As an employer, your top priorities include providing a safe and satisfying workplace so you can attract and retain top talent – a necessary foundation for continued productivity, business growth, and success.

It can be a tall order, especially as you vie for qualified workers with larger competitors whose benefit offerings can, at least on the surface, appear much more competitive than what you can offer.

But if you dig a little below the surface and consider creative ways to make yours a flexible, employee-friendly workplace, you’ll find you can easily come out ahead of the game.

Why Flexibility Matters

When your employees’ personal, as well as professional, needs are met, they are happier, more satisfied, and more engaged at work. This is a win-win: your team members are more successful and loyal, and your company benefits from a healthy bottom line and a winning reputation as a great place to work.

Numerous research findings support the need for work/life balance – and it can be more realistic and achievable than you may think. Choose an option that works the best for you:

• Flex hours: This enables employees to arrange their workdays around their unique personal responsibilities in a realistic way, where the job still gets done well and on time.
• Condensed schedules: Employees opt to work three or four longer days versus five 8-hour days so that they can use the extra free days for personal reasons.
• Remote work: Also known as telecommuting, this is a growing preference. You can also offer a hybrid workplace, where people are in the office part of the time.
• Unlimited paid time off: This allows people to take time off to fulfill personal needs such as sickness, family emergencies or vacations without repercussion, as long as required deliverables are met.
• Job sharing: If more than one employee in a role desires a reduced schedule, a full-time position can be split accordingly.

Workplace flexibility benefits your employees as it offers higher levels of job satisfaction and productivity, more autonomy, enhanced creativity (that burst of inspiration may strike at midnight!), greater support for working parents and other caregivers, and extra savings on items such as commuting costs, work wardrobes, and daily lunches.

Your company can realize these advantages as a result of your flexibility:

• Lower turnover: By allowing optimal flexibility and work/life balance, you build trust with your employees. This makes people more likely to respect their employers and stay at a company over time. For many workers, flexibility trumps salary in terms of their preferred workplaces.
• An enhanced employer brand: Word will spread quickly that you offer flexibility. This immediately raises your standing as a preferred employer in your industry.

Learn More About How to Help Grow Your Organization!

KeyHR is committed to helping you build customized, competitive benefit packages to meet the needs of all your best performers and desired candidates. Talk to our friendly representatives about the benefit services we offer employers, and how we can partner with you for greater success.