While labour shortages are giving employers across the country headaches, many workers are evaluating their options to get the most out of the situation.
A recent Indeed survey of 1,000 Canadian full-time workers found that 32% of respondents want to change jobs within two years, while 25% have already taken action. A look back at this survey allows us to better understand what drives employees to look for a new job.
Get more benefits
The main reason that motivates workers to look for a new job? The desire to benefit from better working conditions while improving their social benefits.
Almost half of those surveyed said they would reconsider their decision to leave their job if their employer responded to this request.
Flexibility is a priority
The desire to take advantage of a more flexible schedule comes second in motivations to change jobs. Many workers consider the 9 to 5 schedule to be too restrictive and are looking for a job that would give them more flexibility.
More than one quarter of respondents say however that they would be willing to stay on the job if their current employer offered more flexibility in terms of their working hours. For companies that are unable to improve salaries due to budget constraints, this is a great option to increase the employee retention rate.
Climbing the ranks
In addition, 39% of respondents have the ambition of moving up the hierarchical ladder by accepting a new position. And many workers feel that changing jobs is also the best way to advance their career and acquire additional skills.
Companies that want to retain talent should therefore instill a corporate culture that focuses on skills development and advancement opportunities.
Getting a better salary
Finally, 63% of workers surveyed admit they would stay on the job if they had a raise. This shows the importance for companies to offer competitive salaries, especially in this period of scarcity of labour.
To sum up, with the labour shortage, employers have no choice but to offer advantageous measures to retain talent within their organization. As Jodi Kasten, managing director of Indeed Canada, explains in a press release, “The days of workers staying in companies for decades are long gone. They are increasingly active in their quest to find the best job opportunity, whether it is to advance their career, boost their income or get more benefits.”