How to capitalise on the work/life blend trend
For many, work/life balance is an elusive dream. Australians increasingly find themselves extending their business day into their home life. Many blame the rise of mobile technologies but the truth is that any imbalances are not due to the tools at our disposal, but the way we use them.
The trend towards work/life blending is maturing. Management and human resources professionals, along with the technologies that are enabling a more flexible work environment, are now becoming aware of how to ensure that technology can improve work/life balance, rather than shackle us to the office.
This means that employees don’t have to choose between work and life. Rather, they can opt to blend the two in an effort to increase their own personal productivity, resulting in a happier and more contented lifestyle. This is particularly important for small businesses that need to fully empower their staff.
Why the trend?
There are a number of changes that are driving this trend. A Gen Y workforce has changed employee needs. These Millenials were brought up alongside the internet. Business owners are now expected to meet the technology needs of this generation of workers and their increased desire for workplace flexibility. A research report released this year by Citrix Online titled Worldwide Workplace: The Web Commuting Imperative, found that 16 percent of Australian workers and 17 percent of small business owners would give up five percent of their salary to work from home one-to-two days a week. This is evidence of a shift in employee needs.
The current economic climate has also meant that cost-cutting is at the forefront of small business owners’ concerns, presenting the perfect environment for remote working as businesses struggle to do more with less.
The common factor in all of the above is the emergence of easy-to-use new tools and technologies that enable communication and collaboration with co-workers, partners, prospects and customers–anyone, anywhere, anytime.
For many small businesses, especially those in the service and professional industries, web commuting may be the make or break strategy for success as we move out of the global financial crisis. Just under 50 percent of Australian small business owners say offering flexible hours is the most practical and essential ingredient of a successful business in the future, yet many lack the tools, resources and knowledge in place to successfully implement remote working strategies.
Steps to achieve a work/life blend
A virtual workplace is known under a number of guises: telecommuting, teleworking or web commuting. To help get you started, here are some common sense guidelines to help businesses make the shift to virtual working for some or all of their employees:
Step 1: Determine the needs
It is critical to understand strategic business benefits your organisation can realise from implementing a virtual work environment. Equally important is evaluating employee thoughts and opinions to ensure a win-win situation before making any changes. An informal survey can reveal concerns and issues, as well as the level of interest among workers, and focus groups can go in-depth to explore benefits and drawbacks.
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