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Will a Four-Day Working Week Help With Candidate Attraction?
31 Jul, 20241-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- The benefits of a four-day working week.
- The disadvantages of a four-day working week.
- If a four-day working week reduces burnout.
- How a four-day week will help with candidate attraction.
- Discover more about our recruitment services.
Between June and December 2022, a trial was conducted by 4 Day Week Global and the think tank Autonomy, where 60+ UK companies had the opportunity to trial a four-day working week. After the trial ended, the majority of companies decided to permanently stick with a shorter working week.
As a result of the four-day working week trial, employers are now able to decide if they want their employees to work the hours of a five-day working week in the space of four days or just work the hours of four days.
The introduction of a four-day working week has split opinion, with some companies reaping the rewards and others deciding against the change. Despite some employers sticking to a traditional 5 day week, they might be missing out on the benefits that a shorter week could have for attracting professionals.
Throughout this blog, we’ll uncover how a four-day working week will help employers with candidate attraction.
How will a four-day working week help with candidate attraction?
A four-day working week can be hugely attractive to candidates as a strong work-life balance is what a lot of individuals now look for within their career.
Research by 4 Day Week, found that 83% of employers found it easier to attract talent once implementing the four-day working week.
By allowing a 3 day ‘weekend’, employees have extra time to relax, recharge, spend time with family and pursue a hobby.
A four-day working week is also cost saving for employees as they’re spending less money on commuting, which can therefore be appealing to candidates, especially those that live far from their workplace.
As there can be increased productivity amongst employees thanks to a shorter working week, candidates may be drawn to a particular role if they are seeking increased job satisfaction. The more a role appeals to a candidate in terms of job satisfaction and fulfilment, the more likely they are to want to apply for the position.
With employee attraction already being a competitive prospect, introducing a four-day working week is a good way for employers to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.
A four-day working week can also attract a more diverse workforce, such as busy parents and people pursuing further education, as it might fit in better with their schedule and allow them to juggle parenthood and career development alongside a new role.
Employers won’t want to miss out on skilled professionals who can enhance their team, just because their personal commitments mean they can’t pursue a Monday - Friday position.
According to Startups, a four-day week is most attractive to Gen-Z employees, with 58% reporting they would actively seek new employment for the perk, so if employers are looking to attract Gen-Z talent, implementing a shorter week would be a worthwhile idea.
What do employers need to consider before introducing the four-day working week?
Before introducing a four-day working week, employers must consider a range of factors to ensure that it’s beneficial and sustainable. The last thing employers want to do is implement a shorter week and then realise it doesn't fit their businesses needs, as employees might not be happy if the perk is revoked.
When implementing a four-day working week, employers should consider:
- Can work still be completed efficiently?
- Will it benefit employee wellbeing?
- Could it mean further costs for the business?
- Will it suit your customers or clients?
- Could employees become more stressed due to longer daily hours?
A four-day working week offers numerous benefits to employers from better recruitment to higher productivity. By reducing the working week, employees have more time for personal pursuits and rest which can lead to lower stress levels and better mental health. This can boost employee satisfaction and motivation as they feel less burnt out.
What are the benefits of a four-day working week for employers?
The benefits of a four-day working week for employers include:
- Enhanced environmental awareness.
- Increased productivity.
- Better recruitment and employee retention.
- Improved mental health.
Enhanced environmental awareness
A four-day working week can showcase an employer's environmental awareness as reducing the working week can result in a decrease in people commuting to work. Public transport and cars typically contribute to air pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases, therefore employers should demonstrate that they are environmentally aware and playing their part in protecting the planet.
According to 4 Day Week, research has shown that a four-day week could reduce the UK's carbon footprint by 127 million tonnes per year, which is the equivalent to taking 27 million cars off the road.
Increased productivity
A four-day work week can increase productivity by allowing employees more time to manage personal responsibilities and rest, which helps them return to work feeling refreshed and focused.
With fewer workdays, employees might have to become better at managing their time and prioritising jobs, which can lead to more efficient work.
Research by The Conversation found that the four-day working week could lead to an increase in productivity of about 10%. An increase in productivity can benefit employers by reducing their need to pay employees for overtime.
Increased productivity can also result in better customer satisfaction as productive employees can handle customer queries quickly and efficiently.
Better recruitment and retention
During the pandemic, hybrid and remote working increased which has now led to employees wanting more flexibility from their employers. Due to this, being able to offer a more flexible working pattern might encourage jobseekers to join a business and existing employees to stay.
According to Henley Business School, 68% of companies offering a four-day week said flexible working helped them attract talent.
Offering the flexibility of a four-day working week can also increase loyalty from existing employees as they should see that their employer values their personal time. Satisfied employees are also more likely to promote their workplace positively, helping to attract new staff through positive word of mouth.
Improved mental health
The four-day working week can improve mental health as employees have an extra day to relax and practise self-care. Practising self-care such as exercising, taking part in a hobby and spending time with family and friends, can help improve mental health by reducing stress.
It can also improve a person’s mood as when exercise is completed, the body releases feel-good hormones called dopamine. Dopamine can help to reduce anxiety and depression.
A recent study by the University of Cambridge found that 71% of employees self-reported lower levels of “burnout”, and 39% said they were less stressed, compared to the start of the four-day working week trial. They also found a 65% reduction in sick days, which could have been the result of employees feeling stressed.
This research shows that the four-day working week can have a positive impact on employees' mental health.
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We continually reimagine the recruitment process to challenge convention and defy expectations; from creating a better recruitment experience to remodelling employee engagement, we thrive off doing things differently and turning heads along the way.
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