According to an HRLocker survey of 390 full-time workers across Ireland, employees want greater flexibility in the way they work and to be financially rewarded if they were to switch jobs.
Working from Home Is The Choice
While salary is still an important consideration for people when changing jobs, the survey found that at 38%, it ranked below flexible working (64%) and sign-on bonuses (40%).
A possible explanation for this is that, in general, Irish employees are happy in their jobs, as 70% of respondents expressed that they are moderately or very satisfied with their current positions. Just 24% stated they were actively seeking a new role, and 12% said they were passively looking.
When it comes to flexible working, working from home topped the list of expectations, with 67% of respondents stating they would only be willing to accept a job that permitted them to work from home at least two days a week. This was followed by greater flexibility in the hours they work (42%), increased holidays (33%) and a four-day working week (18%).
Regarding sign-on bonuses, more than half (53%) expect it to be 11-15% of their total salary, while 33% would settle for 5-10%. Just 6% and 3% desired a sign-on bonus of less than 5% or 25% or more, respectively.
Better work experiences also matter. One in three (32%) respondents believe employers need to invest in technologies that automate tedious administrative tasks, while 23% feel greater investment is required to support employees in using new technologies in their roles.
“We know from previous research that most employers are offering more flexible working arrangements. This is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s a must if you’re to attract and retain talent,” says Crystel Rynne, CEO at HRLocker, adding, “In light of the talent shortage and rising cost of living, employers need to lure skilled talent to their businesses. If nothing changes, we can expect to see salaries and total benefits continue to increase”.
