Zurich UK’s Post

What is your organisation's flexible work policy? Where do you stand on return-to-office mandates? Are you grappling with finding the right policy that reflects your business goals and your culture? Zurich is a company who were ahead of the curve on this matter. In 2019, Zurich introduced a family friendly policy with part-time, flexible and job-share options built in for every vacancy. It's been an exceptionally successful initiative, with a 45% increase in the number of women moving into senior leadership roles. Wow, just wow. We are so privileged to have Zurich UK's CHRO, Steve Collinson joining our Flexible Work webinar tomorrow. Steve will be sharing his insights on the company’s successful family-friendly policy and the lessons learned over the past five years since its introduction. We'll also be joined by Professor Heejung Chung, Professor of Work and Employment, King’s Business School and King’s Global Institute for Women’s Leadership, King’s College London. Professor Chung has authored our latest Shape Talent research on flexible working and will be sharing detailed findings on productivity and remote working. All webinar attendees will receive a copy of our new white paper - Flexible Work: A deep dive into the impact of remote working on gender equity white paper. Don't miss out on this important conversation on the big issue facing organisations in 2024. Register today: https://lnkd.in/ee94RK-C #FlexibleWork #ZurichUK #KingsCollegeLondonBusinessSchool #KingsGlobalInstituteForWomensLeadership

Today, I had the privilege of joining The Female Quotient´s panel on "Work From Everywhere: Exploring The Global Workplace Flexibility Spectrum”, at the World Economic Forum with James Hodge James Hoge, Lara Abrash, Tara Sharp and Caroline Casey. This conversation brought to light crucial aspects of the evolving work environment, particularly how it impacts diversity, equity, and inclusion. It's evident that workplace flexibility is not a temporary trend; it's the future. Leaders must offer workers the ability to work when and where is best for them without compromising productivity. This flexibility means recognizing the different needs and circumstances of each employee and adapting our work culture accordingly. The hybrid model presents both challenges and opportunities. On one hand, there's a concern about the lack of in-person visibility, which may affect career progression, especially for early-career professionals. Minorities, including Hispanics, face additional challenges due to disparities in training and technological readiness. On the positive side, this model offers a unique opportunity for early and mid-career employees to balance work and personal life effectively, thereby improving job satisfaction and overall well-being. It also allows for a more diverse workforce, bringing together people from different backgrounds and geographies into Corporate America. For US Hispanics, particularly Latinas, the shift to remote work has been significant. Data shows that only 1 in 10 women prefers to work mostly on-site. Remote work offers Latinas the flexibility to manage their work schedules alongside family responsibilities or other commitments, leading to a healthier work-life balance and increased job satisfaction. At We Are All Human Foundation we operate as a 100% remote organization, with a team comprising 99% women. This structure has proven to be remarkably effective and reliable. It has allowed us to harness a rich mix of perspectives, experiences, and talents, driving innovative solutions. As we navigate this new era of work, companies must invest in upskilling and reskilling programs. These initiatives are crucial for equipping employees, especially minorities, with the skills needed to succeed in a flexible work environment. Additionally, organizations must continue to actively promote DEI efforts. Recognizing the potential of a diverse workforce is essential in driving innovation and success in this global and flexible work landscape.

Quick question: Who cares more about workplace flexibility—women or men? Most of us assume women value flexible work arrangements such as hybrid or remote work more than men but a recent study by the Women in the Workplace report in partnership with LeanIn.Org found that all employees place a high value on greater autonomy, far more than their employers do. This has wide-ranging implications for leaders looking to attract and retain the best talent—and for those who seek to elevate more women to the C-suite level by bolstering the “missing middle”— the ranks of female managers and directors. The study surveyed 27,000 employees and 270 senior HR #leaders throughout North America and its conclusions debunk several common myths about #women in the #workplace. One of these is that “women are less ambitious than men”. In fact, since the pandemic, women, and especially younger women, have become more ambitious and more committed to flexible work arrangements. Seventy-five percent of women under the age of 30 aim to become senior leaders. Part of this increase is attributed to the flexible work arrangements implemented during the pandemic. The experience of being able to work remotely or hybrid gave women (and men) the chance to be productive with less risk of burn out. It was a real time experiment in work/life balance that proved that personal needs do not have to be sacrificed to achieve high productivity and career advancement. Women rank workplace flexibility which includes the “opportunity to work remotely” and “control over when to work” as top three benefits along with healthcare benefits, yet employers rank flexible workplace policies much lower in terms of their importance in recruiting a diverse workforce. Over 80 per cent of employees (both women and men) say that working remotely enhances their abilities to work more efficiently but only half of HR leaders agree. This divergence could lead to less employer success in recruiting and retaining high value employees. Clearly, leading organizations need to address the high value employees place of workplace flexibility. There are four key ways to do this. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g8bHj5e9

☄ CEOs are keen to get teams back in the office, but today's WashPo finds that Return-to-Office (RTO) policies are driving attrition among some of tech's most valuable employees. Why the gulf between the RTO wishes of CEOs and other employees? From what I'm seeing, this divergence may stem from the contrasting emotional experiences of being in the office. CEOs often perceive in-person interactions as essential for fostering connection, collaboration, and innovation. For many leaders, the office not only serves as a workplace, but also as a place for personal validation and professional achievement. But Bain research shows that over half of employees feel a lack of belonging at work -- a sentiment that spans all groups, including Asians, introverts, and white men. So, achieving goals of enhancing connection, collaboration, and innovation could require a more adaptable approach. Companies should consider strategies that accommodate employees' needs for flexibility while also fostering the necessary connections among all staff members. The emphasis should shift from simply assembling everyone under one roof to ensuring each employee feels connected and can contribute fully, whether or not they are working in the office on any given day. And to ensuring that the precious in-office time is spent not on remote Zoom meetings, but on activities that build connection, such as strategic planning, mentoring, learning, and activities that build the emotional ties we all need to drive collaboration and innovation. ✏ What combination of in-person, hybrid and remote is your workplace settling on? What do you see as working and not working? Love to gain your insights in comments below. #rto #returntooffice #careers #leadership #innovation #strategichr #hr #inclusion

