DAC Beachcroft

Flex Forward: DAC Beachcroft’s innovative new approach to working

An innovative approach to working allows DAC Beachcroft’s employees the fl exibility to balance personal and professional commitments, designing a life that works for them, says Lisa Broderick

e launched our new,

Winnovative approach to working—known as Flex Forward—at DAC Beachcroft in March 2021. The approach enables our colleagues to have more balance over where, how and when they work. Flex Forward will be implemented in Dublin when the government sanctions a return to offi ce working.

We have worked agilely in Dublin since we moved to our offi ces in Three Haddington Buildings on Percy Place. However, our experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the feedback we gathered from our colleagues and our clients during this period, has demonstrated that we could do more.

FLEX AND GLIDE As part of the Flex Forward approach, we have introduced three types of location-based working—offi cefocused, hybrid, and fully fl ex—to off er the maximum fl exibility for each colleague’s role. In addition, Flex Forward takes a more fl exible approach to working hours, allowing colleagues to ‘glide’ their time and fl ex their hours across the day and week.

We want to help our colleagues more easily balance their personal and professional commitments, so that they can be at their best when they’re working, while recognising that they have all sorts of interests Lisa Broderick, Partner, DAC Beachcroft

and responsibilities when they’re not. If someone wants to start work early or start work late and carve out some time to go training, visit a loved one, go for a swim or do the school run, Flex Forward can support this.

Flex Forward also recognises that a number of colleagues benefi t from being in an offi ce environment. For example, some colleagues feel that they can collaborate more eff ectively in agile and open plan working spaces, or due to their personality type or living situation, feel far better supported when they are able to work in our offi ces.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES Flex Forward provides colleagues with the fl exibility to design a life that works for them. We trust them to fi nd their own balance and optimum way of working based on the three guiding principles that underpin the approach: meeting client demands, collaborating as a team, and delivering the outputs of each individual’s role.

Flex Forward is an integral part of our newly redefi ned People Strategy, which is focused on supporting our vision of being the place where talented people want to work. It also supports our strategy that is focused on strengthening client relationships and improving our service by providing the increasing agility our clients expect.

Our fi rm is widely recognised for the exceptional quality of our work, but what really makes us diff erent is our forward-thinking approach. We build meaningful relationships, not just cases, and we continuously strive to evolve and identify new ideas, to improve the ways in which we deliver value to our colleagues and to our clients.