Career tip of the month

Advice on making flexible working arrangements successful

1. Have a well though-out plan

If you are working from home, consider what hours you will be available online or to take calls; the best way for people to contact you and how you will participate in meetings.

If you are working part-time, for the days that you are not working, consider how decisions will be made: Will you delegate decision-making? Will you be checking and responding to emails? Are you happy to be contacted in emergencies.

2. Keep connected

If you are working from home, make sure you have the technology in place to work efficiently and effectively. Make things seamless for your manager and colleagues – forward your office phone to your mobile and ensure you can connect into office networks. Technology doesn’t need to be fancy – it just needs to be reliable.

3. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Don’t assume people will know how things are going to work. Make sure you have discussed and agreed your plan with your manager, the person who is delegated to make decisions on your behalf and team members.

Take the initiative to check in regularly, particularly early on in the process, to see how things are going and be prepared to make adjustments where needed.

Ref: HRMonthly September 2015