Part 2: Measure Employee Results Instead of Monitoring Clock Time

As previously discussed in Part 1 (Flexible Work Schedules Will Attract More Gen Y Employees To Your Company), Generation Y has a work-to-live, not a live-to-work attitude. We want to be successful in our careers, but we also want to have meaningful things happening outside of work, like relationships, travel, side projects, etc.

Employers who cater to this new workforce’s desire for a more balanced work-life are the employers who are going to attract and retain more Gen Yers. 

A comment left for the CIO.com article “How to Negotiate a Flexible Work Schedule,” hit the nail right on the head:

Larry Glass commented, “A key aspect [of flexible schedules] is the move from measuring effort to measuring results. Most employees are measured based upon effort, and as a result employers are reluctant to have an employee telecommute because the effort is not visible and not measurable. The movement to measuring on results or outcomes, is a more effective method to assure business needs are met and transforms the employee into a results orientation versus one that requires they be on the 'job' for a certain number of hours at a time. The overall affect is a highly productive worker that is in control of their work life.”

And according to a report on Best Buy’s “come-and-go-as-you-please” work environment in the June 2007 issue of HR Magazine, companies that have implemented a Results Only Work Environment—which means employees work when and where they want, and all meetings are optional—have seen up to a 35 percent increase in productivity and up to a 90 percent reduction in turnover.

So here are three suggestions for how you can facilitate a better work-life balance for your employees:

Flex-Time

According to the National Study of Employers, more than 68 percent of organizations offer an alternate work schedule to at least some of their employees. The very competitive job market of today puts an excessive amount of pressure on professionals, and working a 50-plus hour work week is leading to burnout early on in their careers.

But by allowing your employees flexibility in the time they come in and leave work, you are not only helping them relieve stress, you’re also giving them the ability to better fit work into their lives. 

A marketing specialist at WebMD enjoys the fact that her company gives her flexibility in her schedule. “I get to come in anywhere between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and leave between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.,” she says.

Compressed Work Week

A compressed work week means employees can work four 10-hour days or three 12-hour days or another combination of days/hours, and take the other days of the week off.

A case study done by CommuterChallenge.org of the ARCO Products Company, shows that compressed work weeks increase production, reduce absenteeism, increase morale and make employees more efficient.

ARCO’s Refinery Training Supervisor, Jeff McSorley says, “The freedom employees are given through work options builds morale, which pays off in dedication and extra time put in willingly.”

Telecommuting

Telecommuting, according to a University of California, Berkeley case study, is “the use of collaborative technologies to reduce or entirely replace traditional commuting to the workplace.” 

This flexible work arrangement is not a new concept, but it is one that’s being adopted throughout the business community on a regular basis. Employers are finding that by allowing employees to work from home all or at least a few days a week is not only reducing commuting stress, but it’s making employees more productive because they are able to completely focus on their work without the constant interruptions that often happen in a regular office environment.

Gen Yers want this option more than any other flexible schedule option, and would accept a job that offers them at least one work-from-home day each week over a job that makes them come into the office everyday.

“I love my job, but if I could work from home more frequently, that would be perfect,” says a Gen Y senior specialist at Merrill Lynch.

However, one major issue employers often have with allowing employees to work from home is trusting that they are actually working.

If this is also your concern, take this advice from Nick Horiatis, the human resources manager at ARCO: "If we can trust employees with millions of dollars worth of equipment, I think we can trust them with their work schedules,” he says.

And if there aren’t many companies in your local area or your industry giving employees flexible work arrangements, don’t let that deter you from offering them to your employees. 

Be the first, and inspire other companies to do the same. That’s what it’s all about—Building a Better Business, one step at a time.

As previously discussed in Part 1 (Flexible Work Schedules Will Attract More Gen Y Employees To Your Company), Generation Y has a work to live, not a live to work attitude.