Nearly two-thirds of Canadian employees would be willing to leave their jobs at any time without a single ounce of remorse. Yet more than half of them believe they have the perfect job. Why think about divorce when things are going well?
“Today's employees believe their employer has to earn their loyalty,” said Tom Turpin, President of Randstad Canada, in a press release following the results of a study recently conducted by Randstad Workmonitor.
Testing fidelity
A lure towards a better salary is what tops the list of incentives for Canadians to quit their jobs (75%). About seven out of ten workers wouldn’t look back if more interesting career advancement opportunities presented themselves. The last significant figure indicates that 58% of employees would leave their current place of employment to work in their field of study.
“More and more people, of all ages, consider themselves free agents who need to manage their careers proactively,” states Turpin. “They know their value in the labour market, make sure to hone their skills and have no remorse when leaving for another employer who will give them a higher pay and better opportunities for professional growth.”
A blow to employers
According to Turpin, it is undeniable that a loyal workforce directly affects the company’s success. While workers feel more comfortable with the idea of changing jobs several times in their careers, employers face the challenge of retaining their best.
Of particular concern is the loss of good employees, which directly leads to huge losses for a company. “Each departure creates costs for the recruitment and training of new employees,” said Turpin. “There is therefore a loss of productivity as colleagues and supervisors must then share the workload while the transition occurs.”
The fix?
“For them to want to stay in a company, [employees] need to be treated with fairness, have opportunities for learning and development as well as receive projects and responsibilities that match their skills and ambitions,” suggests Turpin.
To remain competitive, companies must take this factor into account. Turpin invites HR managers to be proactive in retaining their talent by continually analysing the wages being paid to employees and ensuring that teams feel stimulated by their work.
In short, today's workers want to be pampered!