The days of enticing new talent with on-sight foosball tables and beer-on-tap may be over. The workforce has spent the last year re-evaluating what’s most important in a job, and there’s a clear winner: flexibility. Why is flexibility at work outpacing other priorities for candidates? We’re here to share what we’ve found. For companies seeking talent in a difficult market, flexibility may be the key to attracting your next hire.
Why flexibility?
Multiple polls have shown that American workers are prioritizing flexibility as the most sought after feature in a job. Flexibility outpaces higher pay, more time off, job security, and company culture. Why? For many American workers, the pandemic offered the first opportunity to work from home. While the arrangement isn’t popular with everyone, it gave many the taste of life without a commute, or a desk they needed to be tethered to from 8 to 5.
Parents navigated their working hours around their kids’ schedules–working early in the mornings or later in the evenings. Workers took autonomy over their daily schedules, carving out breaks in the day to run errands, exercise, or take a mental break. After, they could return to work feeling motivated and productive. Employees moved to new cities and states, no longer bound by a daily commute to the office.
We’ve been following the flexibility at work trend with our candidates and within our professional circles. To confirm it, we decided to run our own poll to see if our findings were consistent with others’. Here’s what we found from our LinkedIn audience:
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Out of 95 respondents, 45% prioritized flexibility at work over compensation, company culture, and job security. To really dig into the matter, though, we want to define what flexibility means–and how we implement it into our cultures at work.
What does flexibility at work mean?
The word “flexibility” may mean something different to everyone who reads it. Here are some possible interpretations of flexibility, and ways to offer it in your own company:
- Offer the choice to work remotely, in office, or a hybrid option
- Allow employees the ability to work flexible hours outside the typical 8-5 workday, assuming assignments and deadlines are completeEncourage a remote workforce that spans different locations or time zones
- Trust employees to manage their calendars, and reduce meetings that aren’t necessary for productivity
Of course, the rise of flexibility doesn’t have to mean the demise of workplace culture. It will always be important that companies find ways to build trust and rapport with employees. However, for those who can, it may be time to review your company’s stringent “return to the office” policy in favor of more flexibility.
Who knows? You may even attract some amazing new talent.
Implement Flexibility at Work with Risch Results
If you’re struggling to attract the right talent, reconsidering a flexible working environment may be a way to refresh your candidate pool. Risch Results can guide the conversation and help you meet your talent needs with a custom search. Contact us to learn more.