As an employer, especially one interested in work flexibility, you want to be up-to-date on the latest work flex stats. Below we’ve compiled the most relevant news related to work flexibility, including how employers can make their staffers more productive and attract top talent!
We recently released the results of our annual survey about work flexibility, and they are quite interesting. It has garnered a lot of attention, with MIT, Business Insider, AOL Finance, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Staffing Industry Analysts, Money Talks News, and Employee Benefit News discussing the findings.
What was so surprising? Workers prefer to work from home not because they want to slack off, but because they want to be productive and get work done!
Entrepreneur takes on working parents and what they want out of a job, and InformationWeek and Healthcare POV focus on millennials. The common thread between these two groups of professionals? You guessed it—work flexibility!
Read on for quotes and access to the full articles!
Learn more about work flex stats, worker productivity, and what professionals really want below!
Workplace Flexibility’s Win-Win Streak on MIT innovation@work Blog
“‘Job seekers consistently report that telecommuting is the most desired form of flexible work, with many willing to take a pay cut, forfeit vacation time, or give up matching retirement savings plans for a telecommuting work arrangement,’ said Sara Sutton, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs, the leading online service for professionals seeking telecommuting, flexible schedule, part-time, and freelance jobs. Sutton is also the founder of Remote.co, a resource that provides expert insight, best practices, and valuable support for organizations exploring or already embracing a remote team as a significant portion of their workforce.
‘In fact, millennials, who now comprise the largest generation in the workforce, placed flexible working ahead of other priorities such as professional development training, reputation of the companies’ leaders, and a sense of purpose when evaluating a job prospect,’ Sutton said.
Companies can attract and retain talent by offering flexible work opportunities. And studies continue to show that teleworkers are more productive and satisfied with their job than their office counterparts.”
A Surprising Statistic Shows Why the Office Might Be Obsolete in a Few Years on Business Insider
“Could physical offices be going the way of the dodo bird?
It might sound crazy, but a recent finding from FlexJobs is indicating that more and more people prefer to work outside of the office during normal business hours.
The recent FlexJobs survey found that 65 percent of respondents said remote work would boost their productivity.
The study found that a total of 51 percent of participants—out of 3,100 total professionals—said they’d prefer to work at home, while 8 percent would opt to work in coffee shops, libraries, or other public spaces.
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Throughout the survey, working remotely was lauded as an antidote for commute stress, work-life balance issues, meeting overload, workplace distractions, office politics, and interrupting colleagues.”
51 Percent of Workers Say This Is the Best Place to Work on AOL Finance
“If you’re an employer or manager looking to boost your staff’s productivity, you might want to send your workers home.
Perhaps that sounds counterproductive, so let me explain.
A new FlexJobs survey of more than 3,000 workers asked respondents to carefully select an optimal work location based on how efficiently and effectively they’re able to work on important projects.
A mere 7 percent of workers said they’re most productive when toiling away in the office, during standard business hours. Meanwhile, more than half (51 percent) of respondents said home is the best place to work if they have a really important work task or project.”
Where Do Workers Feel Most Productive? (Hint: It’s Not in the Office) on Forbes
“Recently, jobs and career information site FlexJobs conducted a survey of 3,100 professionals between the ages of 20 and 60-plus, asking them their thoughts on flexible hours, working remotely, and where they feel they work most effectively.
It turns out that most of the respondents—65 percent—felt that they worked better somewhere other than the traditional office.”
51 Percent of Workers Say This Is the Best Place to Work on Yahoo! Finance
“A new FlexJobs survey of more than 3,000 workers asked respondents to carefully select an optimal work location based on how efficiently and effectively they’re able to work on important projects.
A mere 7 percent of workers said they’re most productive when toiling away in the office, during standard business hours. Meanwhile, more than half (51 percent) of respondents said home is the best place to work if they have a really important work task or project.
