Workplace flexibility means more than a hybrid schedule

Employees have made it known they prioritize flexibility, yet employers are increasingly gun-shy of the term, especially as they begin to ask workers to return to the office on a full-time or hybrid basis. 

The debate over flexibility within the workplace has been the cause of massive worker discontent lately, as companies such as Farmers Insurance, Amazon and Starbucks are demanding their employees return to the office. Yet data from Gitnux reveals that 96% of the workforce needs flexibility, and 80% view it as a crucial part of job evaluation. 

What that looks like can vary, but it’s more than just the ability to work from home. According to Quantum Workplace, employees in organizations with many flexible work options are two and a half times less likely to look elsewhere for employment. In order to keep talent on board, employers should pay attention to what employees now consider table stakes. 

“When we did this research, we thought we would see a lot of flexibility in ‘where I work and when I work,'” says Shane McFeely, lead researcher at Quantum Workplace. “Actually what we saw was [more broad] — it was really about being able to adapt or customize your [work] schedule to fit your own.”

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According to Quantum’s research, over a quarter (28%) of those surveyed defined flexibility as “adaptable,” meaning the ability to adjust work pace or schedule to fit personal commitments. Another 15% stated that flexibility means performance focus, where they are trusted to get their job done and get to decide when in-person collaboration is necessary. Fourteen percent defined flexibility as having more autonomy and work-life balance. At odds with what employers may have expected, only 10% of respondents defined flexibility as location. 

“If you look at things like remote or hybrid arrangements, there are obviously jobs in which [these options are] not going to be possible at all,” says McFeely. “For those types of work, it might be what shifts work better for your schedule. It boils down to trust that employees know when and where they need to be to get the job done.”

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For employers, this means prioritizing job outcome and performance, rather than where and when work hours are fulfilled, and trusting their employees to get work done in the way, shape and form that works best for them, says McFeely. The findings from Quantum reinforce that when employees have more flexibility in the forms they need, they are able to better balance work and personal obligations, manage their stress levels, and feel empowered to make decisions that impact their work.

“It’s really about listening to the needs of employees,” McFeely says. “What they are saying is, ‘I’m balancing a lot of things in my life.’ Scheduled demands are part of that, but cognitive load demands are a huge part as well. If you’re a manager, you should understand what those demands are outside of the workplace, and make sure that you can give room for some flexibility. Each kind of flexibility that organizations can inject have a similar lifting effect when it comes to engagement, as well as productivity and retention.” 

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Though flexibility is not one-size-fits-all, there are strategies organizations can incorporate that will help employees lay out and communicate what they need, when they need it. Clear expectations, schedules and projected workloads can help workers plan ahead and keep them focused. When employees are engaged, they adopt a sense of ownership in the organization’s mission, and are more likely to step in when the business needs them, McFeely says. 

“One universal policy of flexible work is the ability to project what your work is going to look like over the next month,” he says. “For shift or healthcare work, flexibility might look like knowing your schedule enough that you can plan your life around your shifts. Give folks a good runway — what does the next quarter look like? What are the goals we’re setting?” 

By creating more types of flexibility within the workplace and prioritizing employee output, organizations are building upon a culture that puts the welfare of their workforce first.

“Flexibility can be more than just remote versus in-office,” McFeely says. “Identifying those little spaces where organizations can inject some more flexibility is going to work out not only for the employees’ well-being, but also the organization and their bottom line.”