In April 2010 BlueSteps surveyed over 800 global senior executive members to discover the latest attitudes to work-life balance (The Economist Intelligence Unit assisted with the development of survey questions). Of those surveyed, over half reported that they currently do not have a satisfactory work-life balance – the highest dissatisfaction figure recorded since the survey began in 2006.

Employers missing a work-life balance trick
Eighty per cent of BlueSteps executives say that work-life balance is critical in their decision whether to join or remain with an employer, yet 82 per cent report that their company does not have a program in place to improve work-life balance. The results show a clear disconnect between the way in which organisations view work-life balance as compared to the value placed upon it by executives.

Of the 18 per cent of companies offering work-life balance programs, the most common components offered are home working and a flexible daily work schedule – also the components voted as highly valuable by respondents.

AESC President, Peter Felix, commented, “The success of any organisation is dependent on those running the show, so healthy and satisfied executives are vital to overall performance. The latest BlueSteps.com results indicate that many organisations are overlooking the fundamental link between a healthy company and “healthy” executives.”

In with the blackberry, out with leisure time
The large majority of respondents (70 per cent) feel that a modern lifestyle, defined by new technology and globalisation, has decreased their leisure time. An astonishing 32 per cent rate their career as “more”, or “as”, important as their health - raising the question of what constitutes a healthy and productive company culture. If bad health equals bad performance then organisations have a vested interest in promoting a healthy work-life balance.

Almost all executives rate their career as more important, or as important, as personal leisure or hobbies, while only 35 per cent take full advantage of their allotted paid time off (holiday time) each year.

Promotion not always the road to happiness
Despite many executives giving up a good work-life balance to meet the requirements of modern professional life, 21 per cent would refuse a promotion if it negatively affected their work-life balance and 50 per cent “might” refuse a promotion.

BlueSteps members can view the full report in the members 'career channel' section.

About the AESC and BlueSteps

The Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) is the worldwide professional association for the retained executive search industry. It promotes the highest professional standards in retained executive search consulting, broadens public understanding of the executive search process, and serves as an advocate for the interests of its member firms. www.aesc.org

BlueSteps.com is the AESC’s exclusive online global database of senior executives, offering a connection to over 6,000 AESC member executive search professionals worldwide. www.bluesteps.com

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the business intelligence arm and sister company of the Economist. It conducts over 100 surveys per year across a range of business, social and management issues. www.eiu.com