What’s REALLY behind the push for flexible working?

These days, talented team members - not just willing, but able - to turn up at the office on-time-all-day-every-day, are (like the Leave button after a two-hour Zoom meeting) nowhere to be found.

But whichever way you shake it, some form of flexible working is, and always was, part of the future workplace. And (honestly) it’s nothing to do with getting out of work. It’s about building strength and competitiveness in an evolving world of work and business, 

Flexible working is not the goal in itself - the goal is business longevity through creating the conditions that allow great people to do great work. 

And these days that means merging some good established practices with new innovative ones based on the increasing - and unavoidable - connectivity that’s here to stay.

Why? Because:

Some of the best people have unavoidable responsibilities.
Caring responsibilities and community needs came to the fore through COVID, but were there in the past and no less in the future. Relieving the anxiety of constant clock-watching for pick-up and appointment times can create a healthier workflow without distraction.

Some of the best people do their best work at a particular time of the day.
Some people shine from 7am to 2pm, so, frankly, their skills are wasted during the 7am to 9am commute and the 2pm to 5pm slump. Understanding and facilitating when they operate at their best might be a wiser investment.

Some of the best people don’t live near the office.
Personal reasons, property prices, different city, public transport links - creativity and expertise can be out-of-reach if restricted by office radius. Think about what you ultimately want to achieve long-term and the skills that requires.

Some of the best people aren’t available full-time.
People come from a wide range of different backgrounds, cultures, ages and abilities that mean a full-time role rules them out. But it also locks their valuable ongoing insights from outside your business, away from your business.

Some of the best people simply can’t focus in an office environment.
Some work requires deep concentration and often quite neurodiverse abilities that work best in quiet spaces. Insistence on office attendance - at least every day - prohibits that level of quality from being added to your offering.

And most importantly, everyone needs to rest and explore other interests to be energised.
Ideas and creative thinking don't happen within four walls - office, home office, or otherwise. Every human needs time to think, re-charge and socialise in whichever way works for them, and, naturally, this energy, spontaneity and inspiration infuses your culture and conversations, and informs your future developments - setting you apart.

Do any of these themes arise in your workplace conversations? 

Because the beauty of being a business owner or leader is the autonomy and the freedom to specifically think about your business, and involve your team in your discussions. 

The main thing is to try and factor in, not fight, real life circumstances beyond your business. Your awareness and accommodation of different natures and needs, supporting work-life balance through conscious and responsible leadership, is then repaid in employee talent, loyalty and longevity.

The four-day week is widely discussed as the best form of flexible working. It sometimes, literally, refers to four straight days, and sometimes a four-day equivalent, made up of half days and full days. Some businesses already embrace the proven efficiency of the four-day week, and aren’t looking back. 

But alternatives might suit others more, such as the six-hour day, which neutralises school hours and spreads the parental load. Staggered starts-and-finishes address wasted time (and emissions) at rush hour, exactly when some might be at their most productive. And added part-time, consultancy and contract roles access expertise and external outlooks from a broader pool.

Not only that, the wider impacts of this approach is that more varied and inclusive opportunities are open to a more diverse range of people, which, in turn, support the bigger picture of positive change (and a number of the UN Sustainable Development Goals). The natural environment gains benefits by default. And all of this can be tracked to support your sustainability vision.

So the question is: what’s right for you? 

You know your business and your people best. When you think of your post-pandemic workplace, what methods of flexible working will bring out the best in your team and strengthen your business long-term? And what positive ripple effects might you cause?

Fundamentally, designing a flexible way of working demonstrates a flexible way of thinking in a fast-paced era of change. And, in the context of good leadership, is there any greater skill?