Workplace Flexibility Creates Happy Employees

According to When Work Works, a nationwide initiative bringing research on workplace effectiveness and flexibility into community and business practice, employees are the determining factor in the well-being of an organization. Being mindful of the well-being of employees can help your business thrive. When Work Works recommends that employers focus on the following:

• Work-Life Fit: Having the support, schedule, and flexibility an employee needs at work in order to effectively manage work and personal/family responsibilities.
• Supervisor Support for Work Success: Supervisors who provide honest and relevant information needed for employees to do their job well and who provide recognition for a job well done.
• Culture of Trust: Supervisors lead the way by being trustworthy, ethical, and by seeking employee input to improve performance.
• Satisfaction with Earnings, Benefits, and Opportunities for Advancement.
• Opportunities for Learning: Encourage learning and creativity.
• Autonomy: Having the ability to have input into what your job entails, how it is done, and to be able to be true to yourself while doing it.

When Work Works awards and recognizes companies that embrace flexible programs and practices; and, that have an effective and flexible workplace. Of the 284 companies recognized by When Work Works, CWS, headquartered in Rochester, MN placed in its top 10.

While CWS CEO Alan De Keyrel believes in the importance of the 6 areas identified as best practices by When Work Works, Work-Life Fit ranks as number one. Culture of Trust and Opportunities for Learning are top priorities as well.

“People need jobs that fit into their schedule and we try very hard to accommodate that,” said De Keyrel. “It only works well when you have a staff that trusts you and when you can trust your staff.” Trust and technology are the tools relied on to create that work-life fit at CWS.

Trust is an essential for any positive relationship. Without trust, technology can do little to facilitate work-life balance as its sole function in creating workplace flexibility is to be a communication tool.

De Keyrel is committed to being the best remote workplace as part of his commitment to providing employees with Work-Life Fit and his desire to hire the best talent and to work with amazing clients regardless of geographic location.

“We do have big plans moving forward to grow substantially,” said De Keyrel who plans to hire 15 additional programmers/developers by 2018. “We’ll make being remote feel like you are right here with us.” The conference room has already experienced some upgrades using cameras in tandem with Zoom to enhance the meeting experience for those off site. Other tools CWS puts to use include:

• Work Dashboard, a CWS created application to keep teammates in the loop regarding the whereabouts and availability of co-workers. The system includes the ability to let others know that while one is working, one is deep in a project and prefers to be undisturbed.
• HipChat, a Web service for internal/private chat and instant messaging. As well as one-on-one and group/topic chat, it also features cloud based file storage, video calling, searchable message history and inline image viewing.
• Google Apps, a suite of Google applications that brings together essential services to help your business.
• Grasshopper, a virtual phone system.

Note: When Work Works awards (formerly known as the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility) are unique for their rigorous, two-step selection process, which involves an evaluation of employers’ flexibility programs and practices, and a confidential employee survey on the key ingredients of an effective and flexible workplace. The awards are part of the initiative put together by Families and Work Institute (FWI) and The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). CWS also won the award in 2012.