Top5 Tips on Redefining & Managing the New 9-5 Workday

Over the last two years, the traditional 9 AM - 5 PM workday was tested. Remote work, flexible schedules and work/life balance became center-stage while "typical" work hours no longer applied. 

As businesses and employees continue to adjust, Tara Thurber and Ellie Bright of DefinedTalent discussed their Top 5 Tips on Redefining and Managing the New 9-5 Workday.

Transcript

Tara Thurber: 0:05

Welcome back to Top5 brought to you by DefinedTalent defined logic service. We are a results driven service working with clients to connect them with quality talent as well as working to make an impact within the recruiting industry. We talk straight about today's professional world with real world professionals, experts in recruitment, job seekers and business owners alike. Have a question for us. Send it in and you might spur our next conversation. I'm Tara Thurber, Director of Talent Innovation. And joining me today to discuss Top5 Tips on Redefining and Managing The New Nine to Five Workday is our very own Talent Partner, Ellie Bright. Hey, Ellie, how are you today?

Ellie Bright: 0:48

I'm good. Excited to be here and record it.

Tara Thurber: 0:52

And welcome to 2022 very excited to kick this year off with you.

Ellie Bright: 0:56

Yeah, excited is I feel like an understatement. I feel like we're finally getting things going here.

Tara Thurber: 1:03

So Ellie, you know, starting this new year off with the Big Bang and companies hiring candidates looking. You know, in today's post pandemic, America, the traditional nine to five workday is really no longer the golden standard. You know, I feel like this pandemic has prompted a great reset, causing workers to reevaluate their career goals and expectations, especially, you know, kicking off 2022. And organizations I'm finding two are reimagining the workday. And they're seeing higher employee retention rates and higher employee satisfaction. As a recruiter, what are you hearing nowadays from candidates regarding workday expectations and work life balance?

Ellie Bright: 1:50

Yeah, I mean, I think it's funny, we were saying post pandemic America, but really still still in the middle of it. Um, I feel like from a recruiter perspective, and just the conversations that I've been having, I think the the nice thing is that a lot of our candidates are still are still wanting to go into the office and still be a part of, of the company culture and building the, the environment that they want to work in. And I do think that there, there is this kind of excitement to, to go back into the office, but I do think, in the back of their minds is, is that we don't want to go back to the way things were before.

Tara Thurber: 2:31

Yeah.

Ellie Bright: 2:32

And being just so stuck in the nine to five being stuck in the office being stuck in the cubicle. I think that one of the big words that I've heard a lot is just flexibility, I want the flexibility to be able to go pick up my kids from school, or I want the flexibility to go to a doctor's appointment if I need to, or the flexibility to be in my pajamas, if necessary. So I do feel like that's the biggest word that comes to mind. But yeah, I think people are just not fearful but but hopeful that it doesn't go back to to the way it was of being required to be in the office constantly and without, without any, I guess shake up of the scenery. So yeah, that's been my my biggest feedback from from candidates that I'm working with.

Tara Thurber: 3:22

Awesome, and then you know, thinking about it a little bit deeper, going into an office nine to five, you know, for some companies, what would you think, are implications of creating this flexibility, customizing schedules or giving more control to their employees over their schedules?

Ellie Bright: 3:46

Yeah, I feel like the outcome of that is just like more company buy in, yeah, people are gonna feel that their company is taking care of them and cares about their personal life outside of just their, their career. And I think like being able to, to make your own schedule and to make your own time will will make people more excited to come in to the office, it's, it's not like oh, I have to come into the office, it's I get to go into the office and see my, my co workers and my friends and kind of collaborate with them. And so we do feel like there's kind of that almost like pride and I don't wanna say nationalism, but I'm almost like yeah, buy into to the organization and understanding that the company doesn't just care about the work that they're doing but cares about their needs and their wants as well. So I do think that that could be an interesting implication so to speak of kind of this flexible schedule are customizable schedule.

Tara Thurber: 4:51

And aside from a flexible or customized schedule, you know, looking at this to for the organization's. So how can that be balanced effectively, so that it meets the needs and desires of both the organization and the employees?

Ellie Bright: 5:11

Yeah, I mean, I think it's just about understanding, like your role and what needs to be done from day to day? And are you completing that? And are you are you performing and are you showing up. And again, I think that goes back to the buy in portion, it's like, if you if you know, that, that you can take an hour out of your day to, to go to a doctor's appointment, or go on a bike ride or pick up your kids, it's like, once I get home, I know that this is what I need to do to feel successful in my job and to, to get the job done for the day. And so I might work an extra hour after we eat dinner, or whatever that may be. So I think it's just accountability is also the important word, in addition to the flexibility just knowing that, um, you know, to be a good employee, and to feel good in your career, like you do have to still maintain these metrics, or these numbers, or whatever you may be holding yourself accountable to within the work day, but I think accountability is is the word there that that comes to mind.

