Hello and thank you for joining us again in the Friday blog on employee retention. Remember to check back here every Friday for a new tip on employee retention each week. This week we are looking at introducing flexible workplace practices.
Almost gone are the days of the typical nine to five; the workplace is a changing environment and many organizations will have some form of flexible workplace practices in place. Incorporating flexible workplace practices shows that an organization is committed to employee satisfaction and helps build an employer brand. Not only this, but also, flexible workplace practices are highly attractive for job seekers and can be an organization’s point of difference in attracting talent and retaining employees.
Essentially, organizations need to work with employees and provide options regarding when, how, and where they work. Research shows that these practices tend to result in increased retention, less absenteeism and tardiness, higher job satisfaction, strong employee commitment, and higher morale. Flexibility changes can be really simple and easy, and in return, provide huge benefits for employers.
Advantages of flexible workplace practices
Attract and retain employees
Flexibility arrangements offer a competitive edge when it comes to attracting and recruiting talent. Small businesses in particular will benefit from offering flexibility practices, as it is easy and often free to implement. Surveys show that job seekers that have caring responsibilities, mature age workers, and workers with disabilities are the biggest groups that seek out flexible workplaces.
For retaining employees, studies indicate that flexible workplace practices are effective in reducing turnover and retaining staff. For instance, if an employee is satisfied with their current work and life balance, this will not be something that they will give up easily, as it is often hard to replace. Thus, flexibility is an effective tool for fostering employee loyalty.
Increased productivity
The main priority for organizations is to deliver quality products or services, and to do this successfully, an organization needs a staff team that is motivated, committed, and productive. Flexible workplace arrangements have been proven to increase productivity and efficiency. By encouraging your organization’s culture to support flexibility, you will be well placed to fulfil organizational objectives and assist employees to balance their work and life needs.
The work and life balance
Much has been written on the topic of the work life balance, and while most employees will benefit from flexibility, it’s especially true for those with families and small children. There is however a broader group of employees outside of the traditional family structure that look for flexible workplace practices — primary or secondary carers, students that are studying part-time or full-time, people in long distance relationships that will need flexibility for traveling, single parents without custody, mature age employees, and people active in community and volunteer organizations. Flexibility is the key to creating a good work, home, and life balance, and in turn this will aid employees in attaining greater satisfaction from the organization.
Flexible workplace practices can include the following:
- Working part-time
- Job sharing options
- Working from home
- Working from another location
- Compressing the work week
- Casual dress days in the office
- Flexible leave options
- Flexible start and finish times
Tailor practices to suit your employees
Some organizations will face barriers that will not allow certain flexible workplace arrangements; that’s why it’s important to address these issues, and instead design practical options that will suit different employees. Find out what the issues are by speaking with employees — focus groups or discussions are great ways to discover the issues. Open dialogue with employees is paramount, and in many cases employees will have their own proposals. If you feel hesitant about an employee’s idea, try holding a trial basis for a short time, even just a day to see if it will work, then if the desired results are not there, it is always reversible. Employees will appreciate the effort and consideration given.
Tips to incorporating flexible workplace practices
Establish commitment at senior levels — flexible arrangements should be an integral part of an organization’s policy and therefore needs support and ownership from management.
Design positions that account for flexible workplace practices and recruit with this strategy; it will offer a greater incentive to candidates. Also design flexible working hour agreements for current employees that can be negotiated between management and the employee.
In the implementation stage of flexible work practices, create and maintain a communication channel for informing and giving feedback on new practices. This will help to examine issues and provide information for future strategies.
Ensure that all employees have access to flexible workplace practices, that the adoption of them is fair and equitable, and that the decision making process is transparent.
When discussing proposed arrangements, organizations should factor in both the business implications and the employees circumstances. Also outweigh the proposal with the benefits that can occur as a result of the request. If resources permit, an independent review board for proposals would be beneficial to establish.
Account for unforeseen events and urgent situations. A key concern for management in establishing flexible workplace practices is the ability for employees to respond in times of need. By planning ahead and making arrangements to deal with unforseen and urgent circumstances that arise, both management and the employees will feel more confident and prepared.
Join us next week as we look into career development and training.
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