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Flexible working and you: what employers say

Posted on • Career planning

We all look for jobs that map to our values, our skills and experience, also opportunities to develop and grow in a role. Another question you’ll need to ask yourself when researching careers.is how important flexible working is for you.

To help you prepare and understand the employer perspective, we asked four very different employers what they really think about flexible working.

Different examples of flexible working

All four employers have policies and practices that accommodate different work environments and styles. They recognise how flexible working can be attractive to both employees and employers.

Tara from Historic England, describes how “by being more flexible, we’re able to open up opportunities to a lot more diverse, wider talent pool of people, which in itself brings new perspective, new ideas, new ways of working”.

Sandra from the Environment agency explained that almost every member of staff has a flexi time contract. “There are no core hours anymore, so we can work anytime from 7 in the morning till 7 at night”.

For Kelly at the Caerphilly Youth Offending Service, there are lots of positives to working flexibly to suit personal circumstances. “Most of the jobs we do are in the evenings and weekends”.

Nadezhda from Coca-Cola describes the flexibility that an international company can offer. The company is “good at working with and managing remote teams.” An example she gave was someone of Indian heritage who was able to work remotely temporarily to “spend some time in India with their family.”

The reality check: not all job roles can be done remotely

Flexibility can be a two-way relationship between employee and employer, and there are times when you will need to meet in person. For example, all our employers said meeting during the induction period was key to settling into a role before a flexible work pattern could start.

Meeting in person can enable difficult or sensitive discussions. Kelly at the Caerphilly Youth Offending Service said meeting other members of the multi-agency team is much easier to do in person, “having those discussions with a safe office space, there could be eight of us working with one child at one time.”

Some jobs just need to be done at a time and place the company needs, so are less flexible. Nadezhda was clear that “At Coca-Cola, some roles like manufacturing and frontline service workers don’t have such flexibility.”

Some jobs have sporadic but unplanned needs for a change in work hours. The Environment agency is a category one responder under the Civil Contingencies Act and duty teams need to be on standby 24/7. Sandra says “when a big environmental incident happens, they move into a three-shift pattern around the day…. then overnight ten till six.”

Match your preferences with the right employer

Ask yourself what kind of working hours you prefer, whether you are more comfortable face-to-face or working remotely:

  • You may want to travel into a workplace to help you settle into a new role more quickly, to meet people, or to be out of the house. Learning from more experienced staff and bumping into a wider range of colleagues is easier in a workplace.
  • If you want to work remotely, check if the role can be done from home or a co-working space.
  • If you want to work flexibly, check if there are key times when you need to be available and if that is manageable for you.

Successfully negotiate flexible working

When you find a job that you want to apply for, how and when do you ask about flexible working options? All employers take a different approach.

At Historic England, all adverts and the career pages are clear that “if you have any adjustments or any flexible requirements, please let us know.”

The Environment agency encourages you to contact the recruiting manager to find out a little bit more about the job. Talk about adjustments when you get an interview, and in more detail when offered a job.

More flexibility checks if you have a disability or health condition

If you have a disability or long-term mental or physical health condition, check:

    • Whether the employer is one of the 19,000+ disability confident employers.
    • Whether they offer a guaranteed interview for candidates with disabilities.
    • What network groups the organisation has that you can join and buddy up for support, for example, with your mental health, the menopause or caring responsibilities.
    • Whether the employer offers an employee passport for health conditions, the menopause or caring responsibilities, allowing an ad hoc later start if your condition is unpredictable.
    • Look at the length of shared parental leave. Check can you purchase additional leave if wanted or bank your leave and save it.

Find out what Careers and Employability Services can do to help you plan and build your future.

    • Sue Robertson is a Development Coordinator in the OU’s Careers and Employability Services. She supports careers-related activity both within the service and across the University, helping students to achieve their ambitions and fulfil their potential. Explore the rest of our blog for more articles from your careers team.