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Half of female workers say the advent of hybrid work has empowered them to apply for more senior roles within their organisations.
According to the Empowering Women in the Hybrid Workplace Report commissioned by IWG, 53 per cent of women believe hybrid working has had a positive impact on breaking the glass ceiling.
The report found that flexibility is key to this empowerment, with nearly 80 per cent of women saying it had allowed them to apply for more senior roles. Furthermore, 88 per cent of respondents believe that the flexibility of hybrid working serves as an equaliser in the workplace, while 66 per cent believe it has led to them experiencing less bias due to their gender, race, or otherwise.
Hybrid working has enabled women to make major career decisions, switch jobs and industries, and seek better work/life balance. Three in five respondents (62 per cent) have considered applying for a new job that offers more flexibility, and almost half (48 per cent) are considering a career change that they would not have previously considered.
In pursuit of flexible working arrangements, many have changed industries altogether, with nearly half (47 per cent) stating that hybrid working has enabled them to move into their new industry. Women report that hybrid working has made them more efficient and productive (58 per cent), helped them learn more about other roles at their company (47 per cent), and increased their visibility with senior leadership (38 per cent).
Acknowledging the findings as coinciding with International Women’s Day earlier this month, of which the theme was embracing equity, Fatima Koning, group chief commercial officer at IWG, said, “Hybrid working has the potential to substantially deliver on this vision.”
“This latest research from IWG is very encouraging and shows that more women are making major career decisions, switching jobs and industries, based substantially on the ability to access hybrid working, which is facilitating a better work/life balance and opening up new career opportunities for them,” she commented.
Previous research by the IWG had found that hybrid working was a key recruitment and retention tool for HR leaders across the UK, and this rings true for women in particular. Hybrid working has become a “non-negotiable” for many women, with 72 per cent saying they would look for another role if their employer no longer offered a hybrid schedule and two-fifths (40 per cent) even resigning from their previous role as a result of not having one in place.
According to the report, hybrid working benefits women not only professionally but also personally, with almost half (49 per cent) reporting that it has given them more time to pursue personal passions outside of work. The majority of women (75 per cent) also reported a better work/life balance as a result of saving both time and money on reduced commuting (67 per cent), more flexibility in their schedules (66 per cent), and improved mental health (44 per cent).
Among the 53 per cent of women who identify as caregivers, 65 per cent consider flexible work arrangements a valuable caregiving benefit, recognising that through hybrid working, they can save money and have more time to participate in family events.
