Talented young people will not join companies that are inflexible about how their employees choose to work, a new study suggests.
Research indicated that a flexible work culture is now a key consideration for most young workers when choosing a job.
More than half of 18- to 34-year-olds surveyed by the business finance lender Sonovate said they don’t believe they need to be in an office full time to learn what they need, and feel they are well equipped to work virtually.
More than a third of respondents aged 18-34 said they had made a career change to work more flexibly during the pandemic.
The report, based on a survey of 4,500 adults, suggested that the coronavirus crisis prompted a shift in attitudes towards jobs among younger workers.
Two out of five younger people questioned said they did not want to work the way they did before the pandemic.
Richard Prime, co-founder of Sonovate, said: “As the pandemic caused a significant proportion of the UK’s younger employees to lose jobs or go on furlough, young workers had more time than ever to consider what they want from their careers.
“The crisis prompted a tremendous shift in attitudes towards what ‘working’ looks like, with companies left with no choice but to accommodate home-working, many for the first time ever.
“Younger people’s preferences towards portfolio careers and multiple side-gigs are rooted in a desire for a better work/life balance and to make an income from what they are passionate about.”
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
