Tips from a Recruiter: Flexible Work Arrangements
Most companies are facing recruiting or retention challenges in this market and need to be more creative on attracting and keeping strong employees. Flexible work arrangements could be part of that solution.
What does Flexible Work or a Flex Schedule mean? It’s an arrangement between employees and their company that empowers the employee to choose when, where, and how they work. This leads to stronger engagement, reduced stress, and increased overall job satisfaction.
A PwC Survey from June 2020 regarding the percentage of employees working outside the office at least one day per week offers some interesting insight –
- Before COVID-19, 64 percent of companies had many or most of its employees work outside the office at least one day a week.
- During COVID-19, 98 percent of companies had many or most of its employees work outside the office at least one day a week.
- After COVID-19, it is projected that 89 percent of employers will have employees that work outside of the office for at least one day each week.
Flex Arrangements are not a “one size fits all” solution. There are many options to consider:
- Hybrid: A blend of working on-site and remotely throughout the work week.
- Telecommuting: Working away from the office, whether at home or another venue.
- Flex-Time: Choosing your own starting and ending times within set limits.
- Compressed Work Week: Working longer hours per day over fewer days throughout the week.
- Job Sharing: Two or more employees sharing one full-time position.
- Phased Retirement: Employees nearing retirement reducing working hours in lieu of immediate retirement while keeping benefits.
The bottom line is that flexible work arrangements can benefit employees and companies, so should be considered when possible. Increased productivity, higher retention rates, and improved morale sounds like a win!