17 tips on how to make flexible working work for your business

All the best insights and advice from our last live discussion on the pros, cons and implications of remote and flexible working
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Flexible working: think of work as an activity, not a specific location, says Microsoft's Dave Coplin. Photograph: Graham Turner for the Guardian

Dave Coplin, chief envisioning officer, Microsoft Ltd.

Think of work as an activity, not a specific location: Flexible working (in our definition) is about being mindful about the work you have to do at that moment in time (be it the next task or the things you need to get done today) and choosing the most appropriate location for that work.

For example, be in the office to be social with colleagues, at your customer's site to work closer with them; be in the library or some similar place that's conducive for deep thought. Think of work as an activity rather than a specific location and you're already halfway there.

Know the benefits: 70% of British office workers feel more productive working away from the office, 38% say they are more creative out of the office, and 90% say flexible working doesn't impact their ability to collaborate with colleagues.

Be clear with what can be a complex topic: One of the biggest challenges rests with the individuals – flexible working is a broad and complex topic, and getting people to understand it (employees and employers alike) can be quite daunting. If you have spent the last five, ten or fifteen years of your life coming to the same place at the same time, suddenly finding yourself with a choice (and a bagful of kit) can be pretty scary.

The trick seems to be for organisations to be really clear on the reasons why they want to do flexible working (there are many) and then if they are, it can help everyone orient around this new way of working.

Philip Ross, CEO, Unwork.com

One size doesn't fit all: I think we need to assume that it's not one size fits all, but that it needs a heterogeneous approach. It's down to people and how they can do great work. We need to add a suffix to everything for the future to adopt a consumption model: working, not work; computing, not computer, and so on

David Buchholz, director of consumerization, Intel

Flexible working increases productivity: We did a study about 7 years ago that showed by allowing employees to work flexibly, giving them the right tools, admin rights, and services, we get about 16% more productivity out of them per week.

Having a global company, that means things don't stop at the end of the day – employees tend to still communicate when they go home, projects get done faster and so on. But most of all, it makes it a great place to work; it allows employees to take a little time off during the day to attend an event with a family member, and not have to drive into the office at night to catch up.

A flexible infrastructure helps: Your employees you support and their specific groups can have very differing demands. From some that need high touch security and control at all times, to others that need only moderate or below. Putting a flexible infrastructure in place helps address this and allows you to tailor to each group's working model.

Know the issues you're likely to face: There are more HR and legal issues that surround this than technical or security. Make sure you engage them early and often.

Caitlin Krumdieck, global director of client development, Distilled

Communication solves all problems: I found that not being in the office, sometimes I only got parts of a conversation or only heard one side of the story. I've had to work hard to ensure that I sometimes over-communicate with my team and try to get them in a phone call or a video chat rather than just relying on e-mail.

While e-mail is a great communication tool, it can often lead to misunderstanding. To help facilitate this better I have a regular group hangout on Google+ with my team every Monday, followed by one-to-one meetings with each team member once a week at least. I've also made sure that I have open door times when people can reach me to ask questions or talk through things.

Set up accountability: I make sure both myself and my team have very clear targets and we are in the process of implementing OKRs (Objective and Key Results; here is a good write up on them). By having clear targets and reporting against them it is very easy for my team to see what is done and what I'm accomplishing.

Feedback on activity: Every week we do a roundup of what everyone is working on and our priorities for the week ahead. Its very short, but it gives people across the company a clear idea of what we are all doing. While this might not work at a larger company, it could be implemented on a team basis.

Check-in online: We use Google Chat internally to communicate – every morning I sign in and my team can see that I'm online. While this doesn't mean they know what I'm doing, it does mean they know I'm around and available to chat, just like I would be at my desk.

Tim Stone, VP marketing EMEA, Polycom

Listen to the needs of your employees: There can be a lack of camaraderie and a feeling of isolation if people work remotely for too long without team interaction. In my personal experience a blend of office-based work, home working and working while travelling is the perfect blend for me. People are different and need to find the best style of work that suits them – personally I find two or three days in a row at home is enough for me then I prefer to be in the office or with a customer or partner.

Be sensitive and try to understand the psychological profile of each employee; not every person is either suitable or wants to work flexibly. Be sensitive.

Make every interaction count: You will communicate less frequently so ensure that when you do, you are fully engaged

Steve Tassell, unified communications product manager, Microsoft Ltd.

Use clear guidelines and objectives: Both on what is and isn't permitted with working flexibly. A lot of the companies we talk to say they support flexible working, but when you speak to the employees their experience of what is or isn't permissible is driven by the line manager and their attitudes. Clear guidelines often will help remove personal attitudes from influencing one's ability to work flexibly.

Taking that first step: Evaluate your needs and take a 30,000 foot view: what could improve employee wellbeing and productivity? This is a good point to establish which areas of the business are best suited to flexible working.

Make it a team effort as well. Give people at every level of your organisation an opportunity to share insights before, during and after implementation. Define success, decide how you will measure success of your flexible working policy and set goals.

Support your people: Ensure managers are well resourced and set expectations. Share this information as part of a communications plan to keep people fully informed.

Launch a pilot: Test your plan by running a small-scale pilot scheme for a set period of time. Gather feedback, evaluate and make changes as required.

This content is brought to you by the Guardian Media Network in association with the Anywhere Working Consortium

This content is produced by Guardian Professional to a brief agreed with and paid for by the Anywhere Working Consortium – all editorial controlled and overseen by the Guardian

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