61% of Executives Surveyed Believe Telecommuters are Less Likely to Advance Compared to Employees Working in Traditional Office Settings
-- Yet More than Three-Fourths of Respondents Say this Group is Equally or More Productive Than Office Workers --
LOS ANGELES, January 16, 2007 – More than half (61 percent) of 1,320 global executives surveyed say they believe that telecommuters are less likely to advance in their careers in comparison to employees working in traditional office settings, according to the latest Trends@Work Quiz from Futurestep, Korn/Ferry International’s (NYSE:KFY) outsourced recruitment subsidiary.
Despite this assertion, nearly half (48 percent) of respondents indicated that they would consider a job which involved telecommuting on a regular basis and the vast majority (a combined 78 percent) stated that telecommuters are either equally or more productive than those who work in offices. When asked which type of flexible working arrangement they found most attractive, nearly half (46 percent) of respondents most preferred the option of working flexible hours.
“Smart employers know that flexible working conditions can be an effective means to creating a productive workforce,” said Robert McNabb, chief executive officer of Futurestep. “Often when employers offer the option of flexible hours and telecommuting, they help employees maintain balance in other parts of their lives which, in turn, fosters loyalty, satisfaction and retention.”
The Trends@Work Quiz also examined whether sabbaticals or extended breaks have any effect on one’s career. More than half (a combined 64 percent) believe that they are either somewhat or extremely beneficial.
Methodology The Futurestep Trends@Work Quiz is based on a global survey of executives registered within the Korn/Ferry International family of Web sites. Respondents from 71 countries, representing a wide spectrum of industries and functional areas, participated in the most recent Trends@Work Quiz between October and November 2006.
About Korn/Ferry International Korn/Ferry International, with more than 70 offices in 40 countries, is a premier global provider of talent management solutions. Based in Los Angeles, the firm delivers an array of solutions that help clients to identify, deploy, develop, retain and reward their talent.
About Futurestep Founded in 1998, Futurestep serves as Korn/Ferry International’s outsourced recruiting subsidiary, focusing on the creation of successful recruitment solutions based on clients’ individual workforce needs. Futurestep has locations in 17 countries across North America, Asia/Pacific and Europe. In addition to recruitment process outsourcing, the company’s portfolio of services includes project-based recruitment, interim solutions and mid-level recruitment.
