Workplace flexibility has become a top priority for today’s job seekers, and two-thirds of candidates believe they don’t need to be sitting at a desk to get their work done, according to ManpowerGroup Solutions’ Global Candidate Preferences Survey released today. Nearly 40% of global candidates report that schedule flexibility is one of the top three factors they consider when making career decisions.

The survey found flexible arrival and departure times and full-time work from home/location independence are generally the most desired types of flexible workplace policies. Twenty-six percent of global candidates say flexible arrival and departure times are most important, followed closely by the ability to work from home or any other place they choose at 22%. The greatest demand for unlimited paid time off was found in the US.

Schedule flexibility preferences, global average and in the US:

• Flexible arrival and departure times: 26%, US 21%
• Full-time work from home: 22%, US 26%
• Choice in shifts: 15%, US 18%
• Part-time work from home: 12%, US 9%
• Compressed shifts/work week: 9%, US 11%
• Sabbaticals or career breaks: 6%, US 4%
• Caregiving leaves: 5%, US 2%
• Unlimited paid time off: 5%, US 8%

The rise in the importance of schedule flexibility is driven by a wide range of local factors, according to the report. These include the presence of multinational companies or unions in that location; the influence of technology firms in the marketplace; workforce composition, such as proportion of Millennials; and congestion, infrastructure or public transportation that can impact commuting times.

Overall, the Global Candidate Preferences Survey respondents were between 18 and 65 years old and currently in the workforce (not retired or homemakers). In total, the survey included 13,961 global respondents from 19 countries, including 1,384 from the US.