EVENTS

New Products being showcased at CDW

The Floor Hub, are launching our new design led ranges at Clerkenwell Design Week from 21st to 23rd May.

Located in The Vault Showroom on St John’s Lane, The Floor Hub will be highlighting Flagstone, an eclectic shaded design brought together to create a highly patterned area. The linear contrasting carpet tile range, Aurora, would be perfect for placement in open plan office areas, communal breakout spaces or single offices. Composition mimics a woven pattern, offering that broadloom look with a high end feel. Plus, our new Light Speed carpet tile range, a bold design with vibrant coloured stripes, perfect for zoning and wayfinding, throughout a building.

Visit us at The Vault Showroom in Clerkenwell to see our new products in person or alternatively, contact us on 01923 211151 for sampling or to discuss your projects requirements.

PROJECTS

CAT A PROJECT IN BASINGSTOKE

The Floor Hub’s Transmission carpet tile range has been beautifully fitted for a Cat A project in a vacant office building in Basingstoke. Over 900m2 of Transmission carpet tiles in Sound colourway has been installed on the ground floor to showcase the office and lobby space to prospective tenants. In addition, 160m2 of Expression carpet tiles in the colour Aspect has also been installed. The client stated “The flooring was a key part in the transformation of the office space and common parts into bright, modern–looking offices, available to let. We chose The Floor Hub for their quick lead time and efficient customer service”.

WORKPLACE

WORKPLACE TRENDS FOR 2019

Every year brings unique and sometimes quirky new workplace initiatives. Here are just some of the new workplace trends set to hit in 2019.

From welcoming a new generation into the workforce to understanding how your company collects data about you, these are the 5 biggest workplace trends that you’ll see during 2019:

1. Gen Z is joining your workforce
Gen Z is rapidly joining the workforce with the oldest members of the generation being 23 years-old. They’re expected to comprise up to 36 percent of the global workforce by 2020, and companies are adapting their people strategies to ensure that they can attract and retain young talent. These new entrants are digital natives who expect strategic use of software and technology in the workplace, as they are the first generation to grow up entirely in an internet-centric society.

Even if you’re not a member of Gen Z, you’ll start seeing software strategies, solutions and training trickling into your workplace because if your organisation doesn’t offer them, Gen Z will find an employer that will. The flipside of their technological competence will be a decrease in soft skills such as professional written communication, and an emphasis or preference for in person meetings versus electronic. As a teammate you can help their transition into the workforce by making sure that you listen to their ideas and being transparent with them from day one. Being aware of Gen Z’s idiosyncrasies can assist you in integrating them into your existing team more quickly and efficiently, and help ensure your workplace is the right fit for everyone.

2. Your 100-year life span
In addition to focusing on young employees joining the workforce, a similar emphasis is being put on shifting career and life paths across all generations. In developed nations with more access to effective healthcare, more and more people are reaching their 100th birthday, meaning that careers will be longer than we’ve ever seen before. Companies and their employees are planning for rising retirement ages by reviewing the role of pensions, benefits and physical or schedule accommodations for older and more senior employees.

If you are looking for career growth, consider asking your manager about moving horizontally across your organisation instead of just aiming for the traditionally vertical promotion. With people changing careers and jobs more frequently throughout their longer life spans, companies are preparing for a more dynamic workforce with workers looking to continually expand their skill-sets cross-functionally. Diversifying your CV and skill-set will allow you to contribute to your business, while also giving you increased job security and flexibility across what could be a very long career.

3. Be better than good
As a lot of tech and retail giants have seen recently, doing good isn’t good enough. With a tumultuous global political climate, and governments that respond to crises at the pace of moving glaciers with little accountability it is up to business leaders to pick up the slack and as such, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become more important than ever. Societal expectations and employee demands are becoming the rules by which companies must now operate, and they must be willing and ready to respond to these new demands.

Companies are increasingly working to align their mission, vision, and values with those of their employees. However, 56 percent of organisations don’t have CSR as a priority and you have the voice and ability to be a part of bridging that gap. If your company doesn’t have any CSR programs in place, consider suggesting a potential CSR initiative. CSR comes in many forms including providing liveable wages, supporting environmental sustainability initiatives, facilitating community programs, charitable donations, volunteering, or getting a certification of social responsibility.

