People are by far the most precious resource an organization can have. Nevertheless, due to inflexibility, companies are losing thousand (and potentially millions) of dollars in employee dissatisfaction. Thus, when thinking about recruitment policy, it is crucial to look at three of the most prominent issues inflexible organizations have to deal with.
Poor life/work balance
Ding ding! Poor life/work balance is largely responsible for turnover in companies. While benefits and salary are definite components of employee retention, many time inflexible companies take work/life balance for granted. Moreover, the cost of turnover is HUGE; costing around 3 times the salary of a given employee. Not providing benefits, schedules, or any other flexible ad on to your company will likely leave you with an unsatisfied workforce who will only look elsewhere for flexibility (the options are there). If your an inflexible organization your recruitment policy of attaining the best candidates will be directly hindered if your providing an inflexible environment.
Lost work time
Why work from your desk everyday when you could be working from the comfort of home? Sure, unless you are a freelancer most companies will not be given the chance to work 5 days a week from home, but many of them will let you do it at least a couple of days a week. Commuting is perhaps one of the most stressful and unproductive times in ones live; moreover, many times by the time you get at the office you are already mentally and emotionally burnt out, affecting overall productivity ($). Thus, inflexible organizations are not only jeopardizing valuable working time, but also the overall employee satisfaction.
Rigid schedules
If every person is a unique being with a specific set of challenges and individual needs, why are they subject to a “copy-paste” schedule? The traditional 9 to 5 schedule may work for some employees, but for others, it may present a serious threat to creativity, satisfaction, and overall productivity. Not everyone is a morning person and not everyone is a night owl, but finding that work sweet spot is terribly underestimated. Sure, many people will argue that having a specific schedule for every single employee is simply not an option (and that is probably true) but having options and having flexibility in your schedule policy is a must for success. Remember, it is as simple as this: happy employees= happy employer.
Here is a weird analogy: organizations should aim to be like bamboos (yep the trees). The success of bamboo lies in finding the balance between firmness and endurance while remaining constantly flexible is a perfect way to manage your organization and should be part of your recruitment policy; and that is exactly what companies should aim for; having flexible policies that do not sacrifice the essence, organization, or success of a company, but rather, contribute towards their blossoming. Inflexible organizations are an artifact of the past, hop on the flexibility bandwagon now!
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