Time to start stretching. In the modern workplace, it's the businesses that can bend their place of operation and twist their working hours that have the advantage over their more rigid competitors.
According to Global Workplace Analytic, as the global workforce becomes increasingly mobile, IT communication systems have given many companies the freedom to work without a strict adherence to location or time. Gone are the days where workers are chained to their desks for eight hours a stint. Good riddance, too.
More companies are adopting a flexible work environment with positive results.Flexible workplaces drive productivity
Having greater freedom over the 'nine-to-five' rule and location of work (within reason), makes a team happier and more productive. A 2016 study by the University of Minnesota of a Fortune 500 company found that employees who took part in a more flexible work schedule reported higher satisfaction in their jobs and were less stressed than their coworkers who were not selected.
"Workers who are allowed to have a voice in the hours and location of their work not only feel better about their jobs, but also less conflicted."
"Our research demonstrates that workers who are allowed to have a voice in the hours and location of their work not only feel better about their jobs, but also less conflicted about their work-to-family balance," said Phyllis Moen, one of the study's lead researchers.
Crucially, she notes that these workers were more efficient and more productive, turning the notion that flexibility is harmful to organisations on its head.
Millennials want flexibility, too
This sentiment is even stronger for Generation Y. The 2016 Deloitte Millennial Survey found that financial incentives aside, a degree of control over their place of work and hours was in the top three factors of job importance for millennials, behind work/life balance and opportunities for progression.
According to the survey, attracting millennials is critical to future success, so businesses looking to keep ahead of the curve and recruit top talent should be thinking of ways to adopt flexibility into their day-to-day routine. But switching to a more limber workplace doesn't have to be fraught with wasted time and energy, leaving employees out of reach as they work from home. It doesn't even have to be expensive.
Create a more flexible work environment with one of Fonality's corporate phone systems. Our Heads Up Display allows collaboration to happen seamlessly in one central location, even if your team isn't.
To find out how Fonality can help your business stay mobile, get in touch today.
