The drive to manage a diverse blended workforce

With Singapore’s unemployment at record lows, and skilled professionals and technical specialists in high demand, 32% of employers see attracting and retaining talent as the single biggest benefit of adopting more flexible work practices, according to the Randstad World of Work Report 2012/13.

A further 18% think it will improve employee engagement.

As these remain critical objectives for most organisations, making progress on workplace flexibility is certainly worthwhile. Filling critical vacancies – created by increased turnover or business expansion – is already a key productivity challenge for over a third of Singaporean employers. This suggests employing more people on a temporary or contract basis will be crucial for increasing productivity in the years ahead.

Employers admit they need to do better when it comes to creating flexible work options. Only 29% say they’re doing a good job creating opportunities for variable work hours, job sharing or working from home, while just 8% rate their efforts as excellent. Concerns about employee productivity are the biggest barrier for 36% of organisations, while 21% cite concerns about team culture and communication.

Despite business concerns, the labour market across Asian is undergoing unprecedented structural changes that will fundamentally change how we work. Brought about by a convergence of social, demographic and technological forces, these changes mean more professionals are choosing to be free agents – taking their valuable skills to market on their own terms for the long term.

The growing number of skilled knowledge workers choosing self-employment and the relentless demand for their skills has given rise to the notion of the blended workforce – where contractors, freelancers and consultants work alongside the permanent workforce in a critical capacity – and all evidence suggests it is here to stay. There is little disagreement among employers.

Most (95%) believe organisations will increasingly manage a blended workforce of permanent, virtual and transient teams over the next 10 years, but work must be done to overcome the cultural and practical barriers.

A blended workforce will mean there’s no room for a one-size-fits-all approach. While our research shows broad patterns about what motivates different groups, the most reliable data will come from engaging, canvasing and understanding your own workforce.

What is certain is a combination of role types and work-styles will be needed to meet the talent needs of every organisation in a skills-hungry future.

For example, more than half of the employees we surveyed self-identify as networkers (42%) or soloists (17%), while just 41% identify as collaborators. This indicates employer concerns about team culture and communication when it comes to offering flexible work options may be over-stated.

If managed well, professional networkers and soloists should deliver high productivity without a strong need for collaboration.

It also goes some way to explaining mixed views on the satisfaction and appeal of remote work options. Thirty-one percent of employees surveyed currently have remote work options, but they are divided on whether it makes them more satisfied with their job. Yet, of those who don’t have remote work options, 72% say the idea is appealing or very appealing.

Generally our findings across the region show employee groups dominated by Generation X, women or middle managers, tend to describe themselves as networkers, and find remote and flexible work options more appealing – and more important when considering a new employer. This highlights the importance of a tailored approach to workforce planning that considers the needs and motivations of employees at different stages of life and career development.

Ninety-three percent of employers agree that ever-more evolving and affordable technologies will make the remote workforce a reality in the next 10 years. While organisations are investing significantly in new technology to innovate products and services for customers, more needs to be done to embrace technology for the future workforce.

This is particularly important given technology limitations are still seen as a barrier to offering flexible work options. HR services in the cloud, project collaboration tools and communications technologies need to be better integrated — with workforce enablement as the goal.

Without this, concerns about employee communication and productivity when working remotely will continue.