The survey of 2,000 employed people in the UK, carried out by OnePoll, showed that men value pay, ‘work perks’ and travel opportunities more than women, and women value work/life balance, career progression and ‘making a difference’ more than men.
Double the amount of men are drawn in by travel opportunities as part of their career than women, with 11 per cent of men in comparison to five percent of women ranking this as their top priority in a position. For seven in ten men pay is the most valued aspect of work, with 66 per cent of women feeling the same.15 per cent of men value company benefits the most in their jobs, with only 12 per cent of women in agreement.
Five percent more women prioritise a good work/life balance over men: six in 10 women in comparison to 55 per cent of men. 18 per cent of women deem career progression of highest importance in comparison to 16 per cent of men, and more than one in four women (26 per cent) believe that ‘making a difference’ is the most important factor in their work, with five per cent less men in agreement (21 per cent).
Whilst overall both sexes valued work/life balance second highest, the survey also revealed that more men spend additional time at the office - with three in 10 commenting that they work out of hours, compared to 26 per cent of women.
However, this commitment to working set hours and beyond may not be as beneficial as men perceive - with one in 10 stating that doing so has negatively impacted their sex life and eight per cent of women admitting the same. A further 12 per cent said that it had negatively affected their relationship with their children (10 per cent of women said the same) and 18 percent of both men and women attributed work as the cause of an argument with their partner with close to half of all the men and women surveyed stated work as the cause for missing an important social event.
Jacques de la Bouillerie, MD of Coople, commented: “Whilst the differences cited by men and women in what they want from a job are interesting, it’s far more revealing to note both men and women have the same grievances with their jobs. A lack of ability to work flexibly was cited by both genders as the cause of arguments with their partners and also as the cause of missing an important social event. In 2017, employers need to start truly recognising the value of flexible working and the role it plays in increasing employee happiness and morale.”www.coople.com
