When people think about the most flexible companies, they think of tech companies that allow their employees to work remotely. However, there are many other types of businesses that offer great flexibility options. In this article, weâll discuss what it truly means to be a flexible company, and why hybrid is the most flexible working option. Plus, stay tuned until the end for a list of companies you wouldnât expect have the best flexible options for work.
What does it mean when we say a company is flexible? It generally means that the company offers employees a variety of working options, in terms of schedule, location, and contract. In some cases, this may be as simple as working from home occasionally. In other cases, it might involve a more formal flexible time policy, like one of these countries.
According to FlexJobs.com, "80 percent of companies offer flexible work arrangements." Many of these companies have the mindset that their employees need to have a better work-life balance to succeed, and the best way to do this is to offer more flexibility and autonomy within their schedule.
So, what jobs are the most flexible? Luckily, with today's technology, there are tons of flexible remote jobs available in different industries. Essentially, professionals who don't need to be on-site and roles that are output-driven tend to offer the most flexibility.
That leads us to the question then, which industries are more flexible? Marketing, sales, IT, and even medical industries tend to have the most flexible work environment these days. Why? These are industries that need to access top talent internationally, so flexibility has become a competitive advantage for them. For this reason, some of the most flexible companies are based in tech, medical development, advertising agencies, and marketing.
Many technology jobs have flexible hours since most, if not all of their tasks can be done off-site. Technical jobs include software development, web development, and product design.
Electricians, locksmiths, and plumbers all have the option of working when they want. Their work is usually on an on-call basis and is not limited to a 9-5 shift.
Media and marketing roles provide very high flexibility as they are normally output-driven roles. For example, freelance writers and PR professionals usually work in the framework of the number of articles they can deliver. As long as deadlines are met, the number of hours they spend on a specific project is less important.
Accountants, business analysts, and sales representatives work mostly on a project basis without needing to be on-site. It's one of the most flexible and highly paid roles. Just like marketing roles, it's also output-driven.
While more and more companies are officially creating their flexible arrangement policies, some companies are just more flexible than others by nature.
The factors that determine whether a company is one of the most flexible places to work are:
Is the work schedule company-led, manager-led, or employee-led? Without a doubt, employee-led schedules offer the most flexibility because employees can decide what time they want to start and end work. The most flexible companies offer a lot of freedom and autonomy in how an employee sets their hybrid schedule.
How flexible is your company when it comes to location? In general, there are three frameworks:
đĄDiscover more hybrid frameworks đ The In's and Out's of the Hybrid Working Model.
The most flexible companies are usually hybrid. The first and most practical reason is you're not committing to one framework since a hybrid work model has tons of combinations:
Switching from an on-site to a fully remote operation--although possible (thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic)--can be a huge undertaking.
A hybrid model, however, lets you transition in small steps. For example, you can transition from on-site to a company-led hybrid setup. As you get more data, you can eventually give your employees more control.
Companies that have a hybrid setup are open to change and are willing to adjust based on the situation.
Now, if youâre looking for flexible company examples and wondering which company has the most flexible hours, weâve got the the overview of the best of the best from large international companies to startups in the UK.
What company has the most flexible hours? For companies like Starbucks and Amazon, most employees need to work on-site, but the employees still have tons of flexibility in terms of hours. They can decide how many hours they want to work each week and their shift schedule. It usually takes a lot of planning and coordination between employees and their managers, but itâs worth it in the end.
Here are a few of the largest international companies with flexible hours:
In terms of tech organizations, which companies work flexible? Due to the digital nature of its industry, tech companies with flexible work from home options have offered these benefits before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, their headquarters have been updated since 2020 to account for their new policies. For example, Salesforce has updated its office to have more collaborative spaces. Here are some of the other tech companies following suit with more flexi work policies.
No matter where you are in the world, these 10 top flexible companies to work for use flex time wisely as it is rooted in their company culture. This list range from production studios to banks to research companies.
Employees have the freedom to choose their schedule while at the same time having the benefits of in-person collaboration, especially for creative roles. In terms of larger corporations, here are the top 10 most flexible companies to work for UK based and across the world. They just so happen to be companies that use flex time too!
Now, if youâre looking for companies that offer flexible working UK, here are some of the most flexible companies as vetted by the Where team:
You can see the full list and lists from other countries in our Flexiâs List, including each of their Flex-ratings.
đĄLooking for more inspiration from remote and hybrid leaders? Find it in our Accomplished Peeps series of featured interviews highlighting the working practices and hybrid workplace strategies of highly successful leaders and their teams.
The hybrid workplace offers the best of both worlds: flexibility and in-person connection. It not only offers flexibility to the employees, but it's also a model that is truly flexible for companies who are looking to test the hybrid model in slow and small steps.
If youâre working in a hybrid company or know one that should be considered as one of the most flexible companies around, give them the recognition they deserve by nominating them for a Top Flexible Hybrid Company of 2022.
