Four methods to increase the effectiveness of a flexible work environment

Flexible working is in high demanded. In fact the report from Apollo Technical found that 72 percent of people prefer flexible work environments over working from home.

Organizations are also seeing tangible advantages. Improved productivity of 47 percent and higher performance of employees ( 40% lower risk of a defect in the quality of work), and profitability (with the average of 11,000 dollars saved per halftime remote worker) Flexible work can appear more of a necessity rather than a perk for employees.

If you're looking to create flexible working options or improve how your team can work remotely, you're in the appropriate location.

We'll discuss some of the most important aspects of flexible work. We'll also discuss shifting expectations of employees, as well as some suggestions on how to ensure your business is ready for the future by using tools powered by video.

What exactly is flexible work?

Flexible work arrangements allow workers to pick which locations and hours they will work. Research from SHRM suggests that increased flexibility for employees provides a host of benefits such as higher engagement and retention with less overhead as well as better work-life balance.
Two types of work flexibility:

Flexibility in location

Location flexibility allows employees to work outside of the main office or at a designated worksite. The most common forms of location flexibility are remote work, telecommuting and hybrid work. An 2021 SHRM study reported that 30% of employed Americans prefer the possibility of working from home or doing some form of remote work in the event that their employers don't offer that choice, they'll look to find a job that has it.

Flexibility in scheduling

Flexible scheduling is about employees' capacity to plan their work hours outside of the traditional five days a week schedule of 9-5. Most common forms of schedule flexibility include:

• Workweeks compressed
• Shift work
• Flextime
• Job sharing
• Part-time schedules

The way we do business is shifting

According to the US Labor Department reported that more than 47 million Americans were laid off in 2021 as part of an unprecedented huge workforce exodus.

From dental clinics to gas stations, worker shortages are forcing employers to reconsider how we view the traditional job. 64 percent of the workers who took part from a recent Pew survey reported feeling uncomfortable going back to the office and 57% chose to work at in their home because of COVID-related issues. In the Harvard Business Review reported that 36 percent of those polled would seek alternatives if they were not offered a hybrid or remote option as well as 6% who were willing to quit outright regardless of whether a new job was scheduled.

Uncertainty in the economic climate, a changing labor markets and competitive expectations from employees is forcing employers to reconsider what and where employees can work.

The latest research suggests that flexibility in work can boost recruitment, retention, satisfaction, as well as the productivity of employees.. Gartner found 43% of respondents in their Digital Worker Experience Survey said that flexible work hours have made them more productive. 30% said the time saved from commuting boosted productivity.

Four tips for creating the flexibility of your workplace

As the workplace evolves and the workplace evolves, onboarding, education, management teams, as well as enablement need virtual communications, training, and engagement technology for their workplace.

Here are four tips to create a successful flexible work environment for your employees . These tips will set your team up for success.

1. Engage employees

As your workers don't gather frequently as they would in the traditional office environment, you need to find other ways to increase the engagement of your employees. Seventy-four percent of workers say they are more effective in their work in a workplace where they feel valued. The majority of employees in top companies in their industry feel heard but only 62% employees in financially struggling companies have a sense of being heard.

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Learn how to live stream your next town hall.

The boring town halls can be a problem and shaky live streams are worse. An investment in high-quality video means exponential returns on team alignment as well as employee engagement, productivity as well as connection, which can help create a more flexible and cohesive workplace.

"We won't return to how it was. Video isn't COVID-19-based but a contemporary solution to the changing work environment."  
 Peter Strella, Director, Communications & Creative Media Services at Rite Aid

2. Develop a virtual Onboarding and training processes

As work transitions away from office work, the training is transitioning along with it. Despite remote working and perhaps due to it - onboarding and training have become increasingly essential. The majority of employees are now onboarded by virtual meetings, and it is the responsibility of the company to create streamlined and effective training programs.

"Technicians do not always wish to make the trip to our learning centers, it's not a "one-size-fits all" for our varied group of learners...What we began to think about was use the same excellent class material and made it accessible on the internet."   Steve Hamaday, Virtual Training Manager at Axalta

The go-to guide for virtual courses

Ramp up your remote team in record time with this in-depth instruction.

3. Communication both external and internal

"With  the help of bi-weekly live show for global customers during an epidemic, and it took just weeks, not months. We managed the whole process using the platform, working online with our team members and agency, and going live several times per week, across multiple different languages."   Alvin Mudun, Senior Web Product Manager for Zendesk in EMEA

4. Consider investing in tools that facilitate remote collaboration

If your employees have to travel across different areas and time zones, your tools could determine the team's performance and even motivation.

Incorporating more methods to utilize video has a tangible effect on your team.  In its State of Workplace Communication report found video-forward workforces are 75% more likely to have a percent of employees who report excellent engagement and are better at group collaboration. Collaboration refers to communication between colleagues, and using video improves communication and makes it more inclusive through:

• Better employee engagement
• Increased productivity
• Anytime, anywhere.
• Greater transparency
• Libraries for training that are easy to use and have resources

  Originally created by Clara Wang and updated by Bianca Galvez on July 26, 2022.