Executive Recruitment: Flexible Working

Flexible working patterns are being adopted by more and more companies, who have realised that one of the keys to keeping good staff is to work with them rather than against them. Executive recruitment companies are interviewing more candidates who are interested in the hours and flexibility of the employment, as well as the job itself and the financial package available.

There are a number of reasons for the desire to have more control over our working lives. Whether we are caring for children, looking after elderly relatives, have personal health issues, or simply want more leisure time, we are getting to a position where employers are willing to negotiate working terms in order to retain or employ the best candidates.

Depending on the level at which you enter the company, and on the company’s culture, your hours can vary. Most companies still work the traditional 9-5 core business hours, but many run flexi-time systems, where the core hours are 10-2, for example, and employees work the balance of their weekly hours flexibly around that core time. This means that some people could choose to come into work at 7am, but leave at 3pm in order to collect children from school, or attend a hospital appointment. This sort of flexi-working is widely practised, because it is fairly easy to monitor.

Executive recruitment consultants are finding that many executives would like to ability or opportunity to work from home for part of the week. This allows them to be available for calls, emails or faxes from the office, whilst eliminating travel time and allowing them the freedom to go to the gym in the morning or follow other pursuits. Arguments for this type of flexible working include the fact that executives who are trusted to plan their working day so that the work gets done will be more motivated and contribute more to the business.  Culture change can take a long time though, and those large, long-established businesses may have more difficulty encompassing these wishes than new, cutting edge corporations.

An executive recruitment company will have encountered a wide range of flexible working issues with previous clients and will be well placed to advise you on how to approach the issue with your executive staff. At Burns Carlton, we’ll be happy to help, so call or email us for more information today. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/LookingForWork/DG_10030134