Gallup: Majority of Employees Would Switch Jobs for Flextime

Whether your business allows employees to work remotely or you’re considering a flextime program, there’s no reason to fear that you’ll cut productivity. In fact, new results show, you might find that productivity, engagement and overall satisfaction rise among your employees.

That’s the word from Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report, which indicates that 54 percent of office staffers would leave their positions if they could find a job that provides flexible work times. In addition, the report says engagement and productivity rise when staffers can work remotely at least part of the time.

At organizations where work flexibility is being slashed, employees aren't happy. When the Education Department reduced the amount of teleworking that staff members were allowed, two-thirds of employees said they were exploring the idea of leaving for other positions.

Seeking Productivity? Expand Options

More employees in the US are working remotely than ever before, and 31 percent of US workers spend 80 to 100 percent of the time working offsite, Gallup notes. That’s a seven percentage point increase since 2012, showing just how many firms are boosting their remote working options.

The industry where remote work is rising the most is in financial/insurance/real estate, where 47 percent of employees spent at least some of their time working offsite in 2016, compared to just 39 percent back in 2012, Gallup found.

Of course, remote work isn’t for every organization. “Remote working doesn’t make sense for all companies or roles,” Gallup noted. “Leaders need to consider the demands of the job and how time spent working remotely could positively or negatively impact an employee’s ability to deliver on business outcomes and customer needs.”

There appears to be a sweet spot among those who do spend time working remotely. People who work offsite 60 to 80 percent of the time have the highest likelihood of reporting that their engagement needs related to relationships and development are being met.

If you have remote workers at your organization, check out the following best practices on how to manage them so they remain productive and engaged.

1. Maintain Consistent Connections

Although you don’t necessarily need to have a 30-minute daily “check in” conversation with remote staffers, do you do need to stay in contact with them via consistent connections, Gallup notes.

I find that the amount — and the mode — of communication with my remote staff members can be driven by the individual relationships. I may have one remote team member who wants to talk every Tuesday and Thursday at 4 p.m. sharp, while another wants to send me a weekly email outlining their activities, challenges and goals, followed by a monthly Skype call.

Determining how your employees prefer to communicate will require you to know them, their preferences and their communication styles. This can take time, as well as trial and error, but it will always be worth it to ensure your staff members are happy, engaged and productive.

2. Ensure Remote Staffers Feel Included

Picture this: You set up a team meeting that includes six employees, two of whom work remotely. The four of you who are onsite gather in the conference room and begin showing relevant slides and voting on decisions. After about five minutes, you realize you forgot to conference in the remote employees, who have been waiting on the phone or Zoom line.

I think many of us have been on one end of this situation at some point, both from the remote side or the onsite side. It’s an innocent mistake, but it makes the remote staff members feel forgotten or not included.

You should ensure your office culture makes remote staffers feel welcomed and valued. This means confirming that they are on team calls, invited to the onsite meetings when possible, and included in interoffice email chains.

3. Upgrade Technology If Necessary

Certain technological tools can enhance the remote working experience if you don’t have them in place already. Platforms like Slack, Zoom, Skype, Google Docs and other programs will ensure that remote and onsite staff members are consistently in touch.

A surprising number of remote staffers are still asked to log into a shared hard drive and download documents individually, but this system is largely antiquated. Individual downloads have been usurped by shared documents, where everyone can view the same items in real time, discuss tasks and assign responsibilities across teams.

Remember that you want your remote staffers to feel just as connected to the work you’re doing as those who are onsite feel. And it’s up to you, the manager to ensure that it happens.