What does the perfect working week look like?
As we all know, the pandemic flipped the world on its head. Ever since COVID-19 reared in March 2020, the impacts have been far reaching and everlasting, across all aspects of our society. It’s fundamentally changed how we live, work and play and it’s forced many of us to take a long hard look at the life we lived and re-evaluate our priorities.
At Intermediary, as with many other organisations, we have been working flexibly throughout the pandemic and apart from the initial adjustment, everyone has adapted and enjoys the autonomy that remote/flexible working brings
With many of us forced to work from our kitchen tables whilst juggling childcare, home-schooling and household duties, our personal and professional lives blurred into one. At first, the change was stressful and chaotic. But as time passed, we started to see the benefits that flexible/remote working allowed us. From cutting out the commute time, saving money on transport and lunches and spending more time with our families, it left the majority of us thinking “How am I going to go back to the office?”. And It’s been the topic on everyone’s lips ever since: “What does the ‘new normal' look like?”
Of course, there are arguments on both sides of the coin. Employers have weighed up exhaustive lists of pros and cons over the last 18 months. However with remote or hybrid working now considered the norm, the recent Scottish Government announcement of a £10 million pilot to help companies explore the benefits and costs of moving to a four-day working week really got me thinking. Will we start to see a more widespread shift towards condensed working schedules and what really constitutes the ‘perfect’ working week?
At Intermediary, as with many other organisations, we have been working flexibly throughout the pandemic and apart from the initial adjustment, everyone has adapted and enjoys the autonomy that remote/flexible working brings. We also implemented the four-day working week in March 2020 and it's been by large, very successful.
The introduction of the four-day working week has seen our team communicate more proactively
We believe trust and good communication are key components to its success. It’s not always easy to build and lead teams in the post-pandemic world, but if you employ the right people, communicate well and give them autonomy, it's usually a winning formula. It’s also important to understand that everyone's circumstances and working preferences differ so striking the balance to meet the needs of both the business and employees is vital.
The introduction of the four-day working week has seen our team communicate more proactively. It’s ensured that we constantly evolve and streamline processes and look for new tech solutions/innovations to help us where possible. We’ve also seen improved time management skills amongst employees.
Employee well-being and satisfaction have always been a number one priority for me. We’ve seen that the implementation of the four-day week has not only boosted engagement, retention and collaboration but also proved healthy and happy employees to be more productive and effective in their roles. A point which has been widely backed by various studies*.
So in answer to the question, “What does the perfect working week look like?” I guess it varies depending on who you speak to. But from my own experience working across a range of functions including, advertising sales, business development, video production, operations and building global partnerships for world leading brands, flexibility in all forms is good for employees and good for business.
You can hear Angie Gola-Ebue talk more on this topic with The Drum’s Holly Hall at their upcoming ‘Agencies for Growth’ festival on 24th September 2021.
Visit the website below to learn more and register. Don’t miss it.
The Perfect Working Week at The Drum
