Work-Life Balance Is Not a Perk

Work-Life Balance Is Not a Perk by Sherri Elliott-Yeary | Talent Management   There are more millennials alive than baby boomers. A big workforce shift is occurring, and the timing is significant. Estimates indicate some 76 million boomers will retire over the next five to 15 years, and there are only 46 million Gen Xers coming up behind them. The numbers suggest millennials will significantly impact and influence the future workforce, and they demand a lifestyle balance that is inclusive of work and family at a whole new level.   If an organization wants to be positioned to meet its customers' needs and have talent in the right position for future growth, it must develop an inclusive culture with tolerant, accepting and encouraging attitudes around work-life balance.   Rethinking Values   Millennials think and act differently from previous generations, and the older generations will have to adapt some of their ways of thinking and leading. Millennials have high expectations for work and life, and as they enter the workforce, employers must evolve, using tools such as social media and work-life programs to recruit, manage, motivate and retain these workforce additions.   They are the next generation of leaders, and some say they are the most high-maintenance workforce in history. They were raised by parents who wanted to give their children all the things they did not have growing up, and that has helped to create a generation that has never experienced true success or failure without parental support.   Work-life balance is not a new idea, nor is it a desire unique to millennials. However, it is a foreign concept for most baby boomers, whose lives often revolve around work. Most millennials require their work to have meaning and enjoyment. They want to believe in the companies they work for, and rather than attach significance to a job as a way to define their lives, their jobs are usually just a means to support their lifestyle.   Certainly, talent leaders must beware generational stereotypes. There is no one size-fits-all script of characteristics that can be accurately attributed to any group. However, research has proven that some groups do share certain characteristics. In the case of millennials and boomers, these characteristics factor heavily in their attitudes toward work-life balance and their workplace requirements.   Work-life balance is about successfully joining two distinct sides of ourselves in a harmonious way. It is work and life, not either/or. The definition of balance is highly personal. It is not an end state, but something a person strives for, and that process or best mix can evolve.   Public interest and consulting services organization Sedate State held its inaugural summit for business leaders in February, with a focus on the need for work-life balance. The general consensus was that businesses that understand what attracts top talent will be better able to compete for talent and business in the global marketplace. High performers want and expect their employers to make work-life solutions available. On the flip side, business leaders who pursue their own versions of work-life balance make better decisions, can be more effective at strategic planning and more thoughtful in their use of metrics. Further, steps can be taken immediately to facilitate work-life balance.   The Nuts and Bolts of Work-Life   Despite economic constraints, talented employees do have options in the job market, particularly those in the millennial cohort. This group is often willing to change jobs, careers, cities and states if it means they can have balance and make a difference. As organizations begin to compete for top talent and employee retention, the willingness to address work-life balance from the perspective of Gen Xers and millennials will become integral to their success. Talent leaders should consider offering a mix of flexible schedules, job sharing, telecommuting and ROWE (results orientated work environment) tenets.   For many millennials, work is only one part of a well-rounded life. They're busy: they play sports, volunteer, participate in clubs, and often don't want to let work take priority. They have seen generations before them make significant family and life sacrifices for work, and they don't want that. They will put in a 60-hour work week to get the job done, but they won't do that every week, and they have to feel connected to the organization's mission and values.   Promoting work-life balance is a business-critical issue and not simply the right thing to do. When talent leaders look at their organizations' needs for the next five years, strategic plans should contain a list of the necessary skills for each critical role, and recruitment strategy must balance knowledge workers and millennials because profitable growth and sustainable business results depend on attracting and retaining top talent.   Work-life policies should allow employees the option to telecommute when feasible, job share, use flexible start and end times with paid time off (PTO) accruals versus sick and vacation buckets that are considered a "use it or lose it" benefit. Companies that offer these work-life balance options will gain a competitive advantage for attracting top talent. There are lots of good reasons to offer the workforce work-life flexibility. For instance, it builds morale as well as helps retention and recruitment. One study published earlier this year by researchers from the University of Michigan offers another reason: If talent leaders don't help employees balance work and home lives, they will anyway, in ways the organization probably won't like.   The study posits the idea of "worker agency." Essentially, if employees run into a significant conflict between their work and home responsibilities, they will find ways to bend the rules. According to the study: "When the demands of personal and family life come up against rigidity, workers often feel compelled to maneuver around these formal bounds, thus allowing them opportunities to attend to ... emergencies, crises and unexpected ... family and personal matters."    According to a March article from the HR Cafe, the study, which observed workers in a manufacturing plant for two years, gave the following examples. One man wanted to attend his boys' big football game, and he'd arranged with his supervisor to have time off. When the time came, though, the supervisor reneged, so the worker lied and said he had car trouble. Result: He got to the game, but was demoted. Another worker wanted to be at the bedside of her critically ill father-in-law, but her supervisor refused her the time off because the FMLA doesn't cover in-laws. So she talked to her family doctor, who obligingly said she was under serious stress and put her off work for two weeks.   HR Cafe writer Stephen Meyer was correct to note, "These companies' get-tough policies didn't work. The employees took the time anyway. All the policies did was turn good workers into cheaters."   Living Life Now   Many millennials fundamentally feel it's important to hurry up and accomplish things, enjoy experiences and relish life, because tomorrow is uncertain. Savvy leaders know that leveraging work-life programs increases engagement, and engaged employees are more creative, productive, motivated and happy. This leads to longer tenure, which results in lower turnover and increased profits. Talent leaders will have to ask employees, regardless of generation, what they need to be fully engaged.   Employees who are asked what they want from their jobs will offer a list of things: meaning, desire for a role that allows them to make a difference or that provides challenging projects and duties, promotes flexibility and of course, balance with respect to work-life options.   Companies that offer options to meet employees' work-life balance can reap significant ROI:   a) Fewer attendance problems. b) Increased loyalty. c) Reduced turnover. d) Less time to fill open positions. e) Fewer on-the-job accidents.   What employees may not say but definitely expect is that they want to like the people they work with - including their boss - and they want to feel appreciated.   According to Resultance Inc., a generational consulting firm, there are several simple, actionable steps talent leaders can take to engage and motivate employees using the ROCK STAR acronym:   a) Reachable - Goals should fit the role and job description and allow the employee to be challenged.   b) Opportunity - Offer chances to work on new projects, or in new divisions or groups.   c) Challenging - Challenge employees' skills and abilities to enable them to reach new levels within the company.   d) Knowledge - Offer opportunities to be mentored.   e) Skills - On a regular basis assess the skills required for a job and determine what training is required to develop additional skills and abilities.   f) Tasks - What new tasks can be given to employees who want to increase their learning?   g) Acknowledgment - When employees go above and beyond, they want to be acknowledged and respected for their contributions.   h) Relevant - Work should be relevant and congruent to the company's mission and values.   If organizations offer employees opportunities to increase their level of responsibility, growth and development, recognition for achievement, and most of all balance, they will attract top talent, which will improve the bottom line. Often one employee group's motivators are not that different from another's. What is different is how each cohort processes and prioritizes. Talent leaders who have this awareness will retain and capitalize on a highly effective workforce by embracing workplace balance.     [About the Author: Sherri Elliott-Yeary is the CEO of Optimance Strategies, a national HR consulting firm, and author of Ties to Tattoos: Turning Generational Differences into A Competitive Advantage.]