Flexibility is top choice for professionals

Graduates attend a job fair held in Beijing, April 1, 2015. [Photo / IC]

Report finds that work-life balance is second only to cold, hard cash for young job hunters

Companies need to take personal concerns into account when advertising for staff, because job hunters in China now think a work-life balance is as important as a higher salary, according to a survey from human resources firm Hudson Global Inc.

The Hiring Report 2015 said that 61 percent of the 1,262 Chinese mainland professionals it surveyed listed a work-life balance, including flexible arrangements, as the most important element in a new role.

This is the first time in the survey's history that work-life balance features among the top three elements of a job, second only to getting a higher salary (66 percent).

Different ages put different emphasis on a work-life balance. It was the top priority for employees aged 36 to 50, being cited by 62 percent.

This age bracket is the peak time for family responsibilities, which range from child rearing and family finances to caring for elderly relatives. But it is also an important phase professionally, thus making the work-life balance so important.

Professionals aged 20 to 35 show relatively little concern over this issue, presumably because they are still at the preliminary stage of their career, seeking higher payment and promotion.