K&D News October Addition
Damian Piggott
Working with MD's & Hiring Managers in Manufacturing & Logistics to recruit and retain amazing Manufacturing, Driving & Warehouse Staff | 3 month free replacement guarantee | Bucks & Berks & Oxon | Temp & Perm |
It’s finally upon us! Autumn is here after an unusually hot September. We are now in the month of pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween, and digging out nice warm jumpers to wear. It’s a time people start thinking about staying warm and cozy by the fire.
However, work often pulls us away from our nice warm homes and, with that, the question of “do we need to return to the office” rears its head again. But with a rise in businesses asking for a return to the office - is this the right way to go?
The Great Shift Back To The Office
Cast your mind back to March 2020. Businesses across the country scrambled to find ways of staying open. The answer came in the form of technology. Zoom calls made meetings possible and your email inbox has never been so busy! People rapidly adapted to this new way of working from home.
Fast forward to now and the landscape seems to be shifting back to an office based culture. Even Zoom has ordered its employees to return to the office. Yes, the technology that made working from home a reality has taken the ultimate u-turn.
Advantages of Returning To the Office
Better Communication
People are social creatures, on the whole, and in person interactions often make for better, clearer communication. It is also likely to mean less slip-ups, fall through the cracks moments, and just a better understanding of what’s needed.
Fewer Distractions
Let’s face it, your home is going to be distracting. The laundry piling up, the making of 1001 teas and even the dogs barking and kids crying will likely tear you away from work at times.
The office can be a place of less distraction for you, where everyone is in the same boat and the temptation of typing that memo on the couch in your PJs is removed.
Socialisation
As we have mentioned already, we are social creatures at heart and nearly all of us will thrive in some way from being around people, even if it is just to have some nice watercooler talk.
Disadvantages of Returning To the Office
Commute
For almost everyone, commutes are awful. They can cut out significant chunks of your day and make organising yourself a hassle when you are trying to juggle family commitments. Working from home eliminates this and means people have more time both personally and professionally.
Time Optimisation
We’ve all spent the past 3 years getting our routines optimised to work hard at productive times and be flexible around the less productive times. This time optimisation often means more work gets done at a higher quality in a shorter time frame.
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Fewer Employment Opportunities
Remote working meant you could work anywhere for a business, but now with more businesses demanding office work, finding applicable well paying roles in your commutable area becomes harder. Even if they offered a relocation package, it’s a lot more hassle than just jumping on a few Zoom calls occasionally.
What are your thoughts on the return to the office? Is it for the best or is it detrimental to what you’ve built?
In The News
UK manufacturers have scaled back their recruitment efforts as orders slow down, but they are expected to increase headcount by the end of this year.
According to Make UK and BDO’s manufacturing outlook survey for Q3 2023, the recruitment balance figure for the sector in the past three months was -1%.
However, the employment balance score for the next three months is +14%, suggesting that manufacturers are optimistic about their ability to hire towards the end of this year.
A new study of 2,436 people shows the majority of the general public thinks manufacturing is hugely important to the future of the UK economy and over three-quarters see manufacturing as delivering solutions today to the challenges of tomorrow.
Perceptions about pay working conditions and career prospects have also undergone a massive transformative change for the better, according to the survey Perceptions vs Reality carried out by Savanta or Make UK.
The UK’s manufacturing sector has climbed one place to eighth in the world rankings, overtaking France in the process according to analysis of the latest official data published by Make UK.
The data shows that in 2021 UK (the latest year for which global comparisons are available) UK manufacturing output was worth some $272bn, compared to $262bn for France, but behind Italy ($314bn).
Need a new role?
Your skills and talents shouldn’t be bound by the constraints of geography! If you want a new role - office based, hybrid, or remote - then know that we love to chat, so even during your first week we’ll be chatting to you a lot, making sure you are supported and happy.
Your next role is just a phone call away, so feel free to reach out. We promise to look after you!
Wishing you all a spooky, fun, and successful October!