But while well-established companies like Snapchat or Meta throw one benefit after another at their candidates – from medical and dental care to fertility assistance and amazing gym perks – startups often run on a limited budget.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t attract excellent talent. It just means you’ve got to work a bit smarter and come up with low-cost and effective solutions that get you back in the game.
Enter… hybrid jobs, remote work, and flexible working hours.
The short answer is yes.
The long answer ensues.
There are essentially three types of flexible work you can offer your employees:
If you currently don’t offer any of these, listen up. According to research, flexible workers experience higher levels of job satisfaction than those who have to work from an office. And that’s not all – they also report higher organizational commitment and work intensification, which means your business thrives as a consequence.
If it’s not possible for you to switch your operations to a fully remote style, hybrid work is an excellent way to give your employees more flexibility.
Of course, all this probably doesn’t come as a surprise. Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more employers have been switching to hybrid work in order to reduce employee stress and promote well-being.
Understandably, many workers are all for it. In fact, surveys have found that offering flexibility is ranked nearly as high as receiving traditional benefits on employees’ list of priorities.
Day by day, remote and hybrid jobs are becoming the norm.
And we love to see it. Offering this benefit to your candidates not only attracts a larger number of applicants, but it’s also a complete win-win situation. It’s great for both the employer and the employee, setting off a positive feedback loop and skyrocketing your chances of successful growth.
Here’s how.
Increased productivity. Based on a FlexJobs survey that was conducted even before the arrival of Covid-19, it was already clear that 66% of respondents felt more productive working from home. 76% said there were fewer distractions and 70% agreed they got more work done when they didn’t have to commute to work. This is a benefit even in a hybrid job setting as it helps your employees recharge on the days when they’re home so that they can come to the office feeling refreshed.
Improved physical health. A study from Ergotron shows that the hybrid work model has encouraged over 75% of respondents to focus on their health and exercise more. This makes sense as working from home - even if it’s just a few times a week - gives you the flexibility to pop into the gym or go for a walk whenever you feel like it.
More diversity. If you offer work-from-anywhere jobs in Europe, for example, you’re automatically widening your pool of applicants. Suddenly, it’s not just London-based people that can apply – you’re now looking at applications from professionals from dozens of countries. Workplace diversity has been shown to improve team performance, contributing to the financial success of your scaleup.
Bonus Tip: When crafting job ads, make sure you optimize your language for ED&I.
Higher employee retention. Ready for another survey? FlexJobs has found that 30% of respondents have left their job due to non-flexible work options. What’s more, 80% said that providing flexibility increases their loyalty and commitment to the company. The more freedom you give someone, the more likely they are to stick by your side.
Better work-life balance. Employees who are well-rested and have enough time to foster their relationships will come to work feeling more energized and ready to take on the day. Plus, showing that you care about the quality of their personal lives strengthens the employer-employee relationship.
Cost savings. Hybrid work isn’t only a low-budget way to attract talent – it can also save you money. When your office isn’t full of people five days a week, you have the opportunity to save on office space requirements, including supplies, desks, electricity, and more. Employees, on the other hand, save on commute and reduce their carbon footprint.
Alright! We’ve now gone through why hybrid and remote work options are an amazing perk that many top candidates are on the lookout for.
But now comes the trickier part – how do you go about setting up flexible work? Do you make it a requirement to come to work two days a week? Should you move fully remote? What’s the best course of action?
Apart from hybrid (a set number of days at home and at the office) and remote (working from home) options, you can also try:
However, the best choice might very well be to give your employees complete autonomy over their work life. If they prefer to work remotely, let them work remotely – but if they’d like to stop by an office, make that an option, too.
This is because when workers highlight how much they value flexibility, it’s not the flexibility itself that matters – it’s a sense of autonomy and self-determination.
Holger Reisinger and Dane Fetterer’s study has shown that flexibility works at its absolute best when it’s up to the worker to exercise it in a way that suits them. This improves motivation and performance.
Why?
Self-determination is considered a vital part of intrinsic human motivation, giving rise to a deep sense of fulfillment. Therefore, Reisinger and Fetterer agree that:
“If we think of entrusting employees with greater autonomy as the encouragement of self-determination, we can expect a greater degree of satisfaction, fulfillment, and engagement at work because the outcomes are likely to be perceived as the result of their own inherent ability. Similarly, it will serve as an intrinsic motivator to perform better.”
They conclude that the optimal conditions for high autonomy and high flexibility are to be able to work whenever, wherever, with full access to the organisation’s office space.
We understand that it’s not always going to be possible to give your employees completely free rein over their working hours.
However, offering hybrid jobs in London and other business hubs around Europe is slowly becoming the standard, and it’s an excellent way to boost your employer brand and increase your startup’s chances of success.
Not only that, but it also helps you level up in the game of talent attraction – Reisinger and Fetterer’s study revealed that almost 60% of people will prioritise flexibility over salary and other benefits.
So, will you jump on the chance? The answer’s up to you.
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A hybrid job works on the principle of work flexibility wherein employees work partly at the company’s office and partly at home (or anywhere else).
Hybrid work comes with multiple benefits, including increased productivity, improved work-life balance, a higher sense of autonomy, and less time spent commuting to work. If you’re looking to have more control over your work schedule as an employee or if you want to offer more flexibility as an employer, hybrid work is definitely worth it.
Focus on strengthening interpersonal relationships and your company’s culture. Put effective communication tools in place to ensure everyone is on the same page no matter where they are currently located (such as Slack). Approach your employees with empathy and understanding.
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