Are the Best Candidates Walking Away Because You Don’t Offer Flexible Scheduling?
Posted May 17th, 2016
If you’re having trouble attracting, enlisting, and retaining quality talent, the reason might not be what you expect. Today’s employees still want to earn a fair wage, access quality benefits, and work for exciting companies. But they also increasingly want to break out of the stale 9-5 M-F way of thinking about the workweek. Flexible scheduling might sound like a minor perk, but it’s now essential for many professionals, especially the millennials who currently make up the bulk of the workforce. Here’s why:
Achieving a Better Work/Life Balance
The simple fact is that a rigid, in-person schedule often conflicts with obligations outside of work, particularly for professionals with families. Flexible scheduling acknowledges that these conflicts are inevitable, respects that they’re often consequential, and empowers the professional to find a healthy balance. That helps eliminate a lot of stress while making the employee feel appreciated by the employer.
Taking Advantage of Professional Development
Another priority for today’s professionals is having the opportunity to pick up new skills, work on different kinds of projects, and broaden their base of credentials. In order to do this effectively, it often means committing to a schedule that conflicts with work. By allowing for flexible scheduling, you make professional development a lot easier to pursue and reap the benefits as your workforce improves.
Using the Best Technology Possible
Professionals under 40 were raised on technology and are used to relying on hardware/software to improve efficiency and productivity. As the capability to work remotely continues to improve, these young professionals will feel increasingly restricted having to be in the same place at the same time every week. If it’s easy and inexpensive to introduce flexible scheduling, this class of workers will wonder why you’re behind the times.
Optimizing Personal Performance
Everyone works a little differently. Some people feel most productive in the mornings, while others prefer to burn the midnight oil. Some want to work intensely for a few hours, while others would rather complete assignments in a piecemeal fashion throughout the day. Allowing your staff to pick the time and place they work leads directly to more quality work. That helps to keep your staff engaged and has an immediate impact on your bottom line.
There are no good reasons not to offer flexible scheduling and lots of benefits to be gained if you do. As you start to evolve the way you work, make sure the way you recruit evolves as well. Find talent who are eager and able to thrive in your flexible office by partnering with the team at Bayside Solutions.
