How Flexwork Can Help Engage Your Disengaged Workforce

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By Matt Krumrie

Gulp! The statistics don’t lie: Gallup research shows that 70 percent of employees are disengaged at work. So, how can you use flexwork to engage your disengaged workforce?

The article on weforum.org also said that research from the University of California found that motivated employees were 31 percent more productive, had 37 percent higher sales, and were three times more creative than demotivated employees. They were also 87 percent less likely to quit, according to a Corporate Leadership Council study on over 50,000 people.

That same Gallup report showed that 70 percent of an employee’s motivation is influenced by his or her manager.

“It’s no wonder employees don’t leave jobs; they leave managers,” the article states.

Other reasons for disengagement include:

making stupid rules
letting accomplishments go unrecognized
hiring and promoting the wrong people
tolerating poor performance
being apathetic

The weforum article said: “More than half of people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. Smart companies make certain their managers know how to balance being professional with being human.”

Flexwork: Making Work More Human

Smart companies who want to engage employees also offer flexible work options. Work-life balance is important, and flex work offers employees the opportunity to find balance and more happiness in their life, and eventually, their job, says Larry Boyer, president of Success Rockets LLC, a firm devoted to helping current and aspiring business leaders accelerate and reach their career potential

“Forget work-life balance and remember there is just life,” says Boyer. “Flexwork empowers employees to manage all aspects of their life at the same time, taking ownership of their choices and the outcomes.”

When an employer is making decisions about how an employee may use her time that immediately sets up a situation where the employee feels like a victim, which is disengaging, says Boyer. “Allowing the employee the freedom, and responsibility, of choice is psychologically empowering and engaging. The simple act of empowering employees to have control of their schedule will result in higher engagement levels.”

Empowering a Disengaged Workforce

The one caution for management is you still have to engage with your employees who have flexible work arrangements. A lack of interaction, or poor interactions with managers, is another top source of disengagement, says Boyer.

Here are three tips for employers with a disengaged workforce:

Empower employees to make decisions about when, where, and how they work. Be clear and honest about what you need and when so they can make responsible decisions.
Regularly engage with employees on flexible schedules. They still need to feel connected with others on the team including their managers. Engagement is not “checking up” but fostering personal connection.
Flexible work arrangements can save time for employees who no longer have to spend one hour or more per day commuting. That’s a lot of free time that engaged employees can put to use both at work and at home.

The reality is, people want to feel empowered and run their own lives based on what’s going on when they are not at work, says Tim Tolan, senior partner of The Tolan Group.

“Being able to come in later and work later or partially do some of their work from home makes the worker and worker’s family much happier, which has many benefits for the worker and the employer,” says Tolan.

There are two keys to making flex work, work, says Tolan:

1. Trust: Allowing workers to pick and choose their schedule demonstrates an element of trust between the employer and their workforce. When employers trust their workers to choose the best schedule for them it changes the relationship to one of trust—and that goes a long way in any working relationship.

2. Retention: Flex schedules also have another benefit—keeping and retaining great people. As the workforce shrinks with retiring baby-boomers and restrictions on immigration, keeping great people is paramount to any organization, and flex work time is one of those benefits that costs nothing to the employer but the benefits are tremendous.

Looking for Other Causes of Your Disengaged Workers

Another reason that employees may be disengaged? Poor management and/or relationships with managers or leaders.

In fact, employers and workers aren’t quite on the same page about juggling personal and professional priorities, according to new research from OfficeTeam, a specialized staffing firm.

In that study, more than six in 10 senior managers (63 percent) interviewed said their company is very supportive of its employees’ efforts to achieve work-life balance, yet only 34 percent of staff agree. This compares to 45 percent of executives and 53 percent of workers who felt that way in a similar survey conducted 10 years ago.

When asked what perk employees value most, 44 percent of respondents said flexible work schedules, which was the number one requested perk on the list.

“Companies can’t stick to providing the same work-life balance and health options as they did a decade ago,” said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. “Today’s workers are increasingly focused on effectively juggling personal and professional priorities. They have higher expectations when it comes to employers promoting their well-being in and out of the office.”

Britton added that offering attractive perks is a win-win situation. “When staff are given tools to maximize their time, balance home and work demands, and stay healthy, companies benefit from employees that are more happy, productive and loyal.”

OfficeTeam provided these additional thoughts on how flex work can boost employee morale and engagement:

To retain their best people, companies are focusing more attention on their employees’ well-being and supporting work-life balance.
With tightened budgets and increased responsibility among staff, many companies are offering greater schedule flexibility to reduce the risk of burnout.
Work-life balance has become a bigger priority for employees, and providing staff more control over their work schedules can be a powerful incentive.
While professionals are focused on work demands, they also need time for obligations and interests outside the office.
When flexible work options are available, employees may have fewer unplanned absences and be more productive while in the office.

Learn more about the benefits of allowing employees a flexible schedule.