Two-thirds of HR professionals plan to quit roles within a year: poll

Retention challenges are hitting HR teams themselves, with new research showing that almost two-thirds of professionals in the field expect to change jobs this year.

A survey of 300 UK HR decision-makers by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr found that 65 percent of respondents anticipated leaving their current employer within the next 12 months. Only a third said they were not actively looking for a new role.

Those in the largest organisations appeared most likely to move on. Among HR professionals supporting workforces of 1,500 employees or more, just 27 percent said they were content to stay in their current role, at least for the time being.

Reasons for leaving

The most common motivation for change was the desire to gain new knowledge and skills, cited by a third of those surveyed. A quarter said they felt underpaid and wanted a higher salary. Other drivers included seeking more rewarding work (20 percent), improved work-life balance (19 percent) and a better package of employee benefits (16 percent).

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Stress and workload were also a factor, with 15 percent wanting a less demanding job, while the same proportion wanted greater job security. Fourteen percent hoped to reduce their working hours, and 13 percent said it was simply time to move on. A further 13 percent pointed to poor leadership at their organisation.

One in 10 of those looking for a new role were considering leaving HR altogether and moving into a different career.

Risks for employers

Claire Hawes, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, said employers might not expect such high levels of discontent in their HR departments. “Most employers are very aware that retention continues to be a challenge, but they may not be expecting to see such high figures of discontent and risk of attrition among their own HR teams.”

She said a key function of HR was “to understand what might be driving employee turnover, especially if it’s higher than market average, and work with leadership to help create strategies to reduce it. Because if people feel valued and supported, and invested in, it’s likely they’ll want to stay with your organisation for longer”.

She warned that ignoring HR professionals’ development and reward risked wider consequences across the workforce, especially “[i]f people in your HR team are feeling overlooked because they don’t have clearly defined training and development routes.

“Or maybe they don’t feel adequately rewarded for the skills and experience that they bring. Then it’s very likely that other employees in the business are feeling exactly the same way. And if you’re not doing what you can to meet their needs and priorities, another organisation will.”

Development opportunities

Hawes noted that while smaller HR teams might not be able to offer promotions into more senior roles, employers must still provide ways for staff to develop.

“Of course, not every organisation can always offer vertical career progression, especially for smaller HR teams. But employers must prioritise training and upskilling, and give people the time they need to focus on their own development,” she said.

“Structuring teams in a way that enables cross-specialist learning, secondments to other departments or more involvement in wider business projects can all be valuable in helping HR professionals gain more commercial awareness and a broader understanding of the organisation,” she said.

Hawes added that “[e]veryone should have the opportunity to grow in their role and gain new knowledge and skillsets to help them reach their potential, and improve their HR capability in the longer term. Otherwise, who can blame them for considering going to work for another company that will respect and value their vital role?”

The survey was conducted by research firm OnePoll in July on behalf of Ciphr.