Can Flexible Workplaces Really Improve Employee Productivity?

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Flexible Workplaces

Flexibility is one of the most important qualities workers must possess so businesses can have an efficient workforce.

Work-life balance, freedom, a casual work atmosphere, and a conducive work environment are all linked to flexibility.

But how does workplace flexibility affect productivity?

Seeking ways to give workers the right to choose how and where they work is what flexibility is all about. Many employers are unsure whether to provide flexibility and whether or not this would result in increased productivity.

Due to this, many managers are unable to change the work climate or work style due to fear of employees being disengaged. Arguments for remote working do exist and there’s plenty of concern across numerous industries. When done correctly, however, flexibility will remove problems like burnout, resulting in a more efficient workforce.

Using Remote Work to Create a Flexible Workplace

In the age of the pandemic, companies have had to practice Work From Home policies to ensure their employees are safe.

Work from home employee monitoring has become a common solution for many managers. Arguments for and against remote working have died down as it’s now become a public health necessity, and making sure your workers don’t get sick is a good reason for having them work remotely.

Policies and rules for remote employees, along with gauging work productivity need to change now that your workers are no longer in the office. Corporate work from home guidelines, previously an unthinkable idea, is now a reality that’s been implemented globally and improved with every passing day. 

Employers are also trying to figure out how to be more flexible in the remote workplace. It poses several questions, such as whether flexibility and competitiveness can coexist, and whether it affects remote work productivity and innovation. It is an extremely important subject to explore since flexibility has a significant effect on how an organization recruits, employs, and maintains top talent without even understanding it.

There are plenty of good reasons to work remotely, even if it can come with initial challenges. Here are some points and remote productivity tips to help you understand whether flexibility can really improve remote team productivity.

Benefits of Workplace Flexibility

1. Improves Employee Happiness & Engagement

When an organization meets its workers’ flexibility needs, they are more likely to be satisfied, inspired, and excited about their work. It also strengthens their bond with their bosses and coworkers, allowing them to make a more meaningful contribution to the business.

Employees who are less depressed and happy with their work are more likely to be innovative, which is critical to a company’s success. Employees who have a choice of how, where, and when they work, such as freelancing and telecommuting, would be more imaginative.

2. Helps Employees Better Manage Their Time

When their workers work remotely, employers need to be flexible and understand their home lives. They might be juggling family and household responsibilities with ensuring they meet their deliverables, and employers knowing that will see the benefits of working remotely, as grateful employees tend to be more productive. Policies for remote employees should be developed with these factors in mind.

3. Better Customer Service

Sometimes, employees who work in a flexible workplace do so beyond the conventional 9-to-5 shift. This is especially true for customer-facing positions where staff must interact with prospects directly. Customers are usually unable to contact the company during these hours as customers themselves have their jobs to attend to.

One of the advantages of remote working is that the flexible work environment that extends outside the 9-to-5 shift ensures that there is always someone available to answer customer questions outside of business hours which will increase customer satisfaction and benefit both the employer and the employees.

4. Makes Employees More Productive

Although many people think of flexible working as a fad, it has been around since the 1960s and shows no signs of disappearing. In reality, multiple research studies all seem to point to the fact that flexibility has numerous advantages, including improved efficiency and long-term profitability.

Most workers now demand flexibility from their employers, and the fad mindset has vanished as more and more businesses implement flexibility at work.

The majority of workers agree that flexibility improved their efficiency, which is supported by numerous reports. Employees with more flexibility can give their all at work without jeopardizing their personal lives.

5. Increases Employee Loyalty

Employees are more committed and loyal to an organization when they have the option to work outside of the workplace or on a schedule that fits them rather than when the arrangement is too rigid to allow for work-life balance.

However, it’s worth noting that organizations might want to establish some remote working rules to help set limitations to how far work can last in a given day in order to apply some control.

6. Makes Teams More Agile

When working remotely, it calls on employees to work in a more fluid, agile way. No longer can they rely on the rigid predictability of the office. This forces employees to think outside of the box and adapt quickly to any situation.

One particular area that remote work that encourages agility is in the way teams communicate. There are now a variety of contact options available, ranging from phone and email to video conferencing and online communication platforms, to keep the teams always linked, no matter where they are.

Not only does this allow managers to quickly communicate with staff, but it also helps remote workers overcome isolation by ensuring a team member or boss is always only a few clicks away.

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