Flexibility is one of the most valued qualities in the workplace by employers and employees alike. It benefits both sides, contributing to a more adaptable, enjoyable, and inviting place to work.
But what does flexibility in the workplace look like in practice? What are its advantages for modern organizations? We’ll dive deeper into workplace flexibility and share some examples of how you might incorporate it into your work.
What is Workplace Flexibility?
Flexibility refers to the ability to change with ease. In the workplace, that means adjusting to accommodate unexpected circ*mstances and being able to navigate situations that don’t go as planned. We may see workplace flexibility at play internally, as with staff schedules and assignments, and externally, with things like new product development and PR campaigns.
If the past few years have made one thing clear, it’s that workplace flexibility can make or break an organization. The ability to respond and adapt quickly to unforeseen, unprecedented events can define whether a company succeeds or folds during challenging times. As for employees, flexibility at work has gone from being a luxury to a necessity for many top job seekers.
Advantages of Workplace Flexibility for Employers
Aids in talent acquisition
Flexibility is the fastest-growing priority among job seekers, with work-life balance being the number one factor top applicants consider when deciding where to work. Workplace flexibility is a must if you want to win candidates in a cutthroat labor market.
It’s also necessary to bring applicants in the door. According to the latest CareerBuilder research, jobs that allow flexible work arrangements, like the ability to telecommute or work part-time hours, attract seven times more candidates than those requiring a more rigid structure.
Demonstrates trust in employees
Giving your employees flexibility is a vote of confidence. It shows your faith in their ability to make decisions about where and how they work and their competence in managing their own time.
When you show trust in your employees, it boosts their engagement. Highly engaged employees are more productive–22% more productive than less engaged employees, to be precise–which is good for business.
Boosts morale
Employees who feel valued and trusted by their employer are more likely to feel good about coming to work daily. Your staffers’ flexibility to make work changes when needed further strengthens this. Greater flexibility contributes to a stronger sense of morale and makes it easier to retain your best workers.
Related: Highly Effective Employee Retention Strategies
Examples of Workplace Flexibility for Employers
First, let’s start with the area that typically comes to mind when thinking about workplace flexibility: flexibility on the employer’s behalf. In this case, flexibility refers to how employees are managed, their autonomy level, and how feedback is delivered and received.
Let’s look to myRyan, an international tax consulting firm, for a lesson on this important workplace value. Fortune named the company the number one workplace in America for flexibility.
The firm recognized the benefits of non-rigid scheduling well before the pandemic and put the concept on the global radar. With the company’s virtual collaboration platform, ‘myRyan,’ employees can work where they want, when they want, without the pressure to log a certain number of hours each week. They’re assessed based on the results they achieve versus the amount of time they work, which is a fairly radical approach for the accounting industry. Employees are empowered to eliminate tasks they deem to be a waste of time or money.
The company says that since rolling out myRyan and giving employees maximum flexibility, there has been a dramatic increase in both employee retention and satisfaction.
While this is one great example, you don’t have to create a bespoke cloud-based work environment to give employees more flexibility.
Some other examples of employer flexibility in the workplace include:
- Offering non-traditional scheduling, flex time, or unlimited PTO
- Offering different types of work environments, like private and collaborative spaces
- Allowing the option to work remotely
- Using different management styles for different employees based on their work styles and preferences
- Encouraging creative thinking
- Asking for feedback on what the company or management could be doing better
- Rewarding employees for providing constructive input
We often think of flexibility in terms of time, but it can also apply to the setup of physical spaces, work locations, how meetings are conducted, the types of conversations that are held, and more.
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Advantages of Workplace Flexibility for Employees
Reduces stress
Juggling work and home life is stressful, especially when employees feel like they’re forced to choose between the two. With more work-life balance, employees feel less unnecessary pressure and can focus on doing their best work when they’re on the clock.
Related: How to Reduce Stress in the Workplace
Increases job satisfaction
Workplace flexibility greatly affects an employee’s sense of well-being at work. Flexible scheduling, for example, reduces job-related stress by 20% and increases satisfaction by 62%. When workers feel satisfied and rewarded by their jobs, they’re less likely to seek employment elsewhere.
Leads to more opportunities
Being a flexible worker can open doors. Stepping up to take on a new level of responsibility can hone an employee’s leadership capabilities, while covering for a coworker can help expand their skill set. When you adopt the mentality of “I’ll give it a shot” versus “it’s not my problem,” you make yourself more valuable to your employer, which can benefit you professionally.
Helps with landing a job
Being adaptable is also a major asset when you’re looking for a job. Flexibility is consistently among the top characteristics hiring managers include in job descriptions. If you come to an interview with anecdotes demonstrating your flexibility, you’ll be a stronger contender for the position.
