Work-Life Balance a Key to Job Acceptance
No author cited
Hudson, February 2008
According to a recent survey of over 1,600 U.S. employees by recruitment provider Hudson, nearly a third (29 percent) of them now consider work-life balance, along with flexibility, to be the most important factor in considering job offers. Compensation still matters, the survey found, but it finished second (23 percent) behind lifestyle when workers were asked to name the primary reason they accepted their current positions.
When it comes to interviewing for jobs, the survey also found that workers are generally quite satisfied with how their current employer handled it. Three-quarters of workers rated their company's interview process as "excellent" or "good." Only 5 percent rated it as "poor." Sixty-eight percent of workers said there was less than one month between the time when they applied for the position and when they actually began work.
However, there remains room for improvement, Hudson's survey finds. One in five (20 percent) workers said that the position they accepted did not quite match up with the job they heard about during their interview. Also, notably, a similar number (19 percent) actually claim that they did not meet their boss before joining the company.
"It is the company's responsibility to make sure all candidates considered for a position understand what the job will entail. Failing to do so will create retention problems and may even have legal consequences," added Morgan.
An additional survey finding was that, among workers who earn $75,000-$100,000 per year, 32 percent said that compensation was the primary reason they accepted their current job.
The survey, which looked at workers who have been with their company for less than five years, was conducted in late January 2008.
