offers a range of integrated services to public and private sector clients, supporting more than a million employees at over 1,000 businesses and organisations.

Its services include psychological support, corporate health assessments, ergonomic and assistive technology products, mobile health screening, drug and alcohol screening and a pathology laboratory. The group operates a network of 25 clinics. It also has a retail arm which supplies fitness, exercise and rehabilitation equipment to consumers, sports clubs and sports and physiotherapy professionals.

PAM, which employs more than 750 people, posted revenues of £53m for 2023 and is on track to reach £68m this year. PAM is looking to grow turnover to £90m over the next few years through continued organic expansion and further acquisitions.

The group is backed by private equity firm LDC to support its growth and the launch of new products and services.

Driving, Logistics, News

AJ Products UK Award ArrowXL With Delivery Contract As Part Of Their Growth Strategy

ArrowXL, the UK’s largest and longest established two-person home delivery specialist, has been awarded a contract by AJ Products UK, the workplace furniture & equipment supplier, to store and deliver over 800 orders a month to workplaces across the UK.

Goods will be delivered from AJ Products’ Swedish warehouse to the ArrowXL Wigan depot where they will be receipted and sorted for onward despatch by the ArrowXL delivery team.  Customers will be kept updated throughout the delivery journey and will have access to the ArrowXL’s ‘askAXL’ tracking web app, providing real time updates.

With a focus on innovation, efficiency and ergonomics, AJ Products UK create smart design-led solutions for the modern workplace and they view this partnership as an opportunity to expand their UK market share and customer offerings.

Helen Beebe, Managing Director at AJ Products UK said: “We were looking for a delivery partner who will help us to improve our customer experience, visibility and levels of communication.  ArrowXL have a fantastic reputation for providing an

exceptional delivery experience.  This combined with their bespoke range of warehousing solutions made them an obvious choice for us.”

Craig Kavanagh, Sales Director at ArrowXL, commented: “We pride ourselves on the variety of bespoke services we provide our clients and are excited to work in partnership with AJ Products UK to strengthen their presence in the market.”

ends

News

Edinburgh to Host International Conference on Neurodiversity

Essential diary date for workplace professionals

A global conference advancing insights into neurodiversity is to be hosted in Edinburgh next spring.
It Takes All Kinds Of Minds – ITAKOM – will bring together HR professionals, practitioners, academics, the care sector and families, all providing insights into how better to understand and celebrate people’s differences and provide effective support where needed.
HR specialists will learn how to cultivate and support a neurodiverse workforce. Clinicians will explore how neurodiversity appears in our genes and brain cells and the implications for diagnosis health and daily life.
ITAKOM will profile the work of more than 50 speakers from around the world including experts on neurodiversity in the workplace, neuroscientists, clinicians and comedians, among them Edinburgh’s satirical impressionist Rory Bremner, a neurodiversity advocate after being diagnosed with ADHD.
The international event, on March 13 and 14, aims to foster a better understanding of all neurodevelopmental conditions and help to create more inclusive schools, workplaces and communities.
Academics will examine current challenges and the need for greater inclusivity. Community sessions will help delegates develop a deeper understanding of neurodiversity through a range of voices from every facet of life.
The event, both in-person and virtual, is organised by Scotland charity Salvesen Mindroom Centre whose Chief Executive Officer Alan Thornburrow says: “With 15-20% of the global population estimated to be neurodivergent, it has never been more important for us to understand more about neurodiversity and how we can design better and more inclusive systems.
“By partnering with Mindroom and championing neuroinclusion in the workplace, delegates can demonstrate their commitment as an organisation that is genuinely seeking to make progress. Not only do we see neurodiversity in the workplace population, but equally with parents and carers of neurodivergent young people. By supporting employees, employers can make a tangible and positive impact to staff and their families.”
He argues that “diversity of thought needs to become much more central to business strategy – in the same way, that issues like gender equality and mental health have become integrated over the last decade. Embracing neurodiversity is key to that”.
“It takes all kinds to solve the biggest problems of our times. By working together, we can help employers build a person-centred approach in which neurodiversity is embraced and no mind is left behind.”
Workplace sessions will include the following:
• Creative Careers – Lotta Borg Skoglund, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Uppsala University, Sweden on ‘ADHD in the Workplace’ and Charlotte Garnett, Anti-Anxiety jewellery designer on ‘Handling It’ her own experience as a successful entrepreneur
• Neurodiversity and the Law – Mandy Lawrie, Head of Employment Division at Burness Paull LLP
• Diversity in Neurodiversity – Dr Nick Walker, one of the world-leading thinkers on neurodiversity and a Professor of Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, USA, on the parallels between the neurodiversity movement and other rights-based social justice movements
• ADHD & Me – Rory Bremner on how ADHD has shaped his life and work
• Employer Panel – Chaired by Mindroom with panellists from the organisation’s Neuroinclusion at Work programme who will share their journey around approaches to neurodiversity in the workplace
For more information on ITAKOM and neurodiversity in the workplace go to https://itakom.org/workplace/

