Why The Social Element is committed to a flexible working culture

I’ve long championed the benefits of a remote and flexible workforce. I’ve seen how flexible working benefits businesses and gives a much-needed boost to gender parity.

Flexible working has a tremendous, positive, impact on diversity in a business, and when it’s implemented correctly, it means that women returning to work no longer miss out on opportunities for career advancement.

The flexibility dilemma

Women want flexible working opportunities, but they worry about how their careers will be affected by even asking for a flexible working arrangement.

Hilton surveyed 2000 women, working across various industries. The hospitality firm wanted to get some insight into attitudes and barriers to flexible working. The research found that 52% of women thought that senior leaders should promote flexible working as a way for women to progress in their careers.

Sixty-five per cent of those asked wanted to work flexible hours to improve their work-life balance, while 46% wanted to spend more time with their families and 40% believed that working flexibly would benefit their mental health. 

However, 31% of respondents didn’t think their boss would be too keen, and 37% worried about a negative effect on their pay. What I find really concerning is that 27% said they had no senior women in their company that they saw as a role model.

Flexible working must be baked-in to company culture

These worries aren’t far fetched. There’s still a strong stigma around flexible working in many organisations. Yes, the opportunities to work flexibly are provided, but often only to parents). Resentment can fester as a result, and the people who take it up can see their commitment to work come under scrutiny.

Flexible working needs to be baked-in to the company - a core part of what the business is about. It should be something that everyone participates in naturally.

I built The Social Element around the principle of flexible working and a distributed workforce, knowing that this would make it easier to gain access to some of the best, and most diverse, global talent. As a result, we can offer our clients global specialist support 24/7 and in 45 languages. Our staff attrition rate is also lower than the industry average.

Businesses benefit from taking the flexibility first approach

Numerous studies show the benefits of businesses having women in senior leadership positions. For example, according to the Credit Suisse Research Institute, organisations with a “higher female participation at board level or in top management” see higher returns, valuations and payout ratios.

But to give women an equal chance to get there, businesses need to cultivate a culture where flexible working is the norm for everyone. One where women starting out in their careers can see men and women in prominent roles in leadership, also working flexible hours - and thriving while doing so.

By embracing a flexible working culture, organisations can bring in the widest scope of talent possible - not just bringing mothers back to the workforce, but working with talented people who have caring responsibilities, are balancing work around study, or who simply want to fit work around their lives in a different way. 

Businesses thrive when they have a rich, diverse talent pool to choose from, and flexibility ensures that this pool is broad and deep.

As we approach International Women’s Day, it’s worth thinking about how your business deals with flexible working. Do you regard it as something you have to offer? Or is it a fundamental part of your business? How can flexibility help your business thrive?