It’s fair to say that the last couple of years have been turbulent for the business world, as they have for the wider world as a whole. The pandemic has posed a variety of unique challenges that different organizations have had to try and get to grips with in their own way.
Going into 2022, the skies on the horizon look a little brighter, but it remains virtually impossible to know what the next 12 months will hold. Nonetheless, even without a crystal ball, many organizations are rightly concerned about maintaining high levels of productivity, especially in the current climate where employee well-being has taken such a hit.
The good news is that the way that work is changing should not only protect productivity levels, but if anything, should help to galvanize them over the year ahead. In this blog, we’ll take a look at three reasons why, and the human and technological changes that are supporting those drivers.
People are happier with their working arrangements
During the worst of the pandemic, employees were forced into remote working whether they liked it or not, with varying levels of satisfaction. However, as businesses have been able to gradually return to the office, many have been able to give employees more choice as to where they work and when.
This is the ideal option because it means everyone’s a winner. Those who don’t have the right environment to work from home full-time can come into the office, while those who prefer remote working can stay at home, and only come into the office when the needs of their job demands it.
It’s a win-win situation that makes for a happier workforce overall, and happier workers tend to be more productive workers. The University of Oxford Said Business School found (as highlighted in our recent eBook on flexible work) that happier workers are 13% more productive than those that aren’t. If you were to assume an eight-hour working day, that means happy workers are getting an extra hour of work done every day.
Employers can see flexible working works
When productivity goes up by that much, it doesn’t take long for employers to notice the positive difference flexible working can make on their business. Employees feel more motivated and want to make proactive contributions to helping the company grow, while initial concerns that employees might use remote working as an opportunity to shirk some of their duties have mainly proved to be unfounded.
But there’s a further benefit for employers, too. If employees feel happier in their jobs, then they’re less likely to want to look for a different employer. This loyalty removes any turnover and recruitment headaches for the business, and also allows the overall knowledge and expertise base of the organization to get stronger and stronger all the time.
Employee loyalty is always important, but in the current climate it’s absolutely critical. EY research has found that half of employees will look for a new job if they aren’t offered flexible work. In the era of the Great Resignation, where millions of people are reconsidering their career choices, the importance of happy employees working flexibly really can’t be overstated.
The bottom line isn’t being negatively impacted
Of course, the overall profitability of the company has to be considered when making changes to how people work. As we’ve mentioned above, flexible work is creating happier, more productive workers. This benefits the business financially as they’re able to do more with their current amount of human resource, or do the same with fewer employees and redeploy others to more creative, value-adding tasks.
There’s also financial benefits to be found in how flexible work opens up opportunities to reshape the workplace. With fewer employees in the office day by day, organizations can either create new types of workspaces (such as informal meeting areas) that support collaboration for employees when they’re in the office, or downsize to save on real estate costs, utilities and other important overheads.
