Flexibility is the key to success in the future of work - can you afford to overlook it?

Flexibility looks different for everyone, it can be personalised and unique to your employee’s needs, and your business’ strategic goals. It’s not a one size fits all model. Neither is there a fast and hard definition of ‘flexible working’, but it should be wide. Can your organisation benefit from being dynamic with the way it works, or should the question be can you afford not to? We look at some of the benefits your business can reap while embracing flexibility, and discuss how you can build in flex options and give your organisation access to our talent community!

What can flexible working look like?

Flexible working is any work arrangement that allows employees to have greater control over when, where, and how they work. It's a departure from the traditional 9 to 5 office-based work model and can take many forms. Flexible working arrangements prioritise outcome over input, giving employees the flexibility to meet their work goals while also managing their personal responsibilities and priorities. As technology continues to enable remote work, and a change in priorities living in a post pandemic world, people are serious about seeking a better work-life balance. Flexibility is becoming a top priority for many candidates.

 Remote work

 Compressed workweek

 Job sharing

 Flexible start and finish times

 Term Time Employment

 9 day fortnights

What are the benefits to your organisation?

Not only does having flexible working practises prove your organisation to be a progressive, forward-thinking place to be, it can also encourage a culture of innovation. Innovation and capacity for creativity among employees can lead to new ideas and opportunities for growth by creating a culture that supports experimentation, risk-taking, and a trusted space for continuous improvement. Think of benefits such as increased productivity, employee satisfaction with improved work-life balance and resulting employee retention.

Access to our community can also give a wider pool of talent to fill your open roles, plus a way to address gender diversity gaps in your workforce. By being able to select from our community and get your open roles in front of our talent pool, you can reach candidates you may not be able to with conventional advertising. Our platform also allows us to send highly targeted job matching alerts by expertise and area, increasing the chance of finding the perfect fit. Furthermore, with our esteemed return to work programs we can provide an end-to-end solution to attract, hire, on-board & develop your target talent pool, bespoke to your organisation.

What industries suit flexible working?

Great news, it’s not just office-based roles! With some creativity, most roles can have flexibility giving access to a wider, more gender diverse talent pool. Here's some ways you can make your open positions flexible:

 Flexible schedules

 Ability to design their own rosters

 Combining roles to create a flexible alternative (for example operational roles with a partial element of remote working)

 Opening up the conversation about flexibility 

 Advertise "Full-Time Flexible" roles 

Our job marketplace is the largest of its kind, where some of the most progressive Australian businesses successfully fill sought after roles with our high calibre female talent. Our community knows they can be free to apply for the jobs that truly match their expertise, as our employers put flexibility first for the best results — you must be where the talent is to find them.

Are your roles suitable for FlexCareers?

When job advertisements don’t explicitly state that flexibility is an option, many highly qualified candidates may assume that a flexible option is not available and may therefore choose not to apply for the job.

A recent study showed a 20% increase in female applicants when words such as 'part-time', 'job share' and 'flexible working' were included in job ads for management positions. (World Economic Forum, 2020).

This is particularly true for women who are also responsible for caring for children or elderly relatives, as they may require more flexibility in their work schedule. While it is important for employers to explicitly state their flexibility policies in job postings, it is also important for them to actively promote and support flexible work arrangements in their workplace culture. Flexible roles aren't just entry level either, more flexibility in senior roles could be the key to closing the gender gap in senior management and  women getting a rightful seat at the table where decisions are being made.

While flexible working can take many forms and should be tailored to suit the needs of individual employees and the business, the benefits are clear. Its true that flexibility is not only required by women, or women with caregiver roles, flexible working arrangements are essential for employees seeking a better work-life balance, and for employers who want to attract a more diverse and gender-balanced talent pool. By embracing flexibility and accessing talent through our specialist Talent platform recruiting solution, businesses can thrive in the new era of work.

Contact us to discuss our solutions to empower your talent acquisition team to source our diverse, quality talent, and drive your attraction and D&I strategies with the FlexCareers Talent Platform and Job Marketplace.

References:
World Economic Forum. (2020). https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/12/zurich-flexible-working-women-diversity/