India job seekers aren't ready to return to the office — 2 in 3 say they value flexibility over pay

Workers successful India are acold from acceptable to instrumentality to the pre-pandemic days of moving successful an office, 5 days a week.

That's according to a caller survey by employment tract Indeed, which recovered that 71% — oregon astir 2 successful 3 — Indian professionals chose flexibility arsenic the apical parameter portion connected a occupation hunt.

"This includes the quality to enactment from home, acceptable your ain hours, and instrumentality breaks arsenic needed," the occupation portal added.

Flexibility has been a increasing precedence for moving professionals, who study better work-life equilibrium and productivity erstwhile they tin take wherever and erstwhile they work.

According to Indeed's survey, which drew information from much than 1,200 occupation seekers successful India, "work modes" specified arsenic hybrid oregon distant arrangements were a adjacent 2nd (70%) for moving professionals erstwhile evaluating a occupation opportunity. 

In contrast, less occupation seekers (67%) see the compensation offered for the job. That includes salary, benefits, wellness insurance, household permission and different learning programs offered by a company. 

In an epoch of enactment wherever professionals privation the prime to enactment wherever they're astir productive, employers are little apt to connection that flexibility than before. 

"Employers' attitudes towards distant enactment remains astatine likelihood with the preferences of occupation seekers successful India," Sashi Kumar, Indeed India's caput of income told CNBC Make It.

"The second stay keenly funny successful distant work, whereas employers are acold little apt to notation 'work from home' successful the occupation ads they post."

According to Indeed, 6.5% of occupation postings connected the level successful June explicitly notation phrases specified arsenic "work from home" oregon "remote work" successful their occupation descriptions. 

While that fig has "drifted upwards" successful 2023 frankincense far, it remains good beneath the levels observed successful 2021, it added. 

In contrast, Indeed recovered that occupation searches for distant oregon hybrid enactment stay elevated astatine implicit 10%. 

The survey besides revealed that 63% similar to enactment successful a hybrid mounting successful particular, wherever they tin enactment from location immoderate days and from the bureau connected different days.

Yet, lone 51% of 561 surveyed employers stated they supply that option.

According to Kumar, determination are respective factors that are contributing to companies' tendency to person employees backmost successful office.

"Companies are anxious to reconstruct a consciousness of pre-Covid normalcy, and bringing employees backmost to the bureau is seen arsenic a measurement towards achieving that," helium explained.

"The accepted bureau situation has agelong been a cornerstone of firm culture, and for many, it represents a spot of communication, collaboration, and innovation."

Employees besides spot having employees physically contiguous successful the bureau arsenic a mode to "enhance productivity" and guarantee amended accountability.

However, Kumar added, "the aboriginal of enactment is undoubtedly evolving, and it's indispensable for organizations to stay open-minded and adaptable successful effect to these changes."

In the midst of economical uncertainty, occupation seekers person been facing longer occupation interrogation processes arsenic companies go much cautious with hiring. 

According to a June study from HR advisory Josh Bersin Company, successful collaboration with workforce solutions steadfast AMS, the magnitude of time it takes to prosecute a caller employee reached "an all-time high" successful 2023.

The study showed that mean time-to-hire rates for the archetypal 4th of 2023 accrued crossed each industries by 1 time — pushing the recruitment process to 44 days connected average.

This whitethorn beryllium wherefore Indeed's survey recovered that India's occupation seekers reflected the request for "more transparency and clarity" astir jobs and interrogation processes. 

Its findings showed that lone 15% of applicants perceive backmost from companies aft interviews wrong 10 to 15 concern days, portion 63% hold betwixt 15 to 30 concern days.

In addition, astir fractional of occupation seekers, oregon 48% surveyed, privation to cognize the wage scope from employers earlier applying for a role, Indeed added. 

While the magnitude of the recruitment process depends connected the size of the company, manufacture and role, Kumar said that "clear communication" is important particularly erstwhile attrition rates are high.