The global COVID-19 pandemic is not responsible for the introduction of flexible work arrangements. Even before the pandemic, this working fashion has been making the shift from simply a trend to the new normal. The difficulty brought upon by the pandemic was that almost every place of business had to adapt to this fashion overnight. Businesses of every kind had to enforce them to enhance their working conditions, boost worker satisfaction and retention, improve recruiting flexibility, lessen operating expenses, and many more. But when a flex working system isn't implemented properly, companies confront diminished worker performance levels and a lesser probability of business success. Before you begin to implement flex work into your company culture, ensure you have prepared the appropriate programs and guidelines that will make sure that your enterprise will enjoy the advantages and keep away from the most frequently occurring pitfalls along the way. Here are a few ideas to assist your HR department appropriately to build and put in force a flexible workplace culture.
- Direct the outcomes, not the inputs and procedures
Cultivating a performance-driven culture will bring about effective consequences. Flex-work personnel needs to realize the extent of performance expected and what metrics need to be utilized to evaluate their work. The more data a worker possesses about the expectations and key performance indicators (KPIs), the greater they'll prosper in a flexible environment.
- Establish precise expectations regarding the outcomes
Information related to the deadlines, check-in dates, how will the various teams collaborate, how should the success look like, etc., must be elaborated to everyone. Praise workers for successful performances, and pay attention to the final result and not how they have been achieved.
- Strategize your flex work programs
Before you enforce any flexible work arrangement, it’s crucial to meticulously plan it out. Simply declaring that your organization is providing flex work options with no prior strategy is stepping right into a minefield. In the early days of flexible working, employers and employees simply agreed to flex programs mutually. But now with approximately 45% of personnel either operating completely remotely or on a hybrid arrangement amidst the pandemic, a completely defined and scaled method is required.
- Set up proper communication opportunities
Communication has a huge role to play in flex working conditions. One of the primary causes flex work plans fail is a lack of proper verbal exchange. You can't justify miscommunication in this era with so many easily available online team collaboration applications. With several messaging and virtual meeting software now available, it’s easy to develop steady and stable communication amongst telecommuting personnel.
- Build an environment of individual accountability
When they are conscious that they'll be liable for any ill consequences of their work, they will be motivated enough to completely dedicate themselves to their tasks, irrespective of their place of work. Each worker needs to acknowledge responsibility for their particular task and realize that others in the group will expect them to achieve their part productively.
- Include standard work schedules
Although a lot of employees succeed in a flex work culture, it’s vital to take into account, particularly if your business has implemented remote working during the pandemic and intends to stay that way, that some workers may face difficulty. A fixed and standard work schedule with distinctly defined expectations can guide them towards success. The priority must be the results and not on how often the worker is present for their work.
Before opting for any kind of flex work plan, you need to have the proper set of people for the position. Personnel who possess the willpower to thrive in any sort of situation are bootstrappers and self-motivated. They have the desire to succeed that arises from their inner drive and not simply for a paycheck. Conducting a particular interview procedure with questionnaires targeting these soft skills will assist in choosing the proper applicants for flex working arrangements.
- Train your managers and team leaders for flex work management
Managing your remote personnel is different in a lot of ways from dealing with in-office personnel. Supervisors aren’t in front to monitor the worker's everyday work, so it’s vital to enforce special regulations and strategies to manage those who are operating remotely and have flexible schedules. When personnel isn’t expected to record their developments or stay connected with other team members and management, it can be pretty easy to become lazy and start to deteriorate over time. Managing employees with flexible schedules are critical for the advancement of an organization’s remote work culture. Training your managers for this new work management and putting up obligations for compulsory work communication will help to increase your probability of enforcing an effective and successful program.
Avert the perils and negative consequences related to flex employees by taking the time to strategize your flex work environment carefully and test it out with a trial run before enforcing a large-scale implementation in your entire company. A flexible workplace setting is a splendid supplement to the overall culture of mobility and innovative work options.
