Insights How can flexible working foster a high-performance culture?

Flexible working has had a major impact on workplace culture in the last decade. It has reshaped the workforce and remains a top benefit for many of today’s employees. According to a report by Equality Human Rights, 8.7 million full-time workers say they want to work flexibly. To achieve an excellent employee experience and high-performance culture, businesses must create a work environment where staff feel motivated with a sense of ownership over their work. Having flexible start times or working from home provides a greater level of autonomy that can pave the way for huge benefits in the workplace, regardless of the market.

The AtkinsRéalis Group understands the value and importance of flexible working for fostering a high-performance culture. We believe that businesses should balance the needs of the employees with the demands of clients. Our group is comprised of Atkins, Faithful+Gould and Acuity – and collectively, we believe that organisations should take a flexible approach to workplace practices. So, how can flexible working foster a high-performance culture? Read on to find out.

Flexible working supports employee engagement

Flexible working can bring a range of benefits to an employee and employer. For example, there’s growing evidence that flexible working improves productivity and work-life balance, and as a result increases individual performance. According to research, a third of employees found working from home during the pandemic made them more productive, compared to 28 per cent the previous year. This suggests the opportunity to work from home on a flexible basis has a positive impact on employee engagement.

There’s no doubt that engagement increases when employees can fit their work schedules around home life, as well as other commitments. With that said, there’s a level of trust in workplace flexibility – and cultures, where there’s a lack of trust, are unlikely to perform at their best. When employers support flexibility and provide a framework that helps staff remain engaged, it can pave the way for a thriving work environment.

Improves efficiency

In high-performance work cultures, employees work efficiently and effectively towards a purpose or a set goal. Companies who nurture this culture will have established accepted behaviours and attitudes that support core values, which are then reinforced by leadership. Creating an environment of efficiency has always been key to high-performance cultures because it can lead to achieving greater results. Flexible working can play a large part in making a more cohesive company culture, an effect that can be amplified in the future with the use of digital technologies.

While employees can’t physically see each other when working from home, collaboration and conference platforms allow for people to speak to each other in multiple locations, making communication much more streamlined. Working from home arrangements and flexible schedules also cut down on the time employees spend travelling into the workplace, which also has a positive impact on stress levels, efficiency and productivity.

Empowering employees with flexible schedules

A company that has a high-performance culture needs to have confident employees who have strong work ethics, particularly in roles that require a high level of innovation, like in architecture or civil engineering. Flexible working can be a way to empower employees who want control over their schedules. With the ability for businesses to operate virtually on a global basis, it’s more important than ever to have a high-performing, flexible culture that stands out among the competition because the best professionals want to work for the best companies. By adopting flexible work schedules, companies can foster a highly engaged and efficient workforce that are invested in the business goals and the journey they need to take to reach them.

How AtkinsRéalis can help you

AtkinsRéalis is a global company that provides engineering, procurement and construction services to various industries, including cities and development, energy and transportation. We partner with a range of different clients and candidates around the world, providing quality services and career pathways. We have a range of cities and development jobs, project manager and electrical engineering roles.

If you’d like to know more about where a career with the AtkinsRéalis Group will take you, browse our #InsideAtkinsRéalis blogs.