A third of UK job vacancies now reference flexible working options – but the pace of change is slowing.
1 in 3 UK job ads now reference flexible working options – a rate that has trebled in eight years. But Timewise’s 9th annual Flexible Jobs Index indicates the pace of change is slowing, in spite of strong employer need and employee demand. Here’s what’s going on.
The meteoric rise in flexible working as a result of the pandemic – particularly in terms of remote working – had a clear impact on the number of flexibly advertised jobs in the UK. After slowly edging up by a percent or two each year from our first Flexible Jobs Index in 2015, by 2019, just 15% of roles were advertised with flexible options. By 2022, the number doubled to 30%.
It’s clear this year that the pace of growth has dramatically slowed. Our data, based on 5.7 million UK job ads, indicates that 31% of vacancies now overtly offer some form of flexible working; a negligible change from 2022, and a big drop from the kind of increases we’ve got used to. Even the growth in the number of home and hybrid working jobs being posted– which increased by 9% between 2019 and 2022 – has now stalled.
Does this mean that we’ve hit a natural peak in the proportion of jobs that are advertised as flexible? Should we all be satisfied that a third of job vacancies now set out flexible working options? Definitely not.
Demand for flex is not being met
The need and demand for flexible working are both as strong as ever. Economic growth continues to be hindered by a tight labour market and in many sectors, including healthcare, education and hospitality, staff shortages are now at critical volumes. We know, from ComRes data, that 9 in 10 people want to work flexibly in the UK. And we know from the CIPD that an incredible 4 million UK employees have left jobs due to a lack of flexibility at work. So it seems remiss that two thirds of UK job ads, fail to cover any kind of flexible working options to attract talent with.
It’s not just about getting employees through the door, either; flexible working has a huge part to play in creating strong, healthy workplaces in which people stay, thrive and build better lives. Flexible working supports good health and wellbeing, increases inclusion for key groups (including parents, carers and people with health issues), reduces absenteeism and even boost productivity. It is a force for social and business good. What’s more, analysis we have conducted with the Institute for Employment Studies and Barclays LifeSkills suggests that in businesses with high portions of frontline workers, changes required to offer flexible working can pay for themselves in just a few years, through reduced sickness absence and improved staff retention.
Which makes it all the more surprising that more companies aren’t embracing flexible hiring strategies. And given that new legislation, due to be introduced in spring 2024, will give people the right to request flexible working from day one in a new job, it really is time for employers brands to get off the fence and start proactively offering it to new employees at the point of hire.
How to speed the pace of change
How can we get back to a position where the number of flexibly advertised jobs is increasing at a more promising rate? One that befits the modern age? Our Flexible Jobs Index recommends that employers:
- Prepare ahead of incoming legislation
There is a real opportunity for employer brands here to shift their approach, so that rather than just being willing to respond to requests for flexible working, they are ready to offer it first.
Doing so will necessitate some key changes; for example, leaders will need to equip line managers to have flexible working conversations with candidates, and HR teams will need to review and refresh processes and policies.
- Ascertain what types of flex are possible
Part-time and hybrid are the most-common form of flexible working arrangements advertised, each appearing in 12% of job adverts posted in the UK, in 2023. But there are many other ways to work flexibly. Just 4% of job ads offer flexible times of work; an arrangement that is relatively simple to support and that can really help some employees to balance work and life.
I advise that employers who want to attract a really wide pool of talent, should explore the whole suite of flexible working options (we covered 19 flexible working terms in our report alone). Only then, can you decide which to offer, and advertise them proactively. When you do so, be as clear as possible; our research has shown that 45% of candidates actually click away from phrases such as ‘open to flexible working’, because they can make the flex on offer feel ill thought out. Be specific on what options you can list, for the win.
- Take a sector-wide approach
Hidden all around the UK, are pockets of good flexible hiring practices. Examples can be very difficult to fiind. We need to scale up innovation, through taking a sector-led approach. We are calling on the Department for Business and Trade to task the UK’s current network of Sector Skills Councils with promoting advice and guidance to employers on job design and flexible working.
We know first-hand the positive impact of tackling flexible working at this level, having carried out innovative pilots and research across sectors including construction, health, social care and retail.
These changes could reboot the growth in flexibly advertised jobs, and get us back on the path towards a flourishing economy in the UK. We need to keep moving forwards, and build a jobs market that’s match-fit for the modern workforce.
Published November 2023