Examples of Workplace Flexibility for Employees
In the ideal scenario, flexibility at work is a give-and-take relationship. While employees enjoy flexibility in their work schedule and style, they can also provide flexibility to their employer by adapting to accommodate the needs of the organization.
This might include:
- Working overtime to finish an important assignment
- Taking the lead on a project outside their normal realm of responsibility
- Stepping up to help a coworker in need
- Filling in to cover scheduling gaps when colleagues are out
- Being open to trying new ways of doing things
- Taking constructive criticism gracefully
- Embracing change rather than resisting it
When employees are flexible, it facilitates smoother teamwork. It’s easier to get things done when colleagues can put aside their differences and focus on accomplishing a task.
Being flexible as an employee helps the company respond quickly to changes when the need arises. This can make the company more agile and likely to succeed amidst changes in the market, which leads to stronger job security.
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The Challenges of Workplace Flexibility
While creating a more flexible workplace comes with numerous benefits, it’s not without its share of challenges. Here are a few of the obstacles you’ll need to grapple with when instituting increased flexibility.
Lack of boundaries
Greater flexibility means the line between work and life becomes more blurred. When there’s not a clear distinction between “work time” and the rest of the time, it can lead to an increased risk of burnout among employees who feel like they’re always on call.
Collaboration
Scheduling meetings and working collaboratively can be harder when everyone is not in the same physical location or working simultaneously.
Continuity
Giving employees control over their work hours often means one team member clocks out just as another clocks in. This can create barriers to the smooth transfer of information and cause unnecessary work delays.
Spontaneity
When employees aren’t all present together at the same time, you lose the spark of informal conversations, spontaneous brainstorming sessions, and other in-the-moment interactions that can drive creativity.
Supervision
When you give employees more flexibility, it’s harder to monitor their activities. Conflict can arise if managers feel suspicious of how employees are spending their time or if employees feel their employer doesn’t trust them to manage their own workload.
Coaching
With a flexible workplace, managers aren’t always able to deliver feedback in real time. More intentional planning is required to offer the coaching and training that’s essential for strong employee development.
Security
Additional safeguards are required to keep work and data secure when it’s being done from remote locations. This may require investing in special hardware, software, and other technical infrastructure.
Equity
The nature of your business may mean some employees don’t have the same access to flexibility as others–for example, a security guard who has to be on the premises during a rigid set of hours. This can lead to perceptions of unfairness among staff.
Compliance
Employing remote workers means you’ll need to navigate labor laws and comply with regulations in more than one location, which can add complexity for your legal and HR teams.
Tips for Managing Employees in a Flexible Workplace
Managing employees in a flexible environment requires thoughtful planning, clear communication, and proper technical infrastructure. Follow these tips to successfully orchestrate workplace flexibility.
Set clear expectations
Provide a thorough outline of job responsibilities, performance goals, and deadlines. Be explicit about expectations for when team members will be available and the turnaround time expected on various deliverables. For example, some flexible workplaces allow employees to choose their own hours, provided that everyone is online and available during a set window across teams and time zones each day.
Communicate regularly
Use formal and informal communication channels to contact all team members consistently. Hold group meetings and one-on-one check-ins regularly to share status updates, flag challenges, and proactively resolve any issues.
Leverage technology
In a flexible work environment, technology is your friend. Use software to assign tasks, monitor progress, track performance, and engage in collaborative work. Project management platforms like Asana and Trello can be a great asset.
Promote boundaries
Lead from the top when it comes to helping employees establish boundaries between their work and personal lives. Encourage team members to log off at a set time each day and communicate healthy expectations around availability–for example, that work emails sent outside of normal business hours will be answered the following morning. Normalize the practice of fully taking advantage of sick leave, personal days, and PTO.
Prioritize team building
When teams aren’t in the same place at the same time, you’ll need to dedicate extra resources to building a cohesive culture. Plan activities–both virtual and offline–to foster connections and camaraderie between remote and flexible workers. Ensure all team members, regardless of work location, have the option to participate.
Adopt a flexible management style
It’s important to recognize that different team members require different levels of support and guidance. Some may thrive in a highly independent work environment, while others may need more targeted feedback and development to perform their best. Adopt your leadership style to suit the needs of individual team members.
Monitor well being
The rise of the flexible workplace coincides with a growing awareness of mental health. This is apt since the two are closely intertwined. Pay attention to employees’ well-being and watch for red flags, like sudden changes in performance, that may indicate a team member needs additional support.
Key Takeaway on Workplace Flexibility
Workplace flexibility doesn’t pertain solely to employers or employees. Rather, it’s a two-way street. Organizations reap the greatest benefits of flexibility when it’s something that’s valued and prioritized by both the company and its workers.
By being adaptable to change, accommodating requests, and open-minded to new ideas, companies, and employees will enjoy a more positive, productive work environment where people feel valued and the work feels more meaningful.