News

Apple CEO right to call staff back to the workplace – and they’ll thank him in the long-run

Apple CEO Tim Cook is right to call staff back to the office – and future generations will benefit from it. That’s according to global leader in creating bespoke workplaces, Unispace.

Following reports that a group of workers – known as Apple Together – are protesting the business leader’s calls for a return to the office three days a week, Unispace has highlighted that this flexible approach will benefit both the business, its staff and its ability to recruit new talent in the longer term.

According to the report – the Reluctant Returner – 78% of office workers across Europe felt disconnected from colleagues while working mostly from home, with this number increasing to 81% for those aged 18-34. Furthermore, 77% of office workers indicated that they find is easier to bond with and get to know colleagues in the office.

The Reluctant Returner study also revealed that those in the emerging generation of the workforce (under the age of 34) would be more interested in making a return to the office to access training and development programmes, suggesting that a lack of in-person training could hinder future hiring strategies.

Lawrence Mohiuddine, CEO EMEA at Unispace, commented:

“It’s unreasonable to think an organisation can create a working set up that will keep absolutely everyone happy, but a balance between the office and remote working is arguably the best approach. While the Apple Together group are against mandated returns of any degree, I think it’s important to consider what the pandemic taught us about the world of work, namely that change can be challenging, but beneficial. Prior to the Covid outbreak, hybrid or remote working was not prevalent in many industries. During the early stages of lockdown, adjusting to working from home set ups was challenging for some. Now, finding the balance between the office and home is the greatest barrier.

“It’s all a matter of breaking habits. For employees across the globe, working remotely has become a habit that is hard to move on from, but there are benefits to in-person collaboration that make Tim Cook’s calls to return to the office understandable and valuable. These benefits go beyond the perceived ‘profitability’ of a business. For organisations that are struggling to recruit as skills shortages remain a significant issue globally, offering people the chance to learn from and collaborate with peers in person will be hugely valuable. While younger generations may face the stereotype of being a digitally enabled group of workers, they also value the ability to learn from others. And despite technological advancements, nothing can replace the sense of belonging that in-person socialisation can bring.

“There’s no doubt that the way people work has evolved drastically, but the office is not dead. As more people return and begin to reap the benefits of human interactions, the valuable role the workplace plays in our daily lives will really shine once again.”

Carbon Reduction, News, Sustainability

Clarion Wealth Planning brings forward carbon neutral plans

Clarion Wealth Planning is accelerating its plans to become carbon neutral as part of a new initiative called Best Service, Best Workplace, Best World.

The company had been aiming for carbon neutral status by next April but is now expecting to achieve the milestone by the autumn.

Clarion, which is based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, is working with Carbon Neutral Britain, an organisation which helps businesses and individuals to offset their environmental footprint and achieve carbon neutral status by investing in renewable energy sources, tree planting and other green schemes worldwide.

Alongside this, Clarion has made electric vehicle ownership more cost effective for staff by introducing a car leasing salary sacrifice scheme. Clarion also plants 10 trees for every new client gained, and has implemented measures to reduce energy usage at its offices.

Founder Ron Walker said: “We are committed to creating better lives for our clients, colleagues and our community. It’s at the very core of our values.

“As part of this, we recently launched our Best Service, Best Workplace, Best World programme, and our goal of becoming carbon neutral by the autumn forms part of this.

“We felt it necessary to stand up and be counted and accelerate our strategy to reduce our carbon footprint. Every step taken to tackle climate change is a positive one.”

Clarion, which has 20 staff, provides lifelong financial planning to business owners and families across the north west and beyond.

As part of its Best World strategy and alongside its green measures, the firm supports the Clarion Welsby Family Foundation charity, which donates to worthy local and national causes and community projects.

