Smart working, which is a business-oriented approach to flexible working, allows employees to choose the time, location, and way they work. When employees feel like they have control over certain variables in their working life, they tend to be more productive and committed to improving company results. Flexible working helps with work-life balance, increases employee satisfaction and retention, and makes an organization's money go a long way.
In this Pacific Prime article, we'll take a look at smart working and why it is here to stay.
What is smart working?
Smart working describes a series of practices that use innovative solutions to make work methods more flexible. Some markers of smart working include:
- Flexible location
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible working hours
- Shared responsibility
Technology is dramatically changing the way businesses operate, as well as affecting the way we create, deliver, and monitor value. Additionally, smart working is speeding up the growth of mobile, social, and local technology. These days, technology plays a significant role in our ability to grow and innovate. Organizations nowadays must adapt to the digital age if they want to survive, no matter their size. Within this digital age, more and more employees are seeking work that is both meaningful and flexible.
Why smart working is the future
Human resources are gradually evolving into the ultimate resource. With that said, companies need to be more efficient when it comes to employing people, keeping them engaged, and inspiring them to work at their best.
More and more, working remotely and using mobile technology gives employees the power to choose when, where, and how to work. Working in this way could also play a role in breaking down silo mentality and moving away from traditional hierarchical organizational structures to a culture that promotes collaboration, flexibility, and employee empowerment.
In addition, smart working plays a vital role in helping companies to stay ahead of cultural change and other problems. With innovation being the driving force behind business, replacing old approaches with new ones that inspire employees can lead to exceptional results. Smart working gives employees the option to choose when and where they work, which increases productivity, reduces costs, and enhances brand reputation.
Organizations often provide smart working opportunities to increase staff work-life balance and improve their quality of life. But that's not the only motivation why they offer it. Attracting new talent and giving employees more freedom and autonomy are other popular reasons. As a matter of fact, a lot of focus is on the benefits for current employees.
Funnily enough, organizations that adopt smart working for the purpose of improving employee autonomy and freedom find it easier to attract new talent, as well as retain them. They also notice more employee engagement and reinforced cultural values.
How to implement smart working
There are five key features of working life that can be reconsidered to make it part of the smart working philosophy. These features include:
An integrated plan that focuses on all five aspects must be implemented in order for a business to successfully turn into a smart working one.
Smart leadership relies on flexibility and trust. Employees must be able to work where and when they want to in order to reach outlined common goals. But there's more to it than simply developing a smart office culture. Both the use of and design of the workplace have to reflect smart principles as well. For this reason, startups have the upper hand since they can create their business from the ground up and apply smart working principles from the start.
Leadership
Management by the outcome, which requires clear objectives, strategies, and deadlines, focuses on results. This approach encourages collaboration and flexibility.
Workplace
Organizations can make flexibility the norm instead of the exception, such as by providing bookable meeting rooms and a clear desk policy. Likewise, space can be allocated to activities instead of individuals, such as quiet areas and project areas.
Technology
In order to work smartly, organizations must be up-to-date with the latest tech developments. Similarly, continuous training and consistent use of apps, systems, programs, extensions, and more are crucial. It's also necessary to make sure all devices are functioning at all times.
Estate
It's important to remember that employee productivity does not correlate with the size of offices, or even the number. Oftentimes, one building is enough. Companies can also create hubs that give people access to the tools for productive work and makes it easier for them to communicate as a team or work alone, depending on their needs.
Culture and people
Good employees require good leaders. Smart work needs trust and honesty, coordination, and teamwork across coworkers, teams, and management in order to work. Effective meetings are also required. Communication is crucial, especially when employees do not see each other at work all the time.
The way people work is evolving. While it might sound like a dream now, the smart working generation could very well look back at the days of daily commuting and rows of office tables and be totally perplexed.
Looking for more?
If your goal is to attract the best talent and show your current employees that they are valued, you must secure the best health insurance to help you stand out from competitors. It's also worth remembering that even though health insurance is vital, employees nowadays are seeking other benefits as well.
Pacific Prime offers a wide selection of employee benefits plans and group health insurance that you can customize to meet your exact needs. Contact us today to speak to our team of expert employee benefits consultants and learn more about our employee benefits solutions.
