Poor management is the biggest driver of discontent, with 49 per cent of workers citing it as a reason they would seek a new job

Nearly half of the UK workforce (47 per cent) will be looking for a new job in 2018, with nearly 1 in 5 people already actively searching for opportunities, according to new research produced by Investors in People (IIP) in their annual Job Exodus Survey 2018.

These findings highlight an improvement in satisfaction across the UK job market, representing a fall of 12 per cent on last year’s figure, where 59 per cent of respondents stated the intention to seek a new job. However, despite the reduction in the proportion of those considering a job move, there are still nearly 1 in 4 unhappy workers.

IIP CEO Paul Devoy comments: “In a year where unemployment has reached its lowest level since 1975, but wages have stagnated, the improvements to the labour market have failed to translate to the pockets of UK workers. With research suggesting that employee disengagement costs the UK economy £340 billion annually[1], bad leadership is eroding UK productivity. With 49 per cent of workers citing poor management as the main reason they’re considering looking for a new job next year, management strategies must evolve to meet the demands of employees if organisations are to retain staff.”

The statistics also revealed that nearly a third (31 per cent)of people would rather have a more flexible approach to working than a 3 per cent pay rise, suggesting thatby offering simple schemes like remote working,employers canimprove job satisfaction.

The top three reasons for people wanting a new job are:

  • They feel they can get more satisfaction elsewhere (48 per cent)
  • They feel they can get more money elsewhere (43 per cent)
  • They don’t feel their skills are valued by current employers (29 per cent)

 

The poll also asked respondents how they thought Britain’s decision to leave the EU would affect their jobs. IIP’s results revealed that 23 per cent of people believe that Brexit will negatively impact their job security. This result suggests that until there is more certainty about the post- Brexit deal for the UK, it is likely to continue to be a cause for concern.

The findings of Job Exodus 2018 show that if employers wish to attract and retain staff, they must not only offer pay at a competitive level for their sector, but they must also ensure good quality, enjoyable work.

[1] http://www.haygroup.com/uk/press/details.aspx?id=7184

 

 

 

 

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Rebecca Clarke

Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.