7 in 10 managers believe flexible workers are an underused talent pool. Yet candidates who can’t work traditional office hours still face significant barriers in the UK. How fluid and accessible is the UK flexible jobs market? This research explores how receptive employers are to candidates who need flexibility.
With 8.7 million UK full time workers wanting to work flexibly in 2014, this research explores managerial attitudes towards flexible working. We interviewed 500 managers, all responsible for key hiring decisions, to find that while the majority have positive views about flexibility, few take positive action on it. And many managers recognise that there are barriers in their organisations to doing so.
Managers own views about flexible working
Among the managers who responded to our survey:
Perceived organisational barriers to flexible working
Despite managers being open to flexible workers, our research found both structural and cultural challenges that prevent flexible job design and discussions surrounding flexible working. Among the managers who responded to our survey:
Our recommendations
Timewise recommends a more transparent recruitment process to better reflect the possibilities of how a role can be worked. Additionally showcasing successful examples of flexible working will address the stigma.
Published in 2014
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