Our of our top recruiters, Becky Buggs, explains the importance of hybrid working for working parents.
Thanks to the pandemic, flexible working opportunities are not hard to come by now. Remote working was forced upon us back in 2019 and businesses have come to the realisation that it works not just for their employees but it also has some positive aspects for them as well.
Of course, there are some downsides, but isn’t there with everything? When working from home, you can't just turn around to a colleague to have a conversation! The majority of people though find they are more productive and the option to work from home offers a better work-life balance and cuts out on the time and money spent commuting. This is great for everyone, not least the planet, and even better for a parent who’s rushing around like a headless chicken most of the time.
Recruitment and training come at a huge cost to a business
The potential cost of replacing and training staff could be 16-20% of their annual salary (sources: HR Review and Bright HR). Is it really worth the time and expense of trying to replace them when a bit of flexibility could go a long way? It's important to open up these conversations with your current employees to help retain your talent and support their need for flexibility around hours and working from home.
Why?
- It’s 2022 and we are living in a world where it is perfectly normal to juggle parenting and a career.
- There are more working women globally than at any other time in history and we are all living and working longer.
- These flex requests are lawful and acceptable so it’s important that we embrace people's needs. It’s reflects well on your Employer Value Proposition (EVP).
- There is a war for talent. Businesses need to support their staff in order to retain them. You’ll of course be rewarded with loyalty! Why lose your talent to a competitor that will offer £5k more or the option to work from home a couple of days a week?
What makes your business attractive to working parents?
In a recent survey I ran on LinkedIn, my research showed that 36% of working parents would be looking for a role that could offer working from home all of the time, while 30% of working parents said salary was most important to them.
Clearly us parents are a demanding bunch but just because we have Mini Me pulling at our legs the majority of the time doesn’t make us any less determined to do well, work hard and have a successful career. It just means we are more determined than ever because children are expensive and the flexibility to work from home would enable us to spend 100% of our day focussing on the job at hand!
Working parents are prioritising their family’s wellbeing
Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, recently said...
"We know that, as we gradually emerge from the pandemic, flexible and family-friendly workplaces are a key consideration for working parents and carers. In fact, 85% of working parents told us this summer that wellbeing at work will be a top priority for them when they look for their next job.
If employers are to find – and retain – the best possible talent for their business, it’s absolutely vital that they show that they are serious about instilling family friendly cultures and practices in their organisations.”
The Guardian recently reported that around “3,000 workers at 60 companies across Britain will trial a four-day working week, in what is thought to be the biggest pilot scheme to take place anywhere in the world.”
Your competitors are offering flexible and hybrid working, from home
It’s more important now than ever to think about the different ways in which you can attract and retain talent and as my research suggests it not always about money. Your competitors are doing it so why aren’t you?
Inclusive Recruitment
Outsource UK is entirely focussed on eliminating bias, privilege and inequality in talent engagement. With this purpose, and the way we work, it enables us to offer something different for our colleagues, candidates and clients. You can read more about my own return to work after maternity leave in my previous blog.
If you are looking for work and require flexible working options or maybe you’re looking to hire, get in touch to discuss how we are helping to make the world of work a more inclusive place.