The 2024 Workmonitor Research reveals a compelling shift in priorities for Hong Kong's workforce - with 46% of employees adapting their lives around the expectation of continued hybrid work after the pandemic. Download the complimentary #Workmonitor report to discover the emerging workplace trends shaping the future of work in Hong Kong. Stay ahead of the curve and build an engaged, productive, and future-ready team. https://bit.ly/4dUXUM4 #Workmonitor #Flexibility #TalentExpectations

A London Law firm is suggesting that performance reviews could be impacted if employees do not attend three days in the office. Wow. Just wow. This is yet another example of organisations missing the point with remote working and encouraging a presenteeism culture. The firm's managing partner stated that partnership performance reviews were being linked to office attendance because "nothing can replace the benefits to client service and firm culture that come from being physically present together." He stated that there were "benefits from having some flexibility in our working week" and that "hybrid working patterns are undoubtedly evolving." However, he stated that "spending time together can give us a real competitive advantage." Yes, I get there is value in people coming together if set up correctly. But under duress? It's the punitive nature of this that is disempowering and disheartening. We are going to get into the latest research on remote work at our upcoming Flexible & Remote Work webinar on July 2nd. We'll be joined by the author of our latest Shape Talent white paper, Professor Heejung Chung as well as Zurich's CHRO, Steve Collinson who will be talking about how the company's flexible work policy has performed, having been implemented more than 5 years ago. I hope you can join us for this important discussion. Register here - https://lnkd.in/ee94RK-C #ThreeBarriers #FlexibleWork https://lnkd.in/e2yGjmwG

Research from the UK suggests that workplace culture is also a benefactor of an international workforce. 80% of people with colleagues of a different nationality say they enjoy the culture in their workplace, compared to 62% of those who don’t have foreign colleagues. This is a sentiment echoed by senior business leaders too**: almost two-thirds (64%) say that international workers have positively impacted the culture of their business. #globalmobility #globalHR #employeerelocation #talentmanagement #talentmobility #totalrewards

The other F Word... Flexibility. According to the ninth annual Women in the Workplace report from LeanIn.org and McKinsey & Company, most women say they have more focused time to complete their work when they’re remote. Beyond that, reduced fatigue and burnout were cited as one of the biggest benefits of flexible work arrangements. The Women in the Workplace report is the largest study of the state of women in corporate America, according to the organizations behind it. Released in October 2023, the latest assessment comprises data from more than 270 companies and over 27,000 employees. According to Women in the Workplace, “Women at companies with supportive flexible policies are more likely to report having equal opportunities to advance—and less likely to consider leaving.” The authors call on employers to unlock the full potential of flexible work arrangements. You can read more here: https://lnkd.in/gR7jHS5s #femalesandfinance #flexiblesolutions #supportwomeninbusiness

It may come as no surprise to hear that Flexible workplaces attract the best talent, improve diversity, and increase productivity and profitability. In this in-depth article by Helena Pozniak for the The Telegraph, our CEO, Saira Demmer contributed with comments on SF Recruitment's positive experience since introducing flexible ways of working. “Our average age has risen from the 20s to 35 – people who are 10-12 years into their career and are a lot more capable and experienced. Their ability to bring in a different level of customer is higher. By offering flexibility that’s good for people at this stage in life, you then attract more experienced people. We employ more women now too. Our management team is now 60 per cent women.” says Demmer. #flexibleworking #flexforsuccess #dayoneflex https://loom.ly/tiGS2oA

Is your company listening to employees? OR Do executives only react when people quit? How often are employees surveyed? What about? Most U.S. companies have accepted (= given in to) hybrid models, others are reconsidering, even reversing, their #rto mandates: - to stem the tide of resignations,  - to improve hiring in a tight labor market, - to increase productivity. What do your employees actually want and need? While 80% of knowledge workers say flexible working is highly valuable. Only 25% say their jobs give them good flexibility. Adapting to modern work environments, they are realizing how cultural values affect policies and how much autonomy they have, or don’t, affects their results: - 81%: “Where I do my work should not matter as long as it gets done well.” - 46%: “When my employer is inflexible about my schedule, it's a sign of disrespect.”  - 79%: “Letting people work anywhere is the future of professional employment.” Leaders and employees need to be aligned to achieve higher levels of engagement and performance. The graphic below of “leaders vs. employees” highlights the gaps between them for current common work models. Who decides location(s) for your team? What flexibility do they have to optimize outcomes? >> Try asking and listening to team members. >> Work together with them to develop and agree new protocols, rules, channels, and tools. >> Offer more flexibility, distributed responsibility, and updated technical support. Modern work is human-centric. Data from Ivanti’s 2024 Everywhere Work Report – read the full report using the link in the comment below for more useful insights. #flexibility #workplaceflexibility #hybrid #flexiblehybrid #hybridwork #remoteworking #remotework #newwaysofworking #futureofwork #flexitime #IvantiPartner #teamagreements #teamwork