Flexibility is the key to the future, says Lancashire business leader

Denis Smith Hart, of Lytham-based InterSys Group, said the ability for people to work from home had been one of the biggest innovations of the Covid-19 pandemic and one likely to continue long after it.

However, he said having flexibility would be important to ensuring businesses can continue to drive productivity and growth.

InterSys Group is sponsoring the Innovation Business of the Year category at this year’s Be Inspired Business Awards, The BIBAs, which got its interviews under way yesterday.

Denis said: “During the pandemic, many employers have seen the advantages of an agile workforce in terms of diversity, skills and productivity.

“Now we appear to be emerging from restrictions, there needs to be a broad range of remote, workplace and flexible working options, as well as clear guidance and information to help people embrace it.

“If businesses can successfully introduce flexible working, they will be able to attract the best people and unlock new talent pools.

“Offering flexible working opens the door for businesses to find the talent they need to fuel growth and rebuild our economy.”

A study of more than 900 UK firms by the British Chambers of Commerce showed 66 per cent of businesses had offered employees the chance to work from home.

Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) said they expect to have at least one employee working from home for the next 12 months, but 55 per cent warned that remote working could impact people’s mental health.

The BIBAs has entered its interview stage with businesses from across Lancashire being quizzed by the awards’ judges on video-conferencing.

Each judge will enter their scores in to an online scoring database built by Intersys Group to select the eight finalists in the 19 prize categories up for grabs.

The awards’ ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Blackpool Tower on Friday, September 17.