CPA Practice Advisor: Talent Attraction & Retention: Supporting a Flexible Work Environment

Christopher Stark, President & CEO, Cetrom appeared as a featured author in CPA Practice Advisor on December 14th. The full article can be read here. 

Before discussing the importance of a flexible work environment to entice new people and retain existing employees, it is important to understand what flexible work entails. Entrepreneur defines flexibility as “affording employees the opportunity to make their own choices as to when, where, and how they engage in work related projects and tasks.”  FlexJobs describes workplace flexibility as an agreement between employers and employees having three components: (1) employees are able to choose where they work from; (2) they can create their work schedules; and (3) they schedule their workday however they want. 

What are Flexible Work Choices?

There are a myriad of flexible work arrangements popular in attracting and retaining talented employees. Some of the more common flexible work plans include:

• Telecommuting. Telecommuting is described as working from outside of the employer’s physical space.   It can mean working from home, a library, a coffee shop or anywhere with Wi-Fi. Telecommuters might be required to attend in-person meetings or report to an office, which usually requires employees who reside locally.
• Remote work versus telecommuting. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably; however, there is an important distinction. Employees working remotely do not need to be physically present in an office or live in close proximity to an office; whereas remote workers can do their jobs anywhere in the world, provided they have the correct technology and adequate internet.
• Hybrid work environments. They include a combination of employees working in the office, telecommuting, or completely remote. The emphasis is on how employees work, rather than where they work. 

While telecommuting, remote and hybrid work arrangements are popular flex options; other flexible work arrangements include part-time employment, condensed work weeks, job-sharing, and customized work hours. Whichever flexible work option is available, people believe workplace flexibility is vital. 

Read the full article placement in CPA Practice Advisor.