Flexible Work Environment Is The Future Of Corporate Industries: Here’s Why

Although the trend of a flexible work environment got a push due to the Covid pandemic, it has been gaining popularity for a long time now, and it is here to stay. With the influx of millennial and gen z workers who demand a higher work-life balance, companies are rapidly adapting to remote work culture. A flexible workplace, also known as flex work, focuses on getting the work done optimally rather than the timeframe in which you work.

What Is a Flexible Work Environment?

A flexible work environment is an arrangement that doesn’t have the constraints of a traditional job. It replaces the rigid rules of a traditional workplace with general guidelines, providing employees with a sense of freedom and autonomy. This in turn improves their focus on work and improves productivity to a measurable extent. It provides the collective advantages of traditional office work and remote work or freelancing.

Benefits Of Flex Work

It is an undeniable fact that employees value freedom of choice in work settings. While a majority of IT companies are shifting to remote work, it’s worth asking the question- how do employees and businesses benefit from a flexible workplace?

Benefits For Employees:

Aside from working in sweatpants, relaxed flexible workplaces also provide greater benefits like better work-life balance, lower levels of absence, and lower levels of stress. These benefits are attained from losing the rigid demands of a typical office. It also saves commute time and expenses. Ultimately, it provides increased job satisfaction, which makes them motivated for work and they are driven to give their best towards work.

Benefits For Business:

While the primary benefit business gain is due to the improved work culture and employee efficiency, it extends to much more. Relaxation in the remote workplace translates to reduced costs in infrastructure and utilities of the office, which saves a huge amount for the business. Employers can also relax their work attitude. This laid-back approach also helps attract and retain talent and strengthen bonds with the company.

Potential Struggles With Remote Work Arrangements

The pros here outweigh the cons, but it is important to prepare for the potential hurdles that may arrive in front of the company while setting up a remote work culture. While there are technical or security-related reasons behind remote work resistance in some companies, a major barrier is the simple unwillingness to change. Managers worry that employee productivity may diminish while working in more informal locations or that team cohesiveness and company culture could suffer. Employees also face the problem of ‘unplugging’ from work due to lack of separation between work and living space.

Overcoming Hurdles Of The Flexible Workplace

To support employees and manage remote employees, different remote management software is becoming more popular that helps managers keep track of employees’ productivity. Various communication tools like Zoom, Google Meet, etc. are also available which makes it easier to keep in touch with your team. Flexible work now is not just necessary to keep employees happy, but keeping it has become a viable and productive means of creating order to accommodate changing work norms.

Tools Necessary For Facilitating Flexible Work Arrangement

Flexible work arrangements can eventually improve recruitment and retention efforts, augment organizational diversity efforts, encourage ethical behaviour, and help the organization’s efforts to be socially responsible. To achieve these benefits and improve work efficiency it is important to set up a system in the company which will ensure the smooth flow of work and communication. Here are the various tools needed:

Ensure Remote Workers Stay On Task: Project Management Software

Accurately Track Fluctuating Hours: Attendance & timesheet Software

Correlate Flexible Work with Flexible Pay: Integrated Payroll Software

With the EmpMonitor having a wide range of remote work management features to provide all these facilities for your company.

Also watch: How To Implement Remote Worker Monitoring At Your Business?

To conclude:

Flexible work environment offers numerous benefits to both employers and employees. With the help of the right tools and policies, companies can adaptively enjoy work-from-home to save time, money, and effort while also boosting the productivity of the team.