The business world has evolved tenfold in the modern age, and the general nine-to-five is of an era gone by. People’s lives can change in a second, which often impacts on their working patterns.

Fortunately, many businesses have understood the need for flexible working, and have introduced it into their business model. Of course, there are those who may assume that flexible working would be nothing but a hindrance, but nothing could be further from the truth. 

Like any workforce, it simply has to be managed in the right way. 

Know your team 

Regardless of whether you’re using agency workers, part-time staff or seasonal freelancers, each will be bringing a benefit to the running of your company. As such, you should look to get to know each and every person where possible, so you can acquire an idea of their strengths and weaknesses, as well as what part they play in the overall running of the company. 

This will allow you to compare skill sets and apply them accordingly, as well as ensuring that there is always someone available to cover various tasks within the company. 

Monitoring 

Depending on the nature of your business, flexible working could mean that a number of individuals work from home, or in the field. Some may assume that monitoring such workers is a hindrance, but nowadays it’s actually as easy as monitoring those who are in the office. 

A number of different software suits will effectively allow an employee or agency worker to ‘clock on’ to the system. Even if working from a laptop, there is software that can screenshot progress so you can ensure there are no problems with the task-in-hand. 

Planning

If you run a business that sells a product or service to the general public, then you could interrogate your customer relationship management software, which will show hotspots for customer communication, and when the necessary cover should be in place. 

There are various tools which can provide you will all the information you use, so make to you use them.

Flexibility 

There will be occasions where an employee may request flexible working, in order to deal with other factors of their life that could have an impact on their current rota. In some instances, it can be difficult for a company and employee to come to an arrangement that suits both their needs. However, there are still other options you can consider when coming up with an arrangement. 

For example, any hours that are not covered by the employee, could employ the service of a staffing agency who will look to ensure that someone qualified carries out the cover. There could even be someone else in-house who could maybe help share the workload. 

This point goes back to knowing your employees, as it will allow you to distribute work to qualified workers, and only employ the use of agency workers as and when they’re required. 

So don’t discount a flexible workforce

A flexible workforce is a great benefit to any company, as long as it is managed in the right way. As such, you should look to acquire as much information about the skill set and personal circumstances of your employees, and balance with your business requirements to help you better manage your flexible workforce.