Putting in extra hours at work won't necessarily help get you that promotion If you think that putting in extra hours will help you get head, we have some bad news for you- a new survey says your ability to do the job is far more important to the boss. WORKAHOLICS and office stalwarts beware: just because you've become part of the furniture doesn't mean you're primed for promotion. Our increasingly hectic lives combined with an explosion in mobile technology and more women in the workforce has seen time spent in the office plummet as essential criteria for promotion. A survey of 600 Australian business leaders found just 19 per cent of bosses believe hours spent in the office should be a top factor when considering employees for a career boost. Experience and time spent in the position (30 per cent) was also dwarfed by the ability to win new business (64 per cent) and ability to do the job (97 per cent), according to the study by workplace provider Regus. Social statistician and Foreseechange managing director Charlie Nelson said bosses are recognising people cannot just live to work. "That 19 per cent figure for time spent in the office would've been a lot higher 10-20 years ago," he said. There is an increasing recognition that we all have portfolio lives. We might have a range of interests, not just our job, but families, charity work and self-development. There is a range of things we do rather than being in the office all of the time. As long as people get the job done then they have more freedom. Census data reveals the proportion of stay-at-home mums with a child aged less than one year has dropped from 57 per cent in 2006 to 52 per cent in 2011. This trend is set to continue with more women looking to keep themselves stimulated and socially engaged via their job, Mr Nelson said. Social commentator Mark McCrindle said the shrinking importance of time in the office is a sign of the flexibility and teleworking opportunities that exist today. "From skyping and phone conferences, to emailing on smartphones and working across multiple locations, changing work hours to cut down on travel time, or just general work/life balance expectations - we've seen a big shift in what leaders expect," he said. That is why new office designs focus on hot-desking, activity-based working and less formal offices or set desks. And as for companies needing people to stay longer, this too has changed. As the data shows, only about one in five look for this longevity in the role as a key factor. In the past if someone had lots of roles on their resume we'd question it; now if they just have one or two roles over a long period we wonder what's wrong with them. The top factors in promotion decisions are: Ability to do the job (97%) Ability to win new business (64%) Experience and seniority time spent in the position (30%) Hours spent in the office (19%) The threat of the employee leaving the business (19%) Sense of humour (8%) Their looks (2%) Source: Regus