The charity has supported the Climb High project, run by Adventures Await, which introduces young people with disabilities from Cheshire and Greater Manchester to indoor climbing, helping to build their confidence and skills to improve their physical and mental health and employability.

Another charity to benefit is Dog A.I.D, which trains family pets to become specialist assistance dogs for their physically disabled owners.

Meanwhile, chartered financial planner Ella Davies has become a mentor to teenage girls on a programme organised by the charity Girls Out Loud.

Clarion has introduced a raft of new employee benefits under its Best Workplace banner, including more flexible working, private medical insurance, a doubling of matched pension contributions, and free gym membership.

Now, following a staff survey seeking suggestions for ways in which the firm could help them develop new personal skills, Clarion is introducing private Spanish and Italian lessons for employees during work time.

Ron said: “We work hard and get on with the job, and do fantastic things as a company for our clients, and we want people to enjoy the journey with us and develop as individuals.

“It’s not all about work or business in our drive to be the best workplace. No-one is under the thumb for 12 hours a day. We treat people as grown-ups and they are able to come and go and work flexibly.

“We see past the 9-5 and recognise the importance of looking after our team. We have good quality people, and we want them to enjoy a good work-life balance.

“As well as being known as the best financial planning practice, we want to be known as the best place to work.

“Our approach is key to ensuring the commitment and loyalty of the people who are here, and helps us to attract recruits of the highest quality.”

Ron added: “In the financial planning world, the service we provide to our clients is unrivalled in terms of depth, quality, and the degree of time and attention we give to them.

“We really work with them to achieve their life goals, and this is the Best Service aspect of our initiative. It’s central to our growth plans, as is the Best Workplace aspect.

“And it’s our responsibility to do what we can for the Best World.”

News

IPI receives ‘Best Companies to Work For’ accreditation for second consecutive year

 Company awarded three-star rating in recognition of “world-class” workplace

IPI, the contact centre specialist, today announced that it has been named as one of the Best Companies to Work for 2022, for a second consecutive year. This year IPI has progressed to a three-star rating, the highest accreditation possible, in reflection of its “world-class” workplace engagement practices, an accolade only given to organisations who truly excel.

The Best Companies Accreditation is considered the de facto standard for assessing workplace engagement and IPI’s advancement from a two-star rating in the rankings this year comes after 12 months of continued focus on its people- and purpose-led culture.

“We are hugely proud of what we have achieved in progressing from a two- to a three-star accreditation. It is our exceptional people that make IPI, and the fact that we have achieved this recognition as a result of their feedback makes it even more meaningful for us as an organisation,” said Lisa Fradin, Chief People Officer at IPI.

IPI has launched a number of new people initiatives this year which have included an enhanced focus on wellbeing with the inaugural company Wellness Day focusing on educating everyone on mental and physical wellbeing. Learning and development have also been high on the agenda with monthly workshops and “skill pill” sessions being made available for all. IPI’s charitable work has also continued with employees running a “5k your way” initiative to fundraise for IPI’s charity partner, UK Youth, as well as providing mentoring opportunities to young people to help them progress their careers.

CEO Sat Sanghera and the People Experience team have been at the helm of developing and running learning and development workshops, hosting and leading collaboration roundtables to discuss and explore initiatives such as inclusivity in the workplace and meeting one-on-one with new joiners to welcome them to IPI and introduce them to IPI’s purpose and values.

“Achieving the three-star rating is testament to all the hard work, dedication and focus we have put into creating a purpose- and people-led culture here at IPI,” said Sat Sanghera, CEO at IPI. “I feel humbled, privileged and proud to work with such an exceptional group of people who are focused on fulfilling our purpose of Exceptional Customer Contact and consistently demonstrating our values of succeeding together, aiming higher, and owning it, whilst always evolving. Thank you to the IPI team and to Best Companies for this recognition.”

IPI received its accreditation following a survey of its employees covering eight key workplace factors, including assessments of managers, leadership, the company, personal growth, the wider team, pay/benefits, wellbeing and charitable initiatives.

“IP Integration should be very proud of their achievement, demonstrating world-class levels of engagement. This accreditation is recognition of all they have done to be a best company to work for, and always putting their people first,” said Jonathan Austin, Founder and CEO at Best Companies.

