By Jacob Jesuroon, Vice President of Human Resources, Access Healthcare
We will continually innovate by applying the insights from our cumulative knowledge to achieve the best results – that’s a stated commitment of Access Healthcare.
Ask any millennial or generation Z individual to describe “life” and you will be astonished at how thorough, deep, and clear their thoughts are on the topic. Priorities have evolved over generations; intangibles like experiences, sense of purpose, and enthusiasm for achieving one’s goals have never taken center stage to the extent they do today. The rigid compartments packed with commitments and incentives have now given way to a fluid overlap of various aspects unique to individual personalities and goals.
The 4 Day Workweek is a pilot program at Access Healthcare, meant to give our people the flexibility to share their time effectively between their career goals and their personal ambitions outside of work. We envision a workplace where ambitious youngsters can come in, deliver what is expected of them in four days, and then simply unplug for the long weekend to spend time on themselves.
Our starting point was to explore the thoughts of our workforce through focus groups and by polling our social media followers. This helped us in gaining valuable insights into the current realities, the key aspirations, and the gaps to be plugged into for achieving such a goal. The verdict was clear: The ability to make a conscious choice, to invest more time into the pursuit of their dreams, along with 100% unhindered focus on themselves, is the best motivation for productivity.
Digital channels were extensively leveraged, along with conventional methods, to create the requisite awareness in the market, as well as to connect with our prospects. The first group of selected high performers is already onboarded and deployed. They will be supplemented by a group of superstars from our existing workforce, selected automatically through an intelligent algorithm that evaluates their track records of performance, quality, and other parameters.
A glimpse from the formal launch of the 4 Day Workweek at Access Healthcare
The entire ecosystem derives a clear advantage if such an approach is implemented at scale. There is significantly less pressure on the workforce, enabling them to diligently build their careers without worrying about balancing personal and professional lives. Genuine talent will come to the forefront, nurtured by more efficient utilization of resources as visible in real-life examples from other industries. Over time, this flexibility will lead to a better representation of women in leadership, as well as better inclusivity in the workplace. Productivity will improve at a macro level. After all, there is no compelling logic for a 5-day workweek across the board except the assumption that more time at work leads to more productivity – an escape is due from that straitjacket.
As pioneers for the 4-day workweek model in the BPO environment, we are well aware of the challenges to be resolved. Our deliverables are not project-based; they are tied to strict delivery schedules – which means we are changing not just the playing field but the game itself to make this vision a reality. By defining an appropriate framework to maximize efficiency, we are able to bring in a sense of discipline that will be greatly beneficial for the team members as well as the company, from a deliverables perspective.
There is a definite learning curve for all stakeholders involved. But the first signs are absolutely encouraging, and we foresee a far more positive work environment for future generations if they are given the power of choice!