EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
FOLLOWING THE UK ’ S RECENT TRIAL SHIFTS OF THE FOUR-DAY WEEK , HOW CAN YOU SEE THIS BEING ADOPTED BY ORGANISATIONS ?
Workers are calling for more from their employers to help them shift from surviving to thriving , prioritising flexibility along with factors such as trust , purpose and well-being , according to new research from ManpowerGroup and Thrive . support employee well-being . By adopting practices like entry interviews , creating a culture of compassionate directness and encouraging employees to practice microsteps , companies can create long-lasting cultural change .
The research , part of ManpowerGroup ’ s What Workers Want series , is based on a survey of more than 5,000 workers across five countries and reveals that almost all workers ( 93 %) now view flexibility as important . However , the nature of that flexibility varies . Workers from all backgrounds are now asking for flexibility on their own terms , with 45 % wanting to choose their own start and end times and 18 % willing to reduce pay to work a fourday week to achieve better balance . The results also point to a changing role for leaders as trust and shared values are increasingly significant – with workers willing to vote with their feet if they do not feel adequately supported .
“ A lasting legacy of the pandemic will be flexibility , but it ’ s not one-size-fits-all ,” said Jonas Prising , Chairman and CEO , Manpower Group . “ Workers want more choice , autonomy and consideration for their wellbeing . We ’ re seeing the highest talent shortages in 16 years , giving workers at almost every level and in every sector the upper hand . Employers have no choice but to pay attention . The challenge for leaders will be to listen , adapt and think differently about how to approach flexibility , not just flexible working .”
ManpowerGroup partnered with Thrive to identify immediate actions that employers can take to
“ The disruptions of the past two years have forced us to consider what we really value , and we have a once-in-generation opportunity to rethink the way we work and live ,” said Arianna Huffington , Founder and CEO , Thrive . “ We were in the middle of a global epidemic of stress and burnout even before COVID-19 . Then the pandemic hit and employee well-being and resilience shot to the top of the agenda for companies all over the world . At Thrive , we work with companies who realise that their most important resource is their people . They ’ re seeing the direct connection between the long-term health of their bottom line and the health and well-being of their employees .”
Trust is important for a thriving workforce , according to the survey . Trust in colleagues was rated second only to fair pay and safe working conditions by workers ( 79 %), while trust in leaders was rated highly by more than two-thirds ( 71 %). Additionally , people want to work for companies that share their values and beliefs , with 70 % seeking meaning in their daily work .
We asked three experts about the employee experience , trust and how the four-day work week could be adopted by organisations .
34 INTELLIGENTCIO EUROPE www . intelligentcio . com