Flexible work arrangements have long been attractive to a huge segment of the working population, but it is only within the last several years that companies which provide professional services have noticed the huge exodus of many of their best employees.
Many of their most talented employees, especially women, have switched to other firms who allow them to work from home or have started up their own companies. The decision is based on lifestyle choices, rather than monetary factors, with many of the employees taking a huge loss in net pay compared to what they formerly made.
Those companies who are in the forefront and a model for others, provide the flexible arrangements that are demanded today. The focus is on how well the work is done, not where it’s done. With an aging population comes the decision to lead a more simple life and that life includes time to relax and time to spend with family and friends. The baby boomers in particular are finding that with elderly parents to care for, the 9 to 5 typical work arrangement will no longer do.
Creating new work schedules and arrangements that suit a variety of workers is imperative in the next half decade, particularly in countries like Canada with a labour shortage. Virtual teams provide high-quality services which are more in demand than ever. Social change will eventually drive the demand for such teams even higher. With many virtual employees working part-time or on contract, working fewer hours but still maintaining the required work load, compensation for such employment is also changing. Projects are allotted to employees according to how many hours they wish to work.
Genius abilities are the main ingredients that keep these teams running smoothly. Interested more in lifestyle changes and focusing less on salary, each member of the team is motivated to do their best for shorter periods of time. Intensive work periods combined with collaborative efforts lead to professional, high quality results.
The simpler lifestyle that is driving the virtual workforce won’t work for everyone. There will always be those who have their eye on attaining a monetary prize. For the rest of us, the chance to create a life that is more to our taste and within our own boundaries rather than those of others, is worth far more.
“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” Chinese Proverb
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc 2013
image courtesy of pondera