Awards, News

SentinelOne global culture named to leading workplaces lists

Innovative, global culture awarded for employee engagement, trust, and integrity

SentinelOne, an autonomous cybersecurity platform company, has announced that the company has been recognised for its best-in-class global workplace culture, highlighting its commitment to maintaining a winning culture that’s rewarding and values-driven.

“As we work together to make the world a safer place, we are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive culture for our employees,” said Divya Ghatak, Chief People Officer, SentinelOne. “With flexible work schedules, unlimited time off and 16 weeks of paid parental leave to all parents, regardless of gender or sexual orientation, we are redefining what it means to enable employees to do their life’s best work.”

SentinelOne was named to Inc. Magazine’s 2022 Best Workplaces List, San Francisco Business Times and Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 2022 Bay Area Best Places to Work list, Great Place to Work’s UK’s Best Workplaces 2022 list, and Great Place to Work’s UK’s Best Workplaces for Wellbeing 2022 list.

  • Magazine’s 2022 Best Workplaces List features American companies that have excelled in creating exceptional workplaces and company culture. Honourees took part in an employee survey, conducted by Quantum Workplace, which included topics such as management effectiveness, perks, fostering employee growth, and overall company culture.
  • The 2022 Bay Area Best Places to Work ​​presented by the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal highlights Bay area companies that have created exceptional workplaces that their employees value highly. Honourees rated highest on values including fun, collaborative culture, solid compensation and benefits offerings.
  • The UK’s Best Workplaces 2022 by Great Place to Work was determined through rigorous evaluations of hundreds of employee survey responses alongside Culture Audit™ submissions from leaders at each company. Great Place to Work then used these data insights to benchmark the effectiveness of companies’ employee value propositions against the culture their employees actually experience.
  • The UK’s Best Workplaces for Wellbeing 2022 by Great Place to Work rewarded companies praised for people’s holistic experiences of wellbeing at work. The list was determined based on a survey asking employees to comment on how their company supports their work-life balance, sense of fulfilment, job satisfaction, psychological safety and financial security.
Business News, News

Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces across EMEA announced

  • Announced at an exclusive Gala Dinner at The Kia Oval in London
  • Top 50 include: BBC Studios, Blood Cancer UK, BUPA, NHS, Philip Morris International, Places for People and overall winner Takeda

London – May 25, 2022. Last night The Inspiring Workplaces Group announced its first ever Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces list in EMEA. North America will be announced on June 22, 2022.

In its eighth year and to reflect an evolving workplace landscape, IW revamped the awards program for 2022. It asked each organisation to complete the same entry form consisting of six key elements. Elements it believes are fundamental to creating an Inspiring Workplace. They are:

  • Culture and Purpose
  • Leadership
  • Wellbeing
  • Inclusion & Diversity
  • Communication
  • Employee Experience

Organisations entered a category defined by how many people are within the business.

The Top 50 was decided by an independent expert judging panel.

Matt Manners, Founder, The Inspiring Workplaces Group commented, “Congratulations to The Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces. An historic moment. This year, the competition for an Inspiring Workplaces Award is the strongest that we have ever seen. We think that this is brilliant news. Indicative of positive, meaningful change throughout the world of work. Organisations must create workplaces that not only inspire but provide reasons to first believe in and then to feel like they also belong.”

Full list of winners from The EMEA Inspiring Workplaces Awards 2022.

Business size:

Enterprise Business (5000+ employees):

  1. Places for People
  2. Rackspace Technology
  3. Bupa

Large Business Winners (500 – 4999 employees):

  1. Takeda Business Solutions
  2. PagerDuty
  3. NHS Business Services Authority

Medium Business (50 – 499 employees):

  1. Grosvenor Property UK
  2. TimeXtender
  3. Cooper Parry

Small Business (0 – 49 employees):

  1. The Unmistakables
  2. Nexio
  3. Flo Health

Non-Profit:

  1. Blood Cancer UK
  2. Financial Services Compensation Scheme
  3. Anthony Nolan

Inspiring Workplaces Agency of the year:

  1. Home
  2. H&H

Special Recognition:

IW announced the winner from each category last night. It will be announcing The Top 10 in each region and globally later this year.

