More people want flexible hours than cash, company car or gym

Citation

(2003), "More people want flexible hours than cash, company car or gym", Career Development International, Vol. 8 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi.2003.13708dab.002

More people want flexible hours than cash, company car or gym

More people want flexible hours than cash, company car or gym

Flexible working hours are more important than money for nearly a third of people looking for a new job, according to a survey of 4,000 jobseekers in an online poll carried out by recruitment Web site reed.co.uk with the UK Department of Trade and Industry's Work-Life Balance campaign.

Almost half of the respondents (46 per cent) chose flexible working as the benefit they would most look for in their next job, with only one in 14 (7 per cent) choosing gym membership and one in ten (10 per cent) opting for a company car.

The survey reveals that:

• •

  a third of respondents would prefer the opportunity to work flexible hours rather than receive £1,000 more pay per year;

• •

  seven in ten jobseekers would like the chance to work more flexibly when necessary;

• •

  eight in ten parents with children under six say that work-life balance is an important factor in deciding whether to apply for a new job; and

• •

  six out of ten workers view work-life balance as an important factor in assessing a potential new job.

Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: "This poll shows that getting a better work-life balance is becoming much more important for all employees – men as much as women – and the competitive advantage business gains from offering flexible working is now well established."

Other key findings in the poll are that:

• •

  fewer than two in ten jobseekers would happily work much longer hours for more money;

• •

  four in ten men chose flexible working as the benefit they would most look for in a new job, compared with just 13 per cent who would look for company car and only 7 per cent who would look for gym membership;

• •

  some 45 per cent of undergraduates or recent graduates would prefer flexibility in hours to a company car (14 per cent) or gym membership (4 per cent);

• •

  almost a quarter (24 per cent) of managers and directors said that work-life balance was an extremely important factor in deciding whether to apply for a new job; and

• •

  four in ten women chose flexible working over £1,000 more pay per year, compared to three in ten men.

James Reed, of recruitment Web site reed.co.uk, commented: "This research is a real wake-up call for employers. Clearly, many jobseekers think flexibility is the most important benefit of all. Yet surprisingly, out of over 100,000 permanent and temporary jobs on the site, less than 60 offer flexible working hours as a benefit, compared to the thousands that offer company cars or gym membership."

"Too many organizations seem to be missing out on one of the most effective ways to attract top talent. However, this is easily remedied. It seems that employers who highlight opportunities to achieve a better work-life balance will simply be better placed to recruit and retain the people they need."