Flexible working will be a key retention tool in 2005, with 84 per cent of employees saying they are ready to leave their jobs if offered a better work-life balance.
A survey by Woodhurst recruitment consultants of 250 staff, mainly in management positions, found that the desire for flexible working was almost as big a draw as greater pay, with 88 per cent saying they would move jobs for more money.
Geraint Evans, management consultant at Woodhurst, said the survey revealed that the margin between the appeal of flexible working and more money was a lot narrower than many employers assumed.
“The message is clear – offering your staff more flexibility in how they work can be as effective a retention strategy as throwing money at the problem,” he said.