Having experienced working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, the ability to work flexibly is now more important to the majority of Northern Ireland workers than job security.
That is one of the main findings of a survey from online job board NIJobs.com which has highlighted why a hybrid working model is an important recruitment tool for employers, alongside pay and career progression.
More than two third of the 1,200 employees it surveyed said flexible work pipped job security, a sign, it said, the pandemic has shifted attitudes towards careers and also to the return to the workplace, something which is likely to accelerate in the coming months.
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According to the survey, 71% of workers expect employers to offer remote working or a hybrid model as an option, a figure which would have been unimaginable before the pandemic took hold in early 2020.
“The last year has impacted livelihoods, the economy and many local business sectors,” Sam McIlveen, General Manager at NIJobs.com. “It comes as no surprise that the pandemic has made people reassess priorities in getting the right work/ life balance as we emerge out of lockdown.
“Jobseekers are considering how and where they work and what they want from a potential employer.”
As a result, employees may have itchy feet, as the report showed with just under half of respondents said they would move jobs if the right role came along.
“That is clearly an interest in moving jobs that has been suppressed by the pandemic. Employers should re-examine their employment offerings, making their job specifications and company information easily digestible and accessible, so they don’t miss out on hiring the right candidate.”
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The report found the recruitment sector has performed well in recent months with over 60% of NIJobs.com employment categories recording their highest number of vacancies to date.
There have been more jobs advertised in the first six months of 2021 than in the whole of last year. The pandemic initially predicted mass redundancies but now there are record numbers of vacancies. As the economy recovers further there is pent up demand for people who want to move jobs or change careers.
“If we look at the job market currently there are high numbers of vacancies offering many well paid, highly skilled roles across sectors. When furlough ends shortly, we will have a clearer idea of what is likely to happen in the coming months, but the market will still be fluid with plenty of movement.”