The Forgotten Power of Baby Boomers (INFOGRAPHIC)

Today, most companies are doing their best to reach “Generation Y”, a hard to reach generation that is easily distracted by the hundreds of messages they are receiving daily, especially through their social profiles like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Internet in general.

After all, they are the ones that most use social media, smart phones and Internet….aren’t they? But wait a minute! What happened to the baby boomers?

Some years ago companies were trying to seduce them, and all of a sudden it seems they’ve started to disappear for many marketers.

Well, here are a few facts prepared by advertising agency Koeppeldirect which help us inderstand  the power of this generation:

• Did you know that they account for over 40% of total consumer demand?
• Did you know 90% of them use Facebook and almost 35% of tablet users are over 45?
• And we bet you didn’t know 2/3 of them buy from online retailers.

Most companies know who their clients are, but few relate baby boomers to new technologies, social media or e-commerce. Big mistake!

Baby boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964, and unlike many think, they are a powerful generation that not only controls 75 % of the US wealth but is also using new technologies.

Where are all the apps, new products and new technology for those over 50? It’s an invisible gold mine to be discovered.

At OfficeList we have an office for all generations, for those looking for a trendy office or those looking for a more traditional office space. Give us a call and we’ll be glad to guide you through our list of office spaces available.   

OfficeList is Proud Supporter of Earth Hour

We are losing a species every 20 minutes because of climate change, habitat loss and environmental degradation. Sea level is rising, our glaciers are melting. But today we have a chance to contribute in some way.

On Saturday March 23rd 2013 from 8:30Pm to 9:30Pm OfficeList invites you to turn off your lights, turn off your computers and switch all your power off for a good cause, to save the Earth.

You can help us turn off our lights, visit OfficeList, click the lightswitch and see how our site looks in the dark! 

This even started in Australia in 2007, with only 2 million people participating, and it has grown to have 7000 cities participating from 152 countries.

Here are a few ideas on how we can help save the earth:

• Turn off the lights, disconnect chargers and appliances (printers, computers, photocopiers) that may consume energy and which do not require to be plugged.
• Bike to the office; try motivating your team and colleagues to bike to the office once a week or to acquire electric cars or motorcycles.  
• Car Pooling is a great technique to save costs and while at it, your team will be bonding and strengthening their friendship.  
• Are you already using low energy bulb or LED spotlights? Although LEDs are more expensive, they last longer and will help you save more on the long run.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle. Try printing all papers double sided, provide a box for used paper and label it, use boxes to separate waste from recyclable materials.

These ideas are no secret or innovative. But an interesting challenge is looking for a creative way to implement them.

Monthly competitions, contest for the most creative recycling box, prices, mentions or awards to the most Eco-friendly team members, will have a positive effect on your team while preserving the earth.

Visit Earthhour and find out other ways to contribute and save the planet. 

Tell us what you or your company will be doing on Earth Hour.

Al Jazeera Is Office Hunting In New York

 

According to the Wall Street Journal, the biggest Arabian broadcaster is looking for an office in New York to base its US headquarters.

Backed by the family of Qatar, Al Jazeera has become the most watched news channel in the Arab world, and their plans to expand their operations to the US started in 2006 when they launched Al Jazeera English, but in January of the present year they acquired Current TV.

The Network has won numerous U.S. and international awards for its journalism and with more than 70 offices across the globe it has one of the largest newsgathering forces network in the world.

While they prepare the big launch, they have decided to rent temporary space close to Penn Station - at 311 W. 34th St., and at another building nearby- for their 150 staff members, but the team is expected to grow to 300 in New York, while their national team is expected to be around 700 people with offices in Miami, Washington DC, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Al Jazeera has reached out to CBRE Group to help them find studio space, and although they have already visited the former New York Times Building, which is very convenient as it’s already wired for digital media distribution, it seems the space had too many columns and will not be a fit for the new channel.

 The New York Times Company sold their previous building in 2004 in 43rd St and moved to Eight Avenue, where The Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune, and other newspapers from the same publisher share the building.

 With a vacancy rate of 11.7% in Midtown Manhattan, it’s not always easy to find the right space for your company. Don’t waste any time, visit us and we’ll send you a personalized Office List.

Retention, The Clue to Great Performance [INFOGRAPHIC]

The economic situation of the country has not been easy for many businesses in the last few years. A recession, followed by the European crisis and natural disasters in different parts of the country have hit many people. However, positive expectations from many businessmen and slow but continuous growth in different industries give this 2013 as the best in the past few years.

And it’s small companies who are leading the way when it comes to positive expectations. 70% of small companies expect their financial performance to improve in 2013 compared to 60% of large companies.

In fact, when businessmen were asked if they were considering hiring new employees, 50% said they are looking to grow their staff, that’s 12% more than last year.

