With a growing trend of telecommuting, you cannot always expect that your employees will gladly work in your office. Flexibility at work (or a lack thereof) now plays an important role in hiring employees and keeping them on board.
According to FlexJobs’ 8th annual survey, 30% of respondents have left a job because it lacks flexibility at work. And 80% of respondents have said they would be more loyal to companies if they had flexible work hours.
What’s more, 52% of employees have tried to negotiate flexible work hours with their employers, as found in the survey.
Recruiting good employees and making sure they stick around is always a top concern for any small business. And you can effectively tackle it by providing your employees with flexible work options like working from home.
Top Benefits of Working at Home
Here are, according to the survey, the top four reasons why employees prefer a home office:
Work-Life Balance
Employees evaluate a job prospect according to their personal preferences. Some employees go for a job that offers a good work-life balance, while many fall for good pay.
73% of employees consider work-life balance the top deciding factor when assessing a job, as the survey states.
So there is no surprise that work-life balance is the biggest reason for employees to prefer working from home.
In fact, 75% of respondents have cited ‘work-life balance’ the top reason to seek flexible work options, according to the survey
Gen Y often referred as millennials value work-life balance and flexibility more than the older generation. If you are going to work with this generation and want your employees to stay longer, you should have flexible work policies in place.
Family
Family is one of the most important factors for people to work. But many employees often don’t get to spend quality time with their family. Only 14% of civilian workers had access to paid family in 2016.
According to FlexJobs’ survey, 45% of respondents have cited ‘family’ the main reason to seek flexible work options.
So don’t be surprised if the potential candidates or your employees request you for allowing them to work from home.
If your business can’t function without employees being present there, you should look for other flexible work options. And make sure you offer your employees a reasonable number of paid family leaves. Doing so can improve employee retention in your company.
Time Savings
Getting ready to work, traveling to work, and being interrupted by chatty coworkers, are just a few of the many ways how employees spend a good part of their day’s time. At the end of the day, they sometimes think they have barely accomplished anything. Working from a home office can save employees lots of time.
42% of employees have reported ‘time savings’ the main reason to seek flexible work options, according to the survey.
Just by eliminating commute time, keeping away from office politics, and controlling distractions, your employees can save a great deal of time. Will it increase their productivity? Yes, it will. Working from home boosts employee happiness and productivity.
65% of employees are more productive in a home office, the survey finds.
Commute Stress
41% of respondents in the FlexJobs’ survey reported ‘commute stress’ the main reason why they look for flexible work options like working from home.
A daily commute is not just the worst part of the day – it poses many health risks. It is linked to everyday stress, sleep disturbance, and exhaustion.
When employees are driving through a high traffic area, they use lots of mental energy. This can make them exhausted, affecting their productivity adversely.
Allowing your employees to work from home (if it is feasible) will not only offer them the flexibility to work but also keep them away from the complications arising from the commute.
Flexible Working: A Win-Win for Employers and Employees
Sara Sutton, founder, and CEO of FlexJobs says, “In a tight labor market, companies cannot afford to ignore the value employees place on having flexible work options, but leaders also can’t dismiss the very real bottom-line impact flexibility has on their employees’ productivity and retention rates.”
“The flexible job market is currently very robust, so flexible job seekers are also feeling empowered to seek jobs that are more compatible with their life. In fact, 80% of job seekers say they are confident in their flexible job prospects,” concludes Sutton.
Flexible work options, especially working from home, offers multiple benefits to both employers and employees. You, as a small business owner, cannot ignore the fact that flexible work options can help you hire good employees and keep them stay for longer.
Though more and more employees are looking for flexibility in work, some groups, such as pet owners, people living in rural areas, stay-at-home moms, digital nomads, and semi-retired or retirees are more actively seeking for work flexibility.
Also, you should note that 100% of remote working is not the only choice for flexible work option. Flexible schedule, part-time schedule, alternative schedule, and remote work some of the time are popular flexible work options.
So you can provide your employees with work flexibility as per your business operation.
The survey was conducted with 7300+ respondents, including people of different ages (19 to 60+) with the education level – high school to graduation, and the career level – entry to senior manager.
58% of respondents had children age 18 or under living at home, and 42% didn’t have children. You can access the full survey here.
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