Six-day workweek unattractive to talents in India

This is according to a Times of India report which revealed that companies with prolonged workweeks looking to hire candidates have found it much more difficult and often have to settle for leftover talent.

The report said that six-day workweeks have become a dealbreaker for most jobseekers, especially in today’s hybrid work environment. Nevertheless, six-day workweeks remain common in industries such as energy, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and infrastructure where plants run for a full six days. These companies, hence, stand to lose out on larger talent pools if they do not adapt their work culture accordingly.

Candidates generally assume a five-day workweek when presented with job opportunities, with over 95% of candidates actively looking to join companies with five-day workweeks. Consequently, companies with six-day workweeks are left to hire leftover talent.

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This widespread emergence of a preference for five-day workweeks is attributed to the post-pandemic realisation of the importance of mental health and personal time. The key to success for some companies has been to allow employees to design their workweek efficiently and proactively while retaining the organisation’s culture and human connections.

Before the pandemic, around 10-15% of candidates enquired about working hours and weekdays. Post-pandemic, this statistic increased to at least 40%, indicating a change in the mindset of new jobseekers.