Attractiveness of employers: what parents want

The increasing shortage of skilled workers and demographic trends are forcing companies to increasingly attract qualified employees with attractive working conditions. Parents and family carers in particular, who make up around 11.6 million employees in Germany, have specific requirements when it comes to balancing work and family life.
A recent study conducted on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) provides detailed insights into the needs of these employee groups for the first time. It shows what makes an employer attractive from the perspective of parents and carers.

The key finding of the study: family friendliness forms the basis for employer attractiveness. For 70% of the parents and family carers surveyed, this includes flexible working hours. Companies are increasingly expected to take family commitments into consideration and offer appropriate work-life balance solutions. This flexibility includes both planned and spontaneous time off as well as the option of adapting working hours to care needs.

The needs of mothers, fathers and family caregivers differ:

• Mothers: Many mothers continue to take on the majority of childcare. They therefore need flexible working hours that are aligned with school and childcare times. Part-time management positions and job sharing are of particular interest to them so as not to jeopardize career opportunities.
  
• Fathers: It is important for fathers that companies actively encourage them to take parental leave and make use of work-life balance options. They want flexible working models that allow them to be there for their family when needed.
  
• Family carers: This group needs flexibility in their choice of working hours in order to adapt to their care needs. In addition to flexibility, however, reliability and predictability of their workload is also important (no spontaneous changes or frequent overtime).

The Prognos study presents a three-stage strategy for improving the work-life balance:

The study clearly shows that employer attractiveness for parents and carers depends heavily on the flexibility, family-friendliness and support provided by the employer. Companies that proactively address the specific needs of these groups and offer tailored solutions can increase their attractiveness as an employer and position themselves better on the job market.

More than 2,500 working parents and family caregivers were surveyed for the Prognos study, which was published in 2024.