At Mom Corps, we conducted a national survey this Fall that offered some insightful information into the work preferences of the various age groups. Several interesting point came out of it including:
- More than two in five working adults (42 percent) are willing to give up some percentage of their salary for more flexibility at work; about six percent is the average employees are willing to relinquish.
- Perhaps surprisingly, working men (12 percent) are twice as likely as working women (6 percent) to say they would be willing to give up more than 10 percent of their salary to receive more flexibility at work.
- The 18-34 age group is up to three times more likely to give up more than 10 percent of their salary (15 percent among 18-34-year-old workers vs. 5 percent among working adults ages 35+), even though the unemployment rate for young workers is at its worst since 1948 and the highest among all age groups, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The whole of the information can be found here.
Right before Christmas, our findings specifically around Gen Y’s work preferences were featured on TIME magazine’s web site, titled “The Beginning of the End of the 9-to-5 Workday?” We are seeing more professionals feel challenged by the collective pressures of a demanding work life, a hectic personal life, and a desire to find fulfillment in both. As a result they are seeking in greater numbers work opportunities that will offer some level of flexibility. But it is no longer just about moms who need to pick their kids up from school. Professionals in all demographics—Boomers and Millennials, men and women, parents and new graduates—are voicing their preference for work/life alignment with passion.
Have you found that happy medium between personal and professional? We would love to hear how you are doing it.
