A recent study has revealed flexible working policies led to a 20% increase in job applications for senior positions from women.
This data came from insurer Zurich UK, which is part of a wider government-backed study, found that applications from women for management positions have grown after it started promoting flexible work hours.
Last year, Zurich became the first company in the UK to market all of its vacancies with the option of part-time, full-time, job share or flexible working.
“Embracing part-time and flexible work is not a silver bullet. But we’ve seen hugely encouraging results, simply by adding six words to our job adverts,” said Steve Collinson, head of HR at Zurich. “By offering roles that fit flexibly around family life, employers could open the floodgates to a much wider pool of untapped talent. This will also help women progress into higher paid jobs whilst fitting other commitments around their careers.”
In addition to the firm seeing a growth in female applications for higher roles, the company also saw a 16% rise in women applying for jobs at various levels.
According to Elizabeth Berridge, Minister for Women, adopting such policies can make it easier for companies to achieve workplace equality and potentially even out the gender pay gap.