Breaking Free from a “9 to 5” Culture
The future of work points to more asynchronous ways of working, with multiple benefits for both employees and organizations. The author offers six strategies to help make the shift from the traditional 9-to-5 a smoother and more productive process: 1) Start at the top. 2) Focus on outcomes. 3) Clarify what needs to be synchronous. 4) Challenge existing norms and assumptions. 5) Make clear agreements and hold each other accountable. 6) Keep an eye on inclusion.
Many organizations learned in the past year that remote work can be highly effective, with 83% of employers surveyed saying that the shift to remote work has been successful for their company, according to a PwC study. In addition, 54% of workers want to continue working remotely after the pandemic. Now that it’s clear where the work is done is not as important as people once thought, the other dimension of flexibility workers crave is the freedom to determine when the work is done. A 2019 study by the International Workplace Group found that 80% of workers would turn down a job that did not offer a flexible work schedule for one that did, and 76% of workers said they’d consider staying at their current employer if they could work flexible hours.
According to a Microsoft Work Trend Report, the 9-to-5 workday is disappearing, as the increase in remote work has allowed for more flexible hours. Employees are increasingly working asynchronously, completing tasks on their own schedules, which may be different from those of their colleagues. Asynchronous work is now essential to being part of a modern, digital economy, staying competitive in the war for talent, and building a globally distributed workforce.
