The importance of attracting and retaining top talent can’t be understated. But most companies struggle to identify what exactly entices and satisfies employees.
Data from numerous studies has shown over the past couple years, the number one thing people want is flexibility.
Are you granting this wish?
Why Flexibility Matters
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a major shift towards freelancing. People who have spent years building traditional careers have suddenly decided they like the idea of working for themselves. According to one report, the percentage of self-employed Americans has risen 24 percent since 2003.
There are many different reasons why people are transitioning from employed to self-employed, but a lot of it has to do with the desire for flexibility and autonomy. Young professionals are leading the way and others are starting to follow.
“Millennials aren’t the only ones who are craving more flexibility in their careers,” freelancer Amanda Abella explains. “While they are certainly at the forefront of the movement toward more flexibility in the workplace, other generations are calling for it as well. In fact, this one of the most widely cited reasons as to why people quit their jobs to freelance.”
Why Has The Field Of Freelancing Increased So Rapidly?
This sudden surge in the freelance economy has given businesses something to think about. Do you continue to let employees go because they desire flexibility, or do you appease their shifting demands and restructure your company culture to keep them happy and engaged?
This isn’t a trivial matter. As Dialpad’s Catherine Brown explains it, “Happy employees are, on average, 12 - 20 percent more productive than their unhappy counterparts, so we can comfortably attribute flexible working to driving up the value each employee brings to the business.”
When you get down to brass tacks, flexibility is something that you can either accept or fight in today’s workforce. Fight it and you’ll have trouble recruiting top talent. Accept it and you’ll have to get creative with execution. It won’t be easy, but the decision is clear.
Four Ways to Encourage Flexibility
There are a lot of ways to encourage flexibility among your employees. The key is to find policies that benefit both the company and the employees, so there’s no lapse in output.
Let’s check out a few specific things you may consider doing.
- Grant Leniency With Caregiving
You’re a business and you can’t turn a profit if you’re letting people’s personal lives supersede their job responsibilities. However, with that being said, there are times when you need to give employees a chance to step away without being adversely affected.
Perhaps the most relevant situation has to do with caregiving. According to data from AARP, 61 percent of those providing care for a family member older than 50 are also employed. And within the next five years, half of today’s workforce expects to be caring for an aging family member.
Of these individuals, 49 percent report having to go in late, leave early, or take time off. One in six have to take a leave of absence, 14 percent reduce work hours or change jobs, and 7 percent receive warnings about attendance and/or performance.
While you obviously can’t keep someone employed who isn’t able to contribute, you should consider granting extra leniency to those who have caregiving responsibilities.
This may look like forgiving tardy arrivals in the morning and asking them to add that time to the end of the day or week. Or, it could be as simple as giving employees two or three remote days a month that can be used at any time (and with short notice).
Meet with these employees and discuss options.
- Give Everyone a Personal Hour
The problem with working a 9-to-5 schedule is that other people have the same hours. If you need to go to the bank, meet with your child’s teacher, call a service provider about a bill, meet a contractor at your house, get your teeth cleaned, or do any of the thousands of other things that need to get done in your personal life, it’s nearly impossible to do so without taking the day off. That’s why we suggest giving employees what we’ll call a “personal hour.”
A personal hour is just what it sounds like. It’s an hour during the middle of the day where employees are still on the clock but are allowed to work on personal needs (if they have them). This results in employees taking fewer days off and serves as a nice little break in the middle of the day.
- Use the ROWE System
Are you familiar with the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) concept? It’s based on the idea that performance, results, and output -- not a physical presence in an office or number of hours worked -- are important.
In the ROWE system, employees are free to come and go as they please, take a day off when they need it, run to a daytime appointment, work at night as opposed to in the morning, or do anything else – as long as their performance is consistent with company expectations. If you have a lot of trust with your employees, this is something to consider.
- Implement a Four-Day Workweek
One strategy that a lot of businesses are adopting is that of a four-day workweek. In this setup, employees work four 10-hour days as opposed to five 8-hour days. The same work is being completed, just in a smaller allotment of time.
There are numerous benefits to using this setup. Employees love it because it gives them longer weekends to travel, spend time with family, and attend to their own personal needs.
Make Output the Priority
At the end of the day, having flexible work policies in place doesn’t do any good if the flexibility is compromising productivity. You have to identify ways in which you can encourage flexible working while simultaneously increasing output. The techniques and strategies referenced in this article should help you do that, but always be on the lookout for additional opportunities to leverage flexibility within your organization.