How can you tell a flexible company? These five things are a good place to start.

1. Awards as a great place to work. Is the company recognized with any significant awards?

Some of the most well-known awards, and companies receiving them, are:

• Fortune magazine's "100 Best Places to Work" [The Great Place to Work® Institute's Best Companies Lists]
• Working Mother magazine's "Best Companies for Working Mothers" [: Focus on the 100 Best]
• Diversity Inc.'s " Top 50 Companies for Diversity" [2007 Top 50 ]
• AARP's "Best Employers Workers Over 50" [AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 Program

Hint: Consider how prominently the award is placed on the company website to see how important it considers being a great place to work.

2. Stated Values. Do the organizational values and mission statements describe employees as a valuable asset and speak to the importance of treating them well?

A little research can help you understand how real these kinds of statements are. Talk to the recruiter, hiring manager, or anyone else you may know at the organization—and research the business press—about how well these words translate into action.

Hint: The fact that an organization cares enough about employees to name them specifically in its mission and values statements and is a great sign.

3. Flexibility Policies
Does the company have written policies? Does it state its position on offering flexibility publicly – or are flexibility ‘deals’ done one at a time? Does it train managers in the use of those policies to make their use consistent across the organization? Does it matter why an employee requests flexibility, as long as the business needs are met? (It should not.)

It's a rare organization that talks about its employees' flexibility to the general public, but increasingly you'll find it mentioned in actual job ads or on the career pages of the organization's website. If you feel comfortable asking the recruiter or hiring manager, try to get an idea of what, specifically, the organization means when it talks about flexibility.

Hint: Do you hear an underlying assumption that the careers of those who take advantage of certain kinds of flexibility—such as reduced work schedules—are not taken seriously? Are any senior leaders working flexibly? Do managers ever suggest flexibility or is the initiative always taken by the employee? (When managers suggest it, it can be a sign that the company sees flexibility as viable and helpful to both the business and the employee.)

4. The Role of Diversity
A strong commitment to diversity can mean the organization is accepting of employees' personal interests, needs and responsibilities, as well as of different styles of working. And this can mean a greater understanding of the importance of flexibility. Sometimes, flexibility policies and programs are actually administered by an organization's diversity department.

You can learn something about whether a stated commitment to diversity extends to the organization embracing a diversity of work styles and personal lives by looking for or asking a recruiter what is recognized and rewarded:

• Do representatives of the organization describe how star employees work "all the time" or "never take a vacation" or are employees recognized for being efficient with their time?
• Are employees' families or outside interests and hobbies mentioned at all in passing? Do their lives outside of work seem to be a recognized part of who they are?

5. Leadership Commitment
Sometimes the CEO or senior leaders speak out in support of flexibility. Check in recruitment materials for quotes from senior leaders to buttress a claim that the organization takes flexibility seriously. You might ask (of a hiring manager or recruiter):

• If managers and employees are trained in flexibility
• If there are systems and tools employees and managers can use to achieve flexibility
• If managers are rewarded for encouraging flexibility or supporting employees who work flexibly.