A flexible approach to where their employees work is paying off for advisers who can see the benefits and drawbacks of homeworking.
Research carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has revealed more employers think home and hybrid working has had a positive than a negative impact on their company’s productivity.
The CIPD’s survey of more than 1,000 employers and 2,000 employees showed that when respondents were asked in December 2020, a third (33%) of employers said home and hybrid working had increased their organisation’s productivity or efficiency.
However, when asked about increased home and hybrid working in October and November 2021, 41% said these new ways of working had increased productivity.
Meanwhile the number of employers that said the increase in home and hybrid working had meant a negative impact on their organisation’s productivity fell. Under a fifth (18%) of employers witnessed decreased productivity, compared to 23% previously.
But while advisers operating in the health and protection space have embraced homeworking for some workers, adopting a flexible approach has paid off amid the lifting of Covid restrictions entirely and fewer cases.
Motivation and development needs
Charlie Cousins, founder of Hooray Health & Protection, told Health & Protection being flexible and adaptable as an employer was vital to gaining respect and enabling staff to work to the best of their abilities.
“We do let certain employees in particular roles work from home a few days a week,” Cousins said.
“However, as our teams are expanding, I find people get to know each other quicker and better if we are all in-person working.
“I would usually promote getting everyone in as much as possible but being flexible to personal circumstances such as care and family needs or if staff need to be doing focussed work one day, then I’m more than happy for them to take that day working from home.”
Cousins added the firm’s flexible approach meant employees have been as productive as possible, reducing presenteeism levels in the office.
“Allowing staff the possibility or option to be able to take some focussed work away from the office environment gives them a sense of responsibility and control in how they do their work,” he noted.
But according to Cousins, a key disadvantage of homeworking has been when hiring new employees.
“If they immediately go straight into a homeworking situation, how are they meant to feel connected with everyone else in the office, or how are we meant to get to know that new employee?” he said.
“Developing an approach where staff work up to having this as an option is not only a good motivation, but also gives us time to assess how best this person works and where is going to be most beneficial to produce productive work.”
‘Successes will come from remaining flexible’
Alan Knowles, managing director of Cura Financial Services, told Health & Protection his firm had seen the advantages and disadvantages of homeworking.
“At Cura we have certainly seen the benefits of homeworking; less travel for staff, greater office capacity and of course greater flexibility on hours to name a few,” he said.
“We have also seen some downsides, especially for trainees who really benefit from being around more experienced staff and the loss of atmosphere that can occur in a quiet office.
“Our approach has been simple. We talked to every member of the team to see what they wanted to do and worked to accommodate them.
“Most staff have kept homeworking to some degree and everyone has the choice to work from home if and when they need to, but ultimately we can support full work from the office or work from home, and the best successes will come from remaining flexible.”
Office time growing
Andrew Wilkinson, director at Moneysworth, revealed team members who have worked from home during the pandemic are now starting to spend some time in the office but a greater amount of time at home.
He added that homeworking can mean less interruptions for workers so they can get on with work but it can also mean poorer communication between colleagues.
And Steve Ellis, associate director at Properis, said his firm benefits from spacious, ventilated offices which allow for a high degree of social distancing.
“With this in mind, most of us have returned to the office on a regular basis which is fantastic for mental health,” Ellis added.
“I didn’t realise after around two years of limited contact just how important face-to-face interaction with colleagues is. However, we do have some colleagues who prefer to keep working from home and this has been accommodated.
“As we are a small organisation we do rely heavily on colleagues to remain fully productive wherever they work, and throughout the pandemic we have been able to maintain a strong and supportive customer focus.”