Three Tips To Leverage Flexibility to Attract Talent

Long before the headlines screamed ‘critical talent shortages’ and ‘The Great Resignation,’ GM CEO Mary Barra said something that now seems quite prophetic.

“Where the work permits, employees (should) have the flexibility to work where they can have the greatest impact on achieving our goals,” Barra said. “It is up to the leaders to focus on the work, not the where.”

While she made these comments in the throes of Covid, today, they are a clarion call to stop the flood of workers leaving their jobs. Specifically, empowering workers with flexible work schedules and locations will help organizations retain not only top performers, but attract esteemed people. It will also potentially boost morale, lower burnout, and transform businesses for the future of work.

A recent survey conducted by Topia, a talent mobility platform, found 91% of employees feel they should be able to work wherever they want, as long as they get their work done. More than half say the ability to work remotely attracts them to the company. Slack surveyed nearly 3,000 U.S. knowledge workers and found 72% prefer a hybrid remote-office model.

Flexibility also boasts benefits for bottom lines. A Gartner survey found 55% of the workforce was more productive when they could choose when, where and how much they worked during the week. When companies are not flexible, their capacity to attract and retain workers is hampered, as illustrated by another Gartner study which shows four out of 10 employees are at risk of leaving if businesses insist they return to on-site work.

Here at TRANSEARCH, we have embraced flexibility. Team members are in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Toronto, and Mexico City. These locations are not only flexible in terms of place and time but also cater to the work-life balance of our people, while always making customer needs the top priority. Recognizing the power of flexibility to not only retain/attract your employees but also pave the way for their productivity and engagement, here are three tips to get flexibility right:

Have clear guidelines and policies

Having clear guidelines and policies around flexibility will help ensure quality work gets done and employees are accountable while giving workers the freedom of not being bound by a 9-5 day and choosing to work on-site, remote, or hybrid. Policies will help formalize flexibility and set specific expectations for core elements of work, such as hours, availability for clients, cybersecurity requirements, time management, and workloads. Policies that address location-based pay equity, knowing where your remote people are and metrics for evaluating the quality of work, are also pivotal.

In the spirit of flexibility, we recommend that when developing guidelines, engage your team in the process. Tap into everything from virtual town halls, surveys, polls, lunch n’ learns, and focus groups to create flexible policies that meet company and employee needs.

Arm your team with flex-friendly resources

Much hype was made when Google offered their employees $1,000 to buy anything from a made-for-home office desk to a comfy chair a few months into the pandemic. The fact is, when employees have the right resources to do their work no matter where they are, they are more likely to succeed.

For instance, consider leveraging managed office services like WeWork. In addition to video conferencing and document sharing platforms, help unlock your people’s full potential with robust virtual collaboration tools and self-scheduling technology. For example, Delta Air Lines employed a software solution that allows staff to bid on which shifts they work. Technology, tools, and training are all vital keys to help facilitate flexibility.

Live it and learn from it

Flexibility today will likely be different a few months from now or sooner. So as you’re living it, learn from it, refine it and continuously adapt. Over time, some people may want to switch from remote to hybrid. Or they may want a new system that tracks their hours. Track results closely and make changes when necessary.

Remember, the end goal is stopping the tidal wave of people leaving and encouraging great talent to want to work with you. By seeing your organization offers flexible options for workplace hours and location, has formal flex structures in place, and invests in flex-friendly tools, you are far more likely to be switching from saying ‘sorry to see you go,’ to ‘you’re hired!’

Red Flags and Top Strategies for Hiring the Right Talent

Hiring a candidate who is not the right fit can be costly for a company, wasting both time and resources on the wrong person. Let’s review some red flags for which you can look out when considering whether a new hire is the right fit for a job and a few…

Tips for Minimizing Turnover Rates and Achieving a High-Performing Workforce 

As a business leader, you understand the importance of having a high-performing workforce. It contributes to your organization’s success and helps you stay ahead of competitors. However, achieving this can be challenging, especially with a high turnover rate. High turnover rates can damage employee morale, reduce productivity, and drive…

How To Bridge Gaps Between Technical Skills To Make The Best Hire Possible

Hiring the right candidate is one of the employers’ most important decisions. However, when it comes to finding the right person for the job, technical skills are essential, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Employers must consider several factors, including attitude, personality, and work ethic. Often, employers face the challenge of bridging gaps between…

Getting it Right: the importance of Finding the Right Team Member to Lead Your Cleantech Firm

Identifying the right person with the necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to lead your team successfully can be the difference between success and failure. At TRANSEARCH, we have gathered some of the best strategies for finding an ideal team member to lead your cleantech firm to success. We will delve into the Orxestra® Method, other culture assessments, and how to get peers to participate in…

Pros and Cons of Hiring in Remote Areas

In today’s world, where remote work has become mainstream, hiring employees in remote areas has become a trend. Hiring remote workers reduces overhead expenses, provides access to a wider talent pool, and increases productivity. However, it also poses some challenges, such as communication barriers, lack of…

Identifying the Right Leadership Skills with the Orxestra® Method

Hiring the right person for a leadership role is crucial for any organization’s success. However, identifying the right leadership skills can be daunting, especially considering the candidate’s cultural fit.

Building Trust Between Management and Staff: The Key to a High-Performing Culture

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business world, establishing trust between management and staff is more critical than ever. Trust is the foundation of a high-performing culture that fosters innovation, productivity, and resilience.

Crafting an Attractive Compensation Package For Potential Hires

A well-crafted compensation package can make or break the difference between a great hire and one that slips away. Here, we discuss how to craft an attractive compensation package that will make potential hires feel valued and motivated…

How To Recruit For Specialized Roles

At TRANSEARCH, we want to help you ensure you find the right fit for any specialized role in your organization, so we have created a list of the best practices when it comes to recruitment for specialized roles.
Keep reading for tips on how to recruit for specialized roles.

Strategies for Attracting Top Talent in the AEC Industry

In the competitive Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, finding and recruiting the best talent can be difficult. To stay ahead of the competition, your company needs to attract top professionals who can help…