Employees care more about work culture than flexible working

New findings from Cpl’s Talent Evolution Group suggest employees care less about flexible working than generally thought. The survey, to 1,500 UK employees, reveals Brits are more than twice as likely to leave their job due to negative work culture or a toxic working environment than because of limitations with flexible working.  Whilst organisations may be prioritising flexibility for working parents, over 80 percent of 25–44-year-olds would not actually consider limitations to flexible working a reason to leave their position. 

The results of the poll are set out in a new whitepaper, Catching the Next Wave of Talent Innovation [registration], which sets out to discover the best ways to ‘retain talent in this time of unprecedented change, and to better understand how to create a human space in the workplace’.

The top reasons for employees to consider handing in their notice, in order of most likely, are:

1. Ineffective or toxic line management

1. Lack of recognition

1. Negative work culture

1. Toxic working environment

1. Poor job security

The authors of the report claim that this new data puts the onus on employers to prioritise employee satisfaction and instil an inclusive and positive culture in the workplace. Organisations must meet the needs of employees to attract and retain talent at a time where the talent shortage is at an all-time high.

Barry Winkless, CSO of Cpl and Head of Cpl’s Future of Work Institute, comments, “In a world competing for the best talent, many businesses are ill-equipped to position themselves as an attractive, destination workplace that puts a human and holistic approach at the centre. The creation of a true destination workplace requires a constant focus on ensuring a fully diverse and inclusive environment which allows people to be themselves at work.

“By focusing on holistic needs- personal, emotional, and social- across diverse workforces, we can continuously improve the humanity of an organisation. Meeting these new expectations of employees will be fundamental to retaining precious talent.”

Image: tp bennett. Project featured in issue 10 of IN Magazine. All images tp bennett / hufton+crow