With the tech industry at the forefront of the hybrid work revolution, Laura Probert, Chief People Officer, Egress, outlines her company’s ‘challenging and exciting’ journey towards flexibility.
At Egress, we believe that through the process of exploring the 4-day week and getting employee feedback throughout, we have created an innovative, highly impactful approach to flexibility that no other company has done.
The tech industry has been at the forefront of the hybrid work revolution, a trend accelerated by the global pandemic. According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, more than half of technology employees prefer a flexible working model, stating it as their most favoured working arrangement post-pandemic. This sentiment is echoed in GitHub’s 2020 State of the Octoverse report, which highlighted that over 86% of respondents valued the option to work remotely as a critical factor in job satisfaction.
Flexibility comes in a variety of forms; of course, hybrid work-models are popular, adapting working hours for childcare, and making reasonable adjustments for neurodivergent employees are just a few techniques. At Egress, our journey towards flexibility has been both challenging and enlightening, implementing all the above, plus developing an innovative employee benefit we call eFlex.
A four-day-week trial designed to improve our employee retention and attraction left big gaps in customer support and quality delivery. We chose to fail fast but were left with lots of learnings and feedback from employees. The flexibility genie was out of the bottle and there was a very intense period where our people felt let down by the pilot failure, but very much wanting the time out and flexibility that went with it. This pivotal moment highlighted a crucial lesson: the path to true flexibility is not through rigid, one-size-fits-all solutions but through an adaptable and flexible approach that recognises individual needs and preferences.
eFlex breaks time up into larger and smaller chunks for employees to take when they choose at short notice, amounting to 15 additional days of leave on top of holiday allowance. This could be extended lunch breaks, extra half-days off as needed, or finishing earlier when the weather is nice.
The evolution from a structured four-day week to introducing the eFlex initiative underscores a significant shift in our understanding of workplace flexibility. eFlex, at its core, is about granting employees the autonomy to integrate work with personal life seamlessly, allowing them to extend breaks or take half-days according to their personal needs.
Productivity was naturally raised as a key concern when implementing an exciting new employee benefit, but we were proud that eFlex has not only maintained our operational efficacy but has significantly enhanced it. In fact, we are more successful than we have ever been, working less hours. The initiative has underlined an undeniable truth in the modern workplace: productivity is not tethered to time spent at the desk but to the quality of work and the well-being of the workforce.
The impact of eFlex on Egress goes beyond operational success. It has fundamentally altered our company’s culture, embedding flexibility and employee wellbeing into our DNA. The initiative has proven to be a powerful tool in attracting and retaining talent, positioning Egress as a leader in fostering a supportive and adaptable work environment.
Outcomes (directly or indirectly related) since launching eFlex:
- Our voluntary employee attrition has dropped from 18% to 10%.
- Improved our ranking from 88th to 32nd on the list of Great Places to Work in the UK.
- Our engagement survey contains a vast number of positive references to eFlex.
- Our Glassdoor reviews average score has gone from 4.2 to 4.6 out of 5 with many references to flexibility.
Our experience with eFlex offers valuable lessons for other tech companies and beyond. The first is that flexibility should be viewed as a spectrum. By understanding and accommodating the diverse needs of their workforce, companies can unlock higher levels of engagement and productivity, and importantly, retain world-class talent.
Secondly, the transition to a more flexible working model requires a cultural shift. It necessitates a move away from equating presence with productivity, towards a results-oriented approach. Trust plays a critical role in this transition. Organisations must trust their employees to manage their schedules effectively, while employees must demonstrate their ability to deliver outcomes irrespective of the conventional work schedule.
Lastly, the implementation of flexible work arrangements like eFlex should be evidence-based. Egress’s shift from a fixed 4-day workweek to the more adaptable eFlex model was a result of listening to our employees and understanding the challenges they faced. Flexibility initiatives should evolve based on continuous feedback and the changing needs of the workforce.
In conclusion, the success of eFlex at Egress is a testament to the transformative power of flexibility when it is genuinely embraced. It illustrates that when companies are willing to experiment, adapt, and listen, they can create work environments that not only drive business success but also support the holistic well-being of their employees. The future of work is undeniably flexible.
As we’ve learned through our journey, flexibility should be seen as a spectrum that caters to the diverse needs of your workforce. It requires a cultural shift towards a results-oriented approach centred on trust and continuous feedback.
For companies looking to stay ahead in today’s competitive landscape, now is the time to review your approach to flexibility. Understand your employees’ needs, experiment with innovative solutions and be open to change. The benefits – ranging from improved employee satisfaction to enhanced productivity – are well worth the effort.
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