MANAGING FLEXIBILITY FROM THE TOP

Research across the globe reports that flexibility is a key attraction and engagement element for employees – so the question for employers is: Should you drive your flexible working arrangements by good luck? By Jane Kennelly.

2018 & Beyond: Our Changing Workplaces Survey by Frog Recruitment covering more than 61,000 employees across New Zealand, spanning sectors including: insurance, education, retail, manufacturing, not-for-profit, aviation, and property showed that whilst we are making some great strides, the report card still shows ‘ room for improvement’ when it comes to grasping key elements in our changing workplaces.

At one end of the spectrum we can give ourselves a pat on the back because an issue that was widely reported several years ago as a concern appears to have been resolved i.e. millennials and ‘matrurials’ in the workforce together.

At the other end of the spectrum we have a glaring problem that has the potential to increase staff turnover which we can ill-afford in this tight talent climate; inconsistent flexibility policies.

RED FLAG: FLEXIBILITY INCONSISTENCY

Whilst there has been a significant uplift over the previous year, with 72 percent of companies surveyed, allowing flexible working arrangements, the anecdotal commentary revealed that the decisions about how this is played out inside a company are informal and manager driven. For example we heard comments such as; ‘… no we don’t have a policy’; ‘it’s not written down’ or ‘it’s up to the manager in each area to decide what they do for their team’.

Not only did this highlight the lack of consistency with these arrangements, research across the globe reports that flexibility is a key attraction and engagement element for employees - so the question for employers is: Should you drive your flexible working arrangements by good luck?

Let’s imagine being in a team where flexibility is encouraged and endorsed, sitting alongside a team where the opposite it occurring? It doesn’t bode for an engaged workforce, that’s for sure.

And it isn’t going to go away. According to McKinsey’s research, today’s employees want the option of something other than a nine-to-five office job. Flexitime, compressed workweeks, jobsharing and telecommuting are just some of the non-traditional work arrangements on the rise.

This brings us to the ‘red flag bearers’ inside organisations; managers.

We all know the adage – ‘people don’t quit their jobs they quit their manager’ and we concur, this is still very, very true.

As a result of the thousands of conversations we conduct with careerseekers, it is evident that there is a chunk of people inside organisations who, having not been developed or heavily invested in over recent years, are knowingly or unwittingly, the road blocks to new thinking and the key reason why people will look for another position.

Managers have a significant influence on engagement due to their unique linking role inside organisations. They’re in the trenches every day, deciding who gets what and how – and can be responsible for up to a 70 percent variance in employee engagement, according to a Gallup survey.

To assist managers, Harvard Business Review published an article on the topic of making sure to not play favourites, suggesting the following questions should be asked each time when considering a request for flexibility: • What is the employee asking for and why? Is there is a legitimate reason for the request? Will it be easy for others to

understand? • Do I feel comfortable communicating this arrangement to other team members? If not, chances are others will find the deal suspect. • Will saying yes make things difficult for others? For example, if one person negotiates a reduced workload, will the rest of the team have to cover for them?

We note too, in these changing workplace environments, there is no rest for the HR team as they manage the knock-on effect of effectively navigating these flexible arrangements, such as: • Implementing onboarding of non

traditional workers. • Managing a variety of work hours. • Delivering training to employees with

different hours/pay arrangements. • Establishing a company culture for a potentially off-site workforce.

To attract the best candidates in today’s competitive market, offering flexible work arrangements is crucial in a company’s arsenal. It can be the deciding factor in a candidate’s mind as they choose who to work for, so the better prepared an organisation is with a clear picture of the flexibility options on offer, the more success they will have in hiring and keeping their employees.

GREEN FLAG: MILLENNIALS AND “MATURIALS” ARE COMFORTABLE WITH EACH OTHER

A pat on the back for New Zealand employers because we are evolving confidently when it comes to viewing both millennials and more mature employees, equally as positively. Nearly all of employers surveyed recently confirmed that having younger (91 percent) and older people (96 percent) working side-by-side in their workforce, is vital to their business.

It is impressive to see that New Zealand employers are bypassing the outdated stereotypes of both young and old. Millennials; a term given to those born between 1981 and 1997 – have been dubbed as being lazy or self-absorbed, while mature aged workers have been often deemed inflexible or intolerant.

This is now clearly an outmoded way of thinking as responses from companies across the landscape confirm what we are hearing loud and clear, that both bring equally important and complementary skills and attributes to a business.

Employers acknowledged millennials,

“Whilst there has been a significant uplift over the previous year, with 72 percent of companies surveyed, allowing flexible working arrangements, the anecdotal commentary revealed that the decisions about how this is played out inside a company are informal and manager driven.”

as a representation of our evolving population in New Zealand, bring diversity to a business with their fresh ideas and confidence using technology. Balancing the workforce and futureproofing a business, we heard them described as ‘new juice’ with energy being applied to their work and their natural inclination to be hard-wired to embrace shifts in technology.

Mature employees are appreciated for their skills, reliability, life experience and the stability they bring to the workforce. They bring a strong work ethic to the office, which creates an important model for influencing younger employees.

Managers believe mature workers are respected for their knowledge and experience as they often possess a ‘no nonsense’ approach and common-sense qualities that are highly valuable in the workplace, especially in times of conflict or feedback.

Finally, on the age topic, some food for thought; the mix of millennials and maturials has been identified as vital and valuable to a business’s culture and the heat seems to have gone out of the conversation but we note that only 16 percent of companies have a dedicated recruitment plan in place to attract both generations to their work place. For smart hiring companies across the country, this presents a very savvy opportunity to take advantage of.

AGE-RELATED POSITIVES

Here’s a quick take on what we can learn from each other. Millennials as the teacher: • Embrace change: Millennials have an advantage in embracing and welcoming change. Social media and digital networking are an everyday thing to a millennial. Teaching the tricks and tips to their older team mates and helping them keep up with digital changes creates both appreciation and value. • Build networks: it’s second nature to millennials to reach out, meet new people, build diverse networks, and actively approach coaches and mentors. Mature workers are deft at maintaining their networks as opposed to building new ones which means they become stale. This is not ideal in times of great transformation so the learning opportunity from millennials is about how to stretch networks and keeping relevant. • Take risks: Great achievement often requires risk – and this sometimes involves failure. It’s a part of organisational life and is something to be encouraged. As the saying goes ‘the older you get, the more risk adverse you are’. Enter the millennial who typically will not shy away from taking risks. • Self-starting: Millennials have grown up in the age of the influencers so never before in history has a generation been so fixed on becoming entrepreneurs. They use the resources the internet provides to be their own boss; they teach us to put ourselves out there and give it a go – after all the biggest regrets we have in life are the things we didn’t try, right? Maturials as the teacher: • Get the job done: Given their ‘aim high’ inclinations, millennials are adept at multitasking, often taking on more than they can chew due to poor time management, having young families, unbalanced workloads and deadlines catching up. Mature workers have learned a thing or two about how to gain control of their workload. They have learned how/when to delegate, how to push back on demands, when to accept what needs to be done and getting it done. These insights, crafted over the years, are of immense use to millennials on how to control of their working lives. • Loyalty and Stability: given that millennials are searching for opportunities where they think they can maximise their potential, maturials may have stuck with one company for a good chunk of their career for various reasons like job security and stability. They are typically more satisfied with their jobs and tend to last for a longer period of time • Focus and Leadership: Having been in the workforce for some time, mature workers make great leaders. Armed with well-developed communication skills they are typically smart and wise; decision making is sound. They know how to make use of their current opportunities and make the most of their time. And when it comes to looking for promotion, these are the people who will give the best advice.