Two-thirds of local employees intend to secure positions with another employer within the next 12 months, according to a new report, while the remaining third seriously consider resigning from their current role.
The Kelly Global Workforce Index surveyed nearly 170,000 people in 30 countries, including more than 1,600 Australians and found a further 74 percent of workers cited the ability to “excel or develop” as key to instilling a sense of meaning in their job. The survey examines the factors employees use to evaluate potential employers, the people who influence their career choices and the use of social media in making job decisions.
It found the current economic instability has employees feeling restless, prompting many to review the status of their career.
“Unless employers can offer meaningful work and ongoing opportunities for growth, many employees feel it is in their best interest to keep their careers in a perpetual state of motion,” Kelly Services Australia managing director Karen Colfer said.
Just over half of surveyed workers claimed to be happy with their current employment, with 41 percent saying that it provides them with a sense of “meaning.”
Baby boomers were found to be the most likely to change jobs, with 70 percent planning to look for another position within the next year, while 67 percent of Generation X and 64 percent of Generation Y held similar career aspirations.
“Kelly Services sees many people who are unhappy in their jobs actively searching for new opportunities. Others are reasonably content but are seeking greater engagement and meaning, and are prepared to walk away from situations that are not providing it,” Colfer added.
A healthy work/life balance was cited by 51 percent of respondents as the most important aspect of a potential job, followed by personal growth (36 percent), while compensation and corporate sovereignty were cited by eight and four percent of respondents respectively.
The survey also revealed that more than one-third of workers use social media networks when making career or employment decisions.