This article has ben reproduced with the kind permission of Aquent.

The concept of work/life balance suggests that work and life are separate entities set in opposition. If work encroaches on your life, you should fight back. But, work/life expert Cali Williams Yost suggests it isn't about a balancing act; it's about fitting work and life together, so each element complements the other.

Harmoniously blending work and life has become a serious issue, critical for business growth. And, as Matt Grant says in The Talent Blog, ".just as it is counterproductive to pit one's 'work' against one's 'life,' it is equally unhelpful to see 'flexibility' as an issue pitting workers against their bosses."

Aquent recently collaborated with Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and Yost's Work+Life Fit, Inc. to poll individual workers as well as corporate representatives (manager-, director-, or VP-level executives with hiring and management responsibilities) to "better understand today's workforce and the phenomenon of career sequencing and workplace flexibility."

Some key findings from the summary report, "Changing the Career Ladder: Paving Flexible Pathways for Today's Talent," include:
Men believe their rationale for a career break is perceived as less valid than women's. However, hiring managers don't actually favor particular reasons for career breaks.
"When it comes to corporate recruiting needs and practices, there is an opportunity to recruit from additional labor pools, including those professionals currently absent from the workforce and those seeking flexible work options." But, only a little more than half of surveyed hiring managers "view flexibility as a strategy for managing workflow and talent management challenges."
Although a majority of hiring managers perceive flexible work options as valid, a smaller percentage offer those options.
"Project-based employment can provide a 'win-win' for companies and employees."

Yost offers the following advice on her Web site to companies looking to recruit and retain employees with innovative work/life fit options: "Most people who adjust their fit don't want to work less, they want to work differently which won't result in any fewer 'people' hours to get the job done. It's the team's job to make sure that happens, not yours."

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		Chris Pyle has considered himself an artist ever since his mother found some of his fifth grade drawings and enrolled him in local art classes. Since focusing on an illustration career in the early nineties, he has enjoyed seeing his work find a wide audience, becoming popular with a diverse range of clients, from print media and design firms, to record companies and advertising agencies. Chris currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana (USA) with his wife and son. Click on picture to read more about him.
Creative Indiana Contributor

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