Ten years ago, flexible working was nothing but an illusion-the dream of employees desiring more freedom and the nightmare of managers struggling to handle emerging forms of communication.
The technologies to make this dream a reality weren’t readily available, affordable or easy to use so there was no pressure to change how business was done.
This is no longer the case. The communications and technology explosion is happening – we are all doubly, triply connected. Gone are the days of desks, landlines, nine-to-five office hours-business today can happen anywhere-the office fits in your pocket and employees can work from home, on trains, or in coffee-shops around the world.
The widespread adoption of flexible working is only being held back by the lingering perceptions that it is expensive and difficult to deploy and manage. Some even believe that flexible working will decrease productivity, but ample evidence shows the opposite to be true.
The workforce is global and mobile- and from Aarhus to Zaire, PDA in hand, it’s delivering round-the-clock service to equally connected, increasingly demanding customers regardless of the sector.
The traditional office has disappeared and flexible working is ready to stand in its place, or at least augment the business of today and tomorrow. It is easy to deploy and manage at a relatively low cost. And yet there is something holding it back.
Flexible working – all things to all people
Flexible working policies can bring about considerable business benefits to employees, customers and the organisations that implement them.
Research commissioned by Avaya earlier this year shows that flexible working schemes are extremely popular across Europe, with 94% of employees claiming they would find it an attractive prospect, including 90% of those who have already had a taste of it. When evaluating employers, flexible working can make or break a deal-96% of employees think it shows companies in a positive light and nearly half think it shows the organisation has up-to-date policies.
It is no coincidence then, that more than half of employees surveyed said they would consider changing jobs to a company that offered flexible working, all other factors remaining equal.
Flexible working can also ease the pain of the talent drain by providing businesses with the ability to staff important roles with non-traditional employees such as remote or part-time workers and retirees. For instance, three-quarters (78%) of European employees say they would be more likely to continue with some sort of work upon retirement if they were offered the opportunity to do so flexibly.
For a small business this can translate to improved ability to attract and retain an experienced workforce, enabling it to fill vital roles from a wider geographical pool, adding diversity, skills and expertise to its service network-a competitive edge in an increasingly global marketplace.
However, employees are not the only ones that can take advantage of these policies. Customers too see the benefits, through increased access to experienced, knowledgeable staff. Today, 83% of employees state they would prefer a vendor that makes their staff available around the clock, and 89% would be prepared to pay a premium for having these increased service hours.
It is increasingly clear today’s decision makers expect more from their suppliers, and flexible working can help organisations meet and exceed these expectations. Companies that choose to move forward without adapting not only risk disappointing clients whose needs have shifted, but also miss an opportunity to increase revenue directly-big gambles in today’s economic climate.
Policies too are changing, and many businesses may soon be required to offer flexible working schemes to some, if not all employees. For instance, the UK Government business secretary, Sir Peter Mandelson, plans to update legislation dictating that businesses should be required to offer flexible working schemes to employees with children under the age of 17 – not just to the age of seven, as currently mandated by law.
The issue then becomes one not of choice, but of compliance, and many are choosing to get ahead of the curve by challenging the traditional business model and infusing their practices with innovation, delighting customers by delivering services beyond their expectations. Adapting now makes a business a leader, not just a follower, and paves the way for a possible industry-wide change when these policies are finally put in place.
Many decision makers have viewed the technologies that enable flexible working as expensive and difficult to deploy. However, technology advancements like unified communications ease the burden on managers and improve their ability to keep track of remote workers in the field and their assorted communication devices. Employees benefit from the freedom of flexible working and managers can ensure that reaching them is as effective as if they were sitting at the next desk in the office.
Most businesses are already equipped with these capabilities, thanks to the advent of VOIP UC. These services enable true and manageable flexible working which can be rolled out company-wide. In addition, many companies today are offering financing schemes such as Avaya. So deploying a flexible working infrastructure has never been easier, more cost effective or more powerful.
The widespread adoption of flexible working is only being held back by the lingering perceptions that it is expensive and difficult to deploy and manage. Some even believe that flexible working will decrease productivity, but ample evidence shows that the opposite will be true.
Happier, more balanced employees perform better with the added benefit of breeding company allegiance. Customers want faster, more effective access delivered in their preferred communication method and flexible working can solve this challenge too, by truly leveraging a specialised, round-the-clock, global workforce and implementing technologies capable of delivering personalised results to all stakeholders.
In most cases, the infrastructure is already place-lacking only the added spark of buy-in from management. The face of business is changing-not evolving is no longer an option.
Flexible working was for many years an unattainable dream of employees and an added stressor to managers and decision makers alike. But today the technology to deliver it is here, deploying and managing it is easily available and best of all – the cost is relatively low.
So what is holding you back?
Roger El-Tawil is the director of channel and marketing at Avaya MENA and Turkey.
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