According to a recent FlexJobs survey of 1,700 U.S. workers, women place more value on remote work, flexible schedules and work-life balance when thinking about applying for a job. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to prioritize compensation.
The survey, conducted on SurveyMonkey through social media and newsletters, shows that while salary is an important factor for both men (68%) and women (66%), women are more likely to consider how and where they’ll be required to work before hitting “submit” on a job application.
Remote work is one such factor. Compared with 70% of men, 78% of women say remote work options influence whether they apply for a job. Women also rank remote work as their top priority when considering a new job (37%), while men rank compensation first (31%).
Other reports have shown that remote work can have negative, disproportionate impacts on women than men. Last year, McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace report found that women who work remotely most of the time were less likely to have a sponsor and receive promotions in the last two years compared to women who work mostly in-office. Men received similar levels of sponsorship and promotions no matter where they worked from, the report showed. While 52% of primarily remote men had a sponsor, just 37% of women said the same. And for those who worked mostly in-office, 57% of men reported having sponsors compared with 54% of women.
Women are also more likely than men to emphasize factors like work-life balance and benefits, according to FlexJobs. When deciding whether to apply for a job, 55% of women factor in work-life balance, compared with 48% of men. Meanwhile, 46% of women consider benefits like health insurance and retirement plans, compared with 39% of men.
Women were also more likely to say that feeling valued (73%), having access to learning opportunities (58%), and contributing meaningful work (57%) drive engagement in the workplace.
Workplace flexibility is another major factor in retaining women. Rigid structures and strains on caregiving can push women towards mid-career exits and burnout. As such, flexibility revealed the largest gender gap in the survey. While 64% of women consider flexible schedules when applying for a job, nearly half (49%) of men said the same. There’s also a divide when it comes to burnout and stress. One-third of women (33%) report feeling stressed at work often or very often, compared with 24% of men.
According to further research, companies that offer flexibility may see higher employee productivity, engagement, lower turnover rates, and 1.7x revenue growth. Flexibility is not just a deciding factor in whether women apply and stay for jobs. For employers, this is an indication that one-size workplace policies could be costing them more than they realize.
