What Women Want ... at Work

View full size image

Flexibility is a key factor in keeping female employees engaged and happy at work, a new study has found. In that research, 50 percent of female workers name workplace flexibility as one of the most important factors driving the growth of their careers.

Additionally, 33 percent of respondents say offering flexibility in their work hours and working arrangements is one of the best ways to engage them at work. Overall, 49 percent of women say their company is already flexible and accommodating to their working environment.

"As enhanced technologies and increased access to information continue to blur the lines between our professional and personal lives, many workers mistake being busy for being productive," said Linda Galipeau, CEO of Randstad of North America, which conducted the research. "These are two very different concepts that, when looked at from an organizational standpoint, could have serious implications for a company's bottom line."

The researchers also found that women say the increasing prevalence of mobile technology, such as smartphones and tablets, has made it harder for them to find that flexibility. Forty-two percent of women say it has become increasingly harder to disconnect from the office because of new technologies. Staying connected, however, has not helped the company's bottom line a great deal, since 68 percent of women say technologies have not made them more productive.

"We are only productive if we're producing the results that are most impactful to our goals," Galipeau said. "Being that we live in a multitasking world, it is important to work smarter and hone in on those high-impact efforts that will create more meaningful results. This is incredibly important, especially as women and men can now perform their jobs from almost anywhere."

The research, which compiled the responses of 3,417 workers, also found that several other factors are important to female employees. In particular, women say that the relationship they have with their bosses and co-workers plays an important role in their overall job happiness.

This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89 or BusinessNewsDaily @bndarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.