Flexible job hunters double as new workers’ rights progress – London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

The latest Work Index – a report that analyses millions of data points from Flexa on the working environments and cultures on offer at companies, and those most sought out by job hunters – shows that last quarter marked the highest number of flexible job vacancies and flexible job hunters ever recorded by the Index, since it began in January 2020.

The findings suggest that companies are already broadly embracing new flexible working rights proposed by the Employment Rights Bill, whereby all workers are set to gain a default right to request and access flexible work.

This is despite wider controversy, which centres on suggestions that companies are unprepared to deal with the changes outlined in the Bill as it progresses through parliament.

At the same time, the findings point to a gap between the level of flexibility which is currently on offer, and the level of flexibility candidates want. Demand for fully remote roles drastically outstrips supply, whilst the reverse is true for hybrid roles, where supply outrips demand.

The Index analyses data from Flexa: the platform where companies get discovered for their working environments and culture.

Flexible jobs see record demand and supply

There were more flexible jobs advertised last quarter than ever before, Flexa’s data shows. Between July and September 2024, Flexa recorded 6,962 flexible job posts offering anything from ‘fully-remote’ work to 1 work-from-home day per week, and anything from ‘a little flexibility’ around working hours to ‘fully flexible’ working hours.

The findings point to a 60% increase in flexible jobs, compared to the previous quarter (4,343 flexible jobs were posted on Flexa between April and June 2024).

Last quarter also saw the highest number of job hunters looking specifically for flexible roles ever recorded by Flexa. Between July and September 2024, 22,014 job seekers signed up on the platform to register their preferences for flexible roles at organisations offering a range of different working environments and cultures.

This means that  job seekers prioritising flexible work more than doubled in number (up by 132%), compared to the previous quarter (Flexa recorded 9,473 job seekers looking for flexible work between April and June 2024).

The findings contrast heated debates around wider Employment Rights Bill proposals. Despite concerns around changes to zero hour contracts and probationary rights, record supply and demand for flexible jobs signals broad support and readiness on both sides when it comes to new flexible working rights.

Employers take a more moderate approach

Yet employers are taking a more moderate approach to flexible work than staff.

59% of job seekers preferred roles offering ‘fully remote’ work (whereby teams work remotely on a full-time basis, and the company does not have an office) last quarter. By contrast, just 2% of job posts advertised ‘fully remote’ work between July and September 2024.

The number of ‘fully remote’ job posts also halved between July and September 2024, compared to the previous quarter (4% of roles advertised the benefit between April and June 2024). By comparison, demand has increased by 18% since April, when half of job seekers preferred ‘fully remote’ jobs.

Flexa’s data suggests that employers are far more likely to accommodate ‘hybrid’ work (a mixture of home and office based work), instead of ‘fully remote’ work.

Over three quarters of roles offer hybrid work

77% of job posts advertised ‘hybrid’ work – offering anything from 1-4 work-from-home days per week – last quarter. Yet just over 1 in 10 (11%) of job seekers preferred ‘hybrid’ roles between July and September 2024.

The number of jobs offering ‘hybrid’ work also rose by 22% between July and September 2024, compared to the previous quarter (63% of jobs advertised the benefit between April and June 2024). Whereas job seeker demand for ‘hybrid’ roles has remained relatively stable since April.

The findings suggest that employers on the receiving end of flexible working requests will have to navigate a gap between the level of flexibility which they are currently prepared to offer, and the level of flexibility which candidates want.

Molly Johnson-Jones, co-founder and CEO of Flexa, said, “More job seekers are looking for roles offering different kinds of working environments and cultures, and more employers are offering them.

“Their increasing support for flexible work is key. Whilst the Employment Rights Bill is set to give all workers the default right to request and access flexible work, it will by no means guarantee that requests are accommodated. And, despite broad support amongst employers, workers want a greater level of flexibility than businesses are currently able or willing to give.

“If workers could choose right now, our data suggests that a large number would work remotely full time. Whereas companies would rather staff come into offices for at least some of the week.

“Flexible working requests will no doubt shine a light on the gap between these preferences, and force each side to find a path through together. The good news is that there’s no shortage of options. Flexibility is a spectrum, and employers and employees have anywhere between ‘1 WFH day per week’ and ‘fully remote’ work to meet at a point that works for both sides.”