Firms with Flex-Work Policies Are Hiring Faster Than Those Fully in Office

Flexible companies are adding headcount at double the rate of fully in-office peers, but landing a flexible job can still be a challenge.

Bloomberg News

July 18, 2023

2 Min Read
employee working at a computer
Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) — Companies with flexible in-office policies are hiring faster than those that have fully returned to pre-pandemic attendance rules. But landing a flexible job still comes with challenges.

New research from Scoop Technologies Inc., which advises organizations on how to coordinate hybrid staffing, compared headcount growth at roughly 3,600 fully-flexible, hybrid and entirely in-office companies. It found that flexible outfits — those with hybrid, fully-remote or electively-remote staffs  — added headcount at more than two times the rate of fully in-office counterparts during the March-through-May period.

headcount increase chart

headcount-increase

"Companies grow faster when they offer flexibility because people are more excited to join," said Rob Sadow, co-founder and chief executive officer of Scoop. Prospective employees rank flexibility second only to compensation when it comes to workplace satisfaction, meaning that consistent headcount growth might be explained in part by talent flocking to flexible firms, he added.

The research also found a strong correlation between the number of in-office days required per week and workforce growth. Companies with one-day-a-week rules expanded staff by almost 5% over the past year, compared with 2.6% at five-days-a-week businesses.

Related:Want a Career in Tech? These 3 Tips Will Give You an Edge

headcount by days in office chart

headcount-by-days-in-office

"Companies should tread really carefully around expanding requirements to be in the office above three days because that's where we start to see a pretty meaningful impact on ability to grow headcount," said Sadow.

Despite the rise in hiring by flexible companies, job growth across the board is slowing. US nonfarm payrolls expanded by 209,000 in June — the smallest monthly increase since the end of 2020 — indicating that the overall number of open roles is dipping while demand remains high. Jobs advertising full-time remote work attracted almost half of all applications on LinkedIn in May, compared with just 19% for hybrid positions.

About the Author

Bloomberg News

The latest technology news from Bloomberg.

Sign up for the ITPro Today newsletter
Stay on top of the IT universe with commentary, news analysis, how-to's, and tips delivered to your inbox daily.

You May Also Like