Focus on

management
Institute of Management New Zealand

MANAGING
FLEXIBILITY
FROM THE TOP
Research across the globe reports that flexibility is a key attraction and engagement
element for employees – so the question for employers is: Should you drive
your flexible working arrangements by good luck? By Jane Kennelly. »
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 2018 & Beyond: Our Changing We all know the adage – ‘people don’t understand?
Workplaces Survey by Frog Recruitment quit their jobs they quit their manager’ • Do I feel comfortable communicating
covering more than 61,000 employees and we concur, this is still very, very true. this arrangement to other team
across New Zealand, spanning sectors As a result of the thousands of members? If not, chances are others will
including: insurance, education, retail, conversations we conduct with career- find the deal suspect.
manufacturing, not-for-profit, aviation, seekers, it is evident that there is a • W ill saying yes make things difficult
and property showed that whilst we are chunk of people inside organisations for others? For example, if one person
making some great strides, the report who, having not been developed or negotiates a reduced workload, will the
card still shows ‘room for improvement’ heavily invested in over recent years, are rest of the team have to cover for them?
when it comes to grasping key elements knowingly or unwittingly, the road blocks We note too, in these changing
in our changing workplaces. to new thinking and the key reason why workplace environments, there is no rest
At one end of the spectrum we can people will look for another position. for the HR team as they manage the
give ourselves a pat on the back because knock-on effect of effectively navigating
an issue that was widely reported several these flexible arrangements, such as:
years ago as a concern appears to • Implementing onboarding of non-
have been resolved i.e. millennials and traditional workers.
‘matrurials’ in the workforce together. “Whilst there has • Managing a variety of work hours.
At the other end of the spectrum
we have a glaring problem that has
been a significant • Delivering training to employees with
different hours/pay arrangements.
the potential to increase staff turnover uplift over the • Establishing a company culture for a
which we can ill-afford in this tight talent previous year, potentially off-site workforce.
climate; inconsistent flexibility policies. with 72 percent To attract the best candidates in
today’s competitive market, offering
RED FLAG: FLEXIBILITY
of companies flexible work arrangements is crucial in a
INCONSISTENCY surveyed, allowing company’s arsenal. It can be the deciding
Whilst there has been a significant uplift flexible working factor in a candidate’s mind as they
over the previous year, with 72 percent
of companies surveyed, allowing flexible
arrangements, choose who to work for, so the better
prepared an organisation is with a clear
working arrangements, the anecdotal the anecdotal picture of the flexibility options on offer,
commentary revealed that the decisions commentary the more success they will have in hiring
about how this is played out inside a revealed that and keeping their employees.
company are informal and manager
driven. For example we heard comments
the decisions GREEN FLAG: MILLENNIALS AND
such as; ‘… no we don’t have a policy’; about how this is “MATURIALS” ARE COMFORTABLE
‘it’s not written down’ or ‘it’s up to the played out inside WITH EACH OTHER
manager in each area to decide what a company are A pat on the back for New Zealand
they do for their team’. employers because we are evolving
Not only did this highlight the lack
informal and confidently when it comes to viewing
of consistency with these arrangements, manager driven.” both millennials and more mature
research across the globe reports employees, equally as positively. Nearly
that flexibility is a key attraction and all of employers surveyed recently
engagement element for employees confirmed that having younger (91
- so the question for employers is: percent) and older people (96 percent)
Should you drive your flexible working Managers have a significant influence working side-by-side in their workforce, is
arrangements by good luck? on engagement due to their unique vital to their business.
Let’s imagine being in a team where linking role inside organisations. They’re It is impressive to see that New
flexibility is encouraged and endorsed, in the trenches every day, deciding Zealand employers are bypassing the
sitting alongside a team where the who gets what and how – and can be outdated stereotypes of both young and
opposite it occurring? It doesn’t bode for responsible for up to a 70 percent old. Millennials; a term given to those
an engaged workforce, that’s for sure. variance in employee engagement, born between 1981 and 1997 – have been
And it isn’t going to go away. according to a Gallup survey. dubbed as being lazy or self-absorbed,
According to McKinsey’s research, today’s To assist managers, Harvard Business while mature aged workers have been
employees want the option of something Review published an article on the topic often deemed inflexible or intolerant.
other than a nine-to-five office job. of making sure to not play favourites, This is now clearly an outmoded way
Flexitime, compressed workweeks, job- suggesting the following questions of thinking as responses from companies
sharing and telecommuting are just some should be asked each time when across the landscape confirm what we are
of the non-traditional work arrangements considering a request for flexibility: hearing loud and clear, that both bring
on the rise. • What is the employee asking for and equally important and complementary
This brings us to the ‘red flag bearers’ why? Is there is a legitimate reason for skills and attributes to a business.
inside organisations; managers. the request? Will it be easy for others to Employers acknowledged millennials,

