More than one in five (23 per cent) UK workers are looking for a new career in the first week of 2017, reveals research published today by Peakon.
Peakon surveyed 3000 UK employees during the first week of January to gauge the mood of employees going into the new year.
A quarter (23 per cent) were actively looking in the first week of 2017 and one in ten (10 per cent) are looking to move jobs in the next 6 months. However, not many actually (6 per cent) say they are likely to switch jobs in 6-12 months.
‘Staff will clearly be keeping employers on their toes in 2017,’ says Dan Rogers, co-founder of Peakon.
‘There is far more confidence in the UK economy than many had anticipated towards the latter stages of last year, and people feel comfortable enough to start actively looking for a new employer.’
Rogers adds, ‘UK workers have clearly spent some part of the Christmas break considering their options and many have decided on a fresh challenge in the new year. It’s crucial that employers are aware that in January they are at huge risk of losing key performers.’
A new career change is the primary motivation
Almost one quarter (24 per cent) of survey respondents cite a change in career as the primary reason behind their job search.
Other main factors prompting their search include feeling underpaid (23 per cent), a lack of faith in company management (17 per cent) and feeling overworked by their employer (16 per cent).
‘It is very interesting to see the desire for a career change rank so highly, and this will be a huge surprise to employers,’ says Rogers. ‘Business may have assumed that offering a hefty pay-rise or promotion would see them retain employees who are looking to leave, but this is no longer the case.’
‘In recent years, there has been a notable shift in attitudes. Employees now place less value on status or materialistic offers than they once did. Instead, more workers, especially millennials, are prioritising the ’employee experience’ and pursuing careers that they consider fulfilling.’
Further reading on a new career
