Flexibility As An Employer Helps You Maintain Great Help

Did you know that flexibility as an employer helps you gain new employees? A working arrangement is now one of the most important factors for employees looking for a new job.

As more and more people combine parenting with working, and the pursuit of a healthy work-life balance becomes more instrumental. It’s beneficial for employers to champion flexibility.

Working Hours Flexibility

In days gone by, the vast majority of people worked from 9am to 5pm. Today, these working hours simply aren’t practical for many employees.

For those who have commitments, for example, taking children to school and collecting them later in the day or caring for young children, flexibility is crucial.

Enabling employees to adapt their hours to suit their schedule makes it possible for a wider range of people to work both full-time and part-time. This flexibility of hours can make a positive difference to productivity.

Some people work well in the morning, while others are happier starting and finishing later.

It’s useful to have core hours to organize meetings and ensure employees are available to talk to clients and colleagues. However, having some wiggle-room outside of them can benefit both employers and employees.

Location for Flexibility as an Employer

The pandemic has contributed to a mass exodus from offices and communal workspaces to homes. While home working might not be ideally suited to every employee and every business, there are advantages to offering flexibility when choosing where to work.

Remote working can be extremely cost-effective for company owners. This reduces expenses significantly and it can help employees to save time and money by cutting out commuting.

I can remember the days of driving to each client to go over information for their social media plans. Even today, when I do go out once in a while, I realize how much time travel takes. Jumping on Zoom or a quick phone call can save a lot of time.

At the moment, it may not be possible to think about returning to work as normal. But as time goes by, it’s worth considering the benefits of having the option to work remotely. Or you may combine office work with days at home.

You can offer the best of both worlds by providing access to desk space, either at a central office or at places you can hire on an ad hoc basis.

Furthermore, investing in tools, software and equipment to facilitate home working. Even increasing your staff’s IT skills would be beneficial today.

Communication Flexibility

Technology is evolving all the time, and today, we have access to all kinds of gadgets, programs and equipment that enable us to stay connected. No matter where we are or what time of day it is.

Investing in technology is hugely beneficial for employers who are keen to be more flexible.

With video conferencing software, for example, workers can stay at home or travel a short distance to the office. This saves time and money going to a different city, state or even overseas to meet a client.

You can use instant messaging and seamless file sharing to work collaboratively when you’re not in the same room, and you can engage in virtual social activities to foster team spirit and promote cohesion.

Flexible Businesses

Flexibility is one of the most crucial considerations for employees in the 21st century. If you’re eager to be more flexible and to get the best out of your team, think about how you could modify or adapt the way you work to cater to the needs of your employees and customers.

Remote working, investing in communications technology and flexible working hours can all make a huge difference to productivity, efficiency, and team morale. Offering some rewards is another way to show your freelancers or workers that you can from afar too.

Therefore, flexibility as an employer is key to retaining help today.

How 3M Uses Flexibility as an Employer Today

3M was flexible with their employees before the Covid-19 pandemic came along. According to their website:

“Choosing where to start and grow your career is an important part of your professional and personal life, so it’s equally important you know that the company you choose supports and nurtures you in return. 3Mers love working here and on average, stay with the company for 10 years.”  

Your Turn: Flexibility As an Employer

Are you flexible with your help today in your business? I’d love to know more in the comments below about the flexibility as an employer today.

Even if you are running your own small business do you hire freelancers and allow them flexibility? Or, do you micro-manage from a distance?

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Lisa Sicard

Owner at Inspire To Thrive, Inc.

Lisa loves helping others to thrive online through Social Media, Blogging, and SEO. What good is knowledge if you cannot share it with others?

She has 30+ years of experience in marketing/advertising with 12 years of experience in content marketing, social media, blogging, and SEO.

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