With the number of vacancies in the UK tech sector increasing by almost a quarter in 2018, companies must to work harder than ever to attract and retain much-needed talent.

The tech industry has long been associated with punishingly long hours, with Elon Musk claiming to work more than 120 hours a week, but that might be about to change.

The expectations of the newest generation of tech workers are changing, with new technology enabling remote working, and many organisations now offering flexible working.

As a result, gen-Z employees are demanding a more positive work-life balance and with 61 million young people born between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s due to enter the US workforce over the next few years, employers must take note in order to stand out from the competition.

IT recruiter CWJobs surveyed over 1,000 IT workers to discover what attracts tech employees to a job and motivates them to stay.

Although salary and benefits are the biggest drivers for 71% of jobseekers, a large proportion would sacrifice this for the sake of their home life, with nearly two-thirds saying they would quit their job to achieve a good work-life balance.

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This is even more crucial for Gen-Z. Seven out of ten of 18 to 24-year-olds surveyed said that they would leave a job if it was negatively affecting their work-life balance.

At the same time, tech workers want the opportunity to grow as professionals, with 52% willing to leave their jobs over a lack of career progression. Some 56% of Gen Z workers say “new challenges” are more important than higher salary and other benefits. Company culture is also key for one in three.

How can businesses promote a good work-life balance?

An important step employers can take to promote a good work-life balance is through flexible working. Be it to take care of children or pursue other activities, the majority of Brits would favour a move away from traditional working hours, with a recent survey from PowWowNow revealing that 70% of millennials want to work more flexibly.

Positive work-life balance can be beneficial for business too, with many businesses which have implemented a four-day week noting an increase in productivity.

Dominic Harvey, Director at CWJobs comments:

 “Striking the right balance between a competitive renumeration package and opportunities for development is one of the biggest challenges facing employers. Clearly, there is no one-size-fits all approach to attracting the best tech talent.

“It’s exciting to view the tech and IT recruitment in such a new and dynamic way, by looking at personality types and seeing how employers or businesses can tailor their offering to meet the traits of individuals. This way, perhaps workers will discover new things about what they should be looking for in a role in ways that might’ve been discounted before.”