Workplace Commentary

Rejuvenating Your Workforce in 2015!

Posted on January 09, 2015

It’s easy for us to say we are going to do things differently in the New Year, whether that’s in our personal lives or at work – if we actually make these changes or not is a whole other story however! Having said this, we thought we would try our best to offer you some valuable advice, from one business to another, about how to revamp your organisation for 2015 with some steps that we are currently trying out ourselves. There are a number of things you can take into consideration when searching for innovation in the workplace, such as motivating and encouraging employees to have more of a say in their departments; make sure your staff are aware that they are actually paid to think! We are going to cover a few things from ensuring you have a motivated workforce, to having a fresh and friendly working environment for your staff this year. Encouraging Employees Inspiring ideas from your employees through implementing systems that make it easier to com...

Improving Communication in the Workplace with Google

Posted on October 23, 2014

There are a number of factors that could potentially contribute to a breakdown in communication in the workplace. Most recently, these have been associated with how people would rather email or interact in other ways over the Internet with their fellow colleagues, rather than have a face to face conversation that in turn leads to miscommunication. However, following the extended use of social media, mobile phones and tablets, these methods and further applications such as Skype and Google Hangouts are becoming easier and in fact more effective for employees to use to resolve problems efficiently. With this in mind, the evolution of technology is becoming extremely evident in most workplaces today, with the implementation of advanced computer programmes so that employees can complete work in a more resourceful manner. It’s rare that you will find a fax machine or even a scanner in an office today, as these have been replaced with the option to share documents more virtually, such a...

Advantages of Customer Service in the Workplace

Posted on September 13, 2014

Most, if not all, businesses have some sort of customer service in place – whether they really know it or not! However those that do know it, are sure to benefit from it. Speaking on behalf of a company who specialises in customer service, I have recognised the importance of, as well as treating the customer well throughout the initial process of using your product or service, it is extremely beneficial when following up on customers to ensure after care. Whether that’s a simple phone call to guarantee all is well with the product or if they enjoyed the service, or even an email just to let them know that you are appreciative of their individual custom and would like to welcome them again, these are nice things to hear as a customer and you become remembered. Three Advantages of Customer Service Customer/Client Loyalty; as previously touched on, treating the customer with care can result in repeat custom and customer loyalty. Han...

Small Steps to Improving Your Office Appearance

Posted on September 08, 2014

Unless you are a lucky employee at one of the Top 5 Seriously Cool Places to Work discussed in one of our previous blog posts, you might find that your surroundings are that of an average looking office. Of course, not all establishments have the funds or space available to set up nap pods and tree-houses in their work environments, or dish out unlimited free food in the company canteen, but there is certainly other equipment available for more simple steps to making your office feel friendlier for both staff and visitors. Here at The Workplace Depot, we meet with clients in our boardroom, which contains a fridge filled with refreshments and a large TV focused in the centre of the table in order to project presentations easily and effectively. Although these are small features, we like to think they add a bit of a personal touch to this part of our office...

Boardroom Etiquette

Posted on September 05, 2014

There are those of us who enjoy our monthly, weekly or maybe even daily meetings at work, and then there are those of us who do not. Unfortunately there’s not a lot that can be done about meetings, we have to have them to increase communication and understand what is expected of us. Tips for the Table With this in mind, for the things we can’t avoid in life, we can simply make the best of. Therefore we are going to provide you with some guidelines for the appropriate boardroom etiquette and how you can get through a meeting as easy as possible. Firstly, ensure you arrive early, or at least on time. There are a number of reasons for this; you want to set a good example, you don’t want to be the last person who turns up and you don’t want to miss anything. Even though we are quickly progressing in to a paperless world, the continual tapping of keyboards in quieter surroundings such as meetings may pose as a distraction to those w...

No More Page 3

Posted on August 07, 2014

Twice a year here at The Workplace Depot, we send out an updated version of our catalogue to keep our customers informed of changes to our range of products. With this in mind, we are currently in the process of sending out our Summer/Autumn Workplace Depot catalogue, this time with a twist. The latest catalogue features support for a campaign called ‘No More Page Three’, whose goal is to get The Sun newspaper to stop featuring photos of young, topless women. The idea to support the campaign was sparked off by our sales manager Michelle Day, after being fed up of visiting warehouses and factories 'decorated' with sexist calendars and The Sun’s page 3. As a result, the team at The Workplace Depot thought it might be an interesting idea to make our own page 3 from our catalogue into an advert for the No More Page 3 campaign. Reaction to our advert The team weren't fully confident that the idea...

