Executives Rank Work-Life Considerations Over Money

By David B. Bohl | May 3, 2007 | No Responses Yet

In my April 12th post I talked about Tom Peters and a message he had for us: “Life-work balance is pretty much an illusion if you want to make an impact in today’s economy.” Well according to a poll of executive recruiters by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) found that not all executives see things that way. Here’s an excerpt from my April 12th post:

Tom Peters, management ‘guru’ and author of In Search of Excellence has this message for us:

“Life-work balance is pretty much an illusion if you want to make an impact in today’s economy.”

Speaking on a panel at a Leadership Forum at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, Peters pointed out that executives at General Electric “arrive at the office every day at 6:15 a.m.”

But guess what? Not all executives see things this way.

A poll of executive recruiters by the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) found:

Most candidates for senior positions are seeking more flexible schedules and limits on travel to give them more personal time.

85% of the recruiters had candidates who rejected an executive job offer in the past year because they couldn’t get the flexibility they were seeking.

91% of the recruiters said work-life considerations have become more critical in a candidate’s decision to accept an executive position than they were five years ago.

When asked how executive candidates weigh work-life balance against potential earnings, just 14 per cent of recruiters said money wins out.

The good news is that “companies are finding they have to make concessions to get the candidates they want. The survey found that 66 per cent of recruiters said the companies that are their clients have become more flexible on granting work-life demands of candidates.” according to AESC.

The bad news? “Most made the deals on a case-by-case basis; just 8 per cent said their clients have set up formal programs to allow executives flexible work hours.”

Things are headed in the right direction for sure.