The ONE thing employers must do to secure the best talent in today’s market
bmadmin • July 3, 2020
Whilst we’re all a bit fatigued from all the ‘working from home’ talk of late, something that’s become quite apparent is that employees want flexibility, and if you’re not offering it, someone else will.
In the past couple of weeks, we’ve seen (and heard of) multiple examples of how a lack of flexibility in working arrangements has cost an employer their preferred candidate or has reduced the number of interested candidates.
On the flip side, we had a great example last week of a client providing flexible work hours to a temporary candidate which will enable her to drop her child at school and work from home for part of her working week. Now, how engaged do you think that candidate is??!! I can tell you she’s absolutely thrilled and is excelling in her role.
So, what exactly do employees want?
Interestingly, I’ve read several recent studies suggesting that the majority of employees are seeking a balanced approach when it comes to flexible work arrangements. Very few employees are looking to work from home full time. In fact, most would like the option to work from home two to three days per week.
But when we talk flexibility, we’re not just talking about working from home. Many people are seeking flexibility with their work hours allowing them to do the school drop off a few times a week or work a compressed week.
Workplace flexibility isn’t one size fits all so we encourage you to speak with your staff individually and find out what their ideal arrangement would be.
Here are some examples of workplace flexibility:
- Compressed work week (working longer hours to allow for one or a half day off)
- Reduced hours
- Flex time – allowing employees flexibility with their start and finish times
- Work from home options
Still not sold?
Providing flexible work arrangements strengthens your employee value proposition, increasing employee satisfaction and improving morale which results in loyalty, engagement, and retention.
Not to mention, if you’re not offering any form of flexibility to potential employees, you can be sure your competitors are. So, if you don’t want to be left behind, now’s the time to start those conversations!
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