Professionals do not want to commute anymore, according to a Global Mobility Study by Dalia, and this hardly comes as a surprise. Commuting has been a sore topic for decades, but most have accepted it as the only way to land the best jobs with the best companies.
Commute times across APAC are some of the highest in the world. According to the Study, Hong Kong has the fourth-longest commute time across all the countries surveyed, at an hour and a half, due largely to congestion, traffic and a recent surge in vehicle ownership. Singapore and the Philippines came in sixth and eighth place respectively. On the other end of the spectrum, Japan came in first place with the shortest daily commute of just 39 minutes each day.
Location (59%) and commute time (43%) are two of the top five considerations when looking for a new job, according to The Harris Poll on behalf of Glassdoor. When asked what would make them more likely to apply for a job at a company, nearly half of U.S. job seekers (48%) cited attractive benefits and perks (e.g., gym memberships, paid time off, etc.), followed closely by a convenient, easy commute (47%).
Commuter angst
According to IWG’s Global Workplace Survey, more than eight in ten jobseekers will not take a job that does not offer flexible working. 41% of the Survey’s APAC respondents said that commuting is the worst part of their day, and one in five workers said they are regularly late for work due to travel disruptions.
Almost one-third of APAC respondents said they would prefer to live in another area, but did not choose to move because it would increase their commute time. Fortunately, commute-free and commute-light flexible working options are becoming far more commonplace. 74% of APAC respondents acknowledged that businesses in their sector are offering flexible working options to reduce commute times. 32% of APAC respondents believe that by 2030, commuting will be a thing of the past.
How businesses can future-proof their HR strategy
The APAC region is suffering the most severely from talent shortages globally, making up five of the world’s top ten worst-affected markets, including Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and India. This according to the Talent Shortage Survey conducted by the Manpower Group. Julie Coucoules, Glassdoor’s Global Head of Talent Acquisition said, “Job seekers crave transparency, not only to make an initial judgement about whether to consider applying for a job but also to assess if an employer holds long term potential for them. Quality candidates are typically well-researched and look for a richer set of background data that includes benefits and employee reviews, among other specific traits about an employer. This means that employers should make information available to job candidates proactively, or they risk missing out on quality candidates applying.”
For companies that need their talent on-site, which is still a reality for the majority of businesses in APAC, it is important to listen to their employees and look for ways to ease the burden that commuting puts on them.
IWG’s research showed nearly half of all employees across APAC spend their commute working, and as a result, 42% think that official working hours should include time spent on their journey. Not only is commuting a drain on time and energy for employees, but it is also an expensive activity. 55% of APAC respondents want businesses to subsidise the cost of commuting.
A flexible workplace policy can be difficult to implement if there are strong cultural barriers against it. If employers want to attract and retain the best talent, there is a need to look for ways around this. IWG’s research also showed that 82% of APAC workers would turn down a job that did not offer flexible working, and 46% believe a choice of work location is more important to them than working for a prestigious company.
Given that people are a company’s greatest asset failing to address employees’ needs in today’s competitive job market will not only impact recruitment and retention but also will, in turn, hit production and output levels.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
