As modern businesses become more open to innovation and changes, flexible work arrangements have been slowly becoming the norm. Companies transitioned to adopting hybrid work to produce the same output as the traditional work styles. Since then, there have been promising outcomes leading to businesses implementing flexible work as a permanent work model.
Workers become more productive, happier, and healthier without stiff office restrictions and fixed schedules. Flexible work arrangements come with easy steps, and if your organization is finally switching to this work setting, now’s the right time to do it.
To further guide you with this transition, take note of the following dos and don’ts of flexible work arrangements.
- Do Encourage And Support Employees’ Choice With Their Working Schedules
One of the things that come with a flexible work arrangement is a flexible work schedule. Offering people to work wherever they prefer would allow them to set their schedule once their work is done. It’s no longer emphasized on a fixed 9 to 5 schedule daily but is flexible enough for employees to work at their own pace.
This strategy means you’re entrusting more control over your employees. However, when done right, it could generate successful outcomes. Providing team members with the authority and responsibility to make decisions allows them to work comfortably and productively, building their professional decision-making abilities.
- Do Consider Your Work Policies
Since a new work style is being considered, it’s time to check and go through your current work policies. Determine the flexibility level of your work settings. The company should decide whether a flexible work arrangement means employees can control 100% of their work preferences or should remain to work in a physical office as needed.
Running a business needs solid work policies and procedures as the company blueprint and guide. By including these aspects in your work policies, everyone can be well-guided on how to proceed with their work schedules and plans. By setting clear rules, employees can better formulate work plans to make the most of their work-life balance and optimize their time.
When coming up with modifications to your new work policies, it would be helpful to be open to feedback and suggestions from others. It’s the time to hold a company meeting together and listen to what everyone has to say. Aside from allowing key people to make decisions, it’s ideal for listening to what all the team members have to say.
In many cases, employees have been told they would receive a certain amount of flexibility, but only to a limited extent. It might lead to confusion and misunderstandings, which is why it’s best to keep them recorded in your work policies. Having the wrong implementation of this new work style can be a positive reinforcement to employees, but it could lead to significant repercussions when done wrong.
- Do Complement Work Accomplishments
Even as employees adopt flexible work arrangements, continuously monitoring and checking their performances and progress is important. You should provide compliments when your staff has accomplished something for the company.
No matter how small or menial the achievement is, it’s crucial to celebrate small wins in a flexible work setting. There are diverse ways to do this. You can complement the person in front of everyone during meetings, send out a congratulatory email, or post their achievements on dashboards. Making these efforts will motivate your employees to be equally productive even when they’re working flexibly.
- Don’t Be Selective When Applying Flexible Work Arrangements
When you apply the flexible work arrangement, make sure it’s for everyone in the company or at least in all the specific departments. Teams should not be excluded from flexible schedules without sufficient reason. Exempting or restricting other team members will lead to dissatisfaction and biases.
The best way to achieve a more unified work style is to ensure all department can continue their work remotely. Otherwise, it’s best to devise alternatives, like rotating members to work remotely or in physical office by shifts. It allows everyone to adopt a flexible work arrangement, providing a fair decision for everyone.
- Don’t Hold Back On Investing In Technologies
Some companies overlook the importance of investing in technologies since they’re operating remotely. Your company should add more tech and tools to your company’s daily operations, such as virtual social interaction tools, project management software, workspace booking, and other unique collaboration tools that can elevate their working experience. It’s time to assess what technologies will help your remote workers better to heighten productivity even more.
Conclusion
Transitioning to a flexible work arrangement can be easier when you know what to do and what not to do. Hopefully, you’ve gained valuable insights from this article. Remember to keep an eye on your employees and attend to their concerns and needs as they adapt to the new work style in the company.
