Work/life balance has never been more important to employees and job candidates than it is today. This is true across all demographics, starting with millennials, who are on the cusp of becoming the dominant sector in the global workforce.
In one recent poll, more than 80 percent of employees placed top importance and value on flexible and remote working. So, if you’ve had any doubt up until now about whether or not you should offer this benefit, let it go.
Embrace Flex Work for Your Employees
If you want to be the leader among employers of choice (there’s a no-brainer for you!), then embrace the benefits of offering flex work to your staff.
- There’s been a cultural shift in the way people work. Modern responsibilities are often cross-functional, behooving or even requiring employees to interact with people globally and across multiple time zones. Any constraints on how, when and where employees work should be removed or at the very least, reflect this, if you want to truly engage your team.
- You want to keep winning the talent war. Top talent may be swept up by your competition within 10 business days or less – unless you make them an offer they can’t refuse. Often, flex work is what seals the deal. According to another recent study, 54 percent of professionals would be willing to change jobs in order to gain greater flexibility.
- Technology makes it easy. Most employees have all the tools they need on their mobile devices to work from virtually anywhere. Cloud technology provides secure access to documents without being in the office, and communication and project management tools enable team members to collaborate from opposite sides of the building, the city, the state – or the globe. The way your company works should reflect these dynamic capabilities.
- Productivity is the bottom line. Most people who work a 40-hour week feel they are productive for only about 3.75 days – or 30 hours – out of that five-day stretch. Shocking, right? But revolutionizing productivity in new ways can change that statistic for the better. Giving people the freedom to work in the ways and timeframe that best suits them goes a long way toward averting a productivity downslide. Sixty percent of flexible workers are more productive. As an added bonus, 45 percent of flexible workers feel they communicate better.
As you design the employment policies and engagement practices that best suit your business, consider a partnership with HR Works. For more than 27 years, we’ve crafted customized HR solutions including human resources management, talent acquisition, development and training, compliance, affirmative action and benefits administration. Contact us today to learn more.
© 2019 HR Works, Inc. All Rights Reserved
