Flexibility as an Executive Perk

April 23, 2017  |  Posted by: Theresa Torseth  |  No Comments

Companies acutely focused on recruiting and retaining top talent know one of the best ways to do it is through offering flexible work arrangements. Executive recruiting is a fiercely competitive world and flexible work opportunities like part-time scheduling, telecommuting, and staggered work hours show a willingness to respond to employees’ changing circumstances and lifestyles. It’s a working arrangement which increases productivity and efficiency, and benefits both employee and employer. In fact, some say companies benefit the most.

Employees Value Flexible Management

Executive search candidates look for companies that will treat them as individuals, trying to accommodate personal lifestyle and needs, such as childcare schedules or commuter traffic patterns. That flexibility affords employees greater latitude, which results in better performance.

Employers Value Flexible Employees

Flexible employees feel valued and are more willing to step outside their job description. The sense of being part of the greater good means you rarely hear “It’s not my job” when approaching someone with new responsibilities. Instead, flexible employees are agreeable to modifying their workday based on whatever’s needed to achieve your organization’s goals.

Workplace Flexibility Examples

Provided clear expectations are set and there’s open communication, flexibility works extremely well. The focus shifts from where the work gets done to measuring how well employees are performing. Flex policies reflect your organization’s focus on innovation, work-life effectiveness, and employee satisfaction. Think it’s not doable in your company? There are many ways to offer flexibility. If some policies are out of the question, take your case to the employees themselves. What would they like to see offered? If you keep an open mind, there are probably several ideas you can adopt:

• Let employees work from home when feasible to help accommodate family and work lives.
• Delegate certain tasks to more than one employee, so you’re always covered.
• Offer staggered arrival and departure times as long as the prescribed number of hours are worked per week.
• Provide time off for parents to attend school programs.
• Embrace phone, video, email, and/or instant message as a way to conduct meetings.

Executive Recruitment and Flexibility

Smart companies understand flexibility benefits everyone, from employees to clients and shareholders. Offering flexibility as part of your executive recruitment strategy drives innovation and lets top talent know their contributions will be valued. Whether an employee works from a cubicle, corner office, coffee shop, or home, flexibility helps to foster a truly agile, happy, and productive workplace.