Employees say they get more done when they have more flexibility on the job, about where they work, when and how.
LONDON, ENGLAND — Businesses that want to enable their teams to perform to the best of their ability should look into providing them with more flexibility.
This is the suggestion coming from popular corporate instant messaging platform Slack in its report on “How Productivity Platforms Can Power Business Impact.”
Employees who feel stifled are naturally more likely to have a lower morale. (Photo by Alla Serebrina on Deposit Photos)
RemoteWorker.co.uk would have to agree that it’s a suggestion that makes sense.
Employees who feel stifled are naturally more likely to have a lower morale, and can understandably spend their working hours “quiet quitting”, which is something of a new trend of doing the absolute bare minimum while working on the clock.
At worst, they could be spending time actively looking for new opportunities — time that could otherwise be spent on meaningful, productive work for their employer.
Instead, an employee who has more flexibility to determine where they work (remote or hybrid), when and how can arrange for the work schedule that maximises their productivity, on top of feeling more motivated.
According to studies like the most recent one undertaken by Slack, that’s exactly what such workers do.
Businesses are looking to increase flexibility this year
In its report, Slack found that nearly 90% of businesses surveyed are actively looking into how they can give their teams better tech tools to increase flexibility, and thereby productivity.
“In the digital-first age of work,” Slack noted, “productivity is intimately linked to the technology businesses use.”
Slack also said, “While productivity is an increasing focus for businesses, according to workers, it’s closely linked to flexibility.
Most workers say that flexibility helps them be productive. (Photo by Vitalik Radko on Deposit Photos)
“In fact, the majority of both IT decision makers and knowledge workers state that flexibility in where and when they work helps them be productive.”
As such, it should be no surprise that 87% of IT workers said they hope to improve the digital work experience this year, while 80% said they want to invest in technology that “solidifies their hybrid working approach.”
The goals of the IT decision-makers and knowledge workers surveyed fit perfectly with Slack’s own recommendations for companies eager to improve their teams’ productivity.
“Although it’s only one part of the productivity picture,” Slack acknowledged, “leaders should consider how technology can deliver autonomy and flexibility to teams.
“Whether it’s by enabling asynchronous collaboration or integrating tools, productivity platforms can empower teams to deliver high-impact work.”
Find the latest remote jobs in the UK via RemoteWorker.co.uk.