As Work-Life Balance Becomes Top Priority, More Americans Voluntarily Seek Part-Time Work, RecruitiFi Survey Finds

NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- RecruitiFi, a leading expert referral system (ERS) for the recruiting community, today announced results of its national Part-Time vs. Full-Time Work Survey, which found that individuals currently working full-time are increasingly likely to seek part-time work due to the flexibility associated with this career change.

RecruitiFi surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. full-time and part-time adult employees on their careers to better understand the evolving shift in priorities taking place across the American workforce as well as the impact that full-time and part-time work has on careers.

"Now, more than ever before, people are voluntarily choosing to work part-time in order to receive a better work-life balance and other perks that come with a flexible work schedule," said Brin McCagg, CEO and Co-founder of RecruitiFi. "By taking a deep dive into the key drivers behind these career decisions, the survey findings illustrate that organizations must evolve to meet the demands of both full-time and part-time workers."

The Choice – Part-Time vs. Full-Time Work
When part-time workers were asked why they worked part-time, 43 percent said they took the part-time position voluntarily (compared to 31 percent who said they work part-time because it's the only option available to them). Of the full-time employees surveyed, over half of them (54 percent) cited they would voluntarily work part-time if given an opportunity; leaving their current full-time positions or scaling back on hours.

As the gig economy increasingly grows, the option of choosing part-time work has become more of a consideration than ever before. In fact, 37 percent of current full-time respondents cited that they are now more likely to consider part-time work than in the past.

Although more employees are starting to voluntarily choose part-time work over full-time work, these workers do acknowledge the choice is not without possible negative career implications. The majority of respondents feel that the primary negative career implication associated with the move from full-time to part-time work is the loss of money (84 percent); followed by the loss of full-time benefits (66 percent); increased risk of being 'let go' (39 percent); loss of status/credibility/prestige (26 percent); and getting 'mommy and daddy' tracked (10 percent).  

The Value and Unwritten Cost of Office Perks
When asked to rank what employees value most about their careers, 45 percent of respondents cited work-life balance as their number one priority, with compensation (34 percent) as a close second. Among other things workers value most in their careers are professional development opportunities (12 percent), job perks (3 percent), mentorship (3 percent) and gaining status/prestige (3 percent).

While some might think that asking for additional benefits would be a point of contention for some workers, 78 percent of respondents would actually feel comfortable asking for more work-life flexibility if they needed it. However, of those who do not feel comfortable asking, most cited that it would negatively affect their career advancement (45 percent), compensation opportunities (33 percent), or that by asking they would face judgment by their peers (24 percent).

"As an ERS, RecruitiFi helps to connect job seekers with an organization that will fit their needs, whether it is part-time or full-time work," said Justin Luciani, COO and Co-founder of RecruitiFi. "It has become clear to hiring managers and recruiting firms that now more than ever there is a growing demand for part-time work. It is up to these professionals to understand this shift and adapt to the changing needs of this economy of workers."

To learn more about RecruitiFi please visit:www.recruitifi.com

To read more about the shift to part-time work visit: http://blog.recruitifi.com/full-time-workers-increasingly-willing-to-work-part-time

Methodology
Part-Time vs. Full Time Work Survey examined more than 1,000 U.S. full-time and part-time adult employees, across different industries to learn how they currently feel about the type of work they do. The survey was conducted online during the month of October 2015. Survey participants were asked a series of questions related to their current work situation and how and why they made the choice to work either part-time or full-time. The purpose of this survey was to elicit responses that would illuminate current perceptions around part-time and full-time work.

About RecruitiFi
RecruitiFi converges crowd-sourced technology and human expertise to provide employers the ability to efficiently, quickly, and cost effectively fill open positions by leveraging an expansive community of expert recruiters. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in New York City, RecruitiFi is changing the hiring process for the better. Learn more at:https://www.recruitifi.com.

SOURCE RecruitiFi

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https://www.recruitifi.com