Flexible work arrangements can no longer be passed off as an employee perk or privilege. In our increasingly competitive world, it’s the new normal, and it’s driving big wins for both employees and employers.
Some of WORK180’s Flex Able Certified employers share the benefits they’re seeing from championing a culture of flexible work – and they extend well beyond boosting women’s workforce participation figures.
Happier and healthier employees
Flexible work is just work…done differently. The only time it’s different is if you are reducing hours to part time. But otherwise it is about using technology and time management to make work and life better.
There is plenty of evidence that shows by allowing employees to get their job done when and where they choose, you significantly improve their physical and mental wellbeing. Overall, flexible work makes employees happier, healthier and less likely to suffer from stress or burnout.
For Senior Electrical Engineer Ellie Hubbard, Aurecon’s Yes Flex initiative has empowered her to better manage her health and fitness.
“I was in a regular routine of going to the gym before work and I would always rush in order to be at work ‘on time’. Now, I am free to stay later in order to prioritise my health and fitness, and make up hours without being questioned,” she says.
Improve employee retention
By proving that you trust your employees, and are willing to help them achieve work-life balance and job satisfaction, they’re more likely to remain loyal to your organisation.
At Anywise, being treated like an adult is written into employment contracts, with new hires encouraged to think about how they can better balance work and life. The result is an incredibly low staff turnover rate.
“When you challenge someone’s integrity, you undermine a high performance team environment. When the work gets done, there is no need to challenge someone’s work ethic.” says Anywise CEO, Adam Evans.
A productive workforce
Many studies have also proven a link between flexible working arrangements and improved productivity. This is largely attributed to a greater focus on results, as opposed to being present in the office.
Cbus is one organisation committed to embedding a fully flexible work culture for their employees.
“We understand that people have more going on in their lives than just work, and flexible working arrangements acknowledge this, while also having a positive impact on productivity and workplace culture,” says Cbus CEO, David Atkin.
But to ensure Cbus’s workforce stays connected, whether working remotely or part-time, all employment contracts state that everyone is expected in the office on a Tuesday, which is considered Connection Day.
Ability to hire top talent
A flexible work culture creates a competitive advantage when hiring, proving a drawcard to attract top talent. In a recent study commissioned by Airtasker, 36% of Australian workers ranked flexibility as the most important factor when looking for work – coming in above pay.
Access to genuine flexible work arrangements is a core part of Nestle’s employee value proposition, enabling the food giant to tap into a much wider talent pool of people who don’t find the traditional 9-to-5 working day suitable to their lifestyle and/or commitments.
Introduced in 2017, not only has Nestle’s ‘How We Work’ policy improved their talent acquisition capability, but they’ve also been able to improve the organisation’s diversity and gender balance.
The advantage of being Flex Able Certified
WORK180 Flex Able Certification allows job seekers to easily identify an organisation that takes flexibility seriously. It gives them the confidence to discuss flexibility within a role up front in the interview, which opens employers up to a much larger talent pool of candidates.
Stand out from other employers and become Flex Able Certified. Find out more.
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