How can flexible working attract talent in a competitive market?

The UK has an extremely competitive recruitment market; it is often very difficult for businesses to attract and retain the employees they need to support growth and expansion. This competition for talent is only set to increase in intensity as demand surges for highly skilled workers, particularly in the technology sector where large and small businesses are often vying for the same type of employees from a very narrow pool of talent.

So, the question becomes in this ever-increasing competitive recruitment market how do make sure your business can attract the talent it needs?

Money, well that used to be the primary answer, now money is just one of many factors prospective employees judge a business on. So what else? Well, you can offer all kinds of ancillary benefits like gym memberships or provide childcare services. These are important too, but arguably many companies in your sector will be able to provide similar benefits, especially if you’re vying for the same talent. So, the real question becomes what do you offer prospective employees that will make your business stand out from the competition?

Flexible working is the solution. What is it? Flexible working allows employees to choose when for how long and where they work (though the freedom and conditions on this arrangement can vary company to company). Flexible working is an extremely attractive differentiator to potential employees largely because it allows a greater degree of freedom over their working lives and it also happens to be highly beneficial for businesses (reducing equipment costs, increasing productivity, reducing absence, lowering carbon footprint and more).

Flexible working is something that’s been shown to be a very attractive factor to prospective employees and can provide you with a competitive edge as the majority of other employers either can’t implement it quickly or are at least hesitant to adopt it (due to large inflexible business structures). Not convinced, check out the infographic below that breaks down why flexible working is so important to employees.