​The workplace is constantly changing and evolving, with increasing online solutions allowing for workplace mobility and an awareness of the importance of work/life balance, more than ever before the need to be flexible and adaptable is crucial to maintaining valued working relationships. Many businesses are increasingly adopting a flexible work practice.

At DFP we have seen a culture of flexible working practices delivering real benefits to our team and therefore our business. A culture of flexible working practices provides our team with great benefits. Our team value their flexible working options because they provide them benefits such as:

• Shorter work days to coincide with school hours

• Flexible working hours including part time work

• Flexible working arrangements for mature age workers

• Job-sharing arrangements: sharing a job designed for one person with someone else

• School-term-only working arrangements

• Video conferencing: involves two or more parties in different locations engaging in communication via video transmission

• Telecommuting: the employee works at home using a personal computer to connect via modem to the employment site

• Working in an office closer to home.

With a culture of flexible working practices we have found there is potential to have greater focus on the outcome rather than the ‘how you got there’ aspect. If you are achieving your KPI’s, then your manager may not be as focused on micro-managing you. Trust is the new currency as are a shared platform of values that support behaviours and conduct.

We have also been able to increase the pool of talented people who contribute to our organisation’s success but require flexibility in their working arrangements either for family, study or commuting reasons. Like many other businesses, we have also found the benefits extend to improved employee retention, reduced absenteeism, increased productivity and, happily, our organisation being viewed as an employer of choice, as demonstrated in results from a recent employee survey:

‘I value the people I work with. I value the flexible worklife environment. I value that I can speak so openly to any of the managers and I know my opinion is respected. I value that my work to help people is appreciated by almost all people.’

‘The culture of DFP at both a branch and national level is the thing I value most. I believe our culture is one of respecting the individual for their unique strengths and the contribution they make to the business as a whole.’

With flexible working practices you can make your company a great place to work and at the same time deliver great business results. At least that’s been our experience!