Those workers say a home office tops a traditional office environment from a productivity standpoint because there are:
- Fewer interruptions from co-workers
- Fewer distractions
- Fewer meetings
- Reduced stress from commuting
- Less office politics
- A more comfortable office environment”
Half of Flexible Job Seekers Most Productive at Home, Survey Finds by Staffing Industry Analysts
“Only 7 percent of workers interested in work flexibility report the office, during traditional work hours, is their location of choice for optimum productivity on work-related projects, according to a survey released today by FlexJobs, a job search website specializing in telecommuting, freelance, part-time, and other flexible work opportunities.
More than half of the people surveyed, 51 percent, reported that their home is their preferred place to work. Eight percent said they would choose a coffee shop, co-working space, library, or other place besides the office, and another 8 percent would choose the office but only outside regular hours. Employees report being willing to make bottom-line saving sacrifices in exchange for telecommuting options:
- Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they would take a 10 percent or 20 percent cut in pay.
- Twenty-two percent are willing to forfeit vacation time.
- Fifteen percent said they would give up employer-matching retirement contributions.
- Eighty-one percent of respondents also say they would be more loyal to their employers if they had flexible work options.”
51 Percent of Workers Say This Is the Best Place to Work on Money Talks News
“Sara Sutton, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs, says in a statement:
‘When the overwhelming majority of workers say that traditional office spaces are not conducive to inspiring their highest levels of productivity, something is clearly broken—certainly with the actual workplace environment, but more importantly with the corporate culture that isn’t addressing this problem. Employers who continue to blindly reinforce antiquated ways of working are going to find themselves with lower-performing, less-engaged, and less-happy employees.’ ”
Flexibility Most Important Benefit for Working Parents on ebn
“Workplace flexibility has been an increasingly popular workplace perk among all kinds of workers. But now new research sheds light on just how important it is for working parents—and how it influences whether or not they accept a job offer.
In a survey conducted by FlexJobs, an online flexible job search site, working parents cited work flexibility as the most important factor when looking for a job, cited by an overwhelming 84 percent. Work-life balance came in second at 80 percent, and salary—despite stagnant wages in the American workforce—ranked only as the third consideration, with 75 percent.
Interestingly, health insurance garnered 42 percent of the vote, while company reputation (39 percent) and 401(k)/retirement benefits (29 percent) trailed behind.”
What’s Happened to Work-Life Balance? Here’s How to Help Employees Find It on Entrepreneur
“There are several options for more flexible scheduling, which may help those struggling to find a work-life balance. A 2015 survey from FlexJobs found that 30 percent of respondents said they would take a 10 or even 20 percent cut in pay in return for flexible work options. In addition, fully 97 percent said a job with flexibility would have a positive impact on their overall quality of life.
Find what options work for your employees, their teams and immediate supervisors plus their clients or colleagues. Then put the decision into employees’ hands. Perhaps flextime is best for their schedule. Maybe working remotely from a home office will give them some relief as they take care of young children. If several employees want flexibility, job-sharing may be the best solution.”
Flexible Work Schedules: Key to Boosting Millennials’ Productivity on InformationWeek
“The top reasons people are more productive working at home versus the office include fewer interruptions from colleagues (76 percent), fewer distractions (75 percent), and less frequent meetings (69 percent).
Brie Reynolds, former Career Services Manager and Career Coach at FlexJobs, told InformationWeek:
‘While we clearly know that people value work flexibility, it was a bit surprising to see that it was the number one factor job seekers consider when evaluating a job prospect—even ahead of salary. We also consistently hear how important work-life balance is to people, but it’s noteworthy also that work-life balance is just as important as salary when deciding if a potential job will be a good fit.’
Reynolds noted that she was not surprised to see that only 7 percent of workers are most productive working in an office during traditional hours.”
Technology Will Ameliorate the Nursing Shortage on Healthcare POV
“Attracting members of these new generations means connecting with them through a highly selective ‘social media ecosystem,’ according to a survey from marketing agency Fluent Group. On the top of the list: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
The same social media zeal applies to millennials, who turn to Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook over Twitter, Pinterest, Vine, Google+, or Tumblr, according to Business Insider. They also find career guidance on sites like Levo, The Muse, and FlexJobs.”
Looking for news? Visit our flex work news category.
Readers, were you surprised by the latest work flex stats? What changes to your business model would you like to make? Share with us below!
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