  • Culture and purpose winner
    • Flo Health
  • Leadership winner
    • PagerDuty
  • Wellbeing winner
    • Computacenter
  • Inclusion winner
    • The NHS Business Services Authority
  • Employee communications winner
    • Takeda
  • Employee Experience winner
    • PagerDut

The ranking for the EMEA Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces:

  1. Takeda Business Solutions
  2. PagerDuty
  3. NHS Business Services Authority
  4. Places for People
  5. Computacenter
  6. MediaCom UK
  7. Blood Cancer UK
  8. Grosvenor Property UK
  9. TimeXtender
  10. The Unmistakables
  11. Nexio
  12. Globalization Partners
  13. Cooper Parry & Flo Health
  14. Aico
  15. AbilityNet
  16. Kid-A
  17. Reward Gateway
  18. Financial Services Compensation Scheme
  19. BBC Studios
  20. Al Jazeera Media Network
  21. SupportYourApp
  22. ICS-digital
  23. Government Business Services
  24. Rackspace Technology
  25. Cartwright Communications
  26. Anthony Nolan & Corndel
  27. TaskUs
  28. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority & Enfuse Group Ltd
  29. Claritas Tax Ltd
  30. Cielo
  31. EduMe
  32. Suntory Beverage
  33. Cornerstone
  34. Serve & Protect Credit Union
  35. R/GA Media Group Ltd
  36. Bupa
  37. SWIFT
  38. HSPG
  39. Superior Wellness & Adarga Limited
  40. N-ix
  41. Aspectus Group
  42. Philip Morris International
  43. BITE Lietuva
  44. Accolite Digital & Wolseley UK
  45. Moneyhub
  46. MM Search & RSK
  47. Straightin
  48. eStar Truck & Van
  49. Couchbase
  50. The Red Sea Development Company

Be inspired: InspireWork Summits in association with STM Group

After an enforced two-year break, the InspireWork Summits, (formerly the Employee Engagement Conference) returned to London the day of the Gala. It is now heading to New York (June 22) and Sydney (October 07). All the content will be made available On-Demand. Register here: https://www.inspiring-workplaces.com/our-events/

InspireWork Summits bring together all the learnings, innovations and expertise from some of the most Inspiring Workplaces around the world, topped with the latest insights from leading thought leaders and experts in the field of employee experience, HR, employee wellbeing, future of work and diversity and inclusion.

Register for 2023 Inspiring Workplaces

Want to have the chance of being named in The Top 50 Inspiring Workplaces across EMEA or North America? Then register your interest here: https://www.inspiring-workplaces.com/forms/register-your-interest-in-the-2021-inspiring-workplaces-awards/. We will open for entries this September.

Sponsorship

There are various opportunities for organizations to partner with Inspiring Workplaces. For more information please contact matt@inspiring-workplaces.com

Business News, News

Go Beyond Smart MFDs to Connect the Dots between Present Needs and Your Digital Future

By Gabriela Garner, Product Marketing Director at Kofax

London 26th April, 2022: There’s no doubt about it—the hybrid workplace is here to stay. The majority of companies will adopt a hybrid work model, employing a mix of in-person and remote employees, according to the Forrester 2021 Predictions: Accelerating Out of the Crisis report.

But what’s remote work? During the pandemic, remote work became synonymous with people working from home, sporting “business on top and PJs on the bottom.” While this image can give us a good a laugh, it doesn’t fully encompass all that remote work truly is for the modern-day organization. Long before COVID-19, remote work of a different sort was in full swing as colleagues collaborated with other departments within the same building and different offices around the world. When we look at this expanded definition, most of us have probably been engaging in remote work for a long time.

Organizations have been able to support employees as they work with colleagues in different teams, buildings, cities and countries thanks to the vast improvements in access to digital information. The post-pandemic version of remote work, however, ushered in a sudden shift in the workplace dynamic. Many companies quickly realized they weren’t far enough along in their digital transformation efforts to support the rapid rise of this new type of remote work and the data it generates.

Instead, they found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place, trying to find a way to keep the wheels of “business as usual” turning while steadily rising to the level of digital aptitude required to help employees thrive in the new hybrid and remote work models. This may seem like an impossible battle to win, but there are innovative and effective technologies that can help organizations work toward the future without compromising the present. In fact, the right solution can even accelerate the speed with which today’s workflows are executed while simultaneously boosting strategic progress toward a more automated, digital tomorrow.

