{"id":8035,"date":"2024-07-24T08:00:28","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T08:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hirematic.com\/how-a-four-day-work-week-will-affect-hiring-teams\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T14:19:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T14:19:33","slug":"how-a-four-day-work-week-will-affect-hiring-teams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hirematic.com\/it\/how-a-four-day-work-week-will-affect-hiring-teams\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the 4-Day Week Upon Us? What Hiring Teams Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The concept of a four-day work week isn\u2019t new, but it is controversial. But whether you think it\u2019s a good idea or not, it\u2019s a concept that is gaining momentum across the UK \u2014 and around the world. Hiring teams need to be prepared and understand the possible effects a shorter week could have on recruiting and retention.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Experimenting with the 4-Day Work Week<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 2022, over 60 UK companies participated in a six-month trial<\/a> of the four-day work week. More than 90% opted to continue the experiment after the pilot project concluded, and 18 made the change permanently.<\/p>

More recently, the district council in South Cambridgeshire<\/a> implemented a four-day week for around 450 office employees and local refuse collection workers. Although district staff completed the same amount of work and received the same pay as they had during Monday to Friday work weeks, the council realised savings of approximately \u00a3370,000 per year because of a sharp decline in employee turnover.<\/p>

Proponents of the shift to a four-day week say these trials (and other experiments<\/a> in Belgium, Iceland, South Africa, and Spain) demonstrate without a doubt that companies can save money, increase efficiency, and improve the mental and physical well-being of their employees by making the switch. Critics have dismissed it as \u201can ideological crusade<\/a>\u201d and warned that \u201cnobody ever changed the world on 40 hours a week<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>

But what does it mean for talent acquisition professionals, hiring teams, and recruitment firms?<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How Can a Shorter Week Impact Hiring?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The decline in turnover reported in South Cambridgeshire certainly suggests that transitioning to a four-day work week could bring change for hiring teams. Let\u2019s examine some of the possible effects on recruitment and retention.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Benefits of a 4-Day Work Week<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Human resources and hiring teams can realise several advantages by offering employees (and potential hires) the opportunity to work four days per week instead of five.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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