Almost 77 percent of UK professionals plan to look for a new job this year, according to the online job board, CV-Library.
Research by the site, which spoke to 2,000 professionals, also shows more than half (57.6 %) plan to either reskill or retrain to boost their options within their current firm or at a new one.
The site says many believe reskilling will make them more employable, and give them the option to have a more meaningful career.
The top five reasons for moving on in 2022 are:
- 42.1% Want/need a career change
- 41.3% Higher salary
- 40.7% The uncertainty of the pandemic delayed an inevitable decision
- 38.9% More flexible working opportunities
- 33.2% Burnout
Respondents said they would not leave jobs if they were paid better, had remote working opportunities and better management. They said these were the areas employers could focus on, including investing in training and upskilling staff.
Lee Biggins, CEO and founder of CV-Library said: “The combination of confidence slowly building in the UK economy since ‘Freedom Day’ and the pandemic triggering people to re-assess their lives and search for more happiness, money and flexibility; has created a perfect storm in the job market.”
Stop staff leaving by giving them better options
He added that employers could take specific steps to avoid staff leaving: “Offering top salaries is the obvious choice but investing in training and upskilling, offering remote working opportunities, and building strong internal teams, look to be the smartest moves businesses can take in 2022.”
Kate Palmer, HR Advice & Consultancy Director at Peninsula agrees, saying there are several things that businesses can do to avoid the threat of mass exodus.
She said: “Businesses must pro-actively assess the general themes and trends for motivation and satisfaction within their workforce which directly appeal to people to stay. Conducting stay interviews can help identify what encourages and discourages employees, and employers can then implement effective changes.”
She also said employers should look at the “Great Resignation” as the “Great Opportunity”, as it allows them the chance to bring in fresh talent and develop the skills of their existing workforce.
She added that employers should ensure their workers have adequate support in place, pointing out that around a third of respondents to the CV-Library survey suggested burnout as a reason for leaving.
She said: “To ensure this does not remain an issue moving forward, it’s important for employers to provide adequate support for mental health and emotional wellbeing. This can be done by providing mental health first aiders in the workplace and access to an employee assistance programme as well as ensuring your managers have had empathy and emotional intelligence training.
Feyaza Khan has been a journalist for more than 20 years in print and broadcast. Her special interests include neurodiversity in the workplace, tech, diversity, trauma and wellbeing.