At Allianz, we are constantly looking for new and better ways of working.  Where, when and how we deliver our work, is at the core of this commitment.

To support this, we ran a series of workshops to introduce our refreshed vision and guiding principles of flexible working to 77 people leaders.

With an upcoming move to activity-based working in a new, state of the art building in North Sydney for our 500+ IT division, we recognised that this was the perfect time to ensure our people leaders were confident and well-equipped to manage flexible teams and provide a consistent employee experience.

These workshops revisited the benefits of flexibility, addressed certain myths around working flexibly and co-created a model of how flexible working can benefit the individual, the team, the organisation that enables us in continuing to provide great customer service.

Our four (4) principles that are the cornerstone of our flex framework are centred around flexibility not being a ‘one size fits all’ concept – we all need a level of flexibility at some point; that flexibility is not just for parents; that flexibility is a two way street, based on open communication between people leaders and their teams; and that trust is at the centre of all successful flexible arrangements.

These concepts are not new to Allianz.  We have been committed to supporting flexible working for at least the past decade.  According to Josh Fearnley, GM – Business Partnering “As much as we are all familiar with the benefits of flexibility, it never hurts to refresh our thinking, ensure the concepts are relevant, and take the time to remind our people leaders of why flexible working is so important to the future success of Allianz.  From millennials, to those contemplating retirement, to those taking time out of the workforce for personal and family reasons, we want to be able to support our people.  Flexibility allows us to do just that”.

As an organisation, we acknowledge that not all roles can support all forms of flex.  But we recognise that most roles can support some form of flex.  Opening the door and empowering everyone in our team to start the conversation about flexibility is the first step to success.