Nearly a year ago, we reported on a Mom Corps survey that found that 45% of workers would take a pay cut to get flexibility. This year's Mom Corps survey shows that the importance of workplace flexibility continues to increase.

Mom Corps, a national flexible staffing firm, again found that flexibility is so important that 45% of workers would sacrifice pay for it, according to a Staffing Industry Analysts article. More telling, 73% said it was one of the most important factors when looking for a new job.

In addition, the survey found that:

• 48% would consider alternative work options, including contracting, to gain flexibility.
• 58% believe they would get more done if they could work from home occasionally.
• 39% have left or have considered leaving a job due to lack of flexibility. That increases to 50% for those between ages 18 and 34.

These statistics are not surprising.  Work-life balance, as workplace flexibility is often called, has been a common buzz phrase of the past decade and is the main reason more and more workers are choosing contract work as a lifestyle. While younger workers, particularly "Millennials," may be a driving force, it is important to people of all generations. For those juggling careers with shared childcare duties and often the care of elderly parents, flexibility is no longer just a nice perk, it is a necessity. And for Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, contract staffing allows them to remain active and supplement retirement income while maintaining the flexibility to focus on hobbies and families.

That means if you want to attract the highest quality candidates, you will have to be able to find them jobs that provide flexibility. The best way to do that is by offering contract staffing positions that provide more leeway when it comes to when and where work is completed, the work schedule, daily requirements, etc. 

When you work with a contract staffing back-office, you can offer these candidates all the perks of traditional employment with the flexibility that comes with contract work.  The back-office becomes the legal employer of the contractors, providing a regular paycheck with the option of direct deposit, unemployment, and Workers' Compensation. They also often offer contractors a full menu of benefits, including Obamacare-compliant healthcare coverage.

Don't be afraid to offer contract staffing an an option to your candidates. By doing so, you can set yourself apart from your competitors and become a trusted advisor to your star candidates.

Debbie Fledderjohann is the President of Top Echelon Contracting, Inc.