At the Swan Foundation event Talking Works at Barclays in Canary Wharf, Flick told HR magazine the ability to work within a less “rigid culture” means smaller companies can appeal to some employees more than “larger companies”.
“Factors like flexible and remote working have advantages for both the employer and the employee,” he said. “And the fact that smaller companies can take a more boutique approach in the way they implement it can give them an advantage.”
Flick added that the approach doesn’t simply involve telling staff “don’t come to the workplace”, it's about using flexibility to improve productivity by allowing workers to contribute wherever they are.
“Staying close to people, open management and focusing on output rather than time in the office are areas that will improve your bottom line,” he explained. “Traditionally if someone needed to stay at home to get a washing machine fixed, for example, they might have had to take half a day’s holiday.
“That’s not time they are really relaxing and recharging the batteries, so it’s not good for anyone. If they can just take away 10 minutes of work rather than a large part of the day, it’s a better result for everyone.”