4 methods for enabling a tradition of workforce flexibility

The proliferation of distant work in the course of the world pandemic proved that working from house is a viable office mannequin with little draw back. Yet, companies proceed to encourage and even require their workers to return to the workplace — usually to their very own detriment. For occasion, PwC’s Pulse Survey: Cautious to Confident discovered that 64% of executives agree that their firm wants as many individuals again on-site as attainable. 

As distant work continues to prime workers’ want lists, it’s clear that many enterprise leaders must do a greater job of embracing a tradition of flexibility of their organizations to retain and appeal to employees.

Employees proceed to demand office flexibility

According to our Global Workforce Survey, right now’s employees crave (and want) selection in how they work. Nearly two-thirds say they like a mixture of in-person and distant work. This flexibility sits on the core of job satisfaction. Only 45% of in-person workers say they’re glad with their job, in comparison with 50% of hybrid workers and 63% of fully-remote employees.

Maintaining connectivity and tradition is necessary, however inflexibility dangers breeding resentment. While 26% of individuals in PwC’s survey would like full-time distant work, solely 18% mentioned their employer is prone to undertake that mannequin. Only 11% of workers favor full-time in-person work, however 18% say their employer is prone to require them to enter the workplace on daily basis.

Workforce agility is crucial to competing in a extremely fluid and aggressive market. Organizations, due to this fact, must each reply to worker expectations and put their employees able to carry out at a excessive degree. Otherwise, they might face excessive turnover, low productiveness and a lack of enterprise agility.

A office technique that advantages the group and workers

It’s clear that the majority employers nonetheless haven’t perfected a brand new approach of working within the post-pandemic world, a approach that addresses advantages for each workers and the corporate. Leading organizations, nevertheless, are embracing a tradition of flexibility within the office by implementing insurance policies and instruments that meet workers the place they’re. Success on this new hybrid mannequin requires partaking workers and giving them a way of personalization and possession in how they work.

Here are 4 methods for enterprise leaders to allow a tradition of workforce flexibility that advantages the group and workers.

1. Offer personalised flexibility

Workplace flexibility isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. People have completely different wants, workstyles and preferences for a way they work, and personalization helps put individuals in the perfect place to succeed. Giving employees the ability to work in a approach that most accurately fits them gives a way of accountability and incentive to carry out.

Some individuals might must work from 7 a.m. to three p.m. to deal with baby care or different private obligations. Others might really feel that they’d carry out higher in a four-day workweek. Some might choose to surrender some wage for extra trip or private days. Flexibility permits individuals to work how they need and when they need in probably the most optimum method.

Meanwhile, don’t neglect the ability of connectivity and training that occurs in particular person. Some individuals merely don’t know what they’re lacking. Making it actual for them by bringing groups collectively usually and utilizing connectivity as an in-person incentive may help make the worth clear.

2. Lay out the foundations upfront

Whatever individuals’s particular person wants and preferences, it’s as much as managers and enterprise leaders to find out whether or not it’s within the group’s finest pursuits to let individuals personalize how they work. This requires open communication channels amongst managers, workers and HR in addition to formal plans round in-person, distant and hybrid working.

People must know what the job expectations are no matter how they select to work, and managers must know the place the boundaries lie. Clear guidelines of engagement have to be laid out, formalized and communicated to stakeholders, together with clear accountabilities.

3. Empower completely different work types with superior instruments for collaboration and connectivity

A versatile workforce is barely as efficient as its toolset. Wherever they work, workers have to be armed with instruments that permit them to successfully connect with company sources and collaborate with colleagues, prospects and companions.

We must transcend video conferencing to offer individuals interactive instruments resembling whiteboarding, real-time polling and the flexibility to interrupt into groups. Remote workers want office-like connectivity, so they can work how they anticipate with out latency or bandwidth points. And individuals who work within the workplace shouldn’t be neglected both. A whole rethinking of how places of work and shared areas are laid out can entice individuals to come back into the workplace extra and be extra productive. 

4. Encourage development and profession development

Every worker ought to really feel challenged of their function and wish to develop their profession with the corporate. Upskilling and alternatives for development are nice methods to retain and appeal to workers. Investing in individuals by means of studying and improvement packages enhanced by recognition, badging and incentives creates the kind of work atmosphere individuals can get enthusiastic about.

High performers crave alternatives that problem and excite them. It’s only a matter of giving them alternatives to excel and exhibit what they’ll do.

Put individuals able to excel

Hybrid work fashions are usually not going away. Retaining and attracting productive employees requires flexibility in how they work and empathy from enterprise leaders relating to what the “new normal” seems to be like for workers. Business leaders have a chance to step up and encourage workforce flexibility — working with workers to offer them the alternatives, processes and instruments they should do their jobs effectively and ship the traditional win-win.

Joe Atkinson is chief merchandise and expertise officer at PwC US