No Need for 9-5: How Prime 8 Supports a Culture of Work Flexibility
No minced words here: some working people care more about work flexibility than perks, pay, and promotions. But providing a flexible workplace isn’t just about setting your own hours or location. To truly achieve work flexibility, companies first need to build it into their culture. Prime 8 has built a culture of work flexibility unrivaled in the consulting space.
Flexibility Is a Big Deal
In a survey of over 10,000 knowledge workers in the U.S., Australia, France, Germany, Japan and the U.K., 94% of workers said they want flexible hours, and 79% want flexibility in where they work.
Flexjobs’ annual survey of over 8,000 professionals found that flexible work ranks as the third most important perk workers look for, with 72% listing it as vital. The number one consideration, salary, came in just 4 percentage points higher at 76%, with work-life balance rounding out the top three perks at 73 percent.
These surveys show a surprising trend - that flexible work and worklife balance are bigger priorities for professionals than health insurance, vacation time, or retirement benefits. Flexible work allows people to achieve the work/life balance they crave and experts believe this can turn them into more effective employees. It’s clear that providing flexible work arrangements is a big deal.
Here’s how Prime 8 created its culture of work flexibility and changed the concept of consulting for good.
Prime 8 Added Part-Time Options to a Full-Time Concept
The typical consulting role at one of the big firms typically involves 80-hour weeks, lots of time in airports and hotel stays, and very little time left for family—or to put it another way, the exact opposite of flexibility. This is what comes to mind for many people when they think of what it means to be a consultant.
At Prime 8, we flipped that image on its head. Prime 8 consultants have the option to choose between part-time and full-time work for each assignement. Want to work full-time while the kids are in school, and part-time during summer vacation? No problem. Working part-time, but need to take on another part-time project or additional hours before taking a sabbatical? Prime 8 can accommodate that.
Take Brandon, for example. He’s a senior consultant with Prime 8, but he’s also a devoted husband and father of six daughters. A few year back, Brandon and his family took the time to travel around the world for an extended trip to gain a new perspective about the world and life in general – all while still working remotely as a consultant. When asked about his favorite aspect of working with Prime 8, he says: “The flexibility of the company. The fact that they were totally onboard with me working overseas for a year and have continued to support my working remote in Idaho while my wife goes back to school. If Prime 8 can make it happen for the employees, they will always find a way.” (Read Brandon’s story here.)
Prime 8 Changed the Focus from Hours to Results
When you work as a consultant, your goal isn’t to work as many hours as possible to prove your worth or make appearances at endless meetings for a certain amount of time per week. You’re solving real challenges and specific problems for clients, and the amount of time that takes can vary. That’s why we’ve put the focus on deliverables and milestones rather than time spent.
This model adds flexibility to your work life because you’re not tied to a certain start or end time each day. Many of our clients don’t care when you work, as long as you get the work done.
At Prime 8, consultant hours are usually capped based on the project , which means that you will never work more per week than the project specifies. In some cases, you may work less time than specified if you work efficiently to hit milestones and deliverables. Our clients are much more interested in having work completed than on the amount of time you use to complete the work.
Of course, you still need to be available to clients. If they require a virtual meeting, for example, you’ll need to make accommodations in your schedule. Or if you are working with clients across time zones, you’ll need to adjust your schedule expectations accordingly.
By giving priority to deliverables rather than person-hours, Prime 8 clients get what they need, and you get to determine how best to deliver it. When accountability is tied to deliverables and milestones rather than a ticking clock, consultants and clients both get what they want and need.
Prime 8 Prioritized Job Clarity and Consistency
Prime 8 hires consultants that are excellent at what they do. When you have the right skillset to be a Prime 8 consultant, we do everything we can to help you thrive by eliminating unnecessary distractions.
When you are working as a Prime 8 consultant, you typically only focus on your particular piece of the puzzle rather than the entire picture. So, rather than sitting in on countless meetings about the business or (un)related initiatives, you can concentrate on doing what you do best and what you love doing – the real, meaningful work.
Although you will often collaborate with other consultants or client stakeholders, you are able to focus on your area of expertise and avoid distracting issues, like office politics that tend to zap time, energy, and productivity. You may find that you can replace meetings with quick emails or Teams messages and recoup valuable time that you can spend on actually doing what you do best.
The Life of a Consultant Re-imagined
At Prime 8, we believe that flexibility is more than choosing the place you will work. It’s having freedom to decide your purpose, your people, and your priorities. Our consultants are more than people filling in a temporary need for a client; they are subject matter experts that our clients look to for guidance and leadership.
That’s why we’ve reimagined the life of the consultant, starting with creating and supporting a culture of flexibility. If you’re ready for a more flexible career, see our open consulting positions.
