Employers who lack flexibility are at serious risk of losing key employees in the war for talent, new research shows.
Employers who lack flexibility are at serious risk of losing key employees in the war for talent, new research shows.
According to a new study into the attitudes of Australian employees by Diversity Council Australia (DCA), almost one in five employees (18 per cent) have considered quitting their job in the last six months due to lack of flexibility.
The report also found that flexibility is the top employment driver for working parents, and that Generation Y workers (14 per cent) were significantly more likely to consider resigning due to lack of flexibility than other age groups (7 per cent).
Almost half (48 per cent) of respondents agreed that it was very difficult to work part-time and have a career in their organisation, while 68 per cent agreed that in their work area, it was not practical to be a manager or supervisor and work part-time.
DCA’s acting research director, Lisa Annese, said the research cast valuable light on the organisational changes needed to move companies towards a more productive workplace.
“We need strategies to move from policy to practice,” she said. “The research findings highlight the fact that management practice at the employee level on issues like part-time work has to change significantly. They also indicate that skills developed by being a parent should be more highly valued at work.”
The DCA survey indicated, however, that the majority of employers are tackling the flexibility issue.
Seventy-seven per cent agreed they have the flexibility to manage personal/family responsibilities, and 67 per cent agreed that they are comfortable using flexibility options available in their organisation.
