Bend or Break - A Guide to Flexible Working
Mac Mackay
Employees are becoming more assertive in their demands for flexibility. And we find firms are equally confident in asking staff to work outside of normal hours.
Technology is a fundamental part of enabling balance for both sides. The internet keeps us constantly connected, and the increasing sophistication of mobile devices allows us much greater choice over when, how and where we work – and clients are affected similarly.
Connectivity enables flexibility, but for employees to feel truly empowered to take advantage of that flexibility requires more than a mobile device and an internet connection. It takes a culture of trust – on both sides.
Technology is a fundamental part of enabling balance for both sides. The internet keeps us constantly connected, and the increasing sophistication of mobile devices allows us much greater choice over when, how and where we work – and clients are affected similarly.
Connectivity enables flexibility, but for employees to feel truly empowered to take advantage of that flexibility requires more than a mobile device and an internet connection. It takes a culture of trust – on both sides.
Give them the right tools for the job
As noted, flexibility isn't just about devices; people need fast and secure access to data for employees and stakeholders. Only then can the access to information provide firms with a competitive advantage that clients value.
Europe's ageing population is one reason why the ability to work remotely is becoming more important – as well as the pressures of commuting.
While a large proportion of companies surveyed provide employees with a smartphone and laptop, only a third provide remote access tools, such as a virtual network, and a mere 17% provide all three. Those numbers get even smaller when looking at the ability of employees to work effectively from non-office sites gaining access to the information they need.
Employers are saying they believe in the power of flexible working, yet only a small number are providing the necessary infrastructure.
Head in the clouds
Remote working tends to expose poor management, making under-performing managers less likely to grant employees permission to work remotely.
Thanks to the rise of cloud computing, collaboration tools are becoming increasingly affordable, allowing even the smallest firms to implement enterprise-grade solutions that can significantly improve communication lines between employees and clients. Investing in such technology allows firms to evolve in a way that reflects the changing needs of their fee-earners – and their clients.
The demands on parents caring for small children are well known, but as Europe's population ages, more than ever we also must consider how people balance their jobs with caring for elderly relatives. And the south east of Britain is the most densely populated area of Europe so the pressure on commuting will only increase in the years ahead.
By offering all employees full flexibility, and providing them with the right collaboration tools, organisations can more effectively manage the diverse range of talent at their disposal, ensuring every employee is empowered to perform to their maximum capability and allowing everyone to contribute equally – and that has a positive impact on the bottom line.
Adapting a different mind-set – achieving a cultural shift
It's as much about understanding human behaviour as it is about investment in IT. To influence behaviour, we must first understand how to create an environment in which the desired behaviour can flourish. Creating a flexible working culture is about trust. How much can your employees rely on each other to get the job done without the benefit of supervision?
The stigma that many attach to home and remote working means that half of employees don't trust colleagues to work productively outside the office.
Furthermore, remote working tends to expose poor management, making under-performing managers less likely to grant employees permission to work remotely.
True flexibility is a symbiotic partnership between employer and employee and between technology and culture. While employers benefit from increased productivity, and lower costs, employees benefit from more control, a more positive relationship with their employer and a better work-life balance. But only when employees are rewarded, rather than penalised, for taking advantage of flexible working, can business leaders say they have successfully integrated flexibility into the fabric of the firm
As noted, flexibility isn't just about devices; people need fast and secure access to data for employees and stakeholders. Only then can the access to information provide firms with a competitive advantage that clients value.
Europe's ageing population is one reason why the ability to work remotely is becoming more important – as well as the pressures of commuting.
While a large proportion of companies surveyed provide employees with a smartphone and laptop, only a third provide remote access tools, such as a virtual network, and a mere 17% provide all three. Those numbers get even smaller when looking at the ability of employees to work effectively from non-office sites gaining access to the information they need.
Employers are saying they believe in the power of flexible working, yet only a small number are providing the necessary infrastructure.
Head in the clouds
Remote working tends to expose poor management, making under-performing managers less likely to grant employees permission to work remotely.
Thanks to the rise of cloud computing, collaboration tools are becoming increasingly affordable, allowing even the smallest firms to implement enterprise-grade solutions that can significantly improve communication lines between employees and clients. Investing in such technology allows firms to evolve in a way that reflects the changing needs of their fee-earners – and their clients.
The demands on parents caring for small children are well known, but as Europe's population ages, more than ever we also must consider how people balance their jobs with caring for elderly relatives. And the south east of Britain is the most densely populated area of Europe so the pressure on commuting will only increase in the years ahead.
By offering all employees full flexibility, and providing them with the right collaboration tools, organisations can more effectively manage the diverse range of talent at their disposal, ensuring every employee is empowered to perform to their maximum capability and allowing everyone to contribute equally – and that has a positive impact on the bottom line.
Adapting a different mind-set – achieving a cultural shift
It's as much about understanding human behaviour as it is about investment in IT. To influence behaviour, we must first understand how to create an environment in which the desired behaviour can flourish. Creating a flexible working culture is about trust. How much can your employees rely on each other to get the job done without the benefit of supervision?
The stigma that many attach to home and remote working means that half of employees don't trust colleagues to work productively outside the office.
Furthermore, remote working tends to expose poor management, making under-performing managers less likely to grant employees permission to work remotely.
True flexibility is a symbiotic partnership between employer and employee and between technology and culture. While employers benefit from increased productivity, and lower costs, employees benefit from more control, a more positive relationship with their employer and a better work-life balance. But only when employees are rewarded, rather than penalised, for taking advantage of flexible working, can business leaders say they have successfully integrated flexibility into the fabric of the firm
Look for mutual gain – there could be gains for the firm in terms of opportunity to broaden client access to the services by longer opening, cover over lunch times, even easier access to the staff car park, better morale and better recruitment and retention; there are many benefits for staff including a better life / work balance, easier commuting, and a greater sense of ownership of their job.
Keep flexible – every organisation and all staff are different so start by finding out what staff want and how the organisation might meet those needs – parents might want time-off in holidays, single people may prefer later hours, or a sabbatical for travelling.
Set clear guidelines – avoid resistance through line managers being unclear about what is possible. Consider flexitime, annualised hours, evaluate moving annual totals of billings*, compressed working week, job sharing options, or term-time working and ensure managers apply the options objectively and consistently.
Plan flexibility – in client-facing jobs, shifts must be covered but in an office environment, managers need to plan ahead and ask for staff to play their part of the deal by being responsible to keep to agreed arrangements.
Think outside of the box – use flexible working as an opportunity to review current working practices. While this can uncover jobs that suit flexible working, if their job does not easily lend itself to flexible working consider moving someone (rather than side-line them).
Take legal advice – there is a raft of legislation including the Employment Act that you need to make sure you comply with; sound legal advice is good security against problems.
Walk before running – start with small groups as a ‘test’ rather than convert the whole organisation, use them as role models and iron-out any glitches. Make sure that there are no ‘favourites’ and keep people informed about trials.
Measure the outputs – monitor key areas such as absenteeism, morale, staff turnover and key performance indicators to establish a case for flexible working looking for a sound cost / benefit case.
*Contact the author if you want to discover the advantages of this approach and how to do it
Figure 1. Some key thoughts when introducing flexible working.
Keep flexible – every organisation and all staff are different so start by finding out what staff want and how the organisation might meet those needs – parents might want time-off in holidays, single people may prefer later hours, or a sabbatical for travelling.
Set clear guidelines – avoid resistance through line managers being unclear about what is possible. Consider flexitime, annualised hours, evaluate moving annual totals of billings*, compressed working week, job sharing options, or term-time working and ensure managers apply the options objectively and consistently.
Plan flexibility – in client-facing jobs, shifts must be covered but in an office environment, managers need to plan ahead and ask for staff to play their part of the deal by being responsible to keep to agreed arrangements.
Think outside of the box – use flexible working as an opportunity to review current working practices. While this can uncover jobs that suit flexible working, if their job does not easily lend itself to flexible working consider moving someone (rather than side-line them).
Take legal advice – there is a raft of legislation including the Employment Act that you need to make sure you comply with; sound legal advice is good security against problems.
Walk before running – start with small groups as a ‘test’ rather than convert the whole organisation, use them as role models and iron-out any glitches. Make sure that there are no ‘favourites’ and keep people informed about trials.
Measure the outputs – monitor key areas such as absenteeism, morale, staff turnover and key performance indicators to establish a case for flexible working looking for a sound cost / benefit case.
*Contact the author if you want to discover the advantages of this approach and how to do it
Figure 1. Some key thoughts when introducing flexible working.
From our own experience, fully integrated flexible working is a great contributor to the health of the workplace and helps to ensure a more diverse workforce.
IT is an effective catalyst for new ways of working, but competitive advantage can only be achieved by considering the slightly less tangible effects of human behaviour, and by creating an environment of transparency in which employees trust each other and are empowered to use technology in a way that best suits their needs – and serve the client better.
Technology enables the flexibility critical to this new way of working, but for it to thrive technology must coexist with a corporate culture based on trust and individual accountability, which measures performance by impact rather than by activity.
Now, what effect will that have on your firm’s bottom line?
IT is an effective catalyst for new ways of working, but competitive advantage can only be achieved by considering the slightly less tangible effects of human behaviour, and by creating an environment of transparency in which employees trust each other and are empowered to use technology in a way that best suits their needs – and serve the client better.
Technology enables the flexibility critical to this new way of working, but for it to thrive technology must coexist with a corporate culture based on trust and individual accountability, which measures performance by impact rather than by activity.
Now, what effect will that have on your firm’s bottom line?
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