Flexible working is on the rise. Nearly three out of every four employees say their company offers flexible working and 32% said they regularly work remotely. An entire 79% of employees said they work with at least one person who isn’t based in the same office as them. – The Human Face of Remote Working, 2017 global survey of over 25,000 workers in the U.S.
If you’ve been interested in a flexible work arrangement with your company, its growing acceptance indicates now is a good time to ask for it. Here are six steps to negotiate for more flexibility at work (and also read this primer on becoming a fearless negotiator):
Define flexibility
The above-referenced survey focused on remote work arrangements – so location is the flexible factor. Working from home or working from a regional office where your group isn’t based are examples of flexible location. But you might want flexibility in time – to start earlier or late, to work five days’ worth of hours in four days or less. Job-sharing – two part-time employees fulfilling one full-time position – is yet another example of flexible work. Know what you want and plan your ask accordingly.
Use market data
However you define flexibility, look at other examples in the market of where this has been done successfully. “The Human Face of Remote Working” survey by Polycom and Future Workplace share positive statistics on remote working, such as increased productivity. The survey also points to better work/ life balance but focus on the benefits to the company when gathering your market data.
Use personal performance data
You also want to gather data on your personal performance – your ability to get results, work independently. If you worked on successful projects with people based in other locations. Share these as examples that you can already work flexibly and successfully.
Research and counter objections
Your boss may still have reservations. S/he might fear that granting you some flexibility will appear unfair to others on the team. S/he might be concerned about how you’ll keep in touch or be accessible to colleagues and/ or clients who need to reach you. S/he might not understand the logistics around how you’ll access the files and other in-office resources that you’ll need. Be prepared to counter these objections.
Take smaller steps as needed
Flexibility is not a yes or no proposition. If you continue to meet resistance even after you have countered common objections, propose a trial run – a short enough period of time that your boss will feel comfortable agreeing to. Then be prepared to get results during your beta so you can attribute your productivity to the flexibility! If you need an even smaller step, try working on a different floor than typical, so you can simulate the change in location without actually being gone – even the most paranoid boss should be OK with this, since you’re still at least in the building.
Practice your ask
All of this planning will be for naught if you bungle the actual conversation with your boss when you ask for flexibility. So practice the script you play in your head. We don’t speak the way we think – you want to practice out loud. You also want to practice hearing the possible objections and pushing back – don’t assume it will be easy to stand your ground. Ideally, role play with a mentor or other experienced manager who might have had to sign off on these requests before. They can give you a realistic simulation of what you’re up against.
As more and more companies grant flexible work arrangements, these requests should get easier. But it’s still not the norm. You probably will have to ask and not assume it will be offered to you. Run through these six steps to increase your chances of getting your flexibility request approved.
A version of this post originally appeared in my column for Forbes.com.
