Flexible Working

Flexible working has long been embedded in Europe’s supply chains - the vast majority of professionals have it, and those in site-based roles largely expect not to. The dynamic to watch is expectations. Professionals in office-based functions have long managed around outcomes rather than hours, and any move to restrict that will be felt. Employers returning to more rigid attendance policies in these roles should expect it to show up in both attraction and retention numbers.

QUESTION 14

Are your working hours flexible in your current role?

Yes

No

QUESTION 15

Do you have flexibility to work remotely in your current role? If yes, how many days per week can you work remotely on average?

1 day a week

2 days a week

3 days a week

4 days a week

My role is fully remote

“The functions where flexibility is genuinely feasible – like procurement, planning, and commercial - are the same ones where professionals have always expected it. They manage global stakeholders across time zones, and that means scheduling around what needs to get done. If you can offer flexible working, the expectation is that you will - and any significant reduction in flexibility would be noticed far more than any increase.”

Matthew Wood, Managing Director - DSJ Global Europe

Flexible Working Expectations & Motivations

Flexible working is important to 83% of survey respondents - a figure unchanged from last year. However, 6% more professionals than last year say they would turn down a fully on-site role outright, and the fact that most would not trade salary for flexibility tells you something important: they do not see it as a perk to be negotiated, but a standard part of a compensation package.