Hampshire Employers Embrace Smarter-Working

The Shaping the Future Smarter-Working baseline surveys had one simple objective. This was to provide an insight into the current and future adoption of smarter, more flexible working methods in report one, by leading local employers and in report two, by SMEs (NB the report download links are at the foot of the page) .

The baseline will act as both an indicator in terms of organic trends and a measure of the effectiveness of the MATiSSE Smarter Working initiative. The MATiSSE initiative continues to encourage and guide businesses of all sizes away from traditional 9-5pm peak-time working towards more productive, more valued family and environmentally friendly smarter, more flexible working practices.

Leading Employers - This research in 2007 was directed at 119 Hampshire Public and private Sector organisations who employ more than 250 employees. The majority of respondents completed the ten question survey on-line.Forty four organisations completed the ten question survey, on-line or as a printed document, during August and September 2007.

The key results - described in detail within section five of the report – have identified the following significant findings:

1. Smarter Working - the likelihood of an additional 111,000 flexible and occasional home based Teleworkers across the county by the end of 2010
2. Talent Recruitment - concerns of private sector respondents especially related to the continued skills shortages within their employment catchment areas. 61% of respondents indicated that it was more difficult now than three years ago to attract quality candidates to their organisation
3. Inhibitors - Performance management (control) and motivation of remote teams remains as does management attitude as the perceived major barriers inhibiting the accelerated growth of smarter-working
4. Drivers - Employer demands to improve employer productivity and reduce accommodation overheads are matched, as drivers towards Smarter-Working, by the demands from staff for less stressful, more family friendly ways of working
5. Accreditation - Possible IIP type quality accreditation is well down the list of employer priorities with only 13% calling for the introduction of such measures
6. In House Procedures - The majority of employers are willing, with assistance, to implement and document processes and initiatives that will help managers and staff successfully implement smarter-working practices

Small to Medium Enterprises -  Similar research, to enable comparisons to be drawn, was aimed at local Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and conducted, largely through telephone interviews during the early summer of 2008.

1. Smarter-Working - The 2007 larger employer survey had suggested the likelihood of an additional 111,000 flexible and occasional home based Teleworkers across the county by the end of 2010. By contrast, there was little evidence that, without intervention or incentive, smarter-working within SMEs will increase significantly over the same period. This became clear through the telephone interviews with smaller businesses especially (< 25 staff> having little in the way of forward plans
2. Business Confidence - At the time of the research (May 2008), businesses were still surprisingly optimistic about the future. 55% of respondents expected to take on additional staff within the next three  years.  
3. Talent Recruitment  - 20% of SMEs employing <25 staff and 40% employing >25 staff) respondents held the view that recruitment was becoming more difficult. This contrasts with the 2007 larger employer survey where 61% of respondents in the private sector  indicated that it was more difficult now than three years ago to attract quality candidates to their organisation
4. Inhibitors - Unlike their larger business counterparts, SMEs, especially those employing less than 25 staff, still appear to have the perception that the enabling technology is both complex and potentially expensive. ICT more so than performance management (control) and motivation of remote teams was perceived as the major barrier inhibiting the accelerated growth of smarter-working. This area was further explored during the post-research SME Focus Group workshop. Discussions suggested that some ICT providers can be daunting to deal with, occasionally guilty of focusing on profit before the appropriateness of the solution to the circumstances and real requirements of the business.
5. Drivers - perceived benefits were headed by retention of key staff and interestingly by the need to be seen as a socially responsible employer.

 

Leading Employer Research - Click here to view or download the full report (PDF)

Small to Medium Enterprises - Click here to view or download the full report (PDF)