New research suggests that flexible working options have the potential to limit promotional opportunities for women.
Professional social media platform LinkedIn has today (7 October) published data that explores the current availability of remote and flexible working arrangements in Ireland. With the month of August showing that 9.1pc of job postings were remote, Ireland was the country that ranked first in Europe for remote availability, while ranking second for the availability of hybrid jobs at 37pc.
The demand for remote roles stands at more than 20pc in Ireland, one of the higher figures in the EMEA demographic, indicating that for Irish professionals, careers that can facilitate flexibility are of significant importance. However, LinkedIn’s data also identified the potential challenges a shift in working culture can bring.
On-site roles, for example, were found to be the fastest route through which a professional can access promotional opportunities with the data suggesting that flexible arrangements slow progress, particularly for women. Whereas 10pc of on-site men were shown to move upwards within 64 months, 10pc of women achieved the same in 68 months.
For men working in a hybrid capacity a promotion could be delayed for a period of 70 months and for women it was once again a longer process at 72 months, showing that while “flexible work roles lead to greater parity between genders, staff based on-site are promoted faster at the expense of slower progression for women”.
Commenting on the latest data, LinkedIn Ireland country manager Cara O’Leary said: “Our data has consistently shown that Ireland continues to lead the way for remote and hybrid work opportunities, demonstrating how flexibility has become firmly established as a defining feature of our jobs market. Professionals are clearly embracing the benefits of choice in how and where they work, with Ireland seeing even stronger demand for remote roles than our European peers.
“This shows just how fundamental flexible working has become to attracting and retaining top talent, as employers continue to adapt to shifting expectations. At the same time, our research highlights that flexible working is not without its challenges particularly for women, who continue to face slower progression in the workplace.
“While hybrid arrangements help to narrow the gender promotion gap, they do so largely by slowing advancement for everyone. These findings underline the importance of companies being intentional about how they support career development in flexible environments.”
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