Discuss flexibility preferences with your employees

- When you're considering a shift of flexible working, one of the first things you'll need to do is discuss this with your employees. Even if you have a strong rapport with your team and you feel like you understand their needs, it's a good idea to gather their input in a more formal and structured way. There are a couple of reasons why you should do this. For one, you need to make sure you're getting everyone's perspectives, not just your more vocal team members. Research from my company and UKG found that less than one out of three workers feel like they've been able to voice their opinions on their work arrangements, including where and when they work. And when people don't feel like they're being heard, they probably won't stick around, especially in today's job market where they have lots of other options. One survey found that nearly four out of 10 workers would consider quitting if they couldn't continue to work remotely. This certainly isn't a situation that you want to find yourself in. So, let's talk about how to avoid this for your team. To ensure you get everyone's feedback, I recommend you take a multi-pronged approach. First, you should hold one-on-one meetings with each team member to better understand their individual needs and preferences. You may have some workers who have very specific conflicts. For example, they need to pick up their child from school or they have to care for an older relative a few times a week. As a second step, you should hold a broader team discussion around this. Use this as an opportunity to explain that you want to make as many people as possible happy but you still need to balance this with the needs of the business. Be clear with them about what's realistic and what's possible. And depending on how well your team members know each other, you could be transparent about the fact that some employees have more demands on them than others. And then, ask everyone to weigh in on the solution that makes the most sense. Lastly, I suggest you offer an anonymous way for workers to provide their input. Some employees are naturally people pleasers and they might be uncomfortable sharing their true feelings with you. A simple survey tool will allow everyone to weigh in without worrying that they'll be seen as difficult or negative. Putting in the effort to understand everyone's perspectives may take time, but it's an important first step when you're defining your flexibility strategy. And remember, if you don't take people's feedback into account, workers who aren't happy with their arrangements may choose to find another job. So, I'd say it's worth the time and effort.