In 2012, O2 conducted one of the UK's largest-ever flexible working experiments by asking its 2,500-strong workforce to work away from its Slough-based headquarters for the day. According to O2, the pilot was a runaway success that resulted in happier, more productive employees.
We spoke to O2 Business Director Ben Dowd about the trial, along with the costs, benefits and future of flexible working.
TechRadar Pro: How did O2's staff feel about the trial? What was the outcome?
Ben Dowd: Almost all staff said they were at least as productive as usual and more than a third said that flexible working had actually boosted productivity. Today, we've created a permanent culture of 'smarter working' and have the capability to work remotely whenever we need to. All our employees are encouraged to work away from the office for at least one day per week and we're reaping the benefits day in, day out.
TRP: O2's been a vocal advocate of smarter working for other companies too. Why?
BD: Smarter working has worked so well for us, we've done all we can to encourage other businesses to make a similar shift. It's not just about one business or a handful of businesses working in a different way – this has big implications for the broader economy.
Despite the on-going economic recovery, UK productivity remains well below every one of our G7 peers, so we need to take advantage of the technology we already have to help us become more a productive, competitive workforce. The future of our economy depends on organisations of all sizes ensuring they have a digital way of operating that's fit for the future; smarter, flexible working is a great place to start.
TechRadar Pro: Are there any other business benefits to flexible working policies? Business costs?
BD: We conducted an extensive review of business costs and benefits following our 2012 pilot, and the savings people made with their time were the most impressive. In one day, our employees saved 2,000 hours of time spent commuting and since then we've calculated that we each save about 127 hours every year by eradicating needless journeys. Also, by doing more 'hot-desking' when we're in the office, we've saved the company nearly £4 million in overhead costs by reducing the number of desks we need to have available at any one time.
But we've also seen big gains in our sustainability and energy efficiency programmes. On the day of the pilot, we cut our water usage by more than half, cut electricity consumption by 12%, and saved 12.2 tonnes of carbon from being emitted during people's commutes – the equivalent of 42,000 miles driven in a mid-range diesel car.
TechRadar Pro: Do you think enough businesses are making the most of flexible working?
BD: There's still plenty of progress to be made. For example, four out of five businesses say that they still don't have the communications and technology systems in place to make working away from the office possible. This is despite the fact that British employees overwhelmingly want flexible working arrangements on offer at work and know that it would enable them to be better employees – three quarters say they'd be more productive with flexible hours.
On June 30th this year, regulations changed so that every private sector employee in the UK gained the right to request a flexible working programme from their employer and became entitled to a formal response from their employer. I'm confident this will go at least some way towards spurring more businesses on to think about the benefits of putting the right smarter working policies in place.
TechRadar Pro: What's the best way in for businesses that want to get started with flexible working?
BD: Affordable technology already exists to allow businesses of all sizes to become smarter working companies. Things as simple as choosing laptops or tablets instead of desktops for your employees are a good place to start.
Combining these with smartphones and 4G dongles makes an enormous difference by providing connectivity no matter where you are. In terms of software, companies should look to cloud-based programs like Google Docs and Microsoft 365, as well as video conferencing tools like Skype and Google Hangout. Taken together, this package gives a workforce everything it needs to work from anywhere at any time.
TRP: Is there a place for flexible working in SMEs?
BD: There is a myth that says only big corporates can afford to offer their employees flexible working, but that's not true at all. SMEs have as much to gain from being 'flexible by default' as a large business, and in many cases they'll see a greater advantage in the short term.
Small businesses are, by their very nature, more agile than large ones so implementing smarter working policies early on keeps costs down and employee satisfaction high – both of which are vital to any business just getting off the ground. A key part of building a successful business lies in getting the culture right from the outset. Flexible working has a role to play here because it allows entrepreneurs to emphasise results over time spent at a desk.
TRP: How do you effectively manage a flexible workforce?
BD: At O2, we offer and encourage flexible working for any employee. It's not just about implementing flexible working policies and managing remote workers, it's about changing the way all of us work. The leadership team drive flexible working and ensure that the right tools and technology are in place to help all employees be more productive, regardless of where they are based. We trust our teams to do the right thing and, as before, the results speak for themselves. Since our flexible working pilot in 2012 we have continued to attract and retain the best talent.
TRP: Where is flexible working headed in the future?
BD: I hope smarter working will soon be commonplace among Britain's businesses, because, as I've said, our continued economic prosperity depends on it. Advances in technology are also only making it easier to adopt, more reliable, and more secure.
This means smarter working will be an option in a growing number of sectors, including the public sector. With advances in mobile communications, such as superfast 4G and even faster connections on the horizon, and new cloud storage and collaboration technologies that make it easier for teams to work in different locations, more and more employees will begin demanding flexible working arrangements from employers.
I think that's a good thing, but again the thing that has to come first is a shift in business culture. That requires leadership right across UK plc, from the smallest to the very largest businesses.
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