4. Prepare for the rise of the gig economy
It’s no secret that the gig economy – comprised of individual contract or project work – is on the rise at the same time as many companies are seeing increased turnover. You may have seen the effects in your own workplace. Employee engagement is low globally, and in addition, younger employees indicate that they are significantly more likely to leave their organisation within five years than to stay beyond five years. Because of these factors, businesses are now moving away from trying to keep employees around longer and are instead reducing costs associated with turnover and embracing the gig economy. It is particularly prominent in industries that have changing labour demands for different projects – one project may need 15 people while another may need 150.

While the flexibility and control offered by contract or gig work can seem appealing, it is important to be aware of the limitations and challenges it represents versus full-time employment. Contract workers often don’t receive health benefits and generally have less job security which may necessitate a shift in the way that the workforce approaches employment decisions.

5. All about you (and your data)
Consumer data has been a hot-button issue as businesses use it to inform their decisions, but companies are now starting to gather more employee data for similar purposes. Employee data has historically been used to inform people strategies such as recruitment, retention, performance management and training. With more tech and social media in the workplace, employers have a greater ability to collect and evaluate employee behaviours. Some companies are analysing communication patterns on internal messaging systems, tracking geographical locations, and giving their employees health trackers to collect health data.

Health tracking in particular is expected to see significant growth as smart watches with health tracking functionality like the Apple Watch are now being included in employee wellness plans.

As an employee it is advisable to be aware of what data your employer is gathering and what they’re using it for. Collecting data without compromising employee trust is imperative, and businesses must be transparent about what they are collecting and using your data for. It may be a cause for concern if they are not communicating the strategies and initiatives that justify their data collection. Most often there is no cause for alarm, but it is important for employees to be educated and informed regarding data collection, just as they would in their personal lives.

As the workplace continues to evolve to meet rapidly shifting demands, it increasingly falls on employees to be self-advocates and educators to avoid being left behind. Continuously expand your skill-set, stay open-minded to new individuals and experiences, and understand how you fit into the future of your workplace to remain competitive as we move into 2019 and beyond.

PROJECTS

BOVIS HOMES SOUTHERN COUNTIES

The Floor Hub are very proud to have worked with Curve Workplaces to provide Bovis Homes Southern Counties with 1000m2 of the stunning Dimensions in Calibre and Ambit. With the furniture now in, we think the finished areas look fantastic and we hope Bovis have great success in their new offices at Chineham Business Park in Basingstoke

COLLECTIONS

MIX & MATCH THE WAVE COLLECTION

Our new innovative Wave Collection, created with light and sound waves in mind, offers

unique designs for practical use.

The Wave Collection consists of 6 colours across 4 designs which can be mixed and matched or standalone creations. Transmission is a random framework of geometric shapes, an almost endless merging of subtle blocks. Shadows offers subtle contrasting movement of shapes like trees cascading light over the woodland floor. Percussionist provides contrasting note changes that resembles frequency waves played on percussion instruments, creating a striking professional pattern. Reflections implements a striking, bold structure where each tile reflects against the next.

All of the Wave Collection designs are BREEAM A rating certified for commercial offices. All 24 colours create stunning commercial office settings whether installed in a boardroom, a field area or a Cat B Fit Out. These carpet tiles are also perfect for educational establishments as they are classified as Class 33 Heavy Contract Use for high traffic footfall. All 24 colours are made and stocked in the UK for fast turnaround projects.

Click here  to see the full collection, order samples or download the tile images.

INTERIORS

MORE TEXTURES EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK...

With the rise of the minimalist office and neutral or streamlined layouts, texture will become one way for a workplace to introduce a playful side. Textures heighten the sensory elements of a room, and can summon a nostalgic home comfort in everyday spaces. Think faux or real sheepskin chair throws, acoustic fabric wall panels, beach shell wall dividers, woven rugs, and handmade baskets.

Joining in the textures craze, we have subtle and striking collections offering that added luxury to a project:

LAGOON – ESTUARY

PALLADIUM – MOONSTONE

DIMENSIONS - CALIBRE