In the last five years we’ve seen a shift in attitudes towards flexible working.
Research by the Workforce Institute shows a modern workplace divided against itself. Much has stemmed from globalisation of business and a younger workforce that has grown up with an always-on mentality.
In Europe, international trade now accounts for 20% of GDP and this is increasing. If a business expands internationally, this means different time zones extending the day, and it must adjust the way it supports employees who work in that environment.
As individuals, we know technology exists to allow us to work efficiently and so we’re less inclined to work for organisations unwilling to invest in supporting our work environment. Often this is becoming a key factor in selecting an employer alongside traditional factors such as salary and career potential. Technology means we can work remotely so our “potential employer opportunity” is wider than ever before.
Digital natives are not the only people looking for mobility and flexible work patterns. Digital immigrants, anyone born before 1990, a huge number of us, want it too. At home we’re fully set up to interact globally from a wireless device with video calls day and night to anywhere.
Increasingly, we’re less and less willing to step back in time at work.
For those entering the workplace for the first time, we might even find ourselves in the negative situation of having to train our new starters to take a step back in time with their workplace technology and work inefficiently!
This extract is from a blog Simon Porter, Vice President, Digital HR Services at NGA Human Resources wrote for the Workforce Institute @Kronos where he sits on the European Advisory Board. Read on for the full article here.