The Advantages of Being Flexible in Business The business world has experienced huge changes in recent years, and there’s no doubt that over the next decade we’ll continue to see dramatic shifts in the ways we go about our working lives. We’ve come a long way since the era when the workday was so standardized that everyone knew what people meant when they referred to a “9-to-5 job,” a phrase that tended to call up images of impeccably clean business suits and orderly monochromatic offices. These days, it seems like hardly anyone punches in at nine and punches out at five—that’s just one aspect of a larger trend toward abandoning the old ways of doing business. For those in the business sector, change is in the air, and companies that adapt to this new paradigm—one that emphasizes the importance of adjusting to new trends, rather than clinging to outdated models—will be the ones that thrive in the 21st century. In short, flexibility is the key to success, but what do we mean by this? How, precisely, can a business benefit from flexible practices? Flexible Hours As we’ve mentioned, there was a time not so long ago where a large portion of the workforce literally did the 9-to-5 shift, but this is increasingly not the case. Much of this change has been driven by workers themselves, who tend to value the option to move around their schedule to accommodate their personal preferences. 77% of “millennials” believe that flexible work hours can make people from their generation more productive while on the job.1 A flexible work schedule can take a number of forms. Some companies have found success by allowing personnel to select their time of arrival at work, provided that their start time falls within a certain span. For example, a lot of workers prefer to show up early, say at 7 a.m., in order to avoid all the commuting traffic that clogs up the roads later in the morning. Other employees prefer to rise relatively late and show up at 10 a.m. Both types of workers put in the same eight-hour day, but one will begin and end their day at earlier times. In addition, there is another trend toward allowing employees to elect to take either a half-hour or hour-long lunch. When companies establish this policy, the common practice is to require an employee to stay a half-hour later if they choose the hour lunch option. Again, there are valid reasons why a worker might select one option or the other—some people prefer to go home as early as possible, while others prefer to enjoy a leisurely lunch. Telecommuting Many workers enjoy the freedom that comes with working from home; this is particularly true for those with family commitments, or for whom it may be difficult to physically travel to the worksite. Of course, not all jobs lend themselves to this kind of policy—we won’t be seeing
telecommuting dentists any time soon. In recent years, however, the rise of virtual desktops has greatly expanded telecommuting options for millions of employees across the world. Virtual desktops utilize cloud technology to enable workers to access standard desktop tools (e.g., MS Word, Excel, email, and more) without needing to rely on any particular device. The cloud works similarly to the Internet; it’s a cyberspace environment supported by a large number of independent servers, and it can be accessed by any laptop, desktop, tablet, or smartphone that can connect to the service. With virtual desktops, personnel can perform a lot of important job functions nearly anywhere— at home, at a hotel, on the beach, or wherever they take their devices. That’s why telecommuting can give company productivity a major boost. BYOD Standing for Bring Your Own Device, this is an increasingly widespread policy in the corporate world that permits employees to use their personal devices (e.g., iPhones) in place of ones provided by the company. BYOD guidelines often complement virtual desktop use. Many companies have found that BYOD policies also augment worker productivity. Company Bio Based out of Dallas, Texas, CyberlinkASP is an application service provider that offers 24/7 cloud-based access to a wide range of IT services, including virtual desktops and managed hosting. This privately owned company, founded in 1999, maintains a staff of highly experienced IT professionals and a network of world-class data centers. Sources 1. http://www.futureofbusinessandtech.com/workplace-wellness/why-flexibility-is-the-keyto-the-modern-workforce