It has been a couple of years since companies started shifting from the traditional working schedule to a more modern approach. The 9-5 standard that almost every company operates with is now transformed into a flexible mode of working.
The flexible working hours schedule was initially adopted by a few but the success and growth that followed it changed the minds of many other companies. Today, flexible working hours or fully remote work has become a norm. More and more companies are adopting this practice and for good reasons. It offers numerous benefits and contributes well to the company’s growth and employees wellbeing, which is what we will discuss next.
Benefits Of Flexible Work Timings
Flexible timings and schedules offer convenience to both the company and the employees. It is a win-win for both and here are the reasons why.
● Increases Employee Productivity
It is an old saying that a person performs best in a relaxed state and a calm mind almost always makes better decisions. This same thing applies in work life as well. When employees have freedom to work at any time and at any location, they can take time to rest or even take a nap and wake up more refreshed. This helps them choose to work when the mind is most focused and be more productive, producing more results, much better, in desired time.
● Lowers Operational Costs
Suppose there are 50 employees working 9-5 in an office, five times a week, while another office has set two office days and three remote work days. It is no surprise that the latter one is spending less resources, on top of being considerate for the employees as well as improving their market image.
● Improves Market Standings
In recent years, people are inclined more towards companies offering flexible working hours. This helps speed up the recruitment process when hiring, and retain existing key employees. Such opportunities are attracting more and better talent because it gives them room to perform in their best state by maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
● Encourages Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance is highly essential to practice in everyday life. It means managing work with family time, self care, and entertainment. It helps reduce negative stress and channel the positive one to perform better, much faster.
● Favors Physical and Mental Wellbeing
A healthy work-life balance and flexible working hours allows time to take mental and physical breaks. It also lowers the risk of burnouts and chronic pressure, which enhances and boosts everyday wellbeing.
Guidelines To Successfully Implement Flexible Or Remote Working Hours
These benefits ultimately lead to growth and success of a company. It is helping employees maintain good physical and mental health, stay focused, and perform better, and this is why many companies are employing and promoting flexible working hours. If you also want to implement this schedule, here are some tips on how to do that successfully.
● Set Up Clear Policies
First and foremost, establish clear ground rules for time and attendance. Comprehensively mention rules, responsibilities, and expectations and ensure everyone is on the same page. Also, employ open and regular communication for everyone. Remember to finalize everything with mutual understanding so that everyone feels acknowledged.
● Provide Training and Support
Schedule proper training sessions for employees to educate and train them on working with flexible timings and digital tools. Also, offer support like access to software and hardware needed to do the duties.
● Track Progress and Performance
Create a channel for attendance and use digital tools like Trello or Monday to track the progress of employees working. Also, establish goal-based performance trackers to maintain equality for everyone.
● Build A Community
Even though everyone is not at the same location, you can still encourage and take initiative to form a collaborative culture. Some tips to build such a community is by organizing virtual meetings, social events, brainstorming sessions, and occasional fun or entertainment activities.
● Review And Update Policies
Once you have employed proper flexible working hours and remote work policies, monitor their effectiveness from time to time. Moreover, remain on the lookout for new and better ways to improve collaboration, time management, learning, and support for employees. Also, collect feedback from everyone on the team, and address issues to ensure successful implementation.
Final Takeaway
Flexible working hours or remote work schedule brings numerous benefits on the table. It has proven to be so effective that many Fortune 500 companies have gone completely remote. All you need is proper planning, communication, and consistency. It builds a collaborative and healthy culture, leading to satisfactory results, thus improving business standings.
