World of HR: Roughly one-third of employers in India are struggling to recruit and retain talent

India is more than 7,000 miles away from the US, but a recent report reveals that HR leaders in both countries face many of the same issues.

Where in the world? Roughly one-third (34%) of organizations are struggling to find the right talent and retain workers, according to the 2024 Talent Trends report from Michael Page staffing, which surveyed 3,087 people in India. Meanwhile, 54% of workers said they’re currently looking for a new role, and 15% are planning to look in the next six months.

The majority (81%) of workers who are happy with their salary look for workplace flexibility when considering a new role, and 48% said they look for better company culture. Furthermore, 72% said they want flexible working hours, and 70% want flexible working arrangements.

But 54% said they’re in the office more than they were a year ago, and 37% said they’re back in the office full-time.

Workers also want better work-life balance: 41% of respondents would refuse a promotion in order to maintain their well-being, a 10% increase from 2023, with younger workers being more likely to prioritize their well-being than their older peers.

Satellite view. Workers in the US value flexibility and well-being so much that many would take a pay cut for a four-day workweek, HR Brew previously reported. Younger workers also value flexibility more than salary, according to a recent survey from hiring platform, iHire.

“All of the research I’ve been looking at shows the same thing: that employees who have some degree of flexibility over where and when they work are reporting higher levels of employee engagement. That is the group of people that is demonstrating to be more engaged and more productive,” Karen Mangia, president and chief strategy officer at the Engineered Innovation Group, told TechCrunch.

Nearly 8 billion people in the world, and flexibility appears to be the great employer equalizer.