A survey of UK workers has revealed that 48% plan to change their jobs in the next two years.
However, while keen to change, employees are not overly confident about their ability to find new positions, with 40% expecting new jobs to be harder to find over the next year.
In the longer term 51% expect it to become more difficult in the next five years, while only 15% of workers expect job-hunting to get easier.
Work-life balance
The research, produced by the Recruitment Confidence Index (RCI), also revealed that manageable hours and an improved work-life balance is growing in importance.
More than half of all staff (57%) say pay is very important to them; 48% say enjoying the job is very important, and 41% say working hours are crucial.
When it comes to moving on, 59% said they would apply for a new job if the salary was good enough, but 50% said it was important that a new employer offered them good opportunities to balance work with home.
Employers underestimate value of work-life balance
The survey results will be a surprise to many bosses. Research carried out by the RCI three months ago found that employers regarded pay, career progression and organisational culture as the three most important factors when it comes to hanging on to talent.
Only 26% of employers said flexible working was important and 24% said it had no impact at all.
Emma Parry, who runs the survey for Cranfield School of Management, said: “The results show that today’s workers do not just want to be well paid for what they do, they also want job satisfaction and the ability to balance work and home.
Employers need to bear this in mind and think more creatively about the packages they offer new recruits if they are going to fill vacancies in what is already a tight labour market.
It is not enough to offer pay and promotion – staff want a personal life too.”
The Recruitment Confidence Index is quarterly tracking research produced by Cranfield School of Management and the Daily Telegraph in association with Personnel Today.
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This is the RCI’s first Employee Confidence Survey and includes the views of 5,000 employees across the UK.
