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The Flexibility Imperative: CEOs, Employees, and the Future of Work

“Flexible” means more than working from home.

Time to read: 7 minutes
Once upon a time in 1980s America, fax machines revolutionised collaboration. The number of late nights spent in the office measured productivity and calling in sick was a sign of weakness — or that you were looking for another job. But today, things have changed. Leading CEOs are practicing an empathy-first approach and embracing technology that improves employees’ lives. Companies that haven’t kept pace are facing an uncertain future: Not only are they dealing with a striking executive-employee disconnect, their workers are quitting in droves. Why? Because 2020’s lockdowns introduced what real flexibility can mean for their everyday lives.

“Organisations are going to have to focus on the real, tangible improvements they can make to employees’ lives.”

 
 
Leagh Turner, President and COO at Ceridian
Leagh Turner
President & COO
Ceridian
Attrition isn't just disruptive, it's also expensive. In fact, the cost to replace and retrain a mid-level employee is 150% of annual salary. To attract and retain the best talent, leaders must embrace flexibility as the new currency that improves overall employee experience (and ultimately leads to revenue growth). So, what does flexibility really look like? Hybrid work is making headlines today, but data indicates there’s more to flexibility than where employees work. It’s also about empowering them to make decisions about how they work, when they work, and what they work on.
Here are three trends accelerating the flexibility imperative and the tools and strategies you need to consider.
 

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Trend #1: When it comes to where you work, one size definitely doesn't fit all

Every employee’s definition of “flexible” is different. For some, it means working from anywhere. For others, it’s setting their own hours. Many want a combination of both or more. For leaders who want to enact a clear out-of-the-box solution now, there isn’t an easy answer that will satisfy every employee at every company. But those who make the time to evaluate and embrace the flexibility initiatives that are right for their companies will find the financial benefits are well worth the time investment: 70% of executives agree that a better employee experience leads to a better customer experience, which in turn leads to rapid revenue growth.

Here’s why. You probably won’t be shocked to learn that one study found 30% of employees said less or no time commuting helped them get more done during working hours. What’s more surprising is that the same survey found 43% of respondents said flexibility in working hours helped them achieve greater productivity.

Employees, for their part, are eager for their companies to announce definite plans. But even though flexible models are still evolving, CEOs are learning that the key to making any of the options work is structure.

“Employees, for their part, are eager for their companies to announce definite plans. But even though flexible models are still evolving, CEOs are learning that the key to making any of the options work is structure.”

To create a structure that works for your company, listen to employee feedback by creating working groups within business units. Document group decisions about what ideal flexible work arrangements look like and how to make the best use of in-office hours. Consider:

  • Asynchronous scheduling. With asynchronous scheduling, employees work whenever they choose and not necessarily at the same times as others.
  • Work from anywhere. Use cloud platforms to empower employees to log in (and stay productive) from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.
  • Letting teams prioritise where and when to work. Teams that work together closely may choose for themselves whether they need to be in the office. Unlike a permanent hybrid schedule (like two days home, three days in the office), in this scenario, teams choose for themselves based on their project load.

“The flexible work environment is really the future. And it will open and unlock both a more equal world and a more productive world.”

 
 
Brent Hyder, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce
Brent Hyder
President & Chief People Officer
Salesforce

Giving employees more flexibility about where, when, and how they work is a great start. Now you need to keep them engaged by nourishing their careers. To do so, put safeguards into place so that employees who choose to work 9-to-5 hours at headquarters don’t gain unfair career advantages over those who prefer alternate arrangements. You can level the playing field by:

  • Monitoring wage and advancement data to determine if office workers are promoted at greater rates than remote workers
  • Keeping meetings entirely virtual instead of having some people in a conference room and others dialed in
  • Adopting hoteling instead of assigning permanent offices or desks
  • Transitioning mentoring and training programs to online platforms like myTrailhead, Salesforce’s digital learning platform
  • Ensuring in-office gatherings are impactful, inclusive, and infrequent
 
 
A sample webpage of the collaboration platform Slack

Trend #2: The right tech keeps employees productive and engaged. And the wrong tech? Well …

Outdated, cumbersome technology doesn’t just hinder job performance. It’s also a leading cause of employee dissatisfaction that results in turnover. In fact, Adobe’s State of Work report found that 32% of employees left a job because of poor technology. And 49% said they’re likely to leave if bad tech gets in their way.

The good news is that companies used the pandemic to accelerate their technological growth by three to four years in just the first six months of shutdown, according to McKinsey Global Services. Some, like Vodafone, even found the upgrade to digital changed the ways they plan to use technology in the future. Collaboration platforms, weekly video-enabled check-ins, employee surveys, and virtual gifts kept their employees engaged and productive. But they also discovered that they were shaping employees to the needs of technology. Moving forward, they’re considering the ways collaboration technology should be shaped by the needs of their employees. And by needs, they mean wellbeing.

Replicate the results by learning more about what’s getting in the way of your employees. With the right tools, you can connect data across the enterprise, foster collaboration, deliver in-the-moment training, and more. Technology, thoughtfully deployed, keeps teams as close and efficient as ever. Consider:

Collaboration platforms

With a digital platform like

Integrated CRM solutions

An integrated CRM solution enables collaboration based on a single source of truth. In fact, 95% of Salesforce customers that use more than one Customer 360 app reported improved efficiency and productivity. Without toggling between programs, employees can see updates in real time, reduce manual entry and errors, get

Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation

AI embedded in your CRM automates processes and surfaces actionable insights based on real-time data. This frees up an employee’s time to focus on more strategic work — like being able to actively listen and personalise the response during a customer service interaction or spend more time strategising a customised approach to account planning for high-growth clients.

Health, wellness, pay, and benefits

Countless businesses, regardless of industry, face employee burnout. Offer wellness resources like Thrive Reset to help employees maintain a work-life balance. Platforms like Work.com enable productivity, engagement, and wellness by connecting data across your company. Make it easy for your employees to get answers to their questions about anything from devices to payroll to benefits with intuitive self-service like searchable FAQ and chatbots powered by AI.
A woman eating breakfast in her kitchen and smiling at her laptop

Trend #3: Employees want fluidity in their careers

Employees don’t want to stay within the confines of their job description. In fact, 42% of millennial employees say training and development opportunities affect where they want to work. That’s just one reason why 57% of CEOs told Deloitte that investing in reskilling and upskilling employees is a top 2021 priority.

“What we intend to do is ask our people how they want to work to understand the work that needs to be done, and to create some new flexible work practices that we think will be better for our people and for our business.”

 
 
Francine Katsoudas, EVP and Chief People, Policy, and Purpose Officer at Cisco
Francine Katsoudas
EVP & Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer
Cisco
There are a few ways to do this. Innovative employment programs, plus digital learning tools, can reignite employee enthusiasm. After Unilever learned that nearly one-third of its U.K. workforce will retire within five years, it began giving employees at different stages in their careers flexible ways to stay engaged. An older employee, for example, eased into retirement by working a couple of days a week mentoring younger employees, transferring his wealth of institutional knowledge in a structured setting. And all employees can opt into a flexible job arrangement in which they get a contract — not a job — that guarantees a monthly retainer plus project-based fees, health care, and pension contributions. These workers can set their own schedule and adjust their project loads up or down as they choose, mimicking what they could do in the gig economy — but with far more stability.

Make flexibility your next imperative

Just like faxing is a relic, so, too, is forcing employees to adhere to an inflexible, 9-to-5 career path. For employees, real flexibility means being trusted to decide what the best ways are to do their jobs — no matter where they are or when they choose to work. It includes access to tools that enable productivity and efficiency, and staying engaged through learning and mentorship opportunities that result in career growth and personal fulfillment.

For leadership, a great employee experience translates into happier customers and faster growth. They just need to decide to do it — no faxing required.

 
 

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