Forget the trendy perks and flashy benefits. One of the things job seekers want most is flexibility.
And this preference isn’t a generational issue.
What the Surveys Show
A survey conducted by career site FlexJobs finds flexibility is a factor for 82 percent of millennials, 81 percent of Generation X, and 79 percent of baby boomers.
Another survey from FlexJobs, this one of working parents with children age 18 or younger, finds work flexibility tops the list of factors most important when considering a new job, with 84 percent of working parents citing it as the most important factor.
Meanwhile, a 2016 study of millennials, conducted by professional services firm Deloitte, finds flexibility (i.e., remote working, flexible hours) is among millennials’ top three considerations when evaluating a potential employer.
Defining Flexibility
When it comes to flexibility, a new report, Gallup: State of the American Workplace, finds companies are trying to accommodate the workforce. The study finds that 52 percent of office employees have some choice over the times they work. Among all employees surveyed, 44 percent say their organization offers flextime as a benefit.
Nevertheless, the report points out that flexible schedules and work from home options aren’t realistic for all positions. They are easier to implement in office environments, as opposed to manufacturing, health care or retail environments.
Regardless of work environment, however, research and consulting firm Gallup recommends that all employers should consider weaving some element of flexibility into the culture—if they want to compete for today’s job seekers and retain employees. One suggestion is to allow employees to leave for medical appointments without using vacation time.
Promoting the Benefit
Given the importance of flexibility, companies that offer the benefit should promote it as part of their talent attraction efforts, Gallup notes.
At the same time, they should call attention to the benefit as part of their retention strategy, especially since more than half of office workers, 54 percent, responding to the Gallup survey say they would leave their job for one that offers flexible work time.
And Gallup is not alone in these findings.
According to FlexJobs research, 34 percent of millennials have actually left a job because it did not have work flexibility, while 24 percent are currently looking for a new job because of work flexibility issues.