If you’re wondering how to get started and connect the dots between today and tomorrow, look no further than your multi-function devices (MFDs). MFDs have been a mainstay in most organizations for quite some time, but when the right automation technology is applied to them, they’re transformed into versatile powerhouses. Intelligent automation unlocks the full potential of MFDs, making them smart devices that can accelerate your digital strategy and serve as the connective tissue between your current state of digital transformation and where it needs to go.

The Journey: Today versus Tomorrow

Just about every organization—regardless of where they are in their digital transformation—is leveraging automation as part of the effort to achieve their vision for the future. But there’s much work to be done. Almost half (48 percent) of decision makers surveyed said their organizations have manual or only partially automated processes, according to The Kofax 2021 Intelligent Automation Benchmark Study Part 1: Successful Automation Requires an Integrated Vendor Strategy. Another piece of the study discovered that while the number of use cases for which organizations are utilizing automation is increasing, adoption rates for more mature use cases such as back-office tasks, decisioning and accounts payable are still fairly low. In other words, there’s a lot of room for improvement.

When asked what they consider to be the most critical use cases for automation, decision makers listed robotic process automation (RPA) (61 percent), artificial intelligence/machine learning (43 percent) and digital process automation (40 percent) as the top three responses. It’s interesting that all three require document intelligence in order to succeed. Organizations must be able to ingest, classify and extract unstructured data from all documents, regardless of format, so the data can be processed and analyzed for actionable insight. The only way to accomplish this is with document intelligence. A combination of intelligent automation technologies such as intelligent capture with advanced content-aware capabilities empowers organizations to classify documents, extract all relevant data and make well-informed decisions with the information as well as automatically initiate document-based workflows.

Where’s your business today when it comes to documents? Perhaps your company is moving away from printing completely. If so, you’re not alone. Digital scanning and capture are faster, more accurate, more easily accessible and more efficient. Just think about how much time is saved by searching for a digital document as opposed to flipping through stacks of paper or filing cabinets.

At the same time, there are several reasons why printing isn’t going away. Disparate systems within the company may not connect with each other, and in the new hybrid world, employees may not have access to paper documents when they need them. For these organizations, printing remains a critical element of the business infrastructure. But as the volume of data collected grows at exponential rates, the need to digitize becomes stronger by the minute.

The challenge, then, is how to progress toward digitization without interrupting the day-to-day operations. Is it even possible?

Bridge Today AND Tomorrow with Smart MFDs and Intelligent Automation

You may not think of your MFDs as a stepping stone to digital workflow transformation, but by applying intelligent automation capabilities to MFDs they become an on-ramp to transformation and a bridge that connects organizations to their digital futures. What’s even better is that smart MFDs also improve speed, efficiency and productivity now, enabling you to do a better job today while accelerating the journey to your future vision.

You may be asking, “Why intelligent automation?” Anything less, such as a piecemeal approach to automation, has several drawbacks. According to decision makers, a siloed approach results in high technical debt (46 percent), delays in successful outcomes (35 percent) and problems of scale (34 percent), as discovered in part two of the benchmark study, Automation at Scale: Bridging the Gap Between IT and the Business. Intelligent automation provides a comprehensive set of capabilities so organizations can achieve end-to-end automation with a flexible and scalable platform.

MFD fleets powered by intelligent automation software allow companies to meet (and even exceed) the needs of today, while speeding up the path to tomorrow by empowering companies to:

  1. Achieve continual improvement on short-term business objectives while sustainably executing on the broader transformation vision. MFDs can intelligently capture information from digital and physical documents, process the information and transmit it wherever it needs to go across the enterprise.
  2. Digitally connect disparate systems within an organization’s ecosystem and eliminate manual, error-prone, paper-based processes. Intelligent automation eliminates the need for separate systems to print, sign, scan and fax. Integration with enterprise applications, legacy systems, transforms enterprise document management workflows.
  3. Control the rate of progress based on the changing needs of the business. Keep printing where it’s still essential—manage everything securely and ensure compliance with redaction, watermarking and audit trail reporting capabilities. Meanwhile, other areas can shift to data capture and all-digital workflows. A flexible platform gives organizations a choice and supports growth, meeting your immediate and long-term needs.
  4. Improve productivity of the distributed workforce and delight remote employees in any capacity with access to critical business information from any location without connectivity disruptions. A consistent user experience for print, capture and mobile across all devices is convenient and simple, keeping your remote and hybrid workers agile and connected.
  5. Accelerate the business results of today while maximizing your strategic goals for business transformation tomorrow. Advanced capture and print workflows drive efficiency and productivity of the daily grind. Employees have easy access to more accurate information from any location and device, so they can get work done faster while the business simultaneously moves toward the digitization needed for future success. Predictive analytics allow users to harness the power of data, so you can make informed business decisions on the digital transformation journey.

