Why breaking the employment rules is good for business
One London-based company has decided that the traditional model of employment needs rethinking, and flexible working is just one of the practices that they have successfully introduced.
There are a number of benefits to taking a different approach to employment, and the team at London-based independent media agency the7stars has found that theirs has radically reduced staff turnover, while increasing productivity and profits.
Staff can take as much holiday as they want without seeking permission or filling out holidays forms. They don’t have job titles and can work whatever hours suit them, including from home. They acknowledge that their approach may not work for every sector, but getting rid of corporate policies and hierarchy has certainly worked for this forward thinking company.
Five ways the7stars breaks the rules to make staff happier:
- Unlimited holiday: staff can take holiday whenever they want without seeking permission or filling out a form
- Flexible working hours: staff can work whatever hours suit them and from home if required
- No job titles: staff don’t work according to a set job description but instead have company-wide targets. There is no hierarchy – the company has a completely flat structure
- Transparency: company business plan and profit targets are shared with all team members. The business runs regular job swaps so employees know what their colleagues do day-to-day.
- Sense of community: the company hosts regular bake-offs, birthday drinks and payday drinks in their private office bar, along with free daily breakfasts and fruit baskets
Co-founder Jenny Biggam tells Stylist why banishing hierarchy and trusting her employees is good for business: http://www.stylist.co.uk/people/why-i-let-my-staff-have-unlimited-holidays-and-no-job-titles-the7stars-business-owner-jenny-biggam
Could you introduce any of these ideas into your company? Would it make your staff happier?
Call us on 01252 856862 to find out more about how flexible working and Ten2Two can make a positive difference to your business.
