Employees demand end to rigid structures and siloed working practises ⁰

Employees would like more freedom and flexibility at work with over half believing that the structure and culture of their workplaces are holding them back from doing their job more effectively (55 percent and 53 percent respectively). That’s according to new research from ILM, which has launched a new report calling for workplaces across the UK to foster a more collaborative culture in order to boost business success. The research found that more than a third (34 percent) of UK employees felt they worked in a regulated and controlled structure. When asked how they’d like to change their company culture, the top answer was more freedom and flexibility (35 percent) followed by more innovation and creativity (32 percent). Three quarters (74 percent) of employees say they would like more freedom at work. Although employers tend to agree with the need for teams to have more freedom, with two in five (40 percent) saying they’d like a more flexible culture, more would prefer to champion innovation and creativity (46 percent), indicating a disconnect between the way that businesses and their people are keen to work.

As well as a clear cry for more autonomy, workers are looking for more input in the business. Two thirds (66 percent) of UK employees want to have a greater say in the business and 64 percent are seeking a better understanding of where they fit in. Just a quarter (24 percent) say that their managers definitely foster collaboration.

“Rigid structures, siloed working and overly complex hierarchies are things of the workplace past,” says John Yates, Group Director at ILM. “People today want to work at flexible, fun and friendly organisations – and employers who can deliver on that always have an edge in recruitment.

“At a time when the UK faces an unpredictable future, greater flexibility gives businesses an opportunity to get the most out of their people. That means fostering a culture in which people thrive, encouraging collaboration, and enabling leadership at all levels.”