IT managers could benefit from introducing flexible working
practices, but they must plan how to implement the changes and
systems to support them.
As more employees look to improve their quality of life through
flexible working, managers' responsibilities in this area are
becoming more demanding, with work/life balance a key factor in
recruiting and retaining staff.
The needs of parents of young children, those with other types of
dependents, and those who simply want more time for non-work
activities all have to be catered for in work/life balance
policies.
These people who would benefit from a better work/life balance
often find it difficult to re-enter the workforce in conventional
hours or change their role to cope with their changing
availability.
Flexible working arrangements can help the IT sector reach its full
potential, especially in the 24x7 world of e-business.
Effective policies for work/life balance mean continuous change,
and responsibility for that change is shared between employees and
managers. Work/life balance policies must have buy-in from all
employees. The policies need to be integrated into corporate
strategy and be backed from the top of and cascaded down to
managers who can inspire staff to commit to the changes.
Managers need to acknowledge that working longer does not
necessarily mean working better and that working off-site can have
equal or more value than working on-site. A one-size working
pattern does not fit all.
Plan your business case
Develop a business case for the policy. Consider the benefits and
costs (including investment in systems which support remote
working) in relation to, for example, absenteeism, staff retention
and productivity.
Objective assessment
Identify what the organisation wants through surveying and
involving staff and other stakeholders. Assess what processes would
be affected. Above all, invite ideas from staff and consider views
objectively and with an open mind.
Make an action plan
Once you have identified what the business and its staff want,
define an action plan. Specific practices for employees you might
want to include are: flexi-time; staggered or compressed hours;
shift swapping; job sharing; term-time working; teleworking; home
working; extended leave; unpaid leave during school holidays;
sabbaticals; emergency nanny care; holiday clubs; and career
support such as subsidised loans.
Training programmes for managers, flexible training on new systems,
briefings and feedback at all levels will also help to foster more
flexible working arrangements.
Implementation
Ensure that senior management leads by example. They can, for
example, discourage early morning and late afternoon meetings,
which can be difficult for parents with young children, or allow
employees to take leave in small increments, including parental
leave.
Women in the male-dominated environment of IT need role models.
Female IT leaders can be valuable mentors, especially in helping
women steer through the shark-infested waters of politics at senior
management and executive levels.
Review and evaluate
Monitor the progress of any new policies you implement. Ask for
feedback from staff on how the policies worked for them and
consider acting on their feedback.
Lindsay Wittenberg is a business and executive
coach-mentor and director of consultancy Lindsay Wittenberg