Flexible working and a work-life balance
19 Dec, 20195 minsWhether you already offer flexible working or haven't yet, here are a few things to consider...
Whether you already offer flexible working or haven't yet, here are a few things to consider:
As part of our 2019 Salary & Benefits Report, we surveyed 1,200 people in the digital industry and 55% said that flexible working was their most desired benefit. We are currently doing a new survey for 2020 and have found that 75% of respondents want flexible working.
In short, top candidates are considering whether flexible working is offered before applying to companies.
Flexible working wasn't something I remember talking to candidates about as much a few years ago however it becomes more apparent that people in our industry are really motivated by having more flexibility in how they work.
- Implementing a Flexible Working PolicyWe made changes here at Sphere Digital Recruitment to allow for more flexible working hours and have had great feedback from my peers; we are going to have our best year for revenue whilst still making those early gym classes!Being able to go home a little earlier to miss the mad rush has been amazing for me and studies by the CIPD have shown that flexible working often leads to higher retention as employees feel more appreciated - it's easy to see why!Things to consider when implementing a policy:
- Promote flexible working - If candidates are looking for this, make sure you're promoting that you offer flexible working. Is this on your website/job applications?
- Set clear expectations - Are management and your team aware of what is expected? Setting expectations reduces fallouts.
- Shout about the benefits - As the CIPD report found, flexible working improves productivity, increases retention and saw a rise in company morale!
- Be flexible on flexible working - There will always be employees that require something unique so creating clear lines of communication is vital.
If you want to find out more about how we implemented this, feel free to get in touch.
And if you're a candidate searching for a role with flexible working, have a look at our opportunities here.
