SME News Q2 2018

SME NEWS / Q2 2018 7 NEWS , A new survey of sen- ior HR professionals by MintCentral, an employee engage- ment app provider, reveals a number of concerns they are facing, relating to busi- ness productivity and employee engagement. The survey showed that an age- ing UK workforce and increasing numbers of millennials entering the workplace are seen as the biggest threat to workplace pro- ductivity in the next five years, while employee apathy and re- mote working were cited as the main factors influencing the ef- fectiveness of internal communi- cation. When analysing the factors affect- ing workplace productivity, 63% of participants ranked an ageing UK workforce and increasing num- bers of millennials as more signif- icant than the impact that Brexit will have (21%), or stagnating wages (14%). This suggests that organisations have a very real and pressing set of age-related concerns to tackle the evolving workplace age demographic. When the survey asked about the factors that influence the effec- tiveness of internal communica- tion, employee apathy and dis- tance were jointly ranked in first place. This is indicative of a ge- ographically disparate UK work- force which is not fully engaged. 71% of respondents said that on- line surveys are the most effec- tive technology used to measure staff engagement. Interestingly, company intranets were ranked as the least effective technology for measuring staff engagement. This questions their continued use when the average UK work- force is increasingly non-desk bound. The inability to engage with employees through their in- tranet was cited by one respond- ent as why they ranked it as least effective. One third of respondents agree that an app would help boost productivity When asked about the alterna- tives to their current employee engagement technologies 35% of respondents said that an internal communications app would help boost productivity and improve staff morale. The ability to meas- ure staff engagement was ranked as the next most desirable feature of alternative staff engagement solutions. To see more of the survey results please click here to view the in- fographic. Wiley’s Finest UK Ltd. announced on the 1st June 2018 its acquisition of Now2 Ltd. located in Black- pool, Lancashire. The acquired operation will retain Now2’s Paul L. Farquhar to serve as managing director. “Our company feels honoured to have been selected by Wiley’s Finest to become part of their growing business,” says Farquhar. “All the employees of Now2 Ltd love the products and personally use them, and we know our enthusiasm and support for the brand will help it develop throughout the UK and Europe in the coming years.” Now2’s expertise in customer service, distribution to trade, and sales direct to consumers is a nat- ural fit to expand Wiley’s Finest capabilities. Now2’s distribution channels include yourhealthy. co.uk, which sells a variety of supplements and natural health products to both consumers and trade. To enable rapid service to its cus- tomers across all parts of the UK and Ireland, Wiley’s Finest UK will have its headquarters and trade distribution out of the Blackpool office. “Our family is thrilled to have the opportunity to grow our business by nurturing Now2’s operations,” New Survey Shows Number of Concerns Regarding Productivity and Employee Engagement UKHR professionals see millennials and the ageing workforce as the biggest threat to productivity. says Wiley’s Finest CEO Sam Wiley. “We are committed to ex- panding our presence in the UK market to meet our customers growing demand for exceptional quality natural health products. A base of operations in Lanca- shire is a natural fit; the location and values of the Blackpool area complement our family’s long time manufacturing operations in rural Ohio in the eastern United States.” Savio Joanes, Sales Director UK and Europe for Wiley’s Finest, is excited about the opportunities of this growth platform to better serve British and European cus- tomers: “As a leader in supplements in the UK’s natural food industry, the acquisition of Now2 Ltd. will further grow the Wiley’s Finest brand and expand the proposition with the added expertise of the Now2 Ltd. sales distribution ser- vice,” explains Joanes. “The full package offering will benefit both our trade accounts and our end consumers.” Beginning 1 st June, the expand- ed operations will enable Wiley’s Finest to distribute select brands in the UK market in addition to its own brands for the natural prod- ucts industry. Yaupon Brothers American Tea Co.™ is the first of these select brands that is distrib- uted out of Blackpool.