US stock markets in 2015: Are there any pockets of value? December 9, 2014 Fund managers are finding opportunities in retail shares. According to IMF forecasts, US growth will accelerate to more than 3 per cent in 2015 (compared to just over 2 per cent this year), tearing past other G7 countries like Britain, which is expected to grow by around 2.7 per cent. The Dow Jones and S&P [...]
Should you check emails in meetings? December 9, 2014 Meeting etiquette needs a revamp for the digital age – but many of the old rules still apply. What are your pet hates when sitting in meetings? Is it the colleague who stares out of the window or yawns when you are speaking? Or maybe it’s the boss who talks non-stop and doesn’t listen? [...]
Oil price hits a five-year low: What does this mean for markets? December 8, 2014 Equities could see a lift, but it’s bad news for oil exporters Looking ahead to 2015, there’s plenty for markets to fret about. Rate hikes in the UK and US are a near certainty – after years of extraordinary monetary stimulus that propped up asset prices and kept sovereign bond yields low – as are [...]
Poland: Europe’s economic dynamo – CNBC Comment December 8, 2014 Having just returned from a week in central and eastern Europe, I thought I would share a few thoughts about one of the countries I visited, Poland. As Europe’s sixth largest economy, it is the only EU country to border both Russia and Ukraine. Yet despite geopolitical tensions in the region — and a slow-to-no [...]
Why massive US job creation matters for markets – DailyFX Tips & Picks December 8, 2014 ON FRIDAY, the latest US non-farm payroll report was released, and it showed that a staggering 321,000 new jobs were created in the US in November. This is not a new record in itself, but it’s a clear fundamental trigger, as the markets expected 230,000 new jobs to be added. When more jobs are created [...]
The secret to job satisfaction? A good boss December 8, 2014 Having a competent manager is the single biggest determinant of job satisfaction. Bosses are everywhere. None of us can avoid them. Yet the person looking over your shoulder matters far more than is generally realised. Our study of 35,000 employees in the UK and US shows that the competence of your boss is the single [...]
Maximising the digital workplace December 7, 2014 Understand how your employees co-operate and dismiss your conception of the office. The way we work has changed dramatically, and today’s workplace looks and feels very different to how it did just a decade ago. There are physical changes – open-plan offices, tablets and hot-desking – but the structure of work is changing as [...]
A winning team: Measuring ability might not cut it December 4, 2014 Behavioural profiling is gaining traction among recruiters. How do you build the perfect team? If you’re faced with the tough choice between two applicants for a job, surely appraising their skill-sets or asking the right questions at interview is enough to find the right fit? It’s not quite so simple. And to show you [...]
The small job perks that can boost engagement December 4, 2014 Visitors to Dropbox’s office in the China Basin district of San Francisco are likely to be handed two things on entry: a name badge and a Razor scooter. Whizzing through the corridors of the 85,000 square foot space, they’ll come across a gym, tuck shops, a sprinkling of juice and coffee stations, a music room [...]
Business ethics: Does your firm cut it? December 3, 2014 The right incentives and senior management taking the lead will make all the difference. In recent months, six of the world’s biggest banks have been accused of rigging foreign exchange rates, while the UK’s dominant retailer has admitted misstating profits by a quarter of a billion pounds. It’s easy to be cynical about [...]