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Switch To Flexible Working Hours Without Losing Team Productivity: 12 Smart Tactics

Forbes Human Resources Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Expert Panel, Forbes Human Resources Council

Across the world, the trend in modern business is to opt for offering more flexible schedules for workers. The proposal comes from companies trying to help their employees attain the perfect work-life balance and, therefore, achieve happiness at work. Flexible time does increase happiness, but the underlying fear that most businesses have about implementing it is the fear of losing productivity.

Companies that are only now experimenting with a flexible time format need to put rules in place to ensure that they retain employee efficiency while they transition into flexible hours. Here, 12 members of Forbes Human Resources Council discuss tactics that businesses can implement to preserve productivity while focusing on employee well-being.

Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Start With A Pilot Project

Are concerns about performance preventing you from being flexible with your team? Create a pilot by selecting a small team of high performing employees and offer them flexibility. Be clear that performance expectations remain unchanged. Monitor success by gathering feedback from the team and their manager. In the end, check on productivity, retention, and results—you may be pleasantly surprised. - Mikaela Kiner, Reverb

2. Set Core Business Hours

Businesses not used to flexible working environments can take their first step by creating core business hours—hours that require employees to be online or at work. We started with core hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. As long as we got our work done and were in good standing we could come and go as needed outside of those core business hours. The success led managers to be open to flexible working hours. - Kelly Loudermilk, Academic Impressions

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3. Train Your Managers

Having a flexible work option is a great tool for recruiting and potentially retaining employees. Where most of these types of programs fail is when managers are not comfortable with or do not have the skills or competencies to manage remote workforces. Managers need to know how to hire the right resources and actively engage with these employees during their tenure with the company. - Tracy Bittner, SPHR, Physician Partners LLC

4. Give Leaders The Autonomy To Decide

Not everything has to be so formal. If you're not sure that your organization or culture are quite ready for a flexible work environment, start by trying it out informally. Allow leaders the autonomy to give their employees flexibility when needed. Just make sure they are fair about it and see if that works out or not. - Lotus Buckner, NCH

5. Set Clear Expectations

To create a work environment that focuses on results and not hours, everyone needs to be on the same page. While everyone works differently, not being accessible to your team can cause productivity and profits to fall. As a result, general expectations must be set for every employee. This will not work if you play favorites. - Edward Fleischman, The Execu|Search Group

6. Focus On Short-Term Results

Clearly identify short-term (30/60/90-day) measurable results that have a direct impact on productivity prior to a flexible work schedule launch. This allows leaders and team members to focus on “what” is getting done versus “how” work is getting done. When the “how” is addressed, keep the focus on company quality standards met. - Kristin Williams, Ultra Mobile

7. Give Employees More Control And Influence

Employers should provide team members with more control and influence in planning their work and personal lives, such as giving longer notice of schedules and the ability to trade shifts. To ensure productivity, keep shift swapping to within groups of employees with similar skill sets, while still giving employees more flexibility, which boosts engagement and reduces absenteeism. - Marilyn Tyfting, SVP & Chief Corporate Officer at TELUS International

8. Implement The Right Technology

Remote work does result in happier employees, but flexible workers need to feel connected. Using structured chat groups, like Slack or Yammer, can help drive engagement and inclusion. Consider holding video meetings, not just conference calls, so employees can see each other, whether in the office or working remotely. Communication is key, and the right technology can make this seamless. - Cat Graham, Cheer Partners

9. Review Results Regularly And Consistently

If you don't already have a monthly or quarterly review process, you will need one. Otherwise, you are relying on gut feel and risk making certain employees feel victimized when you start looking at their productivity. You also risk missing something by waiting too long to review. Reviewing key metrics consistently is a good idea, with or without flexible working. - Karla Reffold, BeecherMadden

10. Implement A Structured Flexible Routine

To help manage change within a traditional environment, a structured routine may help ease the transition into an open, flexible future policy. The company should perform an analysis of their workforce to determine which strategy might work for the specific demographics (e.g. picking a day of the week for working from home or a coffee shop will help employees plan their focus work accordingly). - Ushma Mehta, KenSci Inc.

11. Have Clear Touch Points

Clear touch points help set expectations, standards and elevate communication and collaboration in all directions. These points include weekly or biweekly meetings, mobile or video calls, collaborative work tools like Slack or Kakao and team-directed schedule overlapping to ensure work and service coverage. The most effective tools help identify status, actions, deliverables and timing. - Lisa Bastian, MOBIS

12. Don't Take A One-Size-Fits-All Approach

Build a culture that supports flexible work arrangements by trusting and empowering the managers that are close to customers and front-line employees. Every department has different needs, so it's important not to take a one-size-fits-all approach. Let individual managers tell HR the best way to give their employees flexibility. Then document agreed-to flexible schedules! - Gina Deciani, Association for Supply Chain Management