Tara Thurber: 6:18

I love that. And I, you know, kind of going back a little bit, it's, it's also organizations need to ask their employees, what would help them to become more balanced, I feel that if organizations were to, you know, even if they send out some sort of a survey, you know, just to get to know their employees a little bit deeper, and what they're facing, that might be able, that might open up those doors, even more for new ideas, so to speak, on how to not stick with that nine to five, how to find that flexibility and get creative for not just the mass over overall, but to individualize it. And, you know, in return, I feel like that's building even more of an understanding between an organization and an employee. Right.

Ellie Bright: 7:12

I agree. And I think something that, that you just brought back to my mind from my last role, my manager, and I sat down and said, Hey, what, when I close my laptop, at the end of the day, what is going to make me know that I was successful for that day? And I think that that, you know, again, even if it's not metrics or numbers that you follow, like, what is going to make you feel successful and make you feel like, like, you deserve to close the laptop? And that you did, people are going to pat you on the back. And I think it's just understanding how, again, from a personal level, as well as a work level, like what what did you do today that you felt strongly about or confident in. And I think that that is a really unique piece of kind of the work from home environment. Again, it's like nobody's there, to hear you set a cold call, or to see the wonderful dashboard you built, or whatever that may be. So it's like, how can you at the end of the day, close your laptop and know that you you did the best that you could? So yeah, that's something that I really took away from, from that conversation from the person that was managing me. And, yeah, I really liked that.

Tara Thurber: 8:27

I think too, even with, you know, so many, I mean, working from home, it's been a combination of your personal and your work life that are all one now. And so by being able to see that and understand that knowing that it's not just a nine to five, you work you leave, you go home, it's more broad than that nowadays. So you're right, with what you've just kind of gone over, you're definitely right. And employees want to know, at the end of the day, that they've, they've made a difference, or they've made an impact or they've, you know, done their, in air quotes, done their job for the day, you know, because I think some people like to shut down at certain times and people should shut down at certain times and log off at certain times. As long as they're all their responsibilities are met for the day. So I think you really cut you really kind of got onto a couple key pointers of accountability and flexibility. And you know, it's it's crazy because that's, those are two of them. The biggest important factors I feel that I've been hearing when speaking to candidates that are you know, that are just not happy because perhaps those organizations are expecting them to go back to that nine to five, whereas other organizations are getting more transformative, you know, changing a little bit to go with the needs of keeping quality employees happy and engaged while they're at work or doing their work.

Ellie Bright: 10:16

I think one of the things that that we've talked about in depth over over the last couple months is just how COVID has has not just, we're not just employees, but we're people. And we're humans. And, you know, before we even pressed record on this, I was like, what if the cats come in? Meaw or what if the kids run up the stairs. And I think that has just, it's changed. You know, we're not just an organization and an employee, but we're a person and we're, we all have lives that that are crazy and ever changing. And, you know, a little bit nuts. But I think that kind of goes into the next question of like, how can organize organizations effectively balance the needs and desires of both the organization and the employees. And I think it's, I think it's just through those conversations of, here's what's going on in my life, and being empathetic and being understanding and, and knowing the person that works with you, or that you're always on the call with and what's going on in their life. And maybe that's, you know, at some point, that HR blurb, but it's knowing the people that are around you, and, and how to take care of them as employees and as people. And again, just building that relationship and that accountability and knowing that if that person needs to take off time to take care of something, that they'll get their job done in the hours that they are working. So yeah, I think it's all about that, that partnership in that relationship that you're building in the office that allows for that flexibility, and that, you know, that care, yeah, employee and an organization.

Tara Thurber: 12:05

I love it. And with that being said to what do you think right now are the biggest pros and cons, organizations are facing while making these changes or adapting to this, you know, so called new way of working?

Ellie Bright: 12:21

I mean, again, I think the the pro is that people are coming back in and there, they are excited to see, you know, the people next to them, I do think the con is, is that we are still battling COVID from, you know, from whether with a new variant or somebody gets out sick. So I do think that there's still kind of that fear that, you know, somebody's getting sick is right around the corner. But yeah, or even that, you know, we're coming into the office now. But in two months, what's going to happen if another variant comes out. So I think kind of that uncertainty is, is maybe one of the cons that we're still facing. But again, the pros are that, you know, you're meeting people that you've been on Zoom calls with for the last six months that maybe you've never met in person and building those relationships. To be even tighter, I would say maybe Another con is financially having to support someone's home and in office office space. I know that that that's got to be a little challenging, too. But I mean, I do ultimately feel like there is a right way to do this. And to kind of have that structure in place for return to office and for that flexibility. And there's a right way, and there's definitely going to be a wrong way to do that. And it's all it's all in the buy in. And the I guess the relationships that you're building with your people

Tara Thurber: 13:51

Yeah, buy in was the big one that I was just thinking, you know, it's asking, asking your employees, you know, so many companies transition to be virtual, you know, that were never virtual. And there was lots of cons that happened from that. But I believe that there was such a big silver lining of pros that came from that. Adapting to that change. So now it's just taking, taking it a step further for your employees, making sure that there is that quality of life and, but also making sure boundaries are set, because I also feel that you've lost the nine to five or working from home. I mean, you're you've got employees that will roll out of bed at 8am and start working and because they're working from home, I know a lot of employees are finding that they're working longer hours. And so I think again, it's that happy medium, it's that ebb and flow that as an employer, you need to put your finger on the pulse of your employees and figure out okay, so we all want to be successful here, right? We want to be successful and grow, let's adapt together, instead of it being one decision. And that's the end all be all. I think it's more opening the floor and getting that buy in from your employees learning what would help them to show up and be better employees? Well, kind of managing this new, not nine to five workday.

Ellie Bright: 15:31

Right. And I completely agree, I think that has been probably one of the hardest things as an employee is like, looking at my email at eight o'clock and being like, Okay, I know my laptops in the next room, and I could take care of this. But like, I don't need to it's 8pm. And that can wait till tomorrow, I think that is has been a really difficult thing to balance and to understand is like, yes, there is such thing as me-time, still, and I can close the laptop, unplug, and, you know, be present. So yeah, I definitely think that that's something that I think about a lot is that could this email, wait until tomorrow? Probably yes. And just making sure that that's something that I'm, you know, staying present in my personal life as well.

Tara Thurber: 16:23

Yeah.

Ellie Bright: 16:24

To be a part of that.

Tara Thurber: 16:25

Yeah, I think that's that's really important is setting those boundaries, because at the end of the day to the self care, and the quality of life is all super important. Because if you can't really show up to be your best self. For your work, then what's the point? Right.

Ellie Bright: 16:44

Right.

Tara Thurber: 16:44

It's like, if you've got the flexibility, and that, that truth, and that that partnership, then adapting should be somewhat of a breeze and not necessarily a growing pain. But something this growth that becomes more exciting for an organization or an employee to change. I mean, right now, all these organizations are adapting the way that they need to adapt in order to make sure the company is successful, right. So it as long as you get that that input from employees, you never know, you an idea mate, might spin out from somebody that you didn't even think of. And that could better the whole entire team or the whole entire company. So I think asking those questions and putting it back on the employees to see what their thoughts are, and then finding that happy medium.

Ellie Bright: 17:43

Yeah, I definitely think you know, again, company by company, but I definitely think input is who knows who, who has a good idea whether it's person at the bottom, or the person at the top there.

Tara Thurber: 17:56

Yeah.

Ellie Bright: 17:57

You know, having those conversations and asking those questions is, is definitely beneficial.

Tara Thurber: 18:02

Awesome. So, kind of coming full circle here, Ellie, what would your top five tips for employers who are now facing these new challenges, new and old challenges? I feel like it's new growth. What would your top five tips be?

Ellie Bright: 18:20

I think we touched on all of them really? Well, the conversation, but just I do think it's a great like a thesis statement, so to speak. So again, I think the first one is just accountability and knowing, accountability for yourself, accountability for your employees, just knowing that, that you've trained them to do the work that they that they know how to do and holding them accountable to that. And again, I do think people like, you know, having to work towards something and to, again, kind of have that accountability.

Tara Thurber: 18:54

Yeah.

Ellie Bright: 18:56

Is, is definitely motivating. And we talked a lot about like flexibility, whether that's on your schedule, or on getting things done, or whatever that may be just just having that flexibility to, to work and to balance your personal life and your professional life. And empathy was another big one that we said, we having empathy on, on their employees and just understanding that, that we are human and that there's things beyond our control happening in our lives that you know, needs to be taken care of, and just having the empathy to understand and understand different situations.

Tara Thurber: 19:36

Yeah.

Ellie Bright: 19:37

And then I know we both said, building trusting partnerships, again, going back to all of those things, knowing that, that you've trained your employees to do the best that they can, they can be that you've put into their development and and you've built a relationship that that you know, your people want to work for you and vice versa. And I think that's just going to be really telling if this whole situation again, I think that, like I said, there's a right way to do this this work from home situation and there's a wrong way to do it. And by building those stronger partnerships with your employees, I think that is a step in the right direction. And then again, investing in your people investing in their, in their careers, investing in how, you know, their growth, and their professional development is going to make them want to work harder for you and work harder for the company. And I think all of that goes into, you know, making this a positive and successful return to office situation. Yeah, I think just being able to kind of do those five things again, accountability, flexibility, empathy, building, trusting partnerships, and then investing in your people. And I think those all go into that.

Tara Thurber: 20:54

I love that, Ellie, I love it so much. And I'm so excited to take a lot of this information for ourselves, you know, and grow from this, especially as we're kicking off this New Year together.

Ellie Bright: 21:09

Yeah.

Tara Thurber: 21:10

Thank you so much for joining us today. Super pumped to have you on the podcast. And I'm looking forward to where this year takes us.

Ellie Bright: 21:21

Hopefully, on the up and up.

Tara Thurber: 21:25

We're DefinedTalent, a DefinedLogic service coming to a Top5. Make it a great day.