Make it more visual at work

Hello, please let it work.

This is because the huge American technology, film and music conferences arrived in Europe for the first time in the southwest week of London. It’s busy and bustling, with lots of people in Hoka and trainers 👟. I’m moderated an SXSW panel on Friday, including Sean Doyle, CEO of British Airways. We’ll talk about reverse mentoring at work (Shawn’s fans). Say hello. If you come with me.

Old Street, the London Underground station closest to the conference, has been plastered with provocative ads for Agent AI startups. (The “Stop Hiring People” is on the escalator, but I was unable to take a photo in time).

Read more about why visual communication is the most important language in the workplace (or once Generation Alpha is raised on social media, you will be working in the office).

As always, please email me for your work in your heart: isabel.berwick@ft.com. I reserve a present and both office therapy will be back next week.

Can I add a photo to that photo?

Do you remember what internal workplace communications looked like? Duncan Clark does. He reminded me by showing me the kind of dull black and white email slides that no one reads, usually using the subject line “all caps.”

I was talking to Duncan (SXSW London offstage moment) about the importance of improving visual communication in the workplace. Rather, it seems that the workplace is visually catching up to the rest of the first world. Duncan is a former journalist, thriving, thriving, using charting and visual storytelling tools (used in FT). When the company was acquired by Canva, an Australia-based visual communications platform, he also became Canva’s European CEO.

“Back to the century, everything is printed text,” Duncan told me. “The first presses lead to graphic design, pop art, and desktop releases. However, until the end of the 20th century, the tools used to create visual content were still exclusive, complex and expensive.

At the same time, technical tools began to improve, access to better designs and visuals is much easier and cheaper. Currently, AI allows us to make what’s in our minds a reality (particularly via Canva, we have 230mn active users every month, employing 5,000 people worldwide). But Duncan believes that “human editors” will endure because they believe that they use AI as co-creators rather than as alternatives to our creativity.

Instagram has raised our collective visual bar (and ideally overlayed it with a flattering filter). And it penetrates the workplace even if we don’t recognize the shift. To attract people’s attention, you need visuals such as charts, images, and great graphic designs. Duncan gave me the history of potted plants. “Visual communication in the workplace was primarily owned by the marketing department, as it was about external communication.

For example, in HR, “Black and white emails are ignored because we are now trying to do something fundamentally wired, so we interpret things visually.” (All HR reading this: 👀)

Duncan believes that the next major change in workplace communication and design will be driven by the habits of his youngest colleagues. More than Generation Z, the members of Generation Alpha (born 2010-2024) are “first screen.” As parents and teachers already know, the video and visual content is how General Alpha interacts with the world. (In many cases, it’s twice as fast 🏎️.)

The future is. . . Movie 🍿.

Five Top Stories from the World of Work

Classes are missing links for employer diversity drives. The new research highlights what works in terms of socioeconomic inclusion in the workplace. Emma Jacobs speaks to experts and first generation alumni.

Ask the Stylist: What to wear to a job interview: Becky Marinsky suggests that young workers wear suits even for informal interviews. Her featured outfits are very expensive: you can buy second hand items. (Or many FT commenters recommend M&S suits.)

“There’s no Time Woster.” Is there a setting boundary necessary, or is it a simple rude? Miranda Green writes overwhelmingly, particularly affecting women who deal with administrators for their families, and offers advice on how to deal with it.

Views from 90 by Charles Handy: Final words from the management social philosopher. Andrew Hill reviews the final book by Charles Handy, collected from his magazine column. According to Handy, good management and leadership is “to make others find gifts and use them.”

The Joy and Pitfalls of Retirement: Andrew Jones retired from his 30-year career in the city and is currently writing books and articles. His column covers the loss of status that involves transitions.

One more thing. . .

The subsack newsletter from “reinvention coach” Rachel Laurent may resonate with, “Your whole life will be at work and no one is talking about it.” Rachel wrote: “Burnout doesn’t come from one job or office. It’s the cumulative sacrifice of 1000 invisible workplaces taught to work without rest, including kitchens, inboxes, WhatsApp groups, our relationships, our own bodies, and more. The familiar sound 😓? Solutions include learning lessons from the highly successful, and autonomous Buurtzorg nursing organization in the Netherlands.

US Workplace News from Charters: Why “Employer Brands” are New Necessities

The concept of “employer brand” is not new (although it is more prevalent in the US than in the UK and elsewhere). The term refers to how employees feel about their experience working in the business, and the potential job seekers and the public view it as an employer. Leaders aim to have a strong employer brand. Rating review sites like Glassdoor is one way to measure that sentiment. (We’re all reading some Shockers there.)

Naturally, more and more organizations are becoming more and more proactive about building employer brands. Kevin Delaney, editor-in-chief of Charter, a future media and research company, says Cisco is one of the companies investing in the sector. It deploys a new employer brand strategy designed to attract technical talent to AI projects.

The Charter contains new research examining the correlation between employer brands and business performance. A study of workers and financial data suggests that there is a link as workers who view their employers as the preferred workplace are more likely to be productive and provide better customer service.

*Charter will run the Live Employer Brand Summit tomorrow, along with executives from companies such as LinkedIn, Spotify, McKinsey and Dropbox. Sign up to join online for free here.

View from the working IT community 📷

Abby Powell works at Said Business School’s Eglob Park campus just outside Oxford city centre. “Every season is gorgeous here,” she writes. “We even have our own vegetable patches that our colleagues can enjoy for much-needed R&R. I’m on the right with a tint.”

The view is really nice, see below. . . But that office vegetable patch is the first to make it work. Abby will receive a “Lucky Dip” work supplies. Share your views on the field, shop, vegetable patch, or the world-famous castle: isabel.berwick@ft.com.

And finally. . .

FT’s flagship annual women’s business summit will be held in London on June 17th. This year’s theme is “strengthening the promotion of parity” in response to the background to anti-DEI countermeasures. You can hear from speakers such as Malala Yousafzai, Katie Piper and many business leaders. If you haven’t already got your ticket, Code WorkingIT will be 10% off.

Let’s meet a few there. It’s always an exciting and fun event.