27th September 2022

• Over a quarter (26%) of staff say they are dissatisfied in their current role according to new research released by Hays
• Over a third of workers (37%) expect to move jobs in the next six months and over a fifth (21%) expect to do so in the six months following
• Over a third (39%) of staff have considered moving jobs over the past 12 months – but haven’t yet acted on it
• Hays says with hiring trends staying steady – it remains a candidates’ market and now is the perfect time to find a new job as the ‘great re-evaluation’ continues

The ‘great re-evaluation’ where workers reassess what is important to them in their working life, is set to continue says Hays as a number of professionals highlight job dissatisfaction and the intent to move roles.

New research released by Hays, the specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment found that over a quarter (26%) of staff are currently dissatisfied in their role. Salary dissatisfaction is cited by staff as the main cause of unhappiness with their roles (53%), followed by a lack of career development opportunities (47%) and a lack of career progression (47%).

The research, based on a survey of over 13,400 professionals and employers found that over a third (37%) of staff expect to move jobs in the next six months and over a fifth (21%) expect to do so in the six months following. Over a third of staff (39%) have also considered moving jobs in the last 12 months, suggesting they are ready for a change.

The research comes as the latest ONS labour market data showed that there are over 1.2million unfilled job vacancies in the UK, highlighting the scope of opportunity for staff looking to move jobs.

If not contemplating moving jobs, many professionals have re-evaluated their working habits post-pandemic with staff embracing a better work-life balance as a result of widespread hybrid working. According to the survey, since the pandemic, nearly a quarter (23%) of professionals say they have reduced the time they spend working outside of their contracted hours, and 22% said they are more likely to avoid checking work emails and messages out of hours.

Many are contemplating bigger work-life changes too as close to half (45%) of professionals say they have considered changing careers since the pandemic, a quarter (25%) have considered moving locations for work and 22% have thought about going freelance.

Simon Winfield, Managing Director of Hays UK & Ireland, commented: “It’s clear from our research that many professionals are either thinking about moving jobs, aren’t fully satisfied, or have changed their work habits in some way since coming