Accountants prove that flexibility pays

Flexible hours are just part of how things are done at BDO Taranaki. Almost all staff can literally work when and where they want at a moment's notice, provided neither clients nor other staff are inconvenienced.

BDO Taranaki is an independent member of the BDO Spicers network. It is owned by five principals and employs 79 staff, many of whom work part-time. The majority of staff are women and the average age is around 35. Staff include Maori, Pacific peoples, Indian and Yemeni. Several have disabilities.

Practice Manager Margaret Doyle says that the firm is fully flexible about working hours, start and finish times, breaks and location. "We have maximum flexibility subject only to client needs. The minimum number of weekly working hours is 24, but even this can be averaged out.

"People choose exactly when it suits them to work, so our car park is often full when the weather is bad on a Saturday afternoon or winter evening."

Job-sharing and part-time work are available at every level of the firm, with flexibility to move from part-time to full-time and back again while staying in the same role.

"We have a dad working four days a week to spend time with his children, and a mum starting at 5am in the morning while her children are at swimming and, during the school holidays, starting work when her husband gets home from work," says Margaret. "This flexibility builds a close and committed team." 

One accountant, Tiffany Kawana-Waugh, explains how the flexibility works for her. "In my spare time I not only play soccer but coach a girls' rep team. I'm also part of Toastmasters and am taking classes to finish my education.

"It's because I work here at BDO that I'm able to do all these things. With the flexible working hours, I'm able to fit in my practices and study, while doing my hours at times that work for me."

Staff can let a receptionist know that they will not be in or update an "electronic locator" from home. "The only restriction is that clients' and fellow team members' requirements cannot be compromised," says Margaret.

The payroll system at BDO Taranaki has been designed so people can be paid for their actual weekly hours. Alternatively, "leisure banking" means hours can be banked and paid out at a later date or accrued for additional leave.

Approval from a principal or practice manager is required only for leave of more than three days. This helps ensure that a plan is in place to manage workloads.

Margaret acknowledges that some roles put limitations on staff flexibility. "Our reception area needs to be covered during core business hours and our housekeeper has constraints around vacuum cleaning when people are taking telephone calls. Of course, other staff are sometimes constrained by deadlines."

She says that in the early days of the transition from the old command-and-control culture it could be challenging to look up from your desk and see people leaving in droves at 2pm on a Friday. "These days we expect that the Friday 4pm chocolate fish round will only find about 20 people in the building. We addressed the challenges by living the culture and generally getting over ourselves.

"In our organisation, there's no need for clock-watching. We promote positivity and a general respect for each other.

"To be successful, we need full flexibility, honesty and commitment by all staff. The core value of our organisation is complete trust. Without that, we would topple over."

Increased productivity is the main benefit for the firm of this high level of flexibility. Margaret believes that if people can choose when they work, they will work when the work is available and when they are most able to be productive.

She says that BDO Taranaki has "enjoyed" 17 pregnancies in the past three years. "Each of these pregnancies has led to different needs which we're able to accommodate. Some mums have taken a year off, others have worked from home, others have returned after a few weeks on a full- or part-time basis.

"The babies are our babies; we get to know most of them, some from as young as two days old. Mums bring baby into the office when they are picking up work or attending Friday drinks or a morning-tea shout. We watch these children grow. We are a part of their lives and they of ours. As they get older they might come in and watch a DVD, colour in, or do their homework."

According to Margaret, the firm has a "one team" approach which sets it apart from other accountants. "Traditionally an accounting firm would have a whole series of management layers but here we operate a self-managing flat structure. This means we don't have to pass anyone to get ahead; our career path is our own and not limited by anyone but ourselves. We have removed the barriers to individual success."

In 1989, Managing Principal Steve Waite started to drive the transformation which removed layers from the firm's hierarchy and gave people control over their working hours. "He wanted to remove barriers that stopped people being the best," says Margaret. "This meant treating people like adults, responsible for themselves, with a focus on leadership rather than management."

As well as giving people personal responsibility for their workloads and careers, the firm's flat structure encourages sharing of knowledge and contacts. The firm promotes continued learning by creating contexts where people can share ideas with each other and the Principals, and providing ongoing training opportunities.

Examples of good ideas provided by staff include a "need to know" electronic document where all non-urgent information can be shared between staff rather than using email, the electronic locator where staff record their whereabouts, and an email distribution list so that staff on extended leave can be kept informed about what is going on at work.

The firm allocates a generous training budget. Every fortnight, staff attend a two-hour internal training session where the Managing Principal gives an overview of recent news and an update from the BDO national network. Staff may talk about specialist projects they are working on or training courses they have attended. Optional lunchtime training sessions give staff an opportunity to hear internal or external presenters on topics like personal investments and accounting software products. 

The 2009 JRA Best Places to Work Survey showed a substantial improvement in staff's perceptions of the firm's commitment to training since 2007. The firm also improved its score on work-life balance, up more than 10 percentage points.

A training facilitator from Zealmark Group recently commented on the positivity of the team. "There was a genuine feeling of warmth towards management for the way people were valued and I'm sure this translates directly into discretionary effort."

Staff have a say in their team bonus through a group of six staff members chosen each year to rate their colleagues on their "Contribution to the Team" on a scale of one to 10. A 10 would indicate that someone was always helpful, friendly and supportive. The scores are converted to dollars and added to the annual performance bonus.

In addition, staff who have a significant impact on the overall performance of the business may receive a profit-share bonus.

Long service is rewarded with a week's extra wages when people reach their seven-year an