By StreamOn Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Worldwide Trends

Netflix is allowing its employees to take unlimited parental leaves.

Ted has majority of its people working from the comfort of their homes.

These companies are disruptive leaders in their respective industries.

So, what makes them take this decision on Flexible Workforce (FW) and allowing its employees so much freedom?

The answer is simple: 9-5 timing is so passé.

Employees are no longer interested in working inmundane routine.

Creativity and passion have become more thanjust words.

Technology and smartphones have made itpossible for them to work from anywhere, sowhat’s the need to come every day to office?

Majority of organizations have realized this issueand are quickly adapting to give their people aflexible environment.

Favorable to Flexible Workforce

Let’s take a look why flexible workforce has become a NEED today.

Technology

The biggest factor is of course technology.

Mobile has become the core of whatever we

do.

Improved internet infrastructure and so many

devices we are surrounded with, working daily

from office is really not a logical choice today.

Virtual collaboration tools enable the

companies and employees to connect quickly,

regardless of the location. It’s like a virtual

office.

Millennials are more aware

Millennials are highly educated and

technologically advanced.

So, they think they have a right to work from

home as long as they are delivering the project

allotted to them.

Everyone has smartphones at their fingertips

and laptop, tab or a desktop at their home.

This further reduces the need to come daily to

office.

Legislations

In 2014, UK govt. issued a flexibleworkforce policy under which employeescan demand to work from home or at theirown comfort, provided they havecompleted minimum 26 weeks in theorganization.

Of course, not every country hasformulated the same policy yet but you cansense the seriousness of this topic inbusiness world.

Avoiding unnecessary travel

Not everyone’s office is close from theirresidence.

Travelling at office hours in metro cities is astressful and tiring activity. Therefore,employees think they can work moreproductively by working from home andutilizing their energy & focus better.

Social life matters

Philosophies and education have madepeople realize that money is not theprimary essential to human happiness.

Today’s generation knows that a job is notworth doing if you cannot take out time tomeet your friends & family and do thingsyou love.

Work-life balance?

It’s not one of those days when we used to

strive for work-life balance.

Employees are passionate about their job

and enjoy working even extra hours from

home when required.

They are not reluctant to be available 24x7

for the project. So, if they are available

round the clock, they expect to get the

reward for it.

Choice of employment

Employees give preference to companiesgiving such flexibility.

They are even ready to compromise onsalary if they get this option.

Numbers don’t lie

Here are some good numbers eliciting the impact of flexible workforce implementation in organizations:

Flexible Workforce is a way ahead

Online meetings and conferencing tools

have made it easier to meet with your team

from anywhere, eliminating the need to be

present physically every time.

In a nutshell, the concept of ‘Flexible

Workforce’ is not a future but the PRESENT.

Benefits

Once embraced the concept, the benefits of FW are limitless. Let’s see

some of those.

Increased productivity

People are motivated when given the

freedom to work from anywhere.

To return the favor, they work with more

focus and give extra efforts to complete the

project with flying stars. Eventually,

increased productivity.

What else does the organization need?

Truly global hiring

Preferred work location? What’s that?

One of the best things about FW is that

employers no longer need to hire according

to the location as you can connect with them

daily, regardless of their region or a country.

This enables HR to hire a true talent and help

the company grow with their outstanding

contribution. A truly global world.

Reduced office cost and BYOD policies

Office cost is reduced to considerable

amount as employees are mostly working

from their home.

Many companies and startups have

formulated the BYOD policies to cut down

on the resources cost.

Even employees are cool with it as they

prefer to have their own laptop for work.

Happy and contributing employees

Today’s world is not just about working and

getting paid in monetary terms. Employees

want a job which makes them happy, like

stated in Maslow’s theory about human

needs.

Giving such freedom makes them feel their

company cares for their values and in turn

they contribute in every way they can.

Increased retention rate

Why would a person think about shifting his

job when he is happy doing what he loves

and from wherever he wants?

HR is also happy as the attrition rate

reduces and productivity flourishes.

Disadvantages

All the good and great has been told about Flexible Workforce but at the end it’s the people who are going to implement and utilize this concept. So, there are going to be some issues and it’s not fully avoidable.

Let’s see some of the disadvantages.

If not properly monitored, it can create chaos and distrust

If company is not able to properly monitorits employees virtually, there are oftendifferences and reporting problems in thestructure.

Sometimes, it is also possible that teammembers and mangers don’t trust eachother on this accord.

It leads to chaos and affect theorganizational performance.

Security issues

Working from office is very much secure as

you can monitor your people from the

premises.

But, you really don’t have the control when

employees work from their home desktop

or smartphone.

The security in such cases might be

compromised if they don’t have an

optimum firewall settings.

Connectivity excuses from employees

These are very common.

When employees are enjoying with theirfriends & families and don’t want to bedisturbed, they sometimes use theconnectivity excuses and can get away withit, affecting the corporate communicationand reporting system.

However, all the dynamic changeshave a lot of problems in the initialphases. If proper monitoring andplanning is set before hand, the fruitsof Flexible Workforce work wondersfor your organization.

Tips

Every challenge also presents an opportunity. Things change, so does

the employee state of mind.

All the company and employees have to do is make it a win-win

situation.

Here are some tips to make flexible workforce work to your advantage.

For Employers

Devise a plan

FW is not a small time activity, it’s a

sustainable strategy.

So, draft the whole plan as to how it’s

going to work and what are the processes

and best practices related to it.

Well thought plans eliminate 99%

problems.

Select a good collaboration tool

Efficient virtual collaboration tools like that of StreamOn enablecompanies to conduct online meetings and all sorts ofcommunication with its employees anytime and from any device.

Make sure you have one.

Hire trustworthy and accountable employees

Trust matters.

If you hire people who are credible and are

accountable in nature, they will always

work in the best interest of the company,

even when working from home.

Hence, hire such people who are high in

integrity and morale.

State the expectations before hand

Have a discussion with employees and beclear about the reporting and everyimportant aspect about FW.

Little confusion remains when both theparties are clear about their roles.

Explain security practices to employees

Company security is integral to business.

Explain the ‘Must have’ security tools in

employee devices to avoid the data

leakage and the best practices to keep the

confidential information secure.

Regular online and physical conversations

There is no such thing as forever working

from home. Make it a rule to conduct a

face to face meeting every 15-20 days.

This helps in better control and reporting.

Whenever needed, conduct online

meetings or conferences to pump up the

work and motivation.

Don’t ask them to work on weekends unless it’s urgent

Situations arise when managers expect theirteam members to work even on weekendsand holidays.

Weekends and holidays witness maximumsocial activities.

Make sure you ask them to work only whenit’s urgent and do not do it often.

For Employees

Select a good internet plan

Internet is the only medium which connects

you with your manager and company.

So, it’s essential that you have a good

internet plan.

Good means there is no buffering when

you attend online meetings, upload or

share heavy documents and video friendly

connection.

Always have a backup plan

It’s a good practice to have back up plans

when your broadband connection is lost.

In emergency, you can work through your

mobile.

That’s the idea of ‘always connected’.

Have regular communication with your boss

Every day in the morning, chat or email or

even online meet with your boss stating

what you’re going to do in the whole day.

Anyways, it’s your duty. Complete it.

Be transparent in your work

Company knows you will enjoy your life at

home.

They don’t have any issues with that as long

as you are delivering. So, be very

transparent in your work.

Even if you are travelling or meeting your

friends, inform your manager. As long as

the work status is complete, he won’t

disallow it.

Make a workstation at home

Don’t get too comfortable at your home.Select a place from where you will workmost of the time.

It should be quiet and clean. If sunraysreach there, nothing like it. Naturalinspiration always helps.

Once you start working from that place,your mind automatically adapts to it as thevirtual office workstation. It works great foryour productivity.

Understand your most productive hours

Some people are early risers, some arenocturnal. Suit yourself.

Observe and understand which your mostproductive hours are.

No one works 24 hours. We are humans.90% of your work gets completed only inyour productive hours.

Communicate with your team mates to enjoy the work and avoid loneliness

Working remotely can sometimes be lonely.

You can start chats with your team mates to

improve communication. Casual chats

improve socialism.

Jokes in group chats, movies or match

discussions feel like you are a part of the

team and loneliness disappears.

Meet regularly to bond with each other

Make it a habit to meet your team and

manager regularly to fill the void that has

been generated through 15-20 days of

virtual reporting.

Also, many discussions and issues are not

solvable in online meetings. Face to face

meetings solve those.

Enjoy your passion and life

Not many people get to work from their

comfort place. If you have got the chance,

enjoy it.

Complete the project assigned to you. But,

while you do that, pursue your hobbies and

passion.

When you are happy, it shows in your

performance. That’s what your organization

wants.

It’s a vicious circle.

Summary

The world has witnessed fashion, fads, and trends. Some of these aspectsstick around and become the world changing phenomena. Flexibleworkforce is one those phenomenon. Sooner or later, every company hasto embrace this fact. Sooner you embrace, better it is for you.

Flexible Workforce is a useful byproduct of technology. It is now possiblefor everyone to work from anywhere. This is a true freedom to work. Ifproperly planned and managed, both organizations and its people canachieve their objectives.

Happy Virtual Working!

Contact Us

StreamOn Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Website: www.streamonindia.com

Email: sales@streamonindia.com

Tel: 022 65345084