The current economy has flooded the market with job seekers. Have you considered how you can make your business stand out from the crowd and attract high-quality applicants?
Flexible work hours are attractive to a wide variety of people. When creating a flexible work schedule, you must maintain the ability to manage your employees. By following these tips, you can be sure your employees will be managed effectively.
Set Clear Guidelines
Flexibility does not equal total freedom. When you create a flexible work schedule, be sure that your employees are given very clear guidelines as to their work hours. Whether you choose to allow your employees to work from home (telecommute), work split shifts or even create a schedule for themselves, do set standards that must be adhered to.
Offer Several Options
When creating a flexible schedule for your employees, creating several options will inspire loyalty and productivity among your people. Don’t allow one employee to work from home because of personal issues and deny someone else the same benefit. Create a variety of schedules that will suit the majority of your employees. For instance, one employee may prefer to work 3rd shift, one may prefer telecommuting and one may need to work split shifts. By having different options, you will find that your turnover rate will decrease dramatically.
Cross Training
One of the biggest problems in any business is a lack of cross training. One employee is well skilled in a certain area but has no idea how to complete a different task. With flexible scheduling, it is essential that all employees are well adept in a variety of tasks. Be sure that your employees are well trained and that you have a trusted ‘go-to’ person for every shift.
Making Up Time
If your company offers paid sick leave and personal days, allowing employees to make up time isn’t necessary. If your business does not offer these benefits, consider allowing employees to make up hours during the week so they are not penalized when paychecks arrive. Giving employees the option to work from home when they are ill, for instance, will be of benefit to both your business and the employee: work is completed and your employee will not lose a day of pay.
Shift Bids
It won’t work for every business but if it will for yours, shift bids are a great tool. An entire work force of telecommuters may not be the best asset to your company. Consider creating a variety of shifts and work situations and allowing employees to bid for them by seniority.
Employers who offer flexible schedules see a boost in productivity. The rate of turnover is also reduced considerably. If it will work for your business, consider creating a flexible work environment and you’ll see the culture of your business greatly improve.