Want Flexibility? Give Flexibility

Right now some organizations are asking for more and more from employees. You hear things like:
"do more with less,"
"run a tight(er) ship,"
"performance counts now more than ever"
"everyone needs to buckle down"
"we're under a training/hiring/spending freeze"

Some organizations have implemented furloughs or simply eliminated perks.

All of this is fine, necessary and important for keeping organizations going.

At the same time the employee/employer relationship is in fact that, a relationship. It is a two way street and employers need to consider where they can offer flexibility on their end. As employers are feeling the economic pinch so too are their employees. Additionally, every individual has instances in their lives when things get messy, tough and sometimes nearly impossible.

By extending the same compassion and understanding that you expect from your team to employees, whatever their situation, you'll build a deeper relationship. This kind of flexibility plays a major role in employee engagement, loyalty and retaining a great employee during a tough time.