New research by independent job board CV-Library shows that British professionals are looking to expand their horizons. In fact, the survey shows that more than three quarters (76.4%) intend to look for a new job in 2022, with over half (57.6%) looking to re-skill or retrain next year.
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What’s pushing Brits to move on?
Changing jobs or retraining in the hope of promotion are major driving factors according to the survey. Still, the majority of workers (43.1%) cite wanting or needing a career change as their main reason for retraining in 2022. Many (41.3%) are looking for a higher salary, while 40.7% say they would’ve been ready to make a change earlier but the uncertainty of the pandemic delayed an inevitable decision.
Earlier this year, a survey by recruitment firm Randstad UK found similar results. Of those polled, 69% said they were ready to move on to a new job. The report concluded that the pandemic encouraged many people to assess their situation and conclude that they were ready to pursue a better life-work balance.
According to the CV-Library poll, other reasons cited for wanting to change jobs include more flexible working opportunities (38.9%) and burnout (33.2%). Only 10% listed ‘wanting a promotion’ as one of their main reasons for searching for a new job.
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What can employers do?
According to Lee Biggins, CEO and founder of CV-Library, the combination of confidence slowly building in the UK economy and the pandemic triggering people to re-assess their lives has created a perfect storm in the job market.
He explains, “The good news is that employers can take action to prevent increased staff turnover. Offering top salaries is the obvious choice (57.3% said it was one of the main reasons they would remain at their current job), but there are other things to consider as well.”
According to the survey, 42% of workers want employers to invest in training and 35% want remote working opportunities.
Other things employees think their bosses should focus on in 2022 to retain staff:
- Promotion prospects (19.9%)
- Good sick pay (16.9%)
- Staff perks (15.9%)
- A top pension (15.2%)
- Embracing diversity (10.1%)
The pandemic has changed work priorities
The flexibility of working remotely has become one of the most requested job perks in the past two years. A YouGov survey from April 2021 revealed that 57% of Brits wanted to continue working from home after the pandemic. This is an eye-opener for many workers, as 65% of people had never worked from home before the pandemic.
Perhaps more interestingly, four in 10 Brits who want to work from home, want to do it from abroad. Research shows their top reasons are better weather, a chance to travel and boredom. But 45% cited the lower cost of living as their reason for wanting to work from home from abroad. This coincides with recent research that shows that working from home can save you up to £1,500 a year.
If you’re considering changing jobs in 2022, start by creating a list of priorities. List what you want in a new position in order of importance and make sure you bring that up during interviews. With the UK job market booming at the moment, your chances of landing the job of your dreams have never been higher.
