Getting Flex Right

It doesn’t matter if your organisation is just starting its flex journey, or you’re ready to iron out those final niggles, our top 7 steps to flex will help you create a great flexible working culture.

We’ve compiled the steps based on our hands-on work with Scottish employers over the last decade, and the key is that you have to follow all the steps for flex to work as it should. We’ve included a short version of our steps here but you can find full details in our Flex for Life 2024 report.

7 steps to flex - Flexibility Works

Step 1: Senior leadership buy-in

Trying to create greater flex without buy-in – and visible support from – senior leaders is extremely hard to say the least. Getting senior leaders on board is the foundation stone for successful flex, and is our first point for good reason. If you want to create more flex in your organisation, start by talking to your board and senior managers.

And if you’re a senior leader already bought-in to flex, there’s still work for you in persuading other senior peers of the benefits of greater flex, and in role modelling how you work flexibly to show all workers what sorts of things are ‘acceptable’.

Create a compelling business case that everyone buys into
Find out what competitors are doing
Role model flexible working from the top

Step 2 – Communication and feedback

Communication is a two-way street when it comes to flexible working. Of course, employers need to explain what’s allowed or encouraged, and what’s not. But equally important is seeking feedback from workers on what changes might be possible – and would make the biggest difference. We know employers have concerns about asking staff for their opinions and ideas.

Gather feedback from workers (without raising expectations you can’t fulfil)
Communicate clearly what’s available and what’s not
Repeat – keep listening, keep explaining what’s available (and what’s not)

Step 3 – Design flex for all roles including frontline

Now that hybrid working is becoming more embedded for many desk-workers, employers are increasingly looking for ways to introduce greater choice and control for frontline workers. We know there are often fewer variables in frontline roles. But we’d argue some form of flex is possible in almost every role, and our data shows significant demand for more flex from frontline and non-frontline workers.

Listen to staff
Be open and creative about different kinds of flex
Trial new ways of working

Step 4 – Set clear parameters

Having a clear framework, or policy, showing what’s possible and not possible with flexible working gives everyone more clarity and confidence. Workers feel more confident asking for flexibility if they know it’s available and they’re entitled to it. While managers feel more confident talking to people in their team about how they can work, and what expectations or red lines exist.

Create a framework, policy or guidance
Be clear on purpose, rather than prescribing working arrangements
Communicate (again) to staff at all levels

Step 5 – Offer flex from day one to boost recruitment

Employers that are on the front foot with flex visible in job adverts and ready to talk about flex during interviews, can benefit from reaching and recruiting better quality and more diverse candidates. Employers on the back foot when it comes to flex and recruitment will put some candidates off applying, find themselves unprepared and unsure answering questions during interviews and they will likely find it harder to fill vacancies. While the new flex law giving workers a ‘day one’ right to flex stops short of requiring employers to specify flex in job adverts, it’s less disruptive for employers and new recruits to discuss flex before ‘day one’.

Consider the flex that’s possible in roles before you advertise
Make flex visible in job adverts, on your website and in social media
Discuss flex in interviews

Step 6 – Support managers

Line managers play a crucial role in how people feel about their job. Whatever your company policies are, it’s your line managers who make them a day-to-day reality for your staff and part of your working culture. When it comes to flexible working, we know lots has changed since the pandemic in policy and in practice, and it often falls to line managers to clarify the new guidance and lead by example, as well as managing people who work in different ways, such as remotely.

Get your managers on board with flex
Provide practical support and training
Create easy-to-use guidance and checklists

Step 7 – Measure the impact of flex

Let’s not forget, the pandemic was the biggest shakeup of working patterns in over a century and despite how long ago lockdown feels, we’re still in the early ‘test and learn’ phase of our new ways of working. It makes sense to monitor and assess changes to find evidence of what works, and also what doesn’t.

Agree how you will evaluate flex (what you will measure)
Ensure you have the tools and systems in place to measure impact
Analyse the data and use it to make informed decisions

You can find full details of our 7 steps to flex in our Flex for Life 2024 report, along with a handy summary of what’s happening with flexible working in Scotland now.