Corporate giants such as Google, Virgin and Apple are renowned for their modern approaches to working. It’s not just about slides and nap pods in the office – they focus on making work a positive environment employees want to come to every day. Virgin have an unlimited annual leave policy and Google have an 80/20 policy whereby employees can spend 20% of their working week on their own role-relevant projects.
Now, travel comparison engine Trivago have added to the mix, challenging the traditional more hours worked = higher productivity idea with absolutely no demands on weekly hours worked.
Employees Can Come to Work When They Wish
In a bold move the website’s co-founder Rolf Schrömgens does not count employee hours, not does he force employees to come into work during certain times of the day. Rather than clock counting, peer reviews assessing performance and company contribution are used instead, he argues to great effect. Trivago’s productivity is reportedly through the roof.
Hiring Practices and Company Culture
Self-motivated individuals are vital in this type of company culture where you determine your own hours. In return for the trust by Trivago, employees value their freedom and produce their best work.
“We wanted to have intrinsic motivation,” he says. “We don’t want to tell people what to do. We really want that people make responsible, independent decisions.” Rolf Schrömgens
Rolf also rejects the traditional idea that time and output are closely related. What the company has found is that employees on collaborative projects tend to come in during traditional hours whereas those working more independently tend to work when the office is quieter. Activity programs are also in place to make Trivago employees excited about the prospect of coming into work every day.
Top 20 Companies for Work/Life Balance
Lastly, the top 20 companies to work for if you want a strong work/life balance have been revealed. The top ten of these are as follows as featured in HR Grapevine:
- Goodman Masson
- Cisco Systems
- HomeServe UK
- LOLA Staffing
- Screwfix
- American Express
- BP
- Peninsula Business Services
- ARM Holdings
- Unilever
Company culture is changing thanks to pioneers looking to offer their employees more flexibility in the workplace.
Castle Hill House