Putting aside the frightening proposition that companies are facing, many businesses are starting to introduce new flexible working arrangements for their employees because of the many business benefits that they can bring. This is a reflection of the changing needs of both employer and employee.

Introducing a flexible working policy can benefit your business in many ways that you might not have thought of before. If you were to offer flexi-hours, then you are more likely to attract a higher level of skilled professional, which will reduce your reliance on sourcing and paying for contractors. It has also been argued that companies who have flexible working policies offer more job satisfaction and achieve better staff morale due to their understanding of their employees needs.

So what is ‘flexible working?’ Flexible working normally refers to flexibility in terms of time e.g. part- time, flexi-time, staggered hours etc and location e.g. working from home, working from a local office etc.

For an individual, it gives them the flexibility to manage their IT career and life balance without having to sacrifice one for the other or letting one suffer over the other. This can particularly be helpful for employees with families or other dependants. Studies have shown that people who can manage a better balance between work and life have reduced stress levels and perform better whilst at the office. Studies have also shown that many employers found that once they have introduced flexible working arrangements, it reduces sickness levels amongst their staff.

So with this in mind, The IT Job Board, specialists in IT jobs, surveyed their candidates to understand their needs and perceptions about flexible working and how it effects their IT career. The results showed a mixture of both negative and positive feedback regarding the introduction of flexible working.

When candidates were asked to rank the importance of being offered flexible working hours when applying for an IT job, they considered it to be the second most important criteria after salary.

However, of those in an IT job that work flexible hours, almost half of these do not feel that the IT industry has tailored itself to the flexible working ethos. They feel that there is a negative perception of those who work flexi-hours and frowned upon by management.

And despite the evolving change to flexible working hours in many companies, 38.9% of respondents that did not work flexi-hours of which 81.5% were not offered the option. Nevertheless, 90% of those not working flexi-hours would like to do so, proving that it is a popular and important choice for most to make in their IT career.