As the war for talent among companies intensifies, new research finds that over a third of employees have been approached for a new role over the past year.
According to new data collected by Talent Works, close to two-fifths (38 per cent) of software and government professionals have been approached over 5 times for a new job in the last year.
This was more evident among software professionals of which almost half (45 per cent) had been approached by headhunters over the previous year.
This comes as firms are searching for people with technical skills as the skills gap becomes more prevalent within UK businesses.
When exploring what could convince an employee to stay or to leave their current position, a fifth of employees (20 per cent) said being forced to be in the office full-time or part-time would negatively impact their experience.
This reluctance to return to the office was seen more clearly among women, government professionals and those over 35 compared to men, software professionals, and 18-34 year olds.
When asked about what they want most when working at an organisation, opportunities to progress their career (38 per cent) and a great company culture (33 per cent) came out on top.
A great office was a much lower priority for respondents (16 per cent), showing that physical workspaces are no longer a main priority for employees and prospective candidates and businesses looking to attract top talent should direct their focus elsewhere.
As such, close to a fifth of people surveyed (21 per cent) reported that they are looking to pursue their career elsewhere in 2022, with this pertaining more to younger workers compared to staff aged over 35.
Neil Purcell, CEO and Founder of Talent Works, commented:
Businesses should be concerned with the mixed responses on working policies, especially with job openings at an all time high and poaching numbers only likely to grow.
Understanding your candidates and your employees will ensure that the right people fit within your organisation and employee turnover and churn is reduced.
Monica Sharma is an English Literature graduate from the University of Warwick. As Editor for HRreview, her particular interests in HR include issues concerning diversity, employment law and wellbeing in the workplace. Alongside this, she has written for student publications in both England and Canada. Monica has also presented her academic work concerning the relationship between legal systems, sexual harassment and racism at a university conference at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
