Roleshare conducted a survey of professionals to understand the apetite for flexibility in the new normal that is shaping before us as a result of the global Covid pandemic. Our time and autonomy to work how we please are highly valued by professionals. Overwhelmingly professionals in our survey want more time back outside of work and for work to be flexible enough to support their lifestyle and commitments.
Time for ‘me’ is almost as important as ‘time for others’. They are open to a wide range of flexible work styles but many people want to significantly cut their hours (part time / role share) and amplify the flexibility with remote work. For some, flexible (remote) working is perceived to open the possiblity of affording significant improvement in lifestyle and happiness.
A large proportion of the over 350 professionals surveyed are willing to give up money for time back and reduce their hours. This could create opportunities for people who are at risk of redundancy, unemployed or on furlough – share the work around. Some people are held back from working reduced hours by affordability - i.e. they can’t take a pay cut. Governments could even consider subsidising an initiative for a period that allowed / encouraged people to share work and this would increase the numbers of people that would participate.
There is a very real accessibility element to flexible work not just in terms of parents or carers and their career but also for those with mental or physical health conditions. An opportunity for a better society – e.g. not just gender balance and more diverse workforce, but also healthier population and people having time to give back to the community.
The impression of employers who offer flexibility is overwhelmingly positive. The top two words people associated with employers who offer flexible working “progressive” and “fair”. Professioanls offered alternative descriptions from empathetic to pragmatic which included "supportive" "trust" "caring" "focused" "realistic" Flex is an "everyone, everywhere" thing for a wide range of roles – it applies to everyone at every level, across many industries.
About Roleshare
At Roleshare, our goal is to enable a sustainable workforce, where people and companies get more from
roles, and where full-time balance in work and life is normal – regardless of the reason. We help people who
want to work part time connect, combine skills, and apply for exciting full-time roles together.
www.roleshare.com
Interested in a roleshare? Sign up
Want to list your roles? Post a role
