The Nowhere Office

On the eve of the second anniversary of the pandemic we ask: How has Hybrid ended up working out? And we look into our crystal balls to ask: Where will we go from here? To help us, we are joined for a 1:1 interview with Tera Allas, the economist and Director of Research and economics at McKinsey United Kingdom. Then we have an insightful panel discussion with Joanna Swash, Group CEO of Moneypenny, Pilita Clark, an associate editor and business columnist at the Financial Times, and Anthony Impey, the Chief Executive of Be the Business. Plus we hear about the hybrid life  of Jo Holden, Sustainability Director at Peel L&P. Brought to you in association with Moneypenny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hybrid is probably the steepest learning curve for managers and employees for a generation. But how can we make this work? How can we find identity and meaning in a hybrid world? And how can tech guide us through these uncertain times? Joining the Nowhere Office in this episode are Professor Laura Empson, Director of the Centre for Professional Service Firms at Bayes Business School, Jeremy Dalton, who heads up PWC's Virtual and Augmented Reality team, and the social scientist and  Head of Technology and Transformation for RHP Group, Matt Ballantine. Brought to you in association with Moneypenny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we're going freelance. Some studies suggest that over 50% of the world's service sector is likely to be freelance by 2030. What does going freelance mean and what are the differences and lessons to learn from in-house teams? Helping us to answer those questions is the journalist, writer and comedian, Viv Groskop, Josh Greene, the CEO and Co-Founder of Groove, an online coworking community, and Richard Robinson, the Managing Director of Xeim Engage. Plus we're lucky enough to be joined by the legendary Bruce Daisley who formerly ran Twitter's business in Europe and now hosts the wildly popular business podcast, 'Eat Sleep Work Repeat'. He talks to us about all things concerning the future of work.  Brought to you in association with Moneypenny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we turn our attention to the topic of working culture. One of the biggest challenge for organisations is office life post pandemic and specifically cultural cohesion. We look at some case studies to find out who is doing what. Joining us first, in real life, is the founder of HR Tech company, Wellbees, Melis Abacıoğlu. And that is followed by a wonderful panel discussion with Richard Barnwell, a parter at BDO, Sarah Pinch, who is the managing director of Pinch Point Communications, and Joe Goldberg, brand strategy lead at Santander UK.  Brought to you in association with Moneypenny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We continue our second series by asking: Is working hybrid creating a new group of haves and have nots with some people forced to work from offices full time? What about those who have to cover shifts for others who are working hybrid? Joining Julia and Stefan are Tim Oldman, CEO of Leesman Index, the impact investor and philanthropist, Patricia Hamzahee, and Deputy General Secretary at Prospect, Andrew Pakes.  Brought to you in association with Moneypenny. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over the summer of 2021 it has become clear that Hybrid working in some shape or form is to stay. We begin this second series dedicated to the whole question of Hybrid by asking: how is it working out? To help us answer this question, we're joined by William Eccleshare of Clear Channel, Jeremy Myerson of Worktech Academy, the blogger and HR guru, Gemma Dale, and Jazz FM host and Chief Brand Officer at Mishcon de Reya, Elliot Moss.  Brought to you in association with Moneypenny.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, we have a real treat for you in the form of a one-on-one interview between Julia and Sir Cary Cooper. He is professor of Organisational psychology and health at Manchester Business School and is recognised as one of the world’s foremost experts on the topic of workplace issues. Cary was honoured with a knighthood in 2014 for his services to social science. And that service includes his writing and editing over 160 books covering occupational stress, women at work and organisational psychology. Plus, one he co-authored with Stefan called 'Myths of Management'. We cover a number of those topics in today’s conversation: the relationship between workplace stress and general wellbeing, how the pandemic has shifted the conversation around mental health, and what his extensive research has taught him about how best to battle workplace stress.  And if that wasn’t enough for you, the broadcaster, journalist, political commentator Ayesha Hazareka will also fill us in on her working life... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hybrid working brings with it all sorts of benefits thanks to its flexible nature. But for managers, it poses some tricky questions. How do you manage a team that is split by location and perhaps timezone? How do you keep up morale when you're not in the room? How do you create a work environment that benefits everyone? In this episode of the Nowhere Office, we are joined by an array of workplace experts to help us grapple with this conundrum: Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos Mori, Joanna Swash, the group CEO of Moneypenny, and Mark Eltringham, publisher of Workplace Insight and IN Magazine. Plus, our resident Nowhere Office expert, Julia Hobsbawm, gives us a rundown of her working life.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we’re crossing the generational divide to ask: what does the Nowhere Office mean to different age groups? We’re going to examine the different or similar ways in which generations handled “the office”, by which we mean “work”, pre pandemic and since with a whole host of heavyweight guests. First you'll hear an excellent panel discussion with generations expert and historian, Eliza Filby, Hamish McRae, the indefatigable economic commentator, and the future of work consultant, Monique Malcom-Hay. Our guru interview this month is with columnist Suzanne Moore, who’s contribution on remote working and intergenerational differences is well worth waiting for. Plus a little reading from Herman Melville's Bartleby, the Scrivener.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With over 70% of the office workforce of the world saying they want to return to work in a hybrid way, what will happen to presenteeism and the management associated with the old 9-5? We talk to the world’s leading expert on the shift to hybrid, Professor Lynda Gratton of London Business School, and discuss it with Polly Mackenzie, head of think tank Demos and Emma Jacobs of the Financial Times. Plus we hear from Andrew St George about the history of – what else – the Desk Diary and from author Sathnam Sanghera on his working life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices