Yes

by Annika Morgan

Created on: March 24, 2008

The twenty-first century workforce is diverse, multiskilled, and aware of the benefits that may arise from working flex-time. Having worked as a consultant in a recruitment agency, a common request from job-seekers would be hours that fit around their life commitments. These range from university studies, from the undergraduate level which have more flexible hours to structured MBAs; to family commitments, be it caring for elderly or disabled relatives as well as raising young families.

In a world in which the employable demographic is getting older and average birth rate is decreasing, the amount of retirees is increasing and the amount of younger employees able to fill in the skills gaps decreasing. Therefore, employment market does need to be more aware and responsive to the diverse needs of potential hires in order to attract and retain the employees they need to keep their businesses running. Job security, a work environment that provides the challenges that they are seeking, and further development are all attractors for job-seekers. Another attracting factor is the workplace's responsiveness to addressing the work-life balance.

As well as the nine-to-five workers, there are also many people who are returning to work, those who are raising young families and would like to pick up their children after or before school in lieu of day-care, or even those who would like to work ten hour days, four days a week in order to have an extra day off. These workers may not be drawn to a full-time job with standard nine-to-five hours for these reasons, and may not even apply: whereas if they see a job whose schedule they are able to commit to, they will be more likely to consider applying and interviewing for the job, and be more able to commit to it, reducing the need for absenteeism or tardiness.

University students who are seeking work may also be seeking flex-time due to their scheduled study commitments. This is a demographic that often isn't adequately catered for in the workforce, but there is a huge amount of potential to be worked with here: as well as being motivated to work and meet their study commitments, there could be mutual benefit in giving them job experience in exchange for their applying their developing skills to your role. A flex-time specification in your job advertisement will make job-seekers in this demographic stop and look twice, as unless they attend night school it is often difficult for students to make standard office hours, so they may not even apply. A flex-time offer would provide a great incentive for attracting and retaining staff already on a path of professional development.

However, individual lifestyle demands are not the only reason for seeking flex-time. Responding to wider issues, such as the infrastructure of your region, can be a good reason to offer flex-time for your employees. Allowing employees to start a few hours later or earlier, if they are willing and able to meet these hours on a regular basis, can assist your workforce with beating the commuter crush to get to work and home on time and with less stress. In some cities, should your mass transit system offer off-peak discounts for public transport, this can also be an incentive for prospective employees to choose your company and the flexible hours that you may offer (as well as appeal to those who are seeking 'green' alternatives to a driving commute). The reduction in congestion may be small, but if more companies offered flex time to work around peak hours there would be an overall positive effect.

Just as for your business, time is a valuable asset to your workforce: the less time spent in commuter crush on the way to their set hours at work, the more time they can spend at home. Employees who are able to manage their time around their work and life commitments effectively are less stressed in both their home lives and their work lives-and happy employees are efficient employees. A flex-time workforce can have the same skills and attributes a standard nine-to-five workforce can, and equally valuable human resources.

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