5 Tips to Attract and Retain Staff in the Age of Flexible Work
The way we work has changed completely, and employees now expect a level of flexibility in how and where they work. Here are our best suggestions for attracting and retaining the best talent in a flexible world.
The standard 9-5 work day is fast becoming a thing of the past. Your needs as a business owner have changed, the needs of the customers have changed, and of course, your employees’ needs have also changed.
With millennials expected to make up three-quarters of the Australian workforce by 2025, the way employers manage a workplace is drastically different from what it was 20 years ago. As such, employers are competing in a tight market to attract and retain young talent. To maintain a flexible workplace, managers need to reflect the demand for flexible work policies and ditch the one-size-fits-all approach.
Deloitte Global Workforce Transformation Lead Partner, David Brown, said:
“Millennials and Gen Z are no longer the ‘future’ workforce, they are the present, making up more than 40 percent of Australia’s working population. Organisations that fail to change their leadership, business, people strategies, and practices do so at their peril."
5 tips for creating a flexible work environment
1. Employee focus
As organisations around the world recognise and focus on their most vital asset - their people - they have transformed organisational strategies to reflect the concerns of Gen X and Y. Millennials have helped to advance the concept of an “ideal” work environment to an expectation of excellent workplace culture.
When employees feel valued and cared for, their motivation and job performance increase. If employers neglect the soft skills and only focus on the hard skills, it creates barriers in the relationship and risks tarnishing the morale of the company.
2. The Disappearing Corporate Office
Recently, we've seen a huge growth in the demand for flexible office space. Businesses across all industries are seeking out the benefits of short-term leases, convenient locations, and terms that suit their needs. We've already seen teams adapt and enjoy working from home, and taking a flexible office gives employers the ability to find the happy medium of working near home instead. Opting for flexible office solutions such as coworking desks in various locations is another way to adapt to the flexible requests of employees.
Virtual meetings conducted via Zoom or Slack have been a highly beneficial means of communication by connecting teams whilst working from home. Not only are online meetings beneficial for remote working but are also a great way to conduct meetings across geographic locations and time zones. Take Rubberdesk as an example. We have employees in Canada, the Philippines, and the UK, meaning we only need desks for a small team in Sydney, so for us,
Taking flexible office space was a more practical, affordable solution!
3. Offer training for both virtual workers and virtual managers
Regular contact with your virtual employees is critical for organisational success, however, virtual leaders shouldn't micromanage - rather they should check in with members casually and on a regular basis. Utilising technology tools such as Google Hangouts, Slack, and Zoom enable managers to connect with team members quickly and easily to check in on progress.
The Rubberdesk team is always connected through Slack and organises virtual weekly meetings via Zoom to check in with our team and discuss the past week's events and future plans.
4. Technology as an opportunity
As technology continues to advance, it presents more opportunities for remote and flexible working, making it fair to say that the traditional 9-5 workday is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Organisations that are the most forward-thinking will be those who implement simple and cost-effective tools that support their employees and help them achieve a work-life balance.
Not only can simple technology be useful in helping to create a positive culture for the existing workforce, but also provides a foundation to attract future employees and remain a step ahead of the competition.
5. Find a premium flexible office
Coworking and Serviced offices are flexible in more ways than one. As part of establishing the why, when, and how of the office, managers must rethink how space can play a crucial role. Flexible office space caters to this need exceptionally well, with beautifully designed office spaces in convenient locations. Benefits include break-out spaces, collaboration zones, private meeting rooms, fully-furnished offices, and vibrant coworking spaces. Many spaces are even open around the clock. The leasing terms are flexible, too — you can scale up or down whenever you need to. According to Microsoft,
Organizations that fail to grasp the new intentionality required to define the role of the office risk missing out on the true benefits of hybrid work.
Find a Flexible Office Today
Search in Sydney
SPEC SUITE | Private Office Space for up to 40 Workstations
200 Barangaroo Avenue Barangaroo
External Private Office for up to 11 people
100 Harris Street Pyrmont
Windowed Private Office for up to 12 People
23.05, 85 Castlereagh Street Sydney
18 Person Corner Suite with a 4 Pax Meeting Room and City Views
Level 17, Angel Place, 123 Pitt Street Sydney
Sublease: 80 Desk Private Secured Floor in Sydney CBD
441 Kent Street Sydney
Search in Melbourne
16-Workstation Private Office
425 Smith Street Fitzroy
Heritage 20 Person Private Suite with Kitchenette and Breakout Space
477 Collins Street Melbourne
External Private Corner Office for up to 22 People
Level 26, 360 Collins Street Melbourne
Private Office for up to 10 People
11 Wilson Street South Yarra
Enterprise 24 Pax Office with 2 Exec Offices
477 Collins Street Melbourne
Private Office for up to 10 People
10-20 Gwynne Street Cremorne
Search in Brisbane
Private Office for up to 27 Desks with Meeting Room
25 King Street Bowen Hills
External Private Office for up to 17 People (Including internal Manger's Office)
260 Queen Street Brisbane
Private office for up to 14 people
307 Queen Street Brisbane
Private Office for up to 37 People with 2 Internal Rooms
310 Edward Street Brisbane
28 people huge Private Office, with lockable manager office near Brisbane CBD, Free parking & WiFi
G3, 17 Gould Road Herston
External Private Office for up to 12 People
154 Melbourne Street South Brisbane
Search in Perth
10 Person Private Office External at Forrest Centre | River Views
221 Saint Georges Terrace Perth
Private Offices in Perth
191 Saint Georges Terrace Perth
Private Offices for 12 people - Internal
Level 17, 2 The Esplanade Perth
Interconnecting External Private Office for up to 12 People
300 Murray Street Level 2 East The Wentworth Building Perth
Private Office for up to 20 People
3, 11 Lucknow Place West Perth
Open Plan Private Office 12-15 Person
Ground Flo, 59 Parry Street Perth
Search in Adelaide
10 Person Private Suite
12 Pirie Street Adelaide
19 Person Window Office
12 Pirie Street Adelaide
10 Person Serviced Office
Wotso Adelaide, 217 Flinders Street Adelaide
External Private Office for up to 10 People
89 Pirie Street Adelaide
Local market experts with you every step of the way.
As specialist brokers in the flexible office market, Rubberdesk is across all the options, offers and availability. We have real time pricing for thousands of spaces listed by hundreds of providers to help find your next office.
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