Women managers show their flexibility

New research has shown that women over fifty make the best managers when it comes to running a mobile workforce.

The research, commissioned by BT, questioned 3,000 people's attitudes to flexible working. It found that men are fifty per cent more likely to have a problem with people working flexibly, either over hours or location, than their female counterparts.

"The more advanced technology gets, the more it forces us to appreciate human skills," said BT Futurologist Ian Pearson.

"People will have a very different part to play and they will be able to add the human element to the business, getting close to the customer on an emotional level, creating a different platform to do business."

Surprisingly the older the manager the more open they are to flexible working. Managers aged 18-29 are the most suspicious age group when it comes to flexible working (38 per cent), compared to 30-50 year olds (30 per cent) and the over 50s (25 per cent).

Of the skills employees valued most trust was a clear winner with 39 per cent of respondents highlighting it as the most important attribute they valued. Second was the ability to communicate effectively while third place was organisational skills, valued by just 1`4 per cent of staff.

"When it comes to making a success of flexible working, this survey throws the spotlight firmly on the importance of softer people management skills," said Caroline Waters, director for people & policy at BT.

"The emphasis put on trust and strength of relationship between employers and employees points to the fact that women, and in particular women over 50, are the ideal management role model in this increasingly flexible business world."