Is your business geared up for smart working?

Today’s modern working environments are fluid and casual whereby work-life balance is championed, replacing the old-fashion strict and rigid working culture of the pre-1990’s. The working culture has evolved the workplace to enhance efficiencies and collaboration between office workers.

As a leading recruitment consultancy in Ireland, Robert Walters identifies the key trends of a rapidly changing working environment through our broad network of clients - ranging from FTSE businesses to boutique start-up firms.

As the working culture continues to evolve. We offer three key prominent factors that make up a truly smart workplace; digital infrastructure, flexible working policies, and workspace design.

Digital infrastructure 

In the white-collar, professional industry over 80% of a person’s role will be conducted via digital means – be it over email, phone or online.  

Louise Director, Managing Director Robert Walters Ireland, comments “digital infrastructure encompasses all the technologies - platforms, systems and software - people use in order to be productive in today’s workplace. It gives employees the tools they need to improve their communication, collaboration and connections with each other and is the bedrock of smart working.

“If a company doesn’t adopt the right digital tools and processes then smart or remote working is not only hindered but unable to be adopted in some instances. What our research highlights is that beyond a mobile device such as a laptop, the adoption of other technologies drops significantly.”

Top 4 remote-working technologies:

1.  Mobile devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones etc) - 77%
2. Company-wide messenger systems – 21%
3. Virtual Private Network (VPN) access – 39%
4. Virtual meeting applications – 47%

Even in this digital age, collaboration can be difficult to achieve. As connectivity continues to grow, so do the platforms and software available for employers and employees to connect on. At Robert Walters, we have years of experience in end-to-end digital solutions to help digitalise the part or all of the recruitment process, this includes:

• Electronic Shortlist
  Utilising an industry-first data analyst team, candidate shortlists are delivered within 24 hours (contract roles) and 48 hours (permanent roles)
• Video CV
  Unique platform allowing Robert Walters to digitalise CV by embedding videos of candidates describing their experience and skills into the CV
• Testing Platform
  Developed a bespoke learning platform enabling Robert Walters to test candidates’ skills and capabilities on behalf of the client
•  Live Meeting Rooms
  Ability to facilitate a remote live interview between client & candidate, with full transcript provided afterwards
• Digital registration
  A truly digitalised registration process moving towards best practice, ensuring that there are no gaps in the candidate’s work history or rights to work    

Flexible working

Flexi-hours is the top-rated work perk for Irish employees, with over half of employees rating this as their most valued workplace benefit. The biggest reason employers rate flexi-working so highly is because it drives productivity and efficiency.  

If applied effectively, workplace flexibility puts freedom and autonomy in the hands of the employees, allowing them to determine their work schedule among other priorities. Research highlights that flexi-hours generates high satisfaction, and allows employees to be more focused, dedicated and productive.

How flexible working policies impact professionals:

• 83% - higher motivation
• 80% - better work-life balance
• 70% - more focussed and productive

We offer top tips for employers to help overcome concerns around flexible-working arrangements:

• Changing from behaviour-based to outcome-based assessment: On a day-to-day basis, managing smart working requires a move from behaviour-based monitoring to outcome-based mindset. Instead of solely assessing performance according to what an employee is seen to be doing, managers should take their output or other deliverables into account and establish an environment of mutual trust.
• Devising innovative alternatives to face-to-face communication: Flexible working can create communication challenges, as employees may feel less connection with each other. This can lead to a lower sense of belonging. Apart from specifying a set time of the week when the team can get together, we also advise managers to use alternative tools such as instant messaging and virtual meetings to foster communication.
• Create an open culture of flexibility: Companies should also create a culture where employees do not feel they will be disadvantaged by flexible working arrangements. Some new joiners may struggle to learn if their manager or team members are not around. Managers are strongly recommended to discuss flexible working arrangements openly with all team members to ensure that everyone is treated equally.
• Beware of ‘burn-out’: With the use of mobile devices, the line between work and private life is blurring. Managers are advised to conduct reviews to ensure remote working employees are not working excessively as this can lead to high stress level and ‘burn-out’. Signs to look out for are a reduction in productivity/output, uncharacteristic detachment and increased cynicism or complaining.      

Workspace design

According to the Robert Walters survey, employees think a smart workspace should have the following qualities:

• 80% - the design makes it easier to interact with m colleagues
• 71% - able to easily communicate and access colleagues
• 66% - there is ample seating and space to work

Suzanne Feeney, Director at Robert Walters, comments: “We’re starting to see some companies introduce “hot desks” and open offices to create an atmosphere that encourages greater collaboration between employees at all levels. One of the advantages of this is that this helps break down barriers and encourages more diverse thinking. The flip side is that noise levels can be a problem for individuals trying to concentrate on their work – as it is important to recognise that individuals all have different styles of working.

“A semi-open plan, on the other hand, provides open space where employees can work together easily, whilst also providing private and quiet places - such as phone booths or a quiet hub.

“Depending on the nature of your company and specific teams, some settings may be more suitable than others. For example, our survey shows that more professionals from technology/innovation and banking space prefer an open-plan environment, whereas those from legal/compliance and human resources prefer closed plan.”

These changes are among the most prominent in today's market, with continued evolution expected as demands from employees continue to change – this includes the rise of the ‘boomerang employees’ and employee well-being programmes.

Robert Walters offer expert hiring advice to our clients looking to attract and retain top professionals whilst accommodating the needs and demands the modern workforce. Contact us today at dublin@robertwalters.com for your latest recruitment needs.