According to a recently-published study by the UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, people in the 1950s worked up to 30 per cent longer hours and took fewer holidays. Looked at in the rear-view mirror of an uncertain world, the security of a probable “job for life” may seem appealing. But it wasn’t all rosy – long hours took their toll, meaning less time for family and most women were not in work at all.
Today, the perception of Generation Y workers is quite the opposite. Many consider “millennials” to be lazy and quick to push the ejector button on jobs. But this perception is inaccurate. The emerging generation of employees wants something different than its parents’ – they prize freedom highly. Sometimes, they want to bust 15-hour days; sometimes, they want to spend more time with their nephew. To explain this phenomenon, many suggest millennials look at their forebears, following the economic crash, and see little reward for their years of toil. But few people observe the real enablers of the trend. Staff are not just working against the world – they are working smartly within the demands placed on them by a more flexible society. In an era when most consumer goods are easily acquired on an on-demand or rental basis, the need to earn money to invest in big purchases evaporates. Take the major considerations of your parents’ generation… Buying and owning a home has been considered the ultimate indicator of success. Nowadays, not only is home ownership a financial impossibility, new variants of home occupancy are opening up. Likewise, whilst a car is often considered the second-largest purchase you will ever make, a liberalisation in the way people possess a vehicle is making ownership less important. When you decouple yourself from life’s major financial commitments, you are freed up with a lessened burden to work to earn the money you need to foot the bill. This is one reason workers are content to travel while they can, freelance a bit and take control. There are ways in which the workplace is beginning to evolve in lockstep. The lifecycle of companies’ products is shorter than ever. What used to take a decade to develop, build and sell is now completed in two years, meaning company priorities, teams and skills requirements are constantly in flux. Staff churn is often considered a bad thing but, managed in the right way, fresh ideas brought in by fast-changing staff can richly add to what a company can do. That can be a welcome thing for modern employees. But too many employers are still trying to hire for 1950s-style permanence. Digital services have made everything effortless, so chances are your customers expect the same flexibility your staff do. Engineering your workforce to enable this is no mean feat. For instance, Amazon has reconfigured itself to offer same-day delivery in many cities. That is not an insignificant task, but is absolutely essential to meet modern consumer demands. Whatever the business model, it is important to map the two together. I am not saying that completely flexible working is going to be the norm any time soon, or that the full-time job will be consigned to history. But by asking staff what they are prioritising in life, you can learn how they best want to work. Every employee has the right to request flexible working in order to achieve the balance they seek. But tacking flexibility on as an afterthought – often as one permanent, part-time arrangement – liberates few people in a changing world. Read more about flexible working:
Implementing a strategy in which balance for all is baked into corporate goals ensures that everyone benefits. We are starting to see some promising signs – for instance, rival hotel chains in local markets employing part-time cleaning staff from a common agency. This is a great way to ensure part-timers have enough regular work to make the arrangement viable. And employers everywhere should follow suit. The modern worker is in a quest for a healthy and frequently shifting work-life balance. That doesn’t have to go against your own goals – it can be the very thing to take them to the next level. Sacha Bielawski is chief business development officer at Coople.Elsewhere, James Campanini, VP and GM EMEA at BlueJeans, explains how to keep employees on track with flexible working.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.