Flexible working arrangements are important to Millennials, and as more of them have moved into the workforce, the demand for flexible work has increased. But Millennials aren’t the only people who want flexibility — and neither are moms. Employees from a wide variety of demographic groups have come to value workplace flexibility and look for it as they seek out new jobs and employers. And flexible work arrangements aren’t just good for employees, they help businesses, too.
This week I came across several articles with data on the increasing demand for flexible working arrangements, how those arrangements benefit companies, and how companies can make them work well. Read on to learn more.
- Flexible Working: One Employee in Three Wants to Change the Way They Work. Personnel Today: “Only a quarter of people feel that work is central to their lives, and around one-third would like to make changes to their working arrangements, research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development has found. This compares to around half of those surveyed for comparable work in 2005, suggesting the importance of work and career has diminished over the past 10 years. Of the 35% of employees who said they would like to change their working arrangements, 43% said they would most like to change the start or finish time of their working day. One-fifth of those surveyed work from home at least once a week, while a further one-fifth said they would like more flexibility over where they worked.”
- Top Five Myths About Flexible Working. HR Magazine: “The idea that flexible structures only work for low-skilled jobs, where employees hold little responsibility and have no company loyalty, is massively outdated. Timewise has matched thousands of highly skilled candidates who bring enormous value and commitment to employers, ranging from HR directors, to finance managers, to marketing executives. Small business owners now have more opportunity than ever to access business-enriching talent within their own financial capabilities.”
- Your Workers Want Work Flexibility But Companies Benefit Most. Entrepreneur: “According to survey respondents, here are just a few of the clear benefits flexible work options offer companies: Cost savings: In addition to real estate savings with full-time remote workers, 20 percent of survey respondents would take a 10 percent pay cut for flexible work options. Twenty-two percent would be willing to forgo health benefits. 18 percent would be willing to work more hours. Increased productivity: The survey results showing that employees leave the office to get important work done and that they need fewer interruptions from colleagues supports this. Better recruiting and retention: A huge majority (82 percent) of professionals said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options. Thirtynine percent have turned down a promotion, have not taken or have quit a job because of a lack of flexible work options.”
- 5 Ways To Make Workplace Flexibility The New Way Of Working. Forbes: “Offer training for both virtual workers and virtual managers: Companies that are seeing business impact in workplace flexibility have designed policies and training to prepare virtual employees and virtual managers for how to work in this new world of work. American Express realizes the job of creating the workspace for tomorrow requires a robust set of policies, trainings and, communications governed by a cross functional team. Key areas covered in the American Express virtual work training include: training on using new technology tools, tips and tricks on being a mobile worker and how to lead a virtual team in a mobile work environment.”
- How Technology Can Help Work-Life Balance. The Wall Street Journal: “Some businesses try to exhort employees to do things like triage their inbox more effectively, or turn off email after hours or when on vacation. But those fixes ignore the human factor — the anxiety that makes people feel they must keep in touch to protect their job or keep up with colleagues. A better approach is to use the same technology that complicates our lives to relieve the pressure we feel. (Think of it as sending a Terminator to stop another Terminator.)”
If you’d like to learn more about how Millennials are changing the workplace, read my white paper:
