Working Conversations Episode 107:
Warning: Flexible Work Arrangements are Not Optional
Flexibility is a huge issue in attracting and retaining top talent these days.
In a study conducted by Slack last fall indicated that 94% of workers want flexibility in when they work and 80% of workers want flexibility in where they work.
That same study indicated that lack of flexibility is a deal breaker. Those who have little to no ability to adjust their work hours reported being three times more likely to definitely be looking for a new job. This is a critical issue in this tight labor market which is going to continue for the foreseeable future.
Organizations who are interested in attracting and retaining the best talent, need to be creating a flexible work environment, even in occupations that don't traditionally lend themselves to the flexibility of working from home.
While many jobs and occupations can be done remotely, there are some that are difficult or impossible to do from a remote location. It’s easy at first blush to say that they can’t have a flexible work environment: healthcare workers, construction workers, law enforcement, manufacturing, service industry workers, and the list goes on.
On the other hand, more and more organizations are asking their employees who have been able to work remotely to come back to the office. There are myriad reasons including to improve collaboration and communication, to foster a sense of community, and to maintain company culture are a few of the most prevalent reasons.
So we’ve got two different use cases that both need flexibility: roles that must be done on premises and roles that are being asked to return to the office.
In this episode, I offer three different levers to adjust to create flexible work arrangements: where, when, and how much.
Using these levers, I look at both use cases described above and provide six different ways to create more flexible work arrangements.
Whether you are designing roles or negotiating flexibility in your own role, use these three levers to come up with new ways of creating flexibility.
Other episodes mentioned or otherwise related to this episode:
Episode 92: My Predictions for 2023
Episode 96: The Tug-of-War Between WFH and RTO
Listen and catch the full episode here or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also watch and replay it on my YouTube channel, JanelAndersonPhD.
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