Businesses need to continually reinvent themselves to keep up with the pressure, deadlines and schedules. However, working long hours can affect creativity and productivity. Creativity is at the core of this industry and both employers and employees need to ensure that they never run out of this precious resource. One way that is increasingly gaining momentum is the policy of flexi-hours.
In recent years, businesses have had to forego the 8 to 4 arrangement in response to the changing demands and realities of the new millennium. With so many rapid developments, particularly in the workplace, a lot of the 'traditional' practices are beginning to fall away. Companies, especially those in the creative industry, are beginning to ask 'why not?' instead of just 'why?'.
Although many companies still require most work to be done during the core hours of 10am to 3pm, the 'morning people' can start early and finish soon after 3, while others start at 10 and then finish late. In this way employees are able to choose a time when they are most creatively productive. It is often pointed out that companies that make sincere efforts to recognise employees' lives outside of the office, will see the payoff when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent.
Perhaps the most advantageous aspect about flexi-hours in creative spaces is that they give the employee more control of their workloads, and manage a better balance between life and work. And what has made flexi-hours work even better is the high connectivity of this generation.
Although there is a potential downside, well-managed and regulated flexi-hours can have tremendous benefits; minimising the negative effects of absenteeism and turnover, improving the production and efficiency of the overall organisation. More importantly, they afford creatives the time to be creative in their own time but within the parameters set by their employers.
New entrants into the workplace are technologically savvy, incredibly sophisticated, highly connected, demand instant feedback and expect freedom in how they work. Meeting them halfway and giving them 'regulated' flexibility in their choice of working hours will go a long way towards getting the best out of them.
