Creating Flexibility in the Workplace

It’s no secret that employees want flexible work arrangements, but the definition of “flexible” remains blurry.

The rise of flexible working options can be attributed to changing employee expectations, particularly among younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z. These workers value work-life balance and are willing to change jobs to achieve it. Additionally, offering work flexibility can empower employees and increase their satisfaction, which in turn helps to attract and retain top talent.

Flexibility Is Here to Stay

A recent report from employee engagement organization Quantum Workplace explores the middle ground of flexible work. In its 2023 Employee Engagement Trends report, the company analyzed data from more than one million employees, representing 9,000 US organizations. Employees with flexible work options are 1.7 times more likely to stay with their current organization and 2.5 times less likely to look for work elsewhere, according to this report. And the definition of “flexible” varies from person to person. Only 10% of survey respondents equated flexibility with location, such as the power to work remotely. The largest group—28% of respondents—associate flexibility with adaptability, such as the freedom to leave for personal commitments.¹ This may come as welcome news for industries that can’t offer remote work options.

Five of the top flexible work arrangements that employees rated as most important include:

1. Flexibility of work times

2. Flexibility of days worked

3. Flexibility over scheduled shifts

4. Flexibility of tasks performed

5. Flexibility of who to work with

While we can’t dramatically adjust the core hours of a dermatology practice, we can be thoughtful with how changes impact staff and where we extend flexibility.

Look at hours and determine what meets patient needs and employee needs. You’re not expected to be a 24/7 establishment, and hours can be a key influence on employee satisfaction. What are the highest revenue-driving hours? If expanding hours, consider how this will impact current employees. When opening new scheduled times, start by opening limited blocks of time versus full days. If adding weekends, check in with your staff to get their input and availability. Consider piloting changes to see if it’s the right fit before making it permanent.

Ways to Think About Flexibility

Don’t assume. Ask your employees what flexibility means to them. As an employer, you may assume something more robust or specific than it needs to be. Do not define flexibility for your employees; let them do it for you. There are many different kinds of flexibility.

Control and Autonomy Options

Give your team more control over how their work gets done. Don’t lower the bar on what you expect, but do lower your expectations that you can dictate how to do it. While some work follows a very specific, required process, many times it does not. One example of this comes from an organization with frontline employees who handled regular customer service challenges. Many times, those discussions stalled because of a lack of authority to solve the problem, so the company granted these individuals wit power and authority to handle issues under a certain dollar amount (for example, $200 or less). This single change immediately boosted customer satisfaction scores AND employee engagement scores because it put trust and accountability into the hands of the workforce.² Countless examples are documented in companies that allow their employees to have some autonomy to make decisions when it's in the best interest of the patient/customer (Zappos, Chewy, Nordstroms & Ritz Carlton, to name a few).

Time Off and Scheduling Options

Offer more granular time off or more flexibility in scheduling. In many organizations, schedules are determined by managers and employees have little say. They may also not be allowed to swap shifts without jumping through hoops to make it happen.

The more flexible choice? Allow people to swap or trade shifts. Not only does this give them a bit more control over their work, but it also can take some of the stress off of managers who would otherwise have to oversee these changes.

Could you implement a “birthday benefit?” Let employees have their birthday off or let them leave early on their birthday and arrive a few hours late the next day. When offering flexible time off, allow employees to have the time away from work to attend things like their children’s events and performances so that their work-life balance can improve. It’s the little things that can go a long way in fostering a supportive work culture.

Progress and Mobility Options

One of the top practices of companies with better revenue, employee retention, and employee engagement scores was weaving growth and professional development opportunities into career paths. Data also show that for every employee who is ambivalent about their career growth, there are two employees who crave and desire it.

Professional development can help break up the monotony of everyday work and re-energize your staff’s creativity. Providing periodic professional development can also help your staff gain new skills and perspectives, which can translate into how they approach their jobs.

Do you prioritize and plan for monthly, quarterly, and/or annual staff training, team-building exercises, or retreats? We can get so busy working in the business that we forget to work on the business—and our employees are our most valued assets.

Communication and Clarity Options

In Idea Driven Organization, the authors talk much about the importance of listening to your people because innovation primarily comes from those closest to the patients. We want to think that innovation comes from the CEO or business owners, but that’s not always the case.² Many times, it comes from the people on the front lines who see a way to improve customer satisfaction by 5% or recognize a broken process impacting patient or practice flow. These small incremental changes can drive a big impact over time. People also feel more valued when they are listened to and asked for input.

Opening the Door on Flexibility

At the end of the day, flexibility is, well, flexible. It can mean when, or how, or what. Let’s talk with our people and find out what flexibility truly means to them and work to deliver that in a meaningful way.

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it’s a great starting point for practices and business owners who want to create a more flexible, employee-focused culture. The future of work may be agile and dynamic, but if we can’t support more flexible work practices within our organizations, then we’ll struggle to keep our very best talent.³

1. Kayser A. 5 ways to offer flexibility without remote work. Published April 11, 2023. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/5-ways-to-offer-flexibility-without-remote-work

2. Eubanks B. Four ways to provide job flexibility in non-flexible industries. Published August 15, 2022. https://www.brighthorizons.com/resources/blog/4-ways-to-provide-job-flexibility-in-non-flexible-industries

3. Eubanks B. The remote work gap: How to add flexibility in a non-flexible industry or job. Published October 13, 2021. https://blog.shrm.org/blog/the-remote-work-gap-how-to-add-flexibility-in-a-non-flexible-industry-or-jo