Are you walking-the-talk with flexible work?

There’s been much written about the great shift towards a flexible work revolution in recent times. Thanks to a number of converging factors from pandemics to digital advancement to reevaluating personal values, employees needs have changed. However, the most important question still remains, are employers embracing the new normal?

As we all know, it takes two to tango. Words and sentiment are important, but what really matters is employers walking the talk if they want to be taken seriously as an attractive landing place for skilled recruits. 

At a broad level, for this new arrangement to work and remain working for years to come, it’s incumbent on employers to be proactive in creating the right environment for their team members. Employees have a choice now, so moving with the times is a non-negotiable.

With that being said, it’s easy to fall back into old habits when they’ve served you so well. So I’ve come up with a few tips for employers to walk the talk when it comes to embracing flexibility and work/life balance.

1. Listen, then act

There’s a common trait that separates good leadership from great leadership, listening. 

Walk-the-talk leaders actively listen to people more than they tell them what to do. It’s a pertinent point in this new age of flexibility, particularly when it comes to understanding the needs of your team. Creating an environment where people feel comfortable to be able to speak freely without judgement is key to discovering what drivers are at play, and what decisions need to be made to keep people happy. 

Then, look at how and where you can embed your flexible work policies into as many internal and external touch points as necessary. That way, your organisation won’t just create a good culture and reputation around flexibility, you’ll also attract candidates that align with your values.

2. Don’t be selective

Transparency for everyone is a good place to start. If you are serious about adopting flexibility, it must be offered to all employees, not just a select few that curry favour with management or make the most noise to get their own way. This egalitarian policy mindset is critical if everyone is to feel like they are on an equal footing. 

If management enjoys the perks of flexibility but entry-level workers don’t know where they stand, it’s a recipe for simmering discontent. That’s not to say there’s a blanket rule that needs to be applied, some people prefer coming into the office, others prefer working from home, and some people like something in-between what’s important is that everyone knows where they stand.

3.ROWE the loyalty boat

Back in the day, loyalty was the most important metric of employee success. But it’s not ‘back in the day’ anymore. 

Instead of timing how long someone spends at their desk, these days, more and more organisations are integrating the ROWE (results only work environment) mentality into their operations. That is, a focus on the quality of the work as opposed to physical hours spent somewhere. If the work gets done, and done well, does it really matter where it’s done?

Loyalty goes both ways too. A recent survey found that 80% of respondents said they’d be more loyal to their employer if they provided flexible working arrangements. Getting your workforce out of the traditional 9-5 mindset might take some time, but it means better results and more meaningful loyalty, it’s worth the shift. 

4. Banish shame away and celebrate success

It’s safe to say the days of flexible work being a taboo topic are well and truly behind us (or they should be, at least). What does this look like in practice though? 

Many organisations learned in the past year that remote work can be highly effective, with 83% of employers surveyed saying that the shift to remote work has been successful for their company, according to a big PwC study. And when you experience successes, celebrate them so employees can draw a line between success and internal work arrangements.

These figures alone should be enough to extract the shame from openly discussing flexibility for good. When your team members feel comfortable enough to discuss arrangements that fit in best with their own lives, it’s a great sign that you’ve created a safe space for them to be able speak their minds without fear of exclusion or embarrassment. 

5. Remain truly flexible

The democratisation of work and the employee autonomy that accompanies it is a good thing for your organisation’s bottom line if done right. Know that token measures will quickly come undone and disenfranchised employees will quickly seek out other opportunities. 

There’s no getting around it. A refreshed workforce is a happy workforce and a happy workforce is good for your company. Be open to change, because it’s absolutely in your best interests to truly embrace the age of flexibility. 

~ Garth Kharitou