I was, and in fact, remain in two positions: as an employer and as an employee at the same time. How do you balance interests between the two? It is always a matter of arrangement and the subject of choice to start. My first tip is to choose like-minded people who will work in one of you mode and, most importantly, will work on the result, in the column specifically for KADROVIK.UA told Andriy Ryzhykov, CEO and managing partner of DC Evolution.
For me as an employee, a clear schedule is convenient. It defines the framework, tunes into a productive image and motivates. Therefore, I try to work within the limits of the working days in which the company operates.
As an employer, I want my colleagues to follow a clear schedule, because if I understand how an employee works, I can find him at the right place at the right time.
You are lucky if you work with supporters of a standardized schedule who, if necessary, are ready to come early, go later and do everything to achieve the goal, although they work from 09.00 to 18.00 de jure and do not have a flexible schedule. It is their choice and they do not require to pay it.
When you need to work on weekends or stay for 3-4 hours or even at night, you should definitely compensate for this time with bonuses, days off, gifts, money, allowances and more. At the same time, I find the formalism “I stayed an hour longer – please, double pay me” ineffective.
The same goes for the extra-weekend work. There are companies on which weekend work is paid at an indexed rate and some workers, using this, work all week not very actively, and then pull up their tails. As a result, the employer overpays for inefficient time.
On the one hand, I find it unprofitable and uninteresting for employees to spend hours on the other, and on the other, an unattained goal is also a result. And here it is important to find out: the employee is idle or the situation has changed and he is physically unable to reach the goal. Then you need to either wait or change the goal. And to say, “I stayed for 8 hours, so pay me” – that doesn’t work anymore.
As they said in prehistoric times, 09.00 is not the time of coming to work, but the beginning of work, 18.00 is not the time of leaving work, but the end of work. Therefore, I tell all my workers that it is unwise and uncultured to have an employee in the elevator at 18.01. Working until 19.00 is normal. Working until 20.00 is also normal. Especially if you get paid for the result.
Personally, my work day lasts almost 24/7 a day, 365 days a year. Yes, there is a short vacation of 5-7 days, but I spend most weekends either in work mode or in the office. Not from 9am to 6pm, but from 11am to the evening.
When there is no breaking of the phone, there are no mandatory meetings, you can at least tidy up the documents, arrange emails with snoozed emails, and quietly make plans for the coming business week. I like to work in this mode and I do not know how it can be otherwise.
Today, a new idea is being promoted around the world to reduce working time, which is supported by even Jack Ma, who previously called for 996 (from 9am to 9pm 6 days a week). Working 4 days a week for 6 hours really gives you more time for rest, family, education and fun. But it successfully works in those areas where there are clear business processes. If some of them are stretched for 25 hours a week, then of course it makes sense to optimize them.
However, if the company does not have a clear business process, and vice versa – constant rework, early starts, late terminations, 24/7 work, this approach is not something that will not take root, it will be detrimental to business. However, not all companies can build these business processes. Yes, they can be written on paper, but they cannot be physically implemented.
For example, in the sphere of development congestion will be in any case: the dollar jumped, the power changed, the official was fired, sales rose or fell, the next “elite center” collapsed, a new order came, and you do not have time to recruit employees. All of this requires immediate response, and therefore provides for an unordered schedule.
What to do about it? It is necessary to negotiate and preferably “on the shore”. For example, an employer might say, “I want this and this, but I ask you to do it” (not “you have to” but “I ask” because it is a rework). And an employee can say this: “I can leave early, but then work out.” There has to be dialogue, because, as psychologists say, excuses are a future conflict. And if you have a small team, then each employee plays a key role, so such potential conflicts are already risks for the entire business.