M22 | management.co.nz | FEBRUARY 2019

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 FOCUS | IMNZ IN ACTION

as a representation of our evolving • Take risks: Great achievement often time, mature workers make great
population in New Zealand, bring requires risk – and this sometimes leaders. Armed with well-developed
diversity to a business with their fresh involves failure. It’s a part of communication skills they are typically
ideas and confidence using technology. organisational life and is something to smart and wise; decision making is
Balancing the workforce and future- be encouraged. As the saying goes ‘the sound. They know how to make use of
proofing a business, we heard them older you get, the more risk adverse you their current opportunities and make the
described as ‘new juice’ with energy are’. Enter the millennial who typically most of their time. And when it comes
being applied to their work and their will not shy away from taking risks. to looking for promotion, these are the
natural inclination to be hard-wired to • Self-starting: Millennials have grown up people who will give the best advice.
embrace shifts in technology. in the age of the influencers so never
Mature employees are appreciated for before in history has a generation been
JANE KENNELLY is the director of Frog
their skills, reliability, life experience and so fixed on becoming entrepreneurs.
Recruitment and the founder/trustee of the
the stability they bring to the workforce. They use the resources the internet
Fantail Network.
They bring a strong work ethic to the provides to be their own boss; they
office, which creates an important model teach us to put ourselves
for influencing younger employees. out there and give it a go –
Managers believe mature workers after all the biggest regrets
are respected for their knowledge and we have in life are the things
experience as they often possess a ‘no we didn’t try, right?
nonsense’ approach and common-sense Maturials as the teacher:
qualities that are highly valuable in the • Get the job done: Given
workplace, especially in times of conflict their ‘aim high’ inclinations,
or feedback. millennials are adept at
Finally, on the age topic, some food multitasking, often taking
for thought; the mix of millennials and on more than they can
maturials has been identified as vital chew due to poor time
and valuable to a business’s culture and management, having
the heat seems to have gone out of the young families, unbalanced
conversation but we note that only 16 workloads and deadlines
percent of companies have a dedicated catching up. Mature workers
recruitment plan in place to attract both have learned a thing or two
generations to their work place. For smart about how to gain control
hiring companies across the country, this of their workload. They
presents a very savvy opportunity to take have learned how/when
advantage of. to delegate, how to push
back on demands, when to
AGE-RELATED POSITIVES accept what needs to be
Here’s a quick take on what we can learn done and getting it done.
from each other. These insights, crafted over
Millennials as the teacher: the years, are of immense
• Embrace change: Millennials have an use to millennials on how
advantage in embracing and welcoming to control of their working
change. Social media and digital lives.
networking are an everyday thing to a • Loyalty and Stability:
millennial. Teaching the tricks and tips given that millennials are
to their older team mates and helping searching for opportunities
them keep up with digital changes where they think they can
creates both appreciation and value. maximise their potential,
• Build networks: it’s second nature to maturials may have stuck
millennials to reach out, meet new with one company for a
people, build diverse networks, and good chunk of their career
actively approach coaches and mentors. for various reasons like job
Mature workers are deft at maintaining security and stability. They
their networks as opposed to building are typically more satisfied
new ones which means they become with their jobs and tend to
stale. This is not ideal in times of last for a longer period of
great transformation so the learning time
opportunity from millennials is about • Focus and Leadership:
how to stretch networks and keeping Having been in the
relevant. workforce for some

FEBRUARY 2019 | management.co.nz | M23

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