Top 10 Workplace Films

Posted on July 20, 2014

No matter what, films will always be watched, whether you take a trip to the cinema or stay at home, you can’t beat a movie marathon (particularly on a Sunday) and a big bowl of popcorn. With this in mind, being The Workplace Depot, we find it fitting to list some great films relating to, you guessed it, the workplace! There surely can’t be a more reliable source than LinkedIn, the online home for all things workplace and career-related, to back up a collated top 10 list of films relating to the workplace. Although we are a fan of this list, of course we have produced one of our own! The Workplace Depot’s Top 10 Workplace Films The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) – Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio portrays Jordan Belfort, a Long Island penny s...

Top 20 Motivational Workplace Songs

Posted on June 27, 2014

Last year, we published a Top 50 Workplace Songs blog with the majority of the songs potentially relating to our mood at work, potential job titles and the main reason why most of us go to work – for money! With this in mind, I have decided to create a new list that focuses more on motivational songs that can be considered work related, in order to help get you through the week. (I know its Friday, but I’m just giving you time to go and make yourself this playlist over the weekend!) Top 20 Motivational Workplace Songs Work – Britney Spears Run the World (Girls) – Beyonce ...

Setting Up a Car Park - A Lucrative Business Proposal

Posted on May 19, 2014

Monday Morning Inspiration In October last year, Epping residents made a peaceful demonstration to protest the parking problem in their neighbourhood. Commuters travelling via the nearby underground station would leave their cars parked along the streets from 8am through to the evening every day, creating problems for the residents. Parking woes are not new to London or other British cities, and finding a place to park your car can be a big problem, especially in the commercial areas. Public car parks are always jammed and private ones either cost a lot or have exclusive admission rights. If you are in an area where there's a need for parking and an open plot of land is available close by, establishing a paid car parking can be a good source of income. Selecting a Location If you set up, say, a small 50-car paid...

Inspiring Creativity in a Dull Job - 3 Lifesaving Ideas

Posted on May 16, 2014

The world is full of rubbish jobs that could eat away at you if you don’t inject some creativity into them. According to surveys by SalaryExplorer, pet care, telecommunications and information media, cleaning and waste management, banking, and courier are among the top 5 dullest industries. People working in these industries can sometimes be identified by the frown on their faces and the worry in their eyes. Some of them get through life thinking there could be worse jobs that they could be doing, "heck, at least it's not like working in a sewer". Why a Dull Job Can be Lethal Psychiatrists believe that dull jobs lead to employee burnout, a condition in which a person feels unable to cope with the monotony of the job, becomes exhausted, and g...

Setting Up Your Secure Office Car Park - Things You Need

Posted on May 09, 2014

According to a parking report issued by the RAC Foundation, 800 cars are parked every second in Britain. Rapid commercialisation has rendered the cities into underachieving replicas of the future cities depicted in old movies such as The Fifth Element, except for the flying cars. The sad absence of flyable cars is made worse by a more than tenfold increase in the number of road cars, from 2 million in the 1950s to over 28 million now. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why there's a nerve-wrecking parking problem in our cities. Parking blues keep most cars parked at homes, 80% of their life on the average. They are parked elsewhere for 16% and move for only 4% of their average lifespan. The point is, if your office is blessed with a private car park, you can consider yourself lucky. Your parking makes your office much friendlier for your employees and customers, who don’t have to go through the traumatising experience of having to find a parking space before they can come to...

London's Fashion Scene - Designers, Events, and More

Posted on March 31, 2014

London has been ranked among the top 5 fashion capitals in the Global Language Monitor rankings for many consecutive years, and rose to the top spot in 2012 and 2011. London and other leading cities such as New York, Paris and Milan are termed fashion capitals of the world because the trends that originate in these cities are followed by the whole world. The Fashion Scene in London More than half of the United Kingdom's fashion jobs are concentrated in or around London, where the fashion industry employed more than 46,000 people in 2010. Most of the fashion outlets and designers are located in the Knightsbridge district, but many of them can also be found in South Kensington and Chelsea areas. The City hosts many fashion events, with the London Fashion Week being the most notable among them. The London Fashion Week Organised by the British Fashion Council and sponsored by Vodafone, (among others), the London Fashion Week attracts more than £100 million...