Six-day work weeks won't work anymore for new talent, says report

According to a report, companies with 6-day work weeks have to settle for leftover talent

Executive talent in India is looking for a five-day work week for office roles, instead of a long five-and-a-half or six-day work week, according to a report in the Times of India. According to executive search firms, hiring candidates for companies with prolonged work weeks has become much more difficult. Such companies often have to settle for leftover talent, claim search firm experts.

The report says that six-day work weeks have become a dealbreaker for most candidates, especially in today's hybrid work environments. However, six-day work weeks remain fairly commonplace in industries such as energy, manufacturing and infrastructure, reports the ToI. Companies, hence, stand to lose out on larger talent pools if they do not adapt their work culture accordingly.

Many manufacturing and pharma companies operate under a six-day work week. To maintain fair play and equity, manufacturing and corporate functions operate under a six-day arrangement, claim industry executives in the Times Of India report. Pharma juggernaut Sun Pharma, however, has seemingly broken the mould. Until December 2021, the company recently outlined six-day work weeks for corporate and R&D functions, with second and fourth Saturdays off. The report says that both corporate and R&D departments operate under five-day work weeks.

Candidates generally assume a five-day work week when presented with job opportunities, with over 95 per cent of candidates actively looking to join companies with five-day work weeks. Consequently, companies with six-day work weeks get leftover talent, reports ToI.

This widespread emergence of a preference for five-day work weeks is attributed to the post-pandemic realisation of the importance of mental health and personal time. According to the report, the key to success for some companies has been to allow employees to design their work week efficiently and productively while retaining the organisation's unique culture and human connections.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, around 10-15% of candidates enquired about working hours and weekdays. Post-Covid, this statistic has reached at least 40%, indicating a change in the mindset of new candidates. Today, people value their time much more and do not want to work on weekends. The report added that candidates are, therefore, electing to forsake higher pay or better job prospects in favour of spending time with family.