It has been a year since new legislation made it easier for employees to request and negotiate flexible working arrangements. Now, with a growing skills gap, firms are using flexible terms in order to attract the best candidates.
Flexible working has become more than just an employee right, according to Andrew Millard, senior director international marketing at Citrix.
"Flexible working is no longer just an employee perk … it's a strategic business decision," he said. "The discussion surrounding flexible working has moved from simply accommodating employees' changing family dynamics and supporting those with caring responsibilities to how businesses can attract and retain top talent to drive productivity and business growth."
New research by Jobvite has found that 38% of job candidates say that work/life balance from home impacts on their decision to take a new job. In addition, 25% say that the flexibility to work from home is a key factor.
But not every firm can see the benefit of flexible arrangements, according to Matthew Singer, vp marketing, Jobvite.
"Although flexible working has been in law for a year, companies still struggle to understand its value to employees," he said. "Research undertaken by Censuswide and Unify found that 37% of companies still do not offer flexible working, despite 39% of respondents claiming they would be more loyal to an organisation that did."
He added: "Unemployment is down, but there is a skills gap, with the most talented workers in high demand. Flexible working holds the key for many workers. Ensuring your company offers this means employees feel in control of their own lives, improving both attraction and retention rates. It might seem like a simple thing, but flexible working can make all the difference."
Meanwhile, new research from Redcentric has shown that almost a third of UK workers are more productive when working remotely. It commissioned a YouGov survey of over 2,000 UK adults to test attitudes towards home working.
The research found that 54% of UK office workers are currently able to work remotely, with 30% feeling that their productivity increased when they work away from the office and only 17% stating that remote working reduced their efficiency.
In all, 70% of office workers said that it is important for businesses to allow their employees to work remotely; just 22% said flexibility is unimportant. However, 48% of respondents said that their employers didn't allow them to work remotely.