Three quarters (70 per cent) of UK employees would consider leaving their current job, with nearly a quarter (24 per cent) actively looking for new opportunities and nearly half (46 per cent) passively looking, according to the ADP Research Institute. This figure is much higher than the 60 per cent of European employees who said they were open to leaving their current job.
UK employees are also less likely to consider themselves as devoted to their place of work, with 48 per cent saying they are loyal, compared to the 58 per cent European average.
These findings are the result of a new study by the ADP Research Institute who surveyed over 8,500 employees and employers across 13 countries, in companies with more than 50 employees for their report, The Evolution of Work 2017.
UK workers feel undervalued
The report highlights possible reasons for UK employees’ openness to considering new opportunities, such as a lack of value and purpose in the workplace. For example, nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of UK workers say they do not feel valued at work, compared to 44 per cent of German employees, while just over half (54 per cent) say they do not feel purposeful. What’s more, over six in ten UK workers (62 per cent) believe there is no such thing as job security today.
Worryingly, though, 56 per cent of employers believe their workforces feel valued and 61 per cent think they feel purposeful. This reveals disconnect between what employers think and what is actually going through the minds of their employees.
With the UK on track to have the highest employment rate in the western world, surging most recently to a record of 75.3 per cent, it’s no surprise that the UK workforce is most open to new work in Europe. As the labour market tightens and competition for top talent becomes more heated, employers must address this “me” vs “we” disconnect head-on.
Jeff Phipps, managing director at ADP UK says, ‘The results of this report, whilst alarming, are a positive indication of a buoyant job market. However, it does mean that employers have to work twice as hard to ensure they are retaining the best talent. Organisations must look internally to make sure they are doing everything within their power to make their workforce feel valued and purposeful, and in turn more likely to stay.
‘Of course pay and work hours play an important role in retaining employees, but meeting employee expectations is key,’ adds Ahu Yildirmaz, co-head of the ADP Research Institute.Set featured image
‘Employees say they are more likely to stay with a company if their experiences are aligned with the expectations agreed to when hired – and if they understand how their role helps to achieve business goals. But when a position shifts away from that understanding, employees are already thinking of leaving.’
Further reading on leaving your current job