But be careful, because if you don’t have a solid retention plan, your company might need a replacement plan instead. During the last 5 years, retention plans have increased in importance and while in 2009 only 28% of the companies were considering it; in 2013 it became a major concern for 53% of the companies.

It’s not easy to replace those talented professionals that are skyrocketing the growth of small companies. 67% of the companies admitted having a hard time to replace a skilled employee and most of them agree that it’s due to a lack of qualified applicants.

If you plan on hiring and growing your business, then you will probably need to find a new office, give us a call or visit OfficeList and we’ll guide you through the search.

The PayScale 2013 Compensation Best Practices Report infographic

How Evolved Is Your Office

Human beings have evolved, while at the beginning we were stronger, made for hunting and walking long distances, today, human beings are rarely in the wild, instead our daily routine is walking short distances, sitting in front of a computer most of the time and writing short messages rather than speaking to someone else.

And while we continue evolving, our major causes of sickness have changed over time as well. Stress has become one of the major causes for other illnesses such as heart diseases, depression, obesity, digestive & sleep problems, etc.

Companies tend to believe that employee dissatisfaction disappears by increasing bonuses but few of them rely on psychology to identify other ways to increase happiness, motivation and productivity.

A study by the British Psychological Society, based on environmental and evolutionary psychology reveals what would be the best scenario for our workplaces.

Greenery & Exercise:

Humans need to be exposed to nature, we were meant to live in a green environment but we have adapted to the cement environment we have created. Having plants in the office reduces our anxiety, provides clean air and removes toxins from the air. It would be ideal to jog in a nearby park or during lunch time to go and walk for a few minutes near plants.
And moving or exercising should also be promoted. Doing pauses for a stretch, having a ping pong or finding ways for your team to move a little is beneficial for all.

Nap?

Yes, some may be against the idea of paying their team to sleep, but a quick nap after lunch will re-energize, clear your mind and avoid all the time lost while we fight not to sleep. While you are telling your body to think, your body is asking for some time to process what you just ate. That internal fight is reflected in the sleepiness we feel after lunch. A ten minute nap requires of a silent and comfortable place where people can have a quality rest and recharge their batteries to continue their afternoon

Pets

Most will disagree as pets require time, dedication and may become a distraction. But the study shows how a pet can help bring group cohesion, trust, cooperation and many smiles to your whole team.

It’s not an easy task, it involves changing the culture and involving the whole company, but don’t forget that productivity is not the mean but the result of happy people. 

Give it a try, and if you need some inspiration, give us a call or visit OfficeList and we’ll share experiences from our customers.    

Why Working From Home Did Not Work For Yahoo

Photographed By Brigitte Lacombe 

When Yahoo’s CEO, Marissa Mayer, announced that their employees could not continue working from home, and had to go back to the office, most of the world was shocked.

Home working is growing, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 22% of men work from home, while 24% of women worked from home. Why go against it?

It was controversial and many voices, companies and bloggers stood up in favor or against it. But everyone had their opinion. Why was yahoo doing this? Should they expect an uprising from discontent workers? Is that the most important thing Marissa Mayer should be worrying about now?

Those in favor of home offices gave their arguments:

• People save time and money if they avoid commuting.
• Instead of commuting, staff could spend more quality time with their families or doing what they liked.
• Going to the office doesn’t necessarily mean you`re working.
• It’s more comfortable, working from home means you can work in your pajamas and have the flexibility of doing it at any time.
• With today’s technologies, meetings, interaction with colleagues and sharing ideas or projects can be done online.
• If organized properly, employees are more efficient.

Those against it also gave their arguments:

• People are less productive as there are more distractions (phone ringing, dog barking, kids yelling, etc).
• Less interaction between employees makes all processes take longer.
• There is less bonding among the team.
• People feel they are missing advancement opportunities.
• Some executives prefer to have everyone under one roof for more control.

Who is right and who is wrong?

There is plenty of research trying to show benefits for both opinions, a recent survey from Stanford University revealed that employees who work from home are more productive and happier, yet they're 50 percent less likely to get promoted compared to those who regularly come into an office.

But the real discussion is why Yahoo did it. The explanation is simple. Yahoo like a lot of companies, has something called a Virtual Private Network or VPN. Remote workers can use it to securely log into Yahoo's network and do work.

After spending months frustrated at how empty Yahoo parking lots were, Mayer consulted Yahoo's VPN logs to see if remote employees were checking in enough but Mayer discovered they were not. Home working wasn’t working for Yahoo.

While the controversy continues, we are convinced that home working can be beneficial, just as it can be risky. It all depends on each person and on how the company handles it.

In case you’ve decided to follow Yahoo’s steps and will not continue working from home, give us a call at (866) 354-5478 or visit us as OfficeList and we’ll help you find the best environment to find a shared office.