Overview

Report title: Encouraging Employers to Advertise Jobs as Flexible​

Source: BIT​

Year published: 2019

Sources
Categories
For Employers
Context
  • Many jobs can accommodate flexible working, yet only a small fraction are explicitly advertised this way—despite high demand from jobseekers, especially women and caregivers​
  • This lack of transparency creates barriers to workforce participation for those who require flexibility, and may reinforce gender inequality in access to quality roles​
  • Behavioral factors such as status quo bias, inertia, and ambiguity aversion contribute to employers failing to signal flexibility—even when willing to offer it
Outcomes
  • Employers exposed to a prompted choice in the job listing template were 20% more likely to advertise roles as flexible (a 7% increase)​
  • Job adverts that included flexible working options received 30% more applications on average, indicating strong demand from jobseekers ​
  • The most notable increase was seen in offers of flexitime, but all categories of flexible work—including part-time and remote options—showed positive movement
Implications
  • Small, low-cost design changes—like prompting employers during the job posting process—can significantly boost the visibility of flexible roles​
  • Increasing the number of roles advertised as flexible may help attract a broader and more diverse applicant pool, particularly among underrepresented groups​
  • Widening access to flexible work has the potential to normalize these arrangements across genders and job types, advancing equity and productivity
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