Flexibility is fundamental to effective HR management

By Teryl Schroenn, CEO at Accsys

Flexibility in the workplace – or the assumption of control over ones own time, resource management and outcomes – is the chief characteristic that now defines the modern formal working environment, both publically and privately. It has emerged as a top priority for those entering markets, industries and sectors worldwide.

Decision makers in business, along with HR managers and recruitment consultants, realize that job seekers need their input and assistance to establish work/life balance from the outset.

It is generally understood that this balance has to form part of the workplace. Yes people still need to prove themselves, initiative is still expected, hard work and commitment are still viewed as non-negotiable – but, the method or modus operandi that underlines the dynamics of employer/ employee relationship has changed.

And it is innovation in ICT that has paved the way for the growth and undeniable influence of this trend. Mobile and wireless solutions, the latest in applications and devices, the focus on access to data and corporate network security, mean that individuals can produce virtually from any place at any time.

The advantages of a mobile workforce include an increase in productivity, lower total cost of ownership and a wider, more direct reach to the market.

In this respect the corporate market has matured quite significantly. In essence an employee should be just as effective and productive within his or her own environment, working at their own time & pace as one who clocks in at an office everyday.

This does not mean that salaries and packages are less important, or that job specifications, requirements and a successful induction program have lost significance. Nor does it offer job seekers carte blanche to lay demands on the table straight away or dictate conditions of employment. We must remember that flexibility is a trend in the workplace but has to obviously adhere to Basic Conditions of Employment legislation.

The desire by prospective employees to immediately plant a seed of understanding with their potential employer over working hours, expected deliverables and allocation of resources is proof that the concept of flexibility is not just a trend, nor a figment of our collective corporate imagination.

When the term flexibility is used, what does it actually mean? And how are the parameters defined? This is something of a grey area because it really does depend on the nature of the business, the specific tasks assigned to that job portfolio and the market in which that business operates.

For example a part-time police officer cannot be expected to fulfill the duties of a fulltime official on the police payroll, especially not in accordance with fewer resources available and less remuneration but with the same deliverables expected.

At the same time an Information and Communication Technology support and service consultant/ technician cannot enforce terms of employment that guarantees fixed daily working hours – that criteria simply does not suit the environment.

Ultimately the level of flexibility has to be negotiated and decided upon by both employer and employee, with consideration over the parameters already discussed.

The feedback that we continue to receive from the market is that the issue of flexibility, with regulation and responsibility from both sides, is certainly going to be a significant part of the work world of the future.