The Gift of Time: Considering Flexible Work Options

There is no question, the number one benefit you can offer your employees is time. Time to spend with their families and friends, enjoy their lives, go to the gym, spend more time outdoors, and pursue passions and interests outside work. In many companies in the information age, the old paradigm of expecting employees to sit in a chair or at a desk where they can watch them has little to do with productivity. Also, many employers stuck in the old paradigm expect employees to spend mindless hours commuting to a seat, desk, or cubicle they have designated, as they are convinced that, somehow, the employee will be more productive.

As a business owner of Top Quality Recruitment, I fully understand the sense that your team is disparate, and you aren't sure where they are and what they are doing. Leaping into a flexible or remote workforce can be unnerving. I'll be the first to admit that at times, it makes me feel uneasy. Sometimes, I ask myself, "Is anyone working today as I walk down the halls of a partially occupied office?"

Here are a few things I discovered work well, allowing remote work and flex hours:

Emphasis on Communication

Ensure you regularly communicate with your team members through multiple channels, such as instant messaging, message boards, video calls, and the good old telephone. Get employees to communicate with you through all the channels; communication should not be one-way.

Video calls can be beneficial for ad hoc meetings with smaller groups; many meetings will include a combination of in-office employees, remote employees, and, at times, employees in our overseas office. The process has become seamless on a global basis.

Meet In-Person to Maintain a Non-Digital Connection

Whether it be weekly, monthly, or quarterly formal meetings or informal get-togethers, take the time to sit down with your team in person so you don't lose that vital face-to-face touch altogether.

Remote Work May Not Be Suitable for Everyone

Let's face it, remote work or even flex hours isn't for everyone, and some employees, for some reason, need to be in the office to get work done. Perhaps there is too much distraction at home, and they cannot create the required boundaries. Or, maybe they are easily distracted, lack self-discipline, and need the structure of an office to perform their best work.

You must have processes for employees to visit the office if required. Not to mention, a candid conversation if you see their productivity drop when they go from working in the office to working from home.

Flexible work arrangements may not always be the answer. They work best where there are measurable KPIs and some degree of variable compensation. Employees measured by results tend to self-regulate, and from a management standpoint, it's easy to keep track of productivity if / when you decide to move to a more flexible model.

Will some take advantage of the situation? Yes.

I have my share of horror stories, which I will keep to myself. But not enough to deter me from giving the perk to the majority of the employees who do put in an honest day's work, regardless of where they are. Anyways, how is that different from those who come into the office and browse the internet or spend time on their phone texting friends? In some ways, the office environment may be worse than a remote arrangement. Some employees spend time gossiping with colleagues or distracting others in the office because they are disengaged and see the office as a place to socialize.

Time is limited for all of us. 'And one day you find ten years behind you, no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun: Pink Floyd, Time, Dark Side of the Moon, 1973.

I believe we can ALL do great work without drowning ourselves in time spent working. Productivity is finding the most efficient way of doing a task to obtain maximum output in the shortest time, not trying to fit work into an arbitrary space and time. Don't expect less from employees because they work from home or have flexible hours. I've found that giving them their time back allows them to work more efficiently and with more energy than before.

Flexible Work Options Aren't for Everyone

Remote arrangements and flex hours aren't for everyone and every business. However, when it is an option, business leaders should consider the possibility and pilot it for a month or quarter to determine if it's right for them and their company. As with anything, the devil's in the details. Who will you offer remote work to within your company, what are the communication protocols, and what happens when someone doesn't have the self-discipline to work remotely? There are many things to consider, so it's not something to rush into.

Perhaps a work-from-home option isn't right for your company. In that case, something more palatable, such as flex hours, might be a safe middle ground. Flex hours would give your employees more flexibility for work-life balance while simultaneously requiring them to be in the office during certain hours.

One thing is for sure: more companies are considering flexible work options, which benefit the health and welfare of employees. As an employer, staying inflexible may put you at a disadvantage to your competitors.