by Susanne Jacobs
Aspire Talent Management Ltd

'Work/Life Balance’ and ‘Flexible Working’ are of course well established terms, with many organisations having policies which set out the various working patterns that are acceptable to the company and the rules on their use. Whilst it is important to ensure a common understanding of what is available in terms of flexible working, policies cannot, on their own, change attitudes or engender a flexible mindset and approach. This needs to be done through a programme of education and communication to shift the corporate culture and embed flexibility as the norm for all rather than the benefit for a few. It’s a question of discovering new ways to increase productivity, value and employee engagement. By doing so, we can harness innovation capacity and capability. True flexibility is a hugely beneficial source of competitive advantage and will deliver significant returns.

The Flows… 

Placing value on the quality of contribution rather than hours spent in the office pays dividends. Our natural physiological cycles do not allow us to work at consistent levels over long periods of time. Understanding when individuals produce their best work and ideas and allowing them the freedom to adjust their working patterns to be in tune with their most creative and productive hours will maximise output and innovation. After all, if your teams are working many more hours in the office than they are contracted for - are they overworked or inefficient?  Perhaps they are anxiously competing with their colleagues for a place in the hardest worker rankings. By simply being seen at their desks will this secure their position or avoid redundancy? We all know we need to get more from less but let’s be smart about how we do it.

It’s not just the Mums…

Work is no longer a separate entity; it is a core part of our lives. Forty years ago our society had a structure whereby men would go to work and women would work in the home and take care of the children. From a purely rational standpoint it was a logical setup, but that’s not where we are today. But I am advocating one family structure over another. I aim simply to point out the facts and demonstrate how the workplace is influenced directly by other elements of our lives.

Traditionally the assumption has been that flexible working benefits women caring for children through part-time hours.  Due to their lack of full time status they are often, perhaps unwittingly, perceived as less committed and not qualifying for career progression. Managing talent is seen as central to survival in the 21st century (Tomorrow’s Company, April 2009), but things are changing in the talent supply market. Demographic and sociological shifts place greater pressures on those juggling the tensions between home and work. The number of fathers working part-time has trebled (IPPR 2007) and the number of women caring for both young and elderly dependants (the sandwich generation) is increasing dramatically (50% growth 2006-2012  - The future foundation 2006). These factors, amongst others, change the shape of the family. Dependants have a direct impact on work and family-friendly practices are essential if we are not to lose the talent of those, both male and female, with caring responsibilities.

It is not just about family commitments. The call for flexibility comes from all sectors of the population. It could be for volunteer work, sport and leisure pursuits, education, or other aspirations that we want to fit into our lives. As we want to do more, be more and have more, our lives become more complex, layered with responsibilities, wants and needs. We need autonomy and control in order to manage and move our focus between shifting priorities and that requires flexibility.

It’s not about Work/Life Balance anymore is simply about Life Balance.

Give them what they want or lose them…

In addition to these changes, the wants and needs of those within the workforce have moved. In a study by ICAS, freedom to organise one’s own work was rated the most important factor for job satisfaction. Generation Y employees (those born after 1980), are expecting jobs that accommodate their family needs and personal lives (The Work Foundation 2009). Those set to enter the working population next are true digital natives bought up on Google and social networking. Their expectation for instantaneous information and the ability to control their own careers and working patterns are undeniable and not something that can or should be opposed. At the other end of the spectrum the growing Methuselah generation (23% of the total population will be aged over 65 by 2032 (Office of National Statistics 2009)) have different expectations from their employers. Their experience and knowledge should be valued but flexibility is the price to pay for their skills. If organisations fail to meet the demands of the current and future workforce, and embrace what motivates them, then they will lose out in the fight for the best.

But we can’t do that…

Opponents of flexible working quote arguments such as the need to meet client demands; that it doesn’t fit with certain types of work; team member resentment and the issues of policing and managing. Flexibility should not be seen as a policy and a set of rules and processes but as a state of mind and an embedded approach to work. The world of 9 to 5 or, in fact, 9 to ‘how long can you stay in the office’ (presenteeism, or the need to be seen at work) no longer exists and is in fact a hurdle as we try to progress. Instead of barriers, we should be looking for the mutually beneficial solution, optimising the technology that supports this new working world. Remember too, your customers have the same challenges. If you can show how flexibility works and reap the rewards, you will create a significant advantage. A word of warning though, technology is a double edged-sword. While technological innovations mean we can work anywhere, they also mean that work follows us everywhere.

So what do we have to do to make flexibility work?

Accountability becomes critical and should be placed with the employee. You are trusting them to get the job done, allowing them the freedom and space to do so. It is also about bringing a sense of community with a shared purpose and desire to succeed. Creating an environment of interconnecting members and roles means that failure to deliver will be judged by every member of your team, a powerful source of discipline, self policing and motivation. Define the output and behaviours that are needed for progression. Align reward and recognition to an individual’s contribution to the success of the business and then empower your teams to deliver.

And now…

The world has changed and society has evolved. Have we moved within our organisations to keep up? Organisations need to establish environments that enable individuals to flourish and reach their full potential. Vital to this is fully supporting their wellbeing, giving them the space to meet the demands of their roles in ways which maximise output and innovation whilst appreciating the impact of the interconnecting priorities of other parts of their lives. If you can help your employees to balance their lives through a flexible approach to work for all, you will be rewarded many times over.