Today is one of the
days I work in a co-working space in Antwerp. When I look around, there can be
no other subject for my blog than the rising trend of flexible working. Surrounded
by digital start-ups with millennials who believe that their app will change
the world, business owners who have client meetings over a cup of coffee and
even a father actively participating in a brainstorm session holding his
newborn, I can only think how much working has changed in the last few years.
Or at least it has
changed for some people. When we hear the traffic reports, most people still
have a daily commute to their work place where they check in at 9 and leave at
5.
In an age when finding
and retaining top talent is among the strongest predictors of a company’s
success, is workplace flexibility a necessary tool to increase employee
satisfaction and productivity or is it merely a gimmick to market your ‘hip’
factor?
Many
employers have started to implement flexible working practices. Satellite
offices have been opened, a commuter bus with Wi-Fi has been put in place and a
home working policy has been written. However, the fixed working day remains
the starting point and flex working initiatives are mainly exceptions, made to accommodate
family needs. Nothing has changed about the actual working practices. Being
‘present’ rules, managers struggle with knowing what people are
doing if they can’t see them and often assume they are not as committed as
those who come in to the office. Consequently, embracing flex working opportunities
is often seen as the fastest way to end your career.
The implementation of
flexible working as a driver for attracting and retaining top talent goes
beyond these initiatives and requires a significant cultural shift.
The new approach to
work involves a shift of control from the employer to the employee.
To be a successful
leader in such an environment, you might need to let go of a management style
that you were trained in and that you used yourself to get ahead in your
career: loyalty, hard work and putting your career above your personal life. In
a twenty first century flexible working environment, it is key to embrace the
buzzword ‘empowerment’ and measure achieved outcome instead of measuring the
input, the hours worked. You will need to give employees autonomy
and trust that they will not abuse the freedom.
It also involves
strong engagement skills to ensure that people continue to work in the right
direction without being physically present at all times. If you combine this
with the capability to create and inspire teams, even in a remote setting, then
you are all set to be a successful leader in a flexible working environment.
For the individual
employee, the ability to work anywhere and at any time can be a blessing and a
curse. You’ll need to learn how to manage the blurred border between work and
private life. Self-management, project skills and effective communication will
become increasingly important.
Implementing
flexible working requires a significant shift in leadership and in required
skillset. Some people may be attracted by that shift and embrace the
opportunity, while others will prefer to continue to work in a more traditional
way.
The
true key to attracting and retaining top talent is the ability to mix those two
requirements and to allow people to work in the way that best matches their
personality with leaders who can adjust their leadership style to meet their
needs.
I look forward to hearing
from you,
Isabel
Through a
personalized and tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to
assist you in attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company
Follow me on Twitter
@IngeniumSearch
