Bend, but Don’t Break: Flexibility in the Workplace
Flexibility and autonomy in the workplace are neither easily measured nor quantifiable. However, they can pay both the company and the employee huge dividends. Two areas where organizations can quickly institute some flexibility are work location and work hours. Providing employees the freedom to choose how and where they engage in work empowers them to build a more productive environment. So, in essence, handing over control to employees puts them in control of their time.
These kinds of perks, also known as soft benefits (as opposed to hard benefits, such as salary and paid vacation days), can set a company apart from its competition in a tight labor market. All other details of a job offer being equal, an employee is likely to choose (or stay with) a company that trusts them to dictate their own work schedule and surroundings. Granted, there are as many different work styles as there are different worker personalities, but in following the trends of the current demographics of the workforce population, soft benefits sometimes outweigh the actual dollar amount on a paycheck (well, direct deposit notification, if we’re being literal here).
But the equation is not one-sided. Corporations also reap the benefits of better work/life balance for their employees. Productivity rises when personal accountability rises, such as with flexible work arrangements. It simply does not matter where/when some work gets done, just so long as it gets done. (For example, I’m writing this at 10pm on a Sunday night with my son asleep in the next room. My productivity soars when the house is quiet and I have zero distractions.) Naturally, the greatest perk on the company side of the equation is dollars saved. Without expenses such as office space, utilities, and office supplies (and all that wasted coffee), companies can realize some savings within just a couple of months of launching a flexible work environment.
If you need further convincing of the benefits of a flexible workforce, either as a company owner or a fledgling telecommuter, click here and here. Or contact us today. We can show you how to maximize your workforce to see immediate results.