No matter where you rank on the digital aptitude scale, one thing is clear—smart MFDs backed by intelligent automation help organizations build a foundation today for a complete digital transformation tomorrow. Connect the dots between the present and the future, faster than ever, and start working like tomorrow, today.

News

Look Fabulous Forever founder offers advice to older women in the workplace

The founder of Look Fabulous Forever, Tricia Cusden, has spoken to her network about the discrimination older women face at work and offered her advice on how to navigate the workplace.

The key issues that came up from the 21 people interviewed were:

  • Finding work
  • Holding onto a job
  • Being compared to younger people
  • Subtle ageism disguised as “banter”

Finding Work

One of the interviewees, a senior Human Resources Manager, believes that she encounters ageism in recruiting managers who refuse to interview anyone who is (presumed to be) around 60 years of age. “They assume that older people are plodders, slow, winding down to retirement. They think that they’d find the work too much and wouldn’t fit in with the team. They also presume that every older worker is the same – computer illiterate and slow.”

If you’re finding it hard to get a role, there are some strategies to help you stand out in the workplace:

  • Highlight your skills and experience – experience is your friend, and as an older person, you have more experience than others. Really highlight it on your CV and in any interviews that you really have seen everything!
  • Use your network – use your network of supportive people around you to break into new jobs and get references
  • Close your skills gap – if you feel like you’re falling behind on certain skills, seek out some training that will help you close that gap

Holding onto a job

Many older women have also had issues where their seniors have asked if they are considering retirement, even if they are in their 50s with no plans to retire. A senior teacher recalled a situation she faced:

“The new headteacher (female) started to make the older staff feel ‘vulnerable’ in their employment. I was one of the ones she was trying to ‘replace’. In our one-to-one meetings, she once asked me about retirement… when I was 59! She began to undermine my role and even told me that my senior position was ‘not permanent’. I involved my union at that point because my position was permanent.”

If you feel like you’re being pushed out of your job, then there are key things you can do to protect yourself:

  • Know your rights – make sure you know your legal rights, and understand your contract to ensure you can’t be pushed out
  • Record all conversations – if you notice a pattern of comments along the same line as this, take notes on all your meetings and ask for email follow-ups on all information covered
  • Speak to your union – if things feel like they are getting out of hand, speak to your union for support

Comparisons

An NHS nurse with 41 years of experience who now works in community infection control has had to endure comments that she couldn’t be compared to a much younger team member ‘because her computer skills were not as good’ (an irrelevance for her job) and that she was ‘keeping a younger person out of a job.’

Many older people have dealt with comparisons to the younger people they work with, which are often not positive.

If you are facing comparisons at work, you can:

  • Challenge the comparison – challenge the person who is making the comparison, and tell them how it makes you feel
  • Focus on your own strengths – even if someone is a bit better than you at one thing, you’ll have your own strengths, so focus on the positives
  • Learn from people around you – learn from the people around you, and make their strengths your strengths

Subtle ageism disguised as “banter”

Subtle ageism has been noticeable to some older people in the positive comments given to younger staff who were ‘refreshing’ and ‘enthusiastic’, whilst there was no such encouragement to older staff. Other people interviewed had also been hurt by “jokes” that make fun of people’s age.

To deal with the so-called, “banter”, you can:

  • Set clear boundaries – make it clear what you are comfortable with, and ensure people around you understand what is appropriate
  • Speak up if something upsets you – if someone crosses a line, let them know.
  • Speak to your line manager about the culture – if this behaviour continues, speak to your manager about the issue – there may be training, or a culture change needed.

If you’re feeling the pressure of working as an older woman, you’re not alone. There are resources and groups you can reach out to for help and advice, such as Look Fabulous Forever’s Facebook group, Tricia’s Super Troopers, and other networks.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme was “Break the Bias”, which we all can do by working together and supporting each other.

You can find more information and future stories from older women in the workplace here – https://www.lookfabulousforever.com/blog/challenging-ageism/breaking-the-age-bias