Flexibility in the workplace means different things to different employees. For some, it means gaining more control over their schedules or getting more time off. Others prefer avoiding commutes by working remotely. However it’s defined, flexibility is important to employees. A 2017 Flexjobs study found the percentage of respondents who quit a job due to the lack of workplace flexibility had doubled since 2014. More than one-third (35%) of respondents said that the top perk that would cause them to switch jobs was a full-time remote working opportunity. Fifty percent of millennials say they’d switch jobs to work remotely full-time, according to a Gallup study.
To appeal to different types of workers, employers should offer different types of alternative compensation and benefits, including flexible working arrangements. Flexibility in the workplace gives employees something they value. Employers who offer these benefits help increase their recruitment appeal and retention rate while boosting employee engagement.
Flexibility in the Workplace: Time and Place
Some of the best flexible working options relate to time and place. Compressed work weeks (e.g. work four days and take three off) are valuable to employees who like blocks of time off. Flex-time is a great option if you just need forty hours of work per week, and it doesn’t matter precisely when it gets done. Remote work is the increasingly-attractive option of working off-site, usually from home.
Flexibility in the Workplace: More Options
Not every type of business is able to have their workers pick and choose their work hours or location. Fortunately, there are more types of workplace flexibility. One is the ability to change job roles or locales. Letting employees choose the work they prefer can give them a motivational boost. Another is job-swapping, which lets employees switch job functions to avoid getting into a rut. If many of your organization’s jobs are similar, a change in locations could help keep your people engaged, interested, and on your team in the long run.
Another option is to offer flexible organizational structures, which give employees more freedom to share ideas freely and encourage teamwork and organic mentorships. Similarly, it also helps to let teams form naturally as employees choose their favorite people to work with. This demonstrates trust that your employees will make the best decisions to get their work done.
Flexibility in the Workplace: No Takebacks
When you’ve decided on the mix of flexible working options you’ll offer, stick to your word. Vacation days are no good if you can’t use them and flexible working conditions are worthless if utilizing the benefits is frowned upon. Remote workers need to know that they have the same career options as the employees who show up at the office every day.
When employee recruitment, engagement, and retention are at stake, employees need to know that your organization encourages people to use all of their benefits. If they don’t get that message, the offer of benefits might as well be a mirage.
Flexibility in the Workplace: Alternative Compensation
Flexibility in working arrangements can help boost your employee engagement and retention; other types of compensation don’t hurt either. A properly-structured incentive plan, centered on public recognition and worthwhile rewards, produces better results on a dollar-for-dollar basis than cash bonuses. Offering workplace flexibility coupled with an engaging incentives program can motivate employees to stay on your team for years to come.
Inproma’s custom recognition and rewards programs are proven to increase employee engagement and performance. If you’re looking for more flexible non-financial compensation options, or your current incentive program isn’t getting the job done, we should talk.
