The classic working model of the 40-hour week with 8-hour days is getting increasingly rare in the modern world of work. New working time models are being used by many companies to attract and retain qualified employees permanently. The self-employed are also dividing their working hours more flexibly.
Decisive factors for this development are globalization, technological innovation, the flexibility of institutional rules on the labor markets, and the structural change of the service sector, but also changes in the living conditions and preferences of workers, as Werner Eichhorst (IZA) and Verena Tobsch (E·x·AKT) have noted in a report by the Bertelsmann Foundation.
According to a study by ManpowerGroup Solutions, a flexible work schedule is one of the top three factors in career planning for 40% of the job candidates surveyed worldwide. In particular, the opportunities to determine working hours themselves and to be able to work location-independently are of great relevance for employees and the self-employed.
Breaking the boundaries between work and private life improves the work-life balance. Lower stress levels and more freedom promote spontaneity and the ability to adapt quickly to changes and challenges and to approach tasks with a problem-solving mindset.
Working models such as flex-time, job sharing, long-term work accounts, part-time work, hours of trust, and home office make it possible to adapt to one’s daily rhythm and effectively exploit the individual peak times of creativity and productivity of the individual employees.
Of course, the most popular type of work at the moment is home office. More flexible scheduling and working in a familiar environment not only saves commuting and unnecessary stress but also accommodates workers with children, dependent relatives, or reduced mobility.
To be able to give employees this flexibility, companies use innovative technologies that enable them to perform sales and consulting activities on a location-independent basis. Browser-based video call software such as CALLSTR, which can be easily integrated into any website as a simple widget, allows fast and efficient processing of customer requests from home or office.
The 1-click video tool is also extremely attractive for self-employed and freelancers. Personal contact with customers and clients promotes the user experience and thus satisfaction, trust, and customer loyalty. Users of CALLSTR can activate live calls on their website if they are available or offer website visitors the option to make appointments if they are not available for a live call at the moment. Video calls or meetings can be easily integrated into everyday life and adapted to customer requirements.
This blog post is inspired by articles by:
Alison Doyle: Thebalancecareers.com,
Joshua Stowers: Businessnewsdaily.com,
Werner Eichhorst & Verena Tobsch: Bertelsmann-stiftung.de,
Lisa-Marie Linhart: Karriere.at,
Mark Dixon: Assets.regus.com,