HR World: 12/14

Feeling turned on? Let’s go to… the conference room

Conference rooms are not usually considered to be hotbeds of excitement, but it appears that for some workplace party-goers in the US they have a certain je ne sais quoi – at least, according to a new survey by Harris Interactive and condom supplier Trojan, which found that 18 per cent of office party romps take place there.

According to the survey, reported by HRMAsia, 42 per cent of American men aged between 18 and 34 admitted to hooking up with a colleague during or just after an official workplace party, compared with 27 per cent of American women in the same age bracket.

And while almost three-quarters of those who paired up went home with the object of their affections, 26 per cent indulged in office-based romps – with the conference room (18 per cent) being the most popular venue for illicit liaisons. This was closely followed by the mail room (16 per cent), the photocopying room (10 per cent) and the boss’s office (10 per cent).

The survey did not reveal if the ‘meetings’ were typically followed by a performance review, ongoing collaboration or summary dismissal.

Indian workers are among the most engaged in the world

More than half of employees in India are engaged with their jobs, according to a survey by BI Worldwide – more than in any of the other countries surveyed.

The survey, which polled more than 7,000 workers across several countries, measured ‘intensity’ of performance and commitment in the workplace. While Indian employees topped the poll with 51 per cent working ‘intensely’, China came a close second with 49 per cent. This was followed by the US (38 per cent), Brazil (36 per cent) and Canada (28 per cent), while the UK trailed behind with just 24 per cent.

Checking emails causes stress, say Canadian psychologists

We all know the feeling: you’ve got a deadline to meet, you’re trying to concentrate, but it’s been at least five minutes since you’ve checked your emails and your fingers are twitching. Just one little peek won’t hurt, will it?

According to Canadian psychologists from the University of British Columbia, the answer is, yes, actually, it probably will. A study published by the university’s Department of Psychology and reported in UBC News says checking emails frequently results in significantly higher stress levels than only checking them now and again.

The study split 124 adults into two groups: one group was told to limit checking their emails to three times a day for a week, while the other was told to check their emails as often as they could (which turned out to be the same frequency with which they usually checked them). The instructions were then reversed for a second week. During the fortnight, participants answered daily questionnaires about their stress levels.

“Our findings showed that people felt less stressed when they checked their email less often,” said the study’s lead author, Kostadin Kushlev. But he admitted that addressing the problem may not be that simple. “Most participants in our study found it quite difficult to check their email only a few times a day.”

Switzerland, Denmark and Germany get the cream of the crop

Switzerland, Denmark and Germany have topped a chart of countries best able to develop, attract and retain top talent.

The first annual World Talent Ranking, released at the end of 2014 by Swiss-based global business school IMD, assesses 60 countries based on three key factors: 1) Investment and development in home-grown talent, reflecting a country’s public investment in education and the quality of its education system; 2) Appeal, reflecting a country’s ability to retain home-grown talent and attract talent from abroad; and 3) Readiness, reflecting a country’s ability to fulfil market demands with its available talent pool.

The ranking has been worked out using more than 20 indicators, some statistical and some based on a global survey of more than 4,300 executives.

The top 10 is as follows:

1. Switzerland
2. Denmark
3. Germany
4. Finland
5. Malaysia
6. Ireland
7. Netherlands
8. Canada
9. Sweden
10. Norway

The UK shows its face at number 20, while South Africa, Peru, Croatia, Venezuela and Bulgaria (in descending order) all languish at the bottom of the list.

About the author

Andrew Baird

Andrew is the CEO of HRville. He is also Employer Brand Director of Blackbridge Communications, Editorial Director of Professionals in Law and an associate of The Smarty Train. Previously, he was the MD of TCS Advertising.