Flexible working, it might just be the most popular term in the business world right now. 2020 has seen one of the largest migrations of workforce in history as hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of workers have been told to work from home, effectively emptying city centres all over the world. As businesses and employees adapt to this situation, what will it involve?
What does flexible working mean?
The term is often used to mean a working arrangement when a person is allowed to choose the time they work and where they work from. This can be things like varying hours around the school run, or working from home instead of an office.
Why flexible working is important
There are many benefits to flexible working, for businesses as well as their employees.
■ Social - More time with family & friends, more time for leisure activities
■ Environmental - Fewer commuters means less congestion, less demand on public transport, and reduced emissions
■ Health - Improved physical and mental health comes with the work-life balance
■ Productivity - Flexible working is proven to increase employee productivity and organisation profitability
■ Economic - Smaller flexible work spaces cost businesses less, reduced commuting costs (in the UK workers pay up to 16% of their salary just to get to work) saves workers money they can spend on themselves
Why it's good for businesses
Flexible working has become very prevalent across the business world this year, and is looking like being a key trend in recruitment for the foreseeable future as people want to be able to do their jobs without the drag of a commute.
Companies who offer flexible working will find it easier to attract talent, and retain their best people.
Which industries need a flexible workforce?
Companies which work in cyclical or project-based industries, like Oil & Gas, Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Mining, are often faced with a dilemma.
Do they:
1) Employ a large workforce on their own payroll to deliver the work and assume either consistent wins or constant growth to provide enough work,
or
2) Have a smaller permanent staff which is supplemented by a flexible workforce to deliver and handle spikes in workload?
The Oil & Gas industry in particular is wrestling with this problem, as fewer graduates enter the industry, a generation of workers nears retirement, and the idea of a "job for life" becomes a thing of the past, while at the same time hundreds of billions of dollars are still being spent developing projects.
In Renewable Energy, projects are being developed all over the world as governments and businesses give their backing to reducing carbon emissions. This massive rise in demand for skilled specialists will also drive the need for a flexible, mobile workforce.
Our project needs people, what do we do?
Simple, talk to Brunel and we'll help you.
Oliver Hague