The world of work is changing every day. While school closures made the COVID transition to remote work far less than ideal, many employees may want to maintain flexibility once childcare is back in place.
Flexible workplaces actually perform better in the world of work because each component has been streamlined to provide the most benefit to the worker and the company, while ultimately improving the customer experience through balanced and engaged employees.
Component #1: The Worker
While most people may consider the company as the most important component in the world of work, no business can be accomplished without the worker.
Optimal Work Hours for Personal Energy
Each worker works best at different times. In fact, 9-5 could be the worst time for the majority: early birds spend their best hours commuting while night owls spend the first hours of the work day waking up. And almost everyone feels the 3pm slump. Why enforce hours that don’t produce the best results? With a flexible schedule, early risers can do their best work before heading out to the office and night owls stay late to accomplish work after others go home.
Fewer Sick Days or Lost Hours
When an on-site employee gets sick, they lose an entire day of work staying home in bed. But with a flexible work model, employees can choose to stay home if they don’t feel their best, but may be able to work a few hours while their medicine kicks in. This puts no pressure on employees to come to the office while contagious, but at least offers some productivity.
Less Burn Out
Without the demands of commuting, employees report less burnout, instead focusing on results in their workplace rather than hours worked. With more time for family and hobbies, workers gain an entrepreneurial spirit towards their work, while achieving outside goals impossible when commuting. As they grow in their personal lives, they become more productive in their work lives, as well.
Find the Best Employee for the Job
When employers are open to flexible work options, they’ll be open to a huge new pool of candidates, possibly from around the world, offering new ideas and perspectives on the field. No longer limited to those within driving distance, talent and efficiency become the top differentiators in the hiring process.
Component #2: The Workplace
So what does a flexible workplace look like? Businesses may think they need to convert to completely remote teams without a physical office location, but that’s not necessarily true. Some roles will always be on-site positions, and some employees work best in the office environment. Flexibility starts with choice and can combine all forms of work.
Flexible Hours
Even within a traditional on-site office setting, implementing flexible work hours can be a morale booster and bring in more employees. For example, one parent may start their work day at 6 a.m. while the other gets children ready for school. After 8 hours, the early-rising parent gets home at 2 p.m. in time to meet the bus, while the other parent works traditional 9-5 hours.
The employer now has less employee turnover by allowing for an adjusted schedule, while the workers are happy they can meet family responsibilities while maintaining two incomes without additional childcare.
Co-Working Spaces
As businesses grow and expand, real estate costs to house the team increases with each new hire. Even if they decide to hire remote workers, some employees do require the structure of an away-from-home office setting to work their best. Co-working spaces provide a great solution. Typically less expensive than monthly rent for a traditional office space, a small remote team or a single desk may be the best option for off-site employees working office hours.
Remote
Remote work or telecommuting may seem like a huge transition for a traditional office, but many employees would be happy to work from home just two or three days per week. This typically gives them enough time to feel personally fulfilled, while maintaining enough facetime with their coworkers to build team spirit.
Combination of All Options
With an emphasis on communication, some employees may be able to combine all of the above options to perform their best at work and in their personal lives. The key elements of a remote, flexible team are choice and trust, no matter the physical location of the workplace.
Component #3: The Work
Our current model of work was built during the industrial era when work produced a physical product and required employees to be on-site to operate machinery or assemble parts.
Over 100 years later, advances in technology have transformed work from primarily physical products to the manufacturing of ideas through collaboration and new perspectives.
When workers are allowed to own their schedules, they begin to own their work. This results in a higher quality of work overall. They have time and inspiration to produce great ideas and move the company forward. By building a culture of trust within a company, you’ll find better employees and keep them longer with less turnover.
We’re ready to help you build this culture and the necessary policies through free consultations, facebook lives, and zoom webinars for every step of the journey. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.