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How To Create A Successful Flexible Work Culture

Forbes Human Resources Council

David is a veteran human resources leader and CEO of IQTalent Partners, Inc., an on-demand talent acquisition and executive search firm.

Prior to the onset of a global pandemic, the U.S. workforce was moving toward more flexible work arrangements. The coronavirus simply accelerated the progress. According to Global Workplace Analytics, 5 million Americans were already working from home at least half the time prior to quarantine, an increase of 173% over the last decade. The challenge presented by the pandemic was that nearly every workplace had to adapt to this trend overnight. Ideally, a well-thought-out plan would have been crafted, a timeline would have been mapped out and the change to flexible work would be implemented step by step. We did not have that luxury when we pivoted from in-office culture to remote work environments almost instantly.

But it’s not too late. We can implement a plan for success and create a culture where flexible work arrangements offer increased productivity, better collaboration and more engaged employees.

What Is Flexible Work?

Flexible work is a blanket term for the ways in which employees have more control over when and where they work. Workplace flexibility can be broken down into several categories:

• Telecommuting: Telecommuting in this sense refers to a full-time job performed from the office only part of the time. Telecommuters often live locally and split their time between working in the office and from home.

• Remote work: An employee who works remotely performs their job entirely away from the office. These employees can typically live anywhere in the world as long as they perform and are available when a client or a colleague needs them.

• Condensed workweek or flexible work hours: These plans offer employees flexibility regarding their office hours. For example, they can come in and leave early, or work four long days and take a three-day weekend.

Who Will Thrive In Flexible Work Cultures? 

Not every role can enjoy flexible work arrangements. We’ve learned through social distancing how to have school at home, see a doctor from home and order groceries from home, but in reality, positions like educators, most medical professionals, and retail or factory workers are not ideal for flexible work arrangements.

Professionals who will thrive with flexible work arrangements are those doing “knowledge” work. Software engineers, website developers, data scientists and graphic designers are examples of those who can be successful working from the comfort of a home office.

As technology advances, particularly around remote workplace collaboration, more roles will have the ability to be performed remotely, allowing for more employees to enjoy flexible work cultures. 

What Conditions Are Needed For Successful Flexible Work Culture?

Creating a thriving flexible work culture will pay future dividends with increased employee morale and empowerment. Building a successful flexible work culture requires consideration of the following:

• Manage outcomes and results, not inputs and processes. Having a performance-driven culture will result in successful outcomes. Flex-work employees must know the level of performance expected and what metrics will be used to measure their work. The more information an employee has about expectations and key performance indicators (KPIs), the more they will flourish in a flexible environment.

Be specific about outcome expectations. When are deadlines? When are check-in dates? How will the group collaborate? What does success look like? Praise successful performances, and focus on the end result, not how they arrived there.

Create a culture of accountability and personal responsibility. Knowing they will be held accountable for the results of their work will motivate employees to apply themselves fully to their tasks, regardless of where their workstations are located. Each employee must accept responsibility for their specific job and know that others on the team will expect they accomplish their part productively.

• Hire the right people. Before you can create a successful flexible work culture, you must have the right fit for the position. Employees who will thrive are self-starters and self-motivated. They have a desire to excel that comes from inner drive, not just the need for a paycheck. Having a specific interview process with questions directed at these soft skills will aid in selecting the right candidates for flexible work arrangements.

Beware The Downside

While it seems that flexible work arrangements offer only positive outcomes, working from home can have its downsides.

Some employees enjoy a social work setting. Most appreciate flexibility, but it’s important to have colleagues you enjoy socially. Workplace collaboration software and videoconferencing can help people feel more connected, but nothing replaces joining your co-workers for dinner and a drink after work.

People may think those with flexible work arrangements are not actually working. From neighbors to a child’s teacher to a co-worker, those around you may question your work ethic or get offended if you turn down a personal request in the middle of the day. Along those same lines, the line between professional and personal responsibilities can get blurred. If you are working from home, do you stop to pick up the kids from school or put a load of laundry in the dryer? Conversely, when does the workday end?

Flexible work arrangements can create workaholics; employees may feel like they are always on the clock. Encourage employees who work remotely to create schedules and enforce boundaries between personal time and work hours.

In a post-quarantine era, it’s evident that flexible work is the way forward. It is the culture embraced by the future workforce, and it is the direction technology is progressing. By embracing the remote work trend and investing in the tools and people who will make it effective, you can be ahead of the curve and achieve a thriving flexible work culture that will attract the best people, promote growth and ensure the long-term success of your business.


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