Here's something nobody tells you about building a flexible workplace: it's not for everyone. When we started The Coders Guild, I naively thought offering flexible work would be simple – just let people choose their hours and everything falls into place. Reality taught us something different: true flexibility takes deliberate effort, careful systems, and a team willing to build something new together.

Our whole mission is about helping people into tech careers – especially those who face barriers. But that mission means nothing if our own jobs exclude people.

So we made every role flexible – part-time, term-time only, job-share, remote – whatever makes it possible for the right person to say yes. Not just because it's fair. Because when done right, it works better.

Take sales, for example. The most productive time to reach people is rarely 9 to 5. It's 10 to 2, or a couple of short windows across the day. For someone doing school runs or caring for a parent, that kind of schedule can fit beautifully. They bring serious experience, motivation, and insight – we make it possible to contribute.

This isn't just theory for me. When our second kid was born, my partner Ali hit the wall that stops so many careers: rigid work hours that ignore real life. Watching her struggle, and eventually taking time off myself so she could work, showed me how broken the system is. Why should anyone have to choose between their career and their family?

Making flexibility work takes real systems and boundaries. We've learned to be intentional about how we communicate: no WhatsApp or SMS unless it's genuinely urgent. Everyone sets their work hours in Slack so they don't get pinged outside them. We schedule emails to arrive during work hours, even if we're writing at 2am. Meeting calendars show real availability, not assumed 9-5. When someone goes on holiday, they uninstall work apps completely – no temptation to check in.

These aren't just policies – they're part of our culture. When Naomi moved to Canada, we didn't let geography end her role. We adapted, hired around her availability, and made it work. But it only works because everyone buys in, respects boundaries, and puts in the effort to communicate clearly.

Is it perfect? Nope. Sometimes it's messy. Sometimes we get it wrong. But we keep learning and adapting because we're not just running a company – we're proving that work can be different. Not everyone wants to work this way, and that's fine. But for those who do, we're showing it's possible to build successful businesses around real lives, not the other way around.

Want to be part of this? We're currently growing our sales team – check out our open positions at:

https://thecodersguild.org.uk/jobs/