Business people in SA reveal flexible working is often the make-or-break of job offers.
82% reveal they would choose one job over another similar one, if it offered flexible working.
A staggering 76% confirm that flexible working also improves staff retention, finds the latest survey by Regus.
Recruitment is an expensive process that many global businesses are keen to reduce. It’s cheaper to keep your employees than to lose them. A new recruit only achieves up to 60% output in the first three months of employment and takes at least six months for an employee to become ‘value-adding’.
The survey, canvassing the opinions of more than 20,000 senior executives and business owners across 95 countries, confirms that in South Africa flexible working can be used to avoid employee churn (and the consequent expense of recruitment agencies) as 75% of respondents point to flexible working as a perk that attracts top talent.
The research also found that:
- 74% of respondents say offering flexible working makes employees more loyal;
- 59% of workers would actually turn down a job that ruled out flexible working;
- 62% say they would have stayed longer in their last position had flexible working been an option.
In South Africa demand for flexible office space has increased sharply in 2013, with enquiries in July and August reaching an all-time high. Overall demand for offices was 43% higher than the previous year.
Regus is a global workplace provider.
