While you’ll hear many companies talk about the importance of keeping employees satisfied and working to keep employee retention high, not enough companies focus on it. Some companies and countries understand the importance of employee flexibility, while others are not caught up at all.
One of the best ways to retain employees is by offering a fair amount of flexibility built into their positions. This flexibility can look a lot of different ways; you might offer a significant amount of paid time off (PTO); some companies go as far as to offer unlimited PTO. Your employees may have unlimited sick days, the option to work from home, or flexible start and end times. While not all types of flexibility may work for your business, try different ones out and see what has the best results.
When it comes to flexibility, you’ll see some incredible results once you begin implementing these practices.
Improved motivation
One of the biggest benefits of providing your employees with flexibility is that you’ll see significantly improved motivation on their part. When employees have time to decompress and fit their careers to their lifestyles, they’ll feel more motivated when they’re actually working. You’re see greater productive and happier employees.
Better results
When your employees have the flexibility to take time off of work when necessary to decompress, you’ll see better results in their productivity. If an employee is worrying about when they can take time off to go to a doctor’s appointment or if they’ll be able to have adequate time off to spend with their family, it can severely impact the quality of their work and how much they’re able to get done. You also do not want an employee sacrificing their health in order to meet deadlines or so they don’t have to take time off of work; it can lead to other people getting sick or that employee having to take a longer amount of time off of work to recover.
Longer retention
When employees feel confident about the flexibility at their workplace, they feel more inclined to stay with the company. Providing flexibility creates loyalty amongst your employees and lead to higher retention rates. If you want to keep your best employees for as long as possible, make sure you offer them great flexibility options. High employee turnover can cost your business money, so it’s important to do all you can to minimize it.
Positive reputation
Providing employee flexibility can increase your company’s reputation. The benefits will be a draw for top talent in your industry and employees who have flexibility will talk up the company. Gaining a reputation for providing employees with needed flexibility can only be beneficial for your business.