What sort of policies and practices can we put in place to help our managers improve the work/life balance of their teams?
What sort of policies and practices can we put in place to help our managers improve the work/life balance of their teams?
– HR manager in telecommunications, Sydney
HR professionals need to understand what drives their information and communications technology (ICT) staff and how best to support them in achieving all their life goals, not just their professional ones. After all, when people feel happy, supported and fulfilled in their work environment, they are more likely to be productive and involved, and less likely to consider leaving. Of course, this approach applies to all staff, but the needs of different professions will vary significantly.
Just compare ICT professionals with those in marketing or accounting – the different professions attract different personality types and you need to tailor your approach. Part of the problem in ICT has always been that our professionals tend to love their work and are highly motivated. Since it is clear that there has been a negative impact for the families of highly motivated ICT professionals, we need strategies and policies that help to ease the burden on families and make it easier for professionals to make a productive contribution with minimal stress. Even professionals who are highly motivated need a structured, consistent environment that encourages them to maintain a healthy balance in their lives.
The ACS recently launched a work/life policy which calls for more flexible working hours and conditions, with meetings restricted to core times of between 10am and 3pm; tax-deductible childcare; favourable tax arrangements for self-funded parental leave; and a greater focus on healthy lifestyle balance. We need to address the challenges of a growing skills shortage brought on by the combination of an aging workforce, falling student numbers, high burnout rates and low participation by women. We also need to deal with the ICT sector’s reputation for being unfriendly to families because of the long hours typically worked by ICT professionals.
By Dennis Furini, chief executive of the Australian Computer Society. www.acs.org.au
