Newsletter - August 2008
Flexibility at Work: Are We Prepared?
August 14, 2008 - Bernardo Hidalgo
In May, I had the opportunity to participate in the International Seminar of Compensations Strategies in Philadelphia. This seminar is an annual meeting of specialists who come from all over the world and share experiences and practices regarding compensation in several aspects.
This meeting allowed me to understand the practices of rewarding and compensating employees by enterprises from other countries and compare them with the ones we have in Argentina, especially those related with “attraction and retention of talent.”
I could confirm that for several reasons, companies in Argentina generally have a high standard in the execution of practices of this kind. But, what caught my attention is the force with which the practice of “flex time” is taking, especially in Unites States.
Organizations are willing to consider more alternatives to traditional jobs to generate mutual benefits for the company and also for the staff. I heard a variety of testimonies about work groups that have organized in alternative ways in order to be able to communicate and interact, from any place of the planet at any time.
Flex Time: A way of saving costs, retaining talents or both...
The first distinction that specialists must make is whether or not reorganizing a company or division to allow flex time benefits the company, the employee or both. The reduction in expense that comes from having a reduced physical space must be taken into consideration. And when the geographic dispersion is extended (ex. U.S., Argentina and large territories), the possibility of reducing expenses through virtual meetings is even more significant. To travel every morning to urban centers where offices or plants are, incurs a high expense of resources for which someone must be charged. The reduction of time, travel expense and of course the pollution effects are something that must be considered by consultants, business leaders and even politicians.
But, there must be some technical considerations. Employees must be able to maintain the connectivity and the exchange of information in a virtual way. For an operator of an automotive terminal, it would be very difficult for him or her to perform the role in a virtual environment. Not everything is for everyone, and this can translate into a matter of “internal equilibrium,” a common practice of the past decades that is being setting aside as the time goes by.
Analyzing from other point of view, flex time is a very good way to retain talents. In an environment where many positions are available, enterprises may need to look to those who have left the labor market for different reasons: Mothers who now have older children, senior professionals who retired early and want to be back to work, young professionals who are continuing their studies or even adults who are interested in exploring experiences outside of the organization when the working time doesn’t allow it.
For all of them, there is always a chance to find solutions that benefit both parties—from module day work (meaning by the quantity of weekly hours to be completed), to flex time of income and outcome and, the known for the most of us, part-time job.
I know an Argentinean company of high technology that implements a home office model. Once a week some employees—not everyone—can stay at home working. This is because of the connectivity that allows this and of course, the role that person holds and the ability for that person to be successful in that role. In this case, we talk about “continuing the work process,” without a physical presence in the office.
Of course, not every task can be performed using this model. Not every employee is able to work effectively or efficiently from home. The direct manager or boss becomes essential with this model.
And it is at this point when I remember the way these types of environments typically flow in United States. Watching the behavior of workers for different assignments, I was left with a great impression: the time of each meeting was respected, no one was late, and everybody accomplished everything. There was order and discipline, at least during the development of the activities.
I asked myself if Argentineans are prepared to work in this way. I wonder if we are autonomous enough to be able to honor the responsibility that comes with working without being seen, meaning without being controlled as is our old way of working: sitting, working and being quiet.
See you next time.
Bernardo Hidalgo is a managing partner of OI Partners - Buenos Aires and is a professor in Masters and Post grade of the University of San Andrés, EDDE and UADE, senior in HR studies and in matters of compensation. He is an invited speaker for HR matters in different companies' forums. Hidalgo is partner of Grupo Hidalgo, Personal Development Consultants, with offices in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Uruguay and Santiago de Chile. He can be reached at bhidalgo@oipartners.net or (5411) 4325-2360.