Boosting Recruitment

The switch to a 32-hour work week is expected to draw attention to the County as an employer, but other efforts are needed to be truly effective at recruitment. Prospective recruits sited difficulties in finding housing (whether to own or rent), lack luster pay, and remoteness, as reasons why they decided not to take a County job or why they left after a short period of time.

In conjunction with a 32-hour week, the County is taking other steps to boost recruitment. They include:

Internship program: The opportunity is intended for college-aged adults to gain insights into County work and gain real life experiences that can build their resumes.
Leased housing: The County is securing housing that can be used to transition new employees onto the Islands, thus giving them time to find housing.
Compensation study: An assessment of the County’s wages relative to comparative local governments will help the County chart a pathway to compensation levels it can afford and make the organization competitive within the larger job market.
Recruiting bonus: For hard to fill positions, a financial bonus may be offered as a recruiting incentive.

The County’s decision to move to a 32-hour work week cannot come soon enough to address the dramatic shift in workplace perspectives and employee expectations.

According to 2019 research from the Henley Business School at the University of Reading:

63% of businesses say that flexible working options help them attract the right talent.
This schedule is seen to attract older talent to a business (70%), as well as younger workers (64%).
69% of workers say they would enjoy their work more if they were able to work a four-day (32-hour) week.

More recent data can be found in the world’s largest four-day working week trial to date: The UK’S Four-Day Week Pilot. Comprising 61 companies and around 2,900 workers, the study took place in the UK from June to December 2022. Some of the identified benefits include:

The number of staff leaving participating companies decreased significantly, dropping by 57% over the trial period.