Will we all return to the office?; career advice highs and lows; and more
Hello, I'm Yessi Bello-Perez , the community and segments lead at LinkedIn News UK , and I'm delighted to welcome you to the latest issue of the LinkedIn Insider UK, your biweekly dose of information and inspiration.?
Before we get started, I want to give a huge shoutout to all the experts who contributed to last week's prompt about how to combat first-day nerves when starting a new job. To read the best responses and insights, please take a look at this storyline and get involved in the conversation by posting your thoughts in the comments section of each post.?
In today's edition, I'd love to get your perspective on whether you think the future of work will be determined by the return to the office and I'm also keen to read what's the best and worst career advice you've ever received. We'll also be looking at how to deal with physical differences in the workplace and how to navigate an Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) diagnosis.
Here you'll find just some of the topics currently top of mind for members. Want to add your own perspective to the conversation? Please post from your profile about any of the prompts below for the opportunity to be featured by LinkedIn's Editorial team.?
Is RTO really the answer?
We recently highlighted the impact that companies' return-to-office mandates are having on working parents. In a survey of 2,000 parents, childcare provider Pebble found that childcare costs for nursery and primary school-age children have increased by ￡664 per month. Two in five parents said they were struggling to afford the additional charges, and half of those surveyed said they were considering quitting their jobs in order to find roles that allowed for more remote working. On another note, tech companies – which are typically better positioned for remote working – are also demanding their workers return to their desks.?
Click on the following link to share your insights using #LinkedInInsiderUK: Where are companies going wrong when it comes to hybrid or remote working?
Career advice?
Most of us will have sought career advice from friends, colleagues, mentors or bosses at any given time. But the line between good and bad advice isn't always clear – for some, "follow your passion" may be the path to happiness, while others, including US entrepreneur Mark Cuban, believe it's ineffective, preferring "do what you're good at".
Click on the following link to share your insights using #LinkedInInsiderUK: ?What's the worst career advice you've received and what did you learn from it? Conversely, what's some of the best career advice you've ever been given?
Bursting with ideas?
Do you have an exciting idea or trend that could spark conversation? Or an innovation more people should know about? If so, I'd love would love to highlight it. To share it with me and the wider LinkedIn community, use #IdeaOfTheDay or click the link below to start a post.
Click on this link to share your insights using #LinkedInsiderUK.
I spoke with Laura Mathias, an alopecia awareness campaigner; and Phyllida Swift, CEO of Face Equality International, a global alliance of NGOs working to end the discrimination of people with facial disfigurements; about dealing with visible differences and neurodiversity in the workplace.?
Q: Laura, what actionable advice do you have for employers when it comes to creating appearance-inclusive workplaces?
Internally, and in job adverts, I would love to see more employers actively undermine the ableist and appearance-obsessed language that has prevailed under the guise of ‘professionalism’ over the years. Don’t demand a ‘smart’ appearance or ‘smiling’ countenance from colleagues. Instead, highlight the values you want colleagues to demonstrate in their behaviour, not passively embody. As part of an organisation’s ongoing commitment to improve workplace culture, there should be policies in place to support those with a visible difference, as you would expect to have for any protected characteristic.?
Phyllida and Laura, what can colleagues do to ensure they are being supportive?
Phyllida: Try not to make assumptions about someone, particularly in relation to their abilities in the workplace. Equally, asking intrusive questions or making comments about someone's appearance are highly inappropriate. Do your best to take someone's lead on their preferred language or whether they want to talk about their appearance, simply ask yourself what you would prefer in their position. The likelihood is you'd prefer to talk about the latest episode of Married at First Sight as opposed to questions about your appearance or your health, no? If you spot appearance-related bullying or discrimination, you have a responsibility to call it out too!?
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Laura: Be human. And while that may mean you may find yourself curious about a colleague’s appearance, for whatever reason, do not make assumptions about their health or ability. Their body is not your business – there’s no need to comment on it, ever. That’s something I think we should all get better at practising daily, especially at work. Of course, you can take steps to actively expand your networks and experiences so that, when you do encounter someone who looks ‘different’ from the norm, you reduce the potential for ‘shock’. Follow diverse discussions across social media to #AvoidTheAwkward and ensure you are always interacting with intentional kindness. Whether a condition alters your appearance, or your neurological function, my advice is much the same… I want colleagues to know that it doesn’t make a person ‘lesser’ to be ‘different’. Let's stop and consider that difference is only measured in relation to what we consider to be the ‘norm’. And, as history shows us, what’s defined as ‘normal’ is rarely fixed.??
Laura, you were diagnosed with attention deficit disorder as an adult, what do you wish someone told you when you were first diagnosed?
I wish someone told me that this diagnosis was just the beginning, not the solution. Like many of the labels I have had in life, this is not one that I plan to let limit or define me. It is, however, encouraging me to spend more time interrogating how I function and what tools I can put in place at work to thrive.
Laura, how can employers support employees with ADD?
I think it’s high time employers let go of the parent-child paradigm in their communication with employees; stop instructing and start inspiring individuals in your organisation. There are multiple routes to a destination or finished product and people who join your organisation might just introduce a whole new method that works even better to achieve your goals. Managers, at any level, should be trained to recognise colleagues’ skills, empower their line reports, and communicate how each person contributes to the overall mission.
For more insights about creating appearance-inclusive workplaces, check out LinkedIn News UK's recent conversation with Laura and Phyllida.
We all have insightful information and professional experiences that others can learn from. In this section, we're inviting you to lean into this knowledge exchange so that you can connect with like-minded members, learn from each other and discuss different perspectives.?
Today, I want to draw your attention to another post by Jess Gosling which discusses the need for shorter and more efficient email communication.?
Comment below: What are your best email-writing tips??
While I have you, I also want to highlight a post by Alex Irwin-Hunt , which gives a really detailed overview of the state of the technology industry. In it, Alex talks about how exit routes for tech startups are currently limited and the impact this has on the wider VC and tech ecosystem.??
Comment below: What's your prediction for the technology ecosystem over the next couple of years??
We'll be featuring the best comments in the next edition of the LinkedIn Insider UK.?
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Top 50 Workplace Leaders 2024, Workplace Consultant, APMG Change Manager, Relocation Specialist, IWFM Award Winner - Impact on Organisational Performance
1 年I believe that tech is already vital in today’s hybrid world – ensuring that teams can stay connected even if they are not in the same room is crucial for productivity and successful collaboration. In the new working world, it is common for employees to bring their own devices (BYOD) to work. Many of us have taken the opportunity during the pandemic to create our own home offices, investing in superior IT equipment, printers, and furniture compared to what is typically found in traditional offices. As an employer, the question arises - how can you match or exceed these personalised setups? The answer lies not in trying to outdo them, but rather in replicating them and ensuring the working environment in the physical office has all of the tech and equipment needed to do the job. It should not however be forgotten the importance of face-to-face interactions – these allow us to perceive and understand the thoughts and emotions of others, which can be difficult to capture in digital meetings through platforms like Teams, Zoom, or Skype. With more companies making working from the office compulsory, we might get back to more face-to-face meeting soon enough.
?? Head of Bilateral Projects I ?? PhD in Foreign Policy & Soft Power I ?? LinkedIn Top Voice I ?? Diplomacy/Tech/Culture I ?? Neurospicey
1 年Very humbled to see my post about email communication highlighted here. It makes all the difference having accessible communication channels. It enables people to come together for sure. Also great to see Laura Mathias feature too! ????
Retired. Formerly support worker BMBC, SYHA,
1 年Since COVID my daughter has worked from home for part of the week, on these days she gets a lot more done. No chatter from workers around the office distracting her from doing her job No interruptions from people wanting help. She can concentrate, she can complete jobs without having to break off to do unrelated tasks. I said before COVID that given the fact travelling too and from work was now extremely difficult for a lot of people, particularly those with family commitments as well as work commitments that work production would benefit from introducing home working, the response was. "Companies are not equipped for this." "It would be way too costly." "It's too awkward to arrange." etc. Low and behold, along comes COVID and within a matter of a few weeks this action was achieved relatively easily. It's amazing what companies can do when they have to.
Empathetic Leader | Track Record of Scaling Marketplaces | Future of Work Advocate | Mentor | DEI Supporter | ex-LEK Consulting & Imperial College Alumna | Passionate about Health & Wellbeing
1 年The future of work is #freelance! Freelancing is not just a job, not a stopgap, but more of a career choice, and there are benefits for both workers and employers. Investing in freelancers now will allow organisations reap the rewards for years to come. This is a very important topic which we at Malt UK are super passionate about!