Agile HR Strategies for Workplace Flexibility

Everyone wants flexible work, right? Yet “flexible work” can trip people up. Why is that? Because it’s too vague:  - Employees saying they want "flexible" work can be heard as "I’ll exclusively decide where and when I’ll work" and the employer doesn't know when the person is available and feels unsettled. - Employers saying they offer flexible work can be heard as "we'll let you 'sneak out' a bit if you need to but don't make a big deal about it and by the way we’ll ask *you* to flex all the time.”   Instead of asking for “flexibility,” or saying that you offer it, here’s what you should do instead:  - Identify the requirements for specific jobs - one type of flexibility won’t work for every job in a whole organization  - Designate “core hours” for collaboration and synergy when teammates know they need to be available for one another or for clients  - Offer Training and Support: Provide training sessions and resources to help employees AND managers create adaptive work environments.  - Schedule regular check-in meetings between managers and team members to discuss progress, challenges, and goals. People’s lives will change and their needs will change. Your organization will change and your needs will change. - Lead with mutuality - you’re in this *with* your team. Clear communication and team-and-position specific approaches are key to making flexible work arrangements successful. Ready to Embrace Flexibility? Start Today: Take the first step towards creating a more flexible and productive work environment by implementing these strategies in your organization. #WorkReimagined #FlexibleWork

There is no one ideal approach to flexibility, there is only the ideal approach to flexibility. This is a subtle yet monumental distinction that The J.M. Smucker Co. nailed! 👉 Their approach is not a prescriptive RTO mandate (I choose for you) then made creepy by having to ‘lure’ people somewhere -- rather it’s an RTO strategy (You choose for yourself) that’s based on aligned incentives. This feels new. The Nuts & Bolts 👇 🟣 Core Weeks = Designing for Intentionality by Pre-Scheduling (Genius!) 👉 There are 22 core weeks that people must show up for - these weeks are pre-scheduled one year in advance (can’t say you didn’t know) 👉 There are two core weeks each month, except for July and December (realistic and human-centric) when there is only one core week 👉 People are expected to spend 25% of their time in-office, together. Office time is reserved for team-based tasks (strategy, product launches) and social activities -- leaving WFH time free for individual focus work   🟣 WFA (Work from Anywhere) = Your Dime, Your Time 👉 You can live anywhere in the US that you want to but must be willing to travel to HQ for pre-scheduled core weeks – on your dime. This is the essence of choice and flexibility.  This means people have skin in the game, and to live this **work lifestyle** you have to pay in your time and cash for the reward you receive personally for being a supercommuter.  You can also choose to not make these sacrifices and live locally, using your time and dimes differently! 🟣 The leadership team at J.M. Smucker are mere mortals that face the same challenges that you do, namely 👇 ✔️ This strategy applies to 1,300 (18%) of the 7,300 people employed globally - the approach for the balance of workers is unclear ✔️ They didn’t flip a switch – they launched the strategy in January 2019 and have been designing, testing, and measuring since then whilst acknowledging that the strategy may be pulled back if the core business suffers ✔️ It’s not perfect - some people grumble about the arrangement (expected) and some people put more work in on core weeks (a win) but most have adapted 💡 The brilliance in this strategy is about using consensus-based decision making to align incentives - that gives people a direction and NOT a destination! The J.M. Smucker Co., @ChipCutter #futureofwork #hybridwork #flexibleworking

Employees want work flexibility, but businesses are way behind: 83% of workers prefer a hybrid model. Yet only 13% have a mature hybrid work policy. (Source: Accenture) Without a strategic approach, hybrid work can lead to: • Disconnection • Inconsistent productivity • Blurred lines between work and home life Here's a 5-step framework to bridge the gap: 1. Assess and Plan: ↳ Evaluate current policies ↳ Understand employee needs through surveys and feedback 2. Infrastructure and Tools: ↳ Invest in collaborative technologies ↳ Ensure reliable access for all team members 3. Policy Development: ↳ Establish clear, flexible guidelines ↳ Communicate expectations for both in-office and remote work 4. Training and Support: ↳ Provide resources for effective remote management ↳ Support teams with regular check-ins and adaptive leadership 5. Review and Adapt: ↳ Create channels for ongoing feedback ↳ Iterate policies to meet evolving needs Our vision for a hybrid workplace can set the stage for a revolution in work-life integration. Think of what we could achieve: If every strategy we implemented was as flexible and adaptive as the lives of the people we aim to empower. The future is ours to design. _________________________ The great news is that all this can be taught. That's what I help companies with every day. Message me to learn more! Please repost to help your network! ♻️

I just read that the Midwest excels in return to offices. (story by Cate Chapman of LinkedIn News) And I'm over here scratching my head and wondering, is that a contest you want to win? Don't get me wrong, I totally get why employers (and landlords) want #RTO to be celebrated and embraced 🎉 But, that's still gonna be a no from me dawg - and I'm not alone. As a #parent, I need the #flexibility to show up for my family when they need me - and I've been really fortunate to structure my working life to support a #familyfirst approach. It wasn't always this way, but last year: - My father died - I was #laidoff in an #RIF - I started #consulting full time - We added to our tribe with this little munchkin (#3isthemagicnumber) - My #perspective and #priorities shifted - and I needed to make changes My story isn't unique - and I recognize my own work/life #privilege - while millions of other parents and caregivers struggle to balance their careers and their home lives (with women disproportionately burdened more than men). If you know, you know. So, instead of me further preaching to the choir - or RAGING against the status quo - I'm going to propose we change the conversation. Let's explore some reasons why embracing #workflexibility benefits #employers: 1️⃣ Enhanced Employee Engagement and Retention: By offering flexibility, employers empower their workforce to craft ideal working schedules.This leads to increased job satisfaction, increased loyalty, and ultimately, higher retention rates. Employees who feel supported are more likely to stay committed to their jobs, reducing turnover costs and enhancing team stability. 💡Orgs that provide flexible working arrangements experience +30% in employee retention (source: Deloitte's Global Human Capital Trends) 2️⃣ Boosted Productivity and Creativity: Flexibility optimizes creativity and efficiency by allowing employees to work during their most productive hours. And that autonomy fosters ownership, innovation and improved team collaboration. 💡 According to a Stanford study, companies offering remote and flexible work arrangements saw +13% in performance (source: Forbes) 3️⃣ Diverse and Inclusive Workforce: Promoting flexible work arrangements is an essential step towards building a diverse and inclusive workforce. By accommodating the unique needs of #parents and #caregivers, employers create a more welcoming environment that attracts top talent from diverse backgrounds - resulting in a richer mix of perspectives, experiences, and ideas. 💡 Diversity and inclusion initiatives lead to +35% in employee performance and higher profitability overall (source: McKinsey) There are a lot of studies lately siting #WFH productivity losses 🙄 - so let's kill 'em with data. Because if the argument for #flexibleworking makes dollars and cents - we're going to see companies make accommodations in the short term and lasting changes in the long term. -- #flexiblework #hybridwork

The way we work has undergone a significant transformation, and it's evident that the future of work lies in embracing hybrid arrangements. As organizations navigate this complex landscape, it's essential to go beyond surface-level solutions and take a human-centered approach to design a better hybrid work environment. I would advocate three areas that can make a big difference: 🔹 First, let's revisit the fundamental psychological needs of people at work. The renowned organizational psychologists Edward Deci and Richard Ryan emphasize three essential needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy grants individuals control over their work and lives, fostering a sense of choice and self-direction. Competence involves feeling capable and effective, with opportunities for growth and mastery. Relatedness speaks to our need for connection, belonging, and positive relationships with others. Additionally, Daniel Pink highlights the power of purpose, aligning work with greater meaning. How might we intentionally design workspaces—whether office, virtual, home, or customer sites—to support these needs and empower individuals to have control, feel capable, connected, and aligned with a meaningful outcome? Considering the pros and cons of each workspace, how can the hybrid work arrangement help employees maintain and enhance their well-being? 🔹 Second, applying Design Thinking Mindset: A design thinking mindset allows us to creatively solve complex problems while putting people at the center. 1️⃣ Empathize: Understand the needs and challenges of your employees. By walking in their shoes, you'll uncover insights and opportunities for improvement. 2️⃣Define: Shift the focus from bringing employees back to the office to equipping them to excel, regardless of location. Open up new possibilities and encourage creative thinking! 3️⃣ Ideate: Foster collaboration and diversity of thought. Brainstorm with stakeholders and explore unconventional approaches to enhance productivity and well-being. 4️⃣ Prototype and Test: Transform ideas into prototypes and gather feedback. Iterate and improve to ensure your solutions align with employee needs. 🚀 🔹 Lastly, managers and employees must learn new #skills to thrive in a hybrid work environment. Leading effective hybrid distributed teams, mastering influence, being aware of unconscious bias, and building trust and accountability are vital for success. While technology plays a crucial role, I've focused on the human aspects here. Technology should serve the jobs to be done and enable the hybrid work environment to bring out our best. Let's embrace the complexity of hybrid work and design a future where employees flourish and achieve their highest potential. Together, we can make work truly fulfilling, wherever it may take us! 💪 Credits to thought leaders: Tim Brown, Suzanne Gibbs Howard #hybridworking #designthinking #employeewellbeing #futureofwork #humanresources #leadership #ideo #growth

HBR Today’s Tip What True Flexibility at Work Looks Like Radically flexible work is about making work fit people, not the other way around. To achieve true flexibility on your team, you first need to recognize that it can’t be a temporary fix or a privilege reserved for a select few. Instead, you need to engrain the principles of flexibility into your team’s culture. This requires two types of alignment. Aligning what people do with their strengths. When people do what they’re best at, they’re more creative and innovative. An analysis of multiple studies indicates that job satisfaction, engagement, well-being, and performance are all correlated to working with one’s strengths. As a leader, it’s your job to provide people with equal access to tools and opportunities that match their unique abilities. Aligning how people work (including where and at what hours) with their needs. Data from around the world indicates that flexible work benefits work-life balance, productivity, and organizational outcomes—a true “win-win.” To achieve this “how” alignment, create a culture of psychological safety and open communication. This will allow you and your employees to work together in ways that complement team members’ diverse needs and preferences. This tip is adapted from “The Radical Promise of Truly Flexible Work,” by Ludmila Praslova, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, Âû

Do not 'let' your employees work flexibly! Enable them to, intentionally. 🙌 The future of work is flexible, but achieving the associated productivity advantages requires a conscious effort: 1️⃣ Ask employees how it's going. 25% of employees feel inadequately supported when their employer is changing how they work. 2️⃣ Require working arrangement agreements. 75% of companies have not established team norms. 3️⃣ Discourage low-value meetings. 70% of employees believe that an email could replace a quarter of their meetings 😮 4️⃣ Designate "focus areas" in the office. 2x as many in-office employees are excessively interrupted (25x a day) ⁉than hybrid employees. 5️⃣ Invest in asynchronous communication best practices. 22% of employees are interested in trying video messaging (I recommend #Snagit! 😉) For more stats and discussion on #hybrid health, #asynchronous work, and #meetings, see the 2024 Workplace Flexibility Trends Report (link in comments). #culture

“I’ll call in from the Hamptons.” Remember how back in the day, flexibility was a perk reserved for the rich and powerful? Enter a world-changing pandemic. Since March 2020, where, when, and how people work has run the gamut. From everyone locked down to forced return-to-office mandates, to fully distributed orgs, to hybrid schedules—we’re still working it out. This September marks the 4th Labor Day in a row that CEOs have tried—and failed—to get their people to come back to the office. These leaders are holding on to an old idea about how work should be. But there’s a better way. In my new book, The Retention Revolution, I share 7 old ideas about work and how to transform them into new beginnings. One of the most impactful shifts we’ve seen in the employee experience is flexibility— Old Idea: Employees are only working when you can see them. New Beginning: It’s official. Autonomy and flexibility are good for business, great for people, and just might change the world. Flex isn't going away. So instead of resisting, here’s how to ACE Flexibility for All. Autonomy: Employees want more control over when, where, and how they work. And this desire for autonomy transcends age, gender, race, income levels—everyone wants it. It depends on the type of job and industry how much autonomy you can offer, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. Connection: We have to be intentional about how we interact with one another. But here’s what you don't want: commuting into the office, with half your team not there and doing the same work you could be doing from home. That's what I call a recipe for resentment. Instead, design a day in the office that's *worth* the commute. Equity: Your flex policies must account for all employees—caregivers, people of color, and other marginalized groups. Make sure they’re seen and heard no matter where they’re working. Check often for any signs of proximity bias from management. And leaders must model the flex they offer. If you offer a WFA policy but go into the office 5 days a week, employees will feel pressured to go in, regardless of what works for them. See recipe for resentment above.👆 Flex is here to stay, and it’s not just for senior-level desk employees anymore. In the book, I highlight companies and roles that I never thought could have flexibility, for instance—a sales associate at Neiman Marcus Group, a factory worker at General Mills. But to make flex work for your teams, you’ll need to design it through the lens of autonomy, connection, and equity. Because if you ACE flexibility, you're one step closer to ACE-ing the human workplace—for all. Featuring: TIAA Sean N. Woodroffe Eve Rodsky GitLab Sid Sijbrandij Colette Stallbaumer Eric Severson Jacqueline Williams-Roll Scoop Rob Sadow IDEO Erin Grau Kevin Delaney EA Markets Reuben Daniels Perla H. Bernstein Tena Latona Working in the Schools (WITS) Charlie Saffro L'Oréal Stephanie Kramer and more! Preorder the book here: https://amzn.to/41vmxY5

We can create healthy and supportive environments at work by prioritizing a human-centric experience and designing work processes and environments that consider the physical and psychological needs of employees. But what exactly might a human-centric experience entail? The main focus should be human needs and consists of 3 key components: 1. Flexible work: Employees should have autonomy over their work location and schedule to achieve work-life balance. Data from Gartner shows that offering flexible work increases the likelihood of employee retention, reduces fatigue, and improves performance by up to 1.7 times. 2. Intentional Collaboration: The ideal arrangement is to have a mix of both asynchronous collaboration and in-person or virtual meetings. It’s best to not solely rely on everyone being at the same place at the same time. 3. Empathy-Based Management: Management should advocate for a more compassionate and understanding approach towards employees, replacing the old-school "oversight-based" supervision. When empathy is incorporated into the company's culture, it can enhance performance, build trust, and boost employee engagement.