4 keys to foster work-life balance and retain top talent

Today’s employee believes a work-life balance is an essential part of overall job satisfaction. So, if your company doesn’t allow for this balance, you’re likely to see a lot of people jumping ship.

But towing the line between a successful flexible work arrangement and a free-for-all where employees take advantage of the privilege can be difficult.

Here are 4 keys to ensure a successful flexible work arrangement:

1. It must make sense. Before taking action, you need to be sure any alternate scheduling arrangements make sense for your company. Simply put: Some companies can’t afford to change their schedules. Fortunately, most can. Once you’ve established that a flexible schedule can work, it’s imperative that employees understand it’s a privilege, not a right. Set up criteria that workers must meet in order to take advantage of your flexible scheduling.
2. Think retention and work with the individual. If a great worker is seeking to alter their schedule because of a personal situation, it’s best to work with him or her. Sticking to the letter of the law when it comes to scheduling issues often makes workers feel as if they’re just another part of the herd, rather than a valued individual. On the whole, it’s better to have your best employees work less than not work at all. Retaining top talent today means making sure employees feel their individual needs are being met.
3. Have HR and managers work together. Whether it’s HR execs monitoring the managers who determine which employee can work a flexible schedule, or HR creating the eligibility on its own, it’s important the two departments work together. Getting HR in the mix gives managers a perspective on how the plan will help your company.
4. Make workers reachable. Just because certain employees aren’t in the office during traditional working hours, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be reachable during those hours. This means equipping these staffers with laptops, PDAs, cell phones or anything else they need. Just don’t go too far when placing demands on when your employees should be available. Managers should clearly define when workers are expected to be reachable.