Flexible Working - A BIG Journey
A few weeks ago I mentioned we'd launched flexible working at BIG Partnership. It’s an area I feel incredibly passionate about, as I believe we get the best from people when they’re happy, healthy and engaged. Empowering employees to shape work around their lives greatly supports this.
Frankly, I was more than a little nervous that it'd go awry. It was the first major initiative I’d looked after here, and I felt personally invested in making it a success. Luckily, I have a reassuring Board who embraced the idea and business case, and gave their full support for its delivery.
It’s still early days but I'm delighted (and relieved) to say initial signs are positive.
From staff surveyed, we’ve reported:
- 100% agree/strongly agree it's improved their work-life balance
- 89% agree/strongly agree it's improved their productivity
- 70% agree/strongly agree it’s reduced their stress levels
- 100% agree/strongly agree it's been good for their wellbeing
There's also been a plethora of positive, qualitative feedback. Staff have spoken about an increased feeling of trust and openness. Staggering how many employees we have in a busy office throughout the day allows for quieter periods, facilitating increased concentration. Time working remotely has also boosted creativity and a heightened state of flow.
On a personal level, our people are finding it easier to maintain fitness regimes, balance childcare commitments and manage general life admin. Notably commutes, a key source of daily stress, can now be altered to accommodate quicker, more peaceful journeys.
The principal learning curve for me has been
It’s not enough to write a flexible working policy. It’s the people element that makes these changes successful.
You need buy-in, bravery and lots of honest conversations around concerns and pitfalls before you press the button. You need genuine trust in your staff. You need senior managers to embrace and role-model a fresh approach to working. And you need to find a way to help potentially change-resistant teams or individuals be part of the process.
Flexibility presents a fundamental shift in how we perceive and engage with work. If your company’s considering it, I hope our stats and experience encourage you to see what value it could bring to your people and business.
Thanks for reading. Would love to hear your own experiences of flexible working.
#flexibleworking #hr #lifeatBIG
Sales and Marketing Recruitment Consultant for Scotland
4 年Great to see this has been a success! Reed have just introduced their version of flexible working but it's only one day per week and you have to be billing at senior exec level or above so only applies to less than ten percent of the company. In my opinion it doesn't go far enough but is a step in the right direction!
Sustainability Training Management @ Mabbett | Community Development @ Renfrewshire Community Transport (SCIO) | Community Climate Action - RenCAN
4 年So many companies find that they have very positive results for staff wellbeing and longer term engagement through flexible working, especially where the business becomes more agile in its management approach. Glad to hear you found similar results Lauren. #greatresults
Senior Digital Strategist at Equator | User Research, Design & Digital Transformation
4 年There aren’t many businesses or organisations that wouldn’t benefit from flexible working. Hopefully we aren’t even having this conversation in a couple of years.
Marketing Executive at Anemoi
4 年Amazing work Lauren????