Dive Brief:

• The modern worker prizes flexibility, according to the results of a Dec. 9 Citrix Systems survey. The report, conducted by Censuswide, included 2,000 knowledge workers and 500 HR Directors in large corporations and mid-market businesses in the U.S.
• Eighty-eight percent of the workers surveyed said that when looking for a new position they would look for a position that offers "complete flexibility" in their hours and location. Most workers (83%) said they predict flexible work models will become standard business practice in the coming year. Only two-thirds of HR directors reported feeling the same. 
• Technology not only boosts productivity but also enhances workplace connections, respondents said. Two-thirds of HR directors said they feel more connected to their peers, direct managers, senior managers and company leaders when working remotely.

Dive Insight:

A compilation of 2020 ADP research also found that flexibility, including flexible work schedules, will be an important workforce trend in 2021. Approximately 44% of employers now have official flexible working policies established, up from 24% prior to the pandemic, an October ADP Research Institute study found. More than half (65%) of workers said they felt positive about future flexibility of opportunities, according to the study.

Flexibility enabled many to continue in their jobs when the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S. this spring. Employees whose work sites ceased in-person operations began meeting deadlines from their living rooms. School and care facility closures complicated this reality for parents and other caregivers, demanding employers take flexibility even further.

But flexibility for one may not mean flexibility for all. HR and managers will need to make use of boundaries to ensure fair flexibility, sources previously told HR Dive.