Well it’s a New Year, which means that unfortunately for some employers (but perhaps fortunately for others) many people throughout the UK will be looking for a new job.
We were extremely interested to come across an article on the Human Resources website citing a recent study into employee’s workplace resolutions for 2016. According to the report commissioned by CareerBuilder and conducted by Harris Poll, more than one in five (21%) employees plan to leave their current role this year – that’s a massive 5% increase from last year’s figure.
This number is even higher for younger employees. Of the survey respondents who were aged 18-34, nearly a third (30%) anticipated having a new job by the year’s end, compared with 23% who said the same for 2015.
These numbers clearly show that the current workforce is becoming less interested in company loyalty, and more concerned with furthering their own career. Interestingly, despite being in employment, 34% of people who have a job are regularly and actively searching for other opportunities that may be out there.
As CareerBuilder’s chief human resources officer Rosemary Haefner explains, “Just because a person is satisfied with their job doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t looking for new work.”
“Because of this,” she advises, “it’s critical to keep up with your employees’ needs and continue to challenge them with work they feel is meaningful.”
Somewhat in contrast to their lack of company loyalty, employees cited job stability as the most important factor above salary when considering a new position (65%). This was followed by affordable benefits (59%), location (56%), a ‘good boss’ (51%) and a positive work culture (46%).
So what other New Year’s resolutions were the 3,252 employees surveyed planning to make?
A significant proportion (38%) pledged to save more of their pay, although this was slightly down from the 42% who planned to do so last year. More than a quarter (28%) hoped to reduce their stress levels, and 19% planned to eat healthier at work – but again, both these statistics were down a respective 6% from last year.
The only goal that didn’t change from last year to 2016 was ‘getting a raise or promotion’, with 26% of respondents listing this as a top resolution.
Whatever your focus this New Year, Lucy Bristow can help you find the perfect role to enhance your career in 2016. Get in touch today to find out how we can help you meet your goals this year and beyond.
Image: accomplished (344/365) by Tim Pierce available under a CC BY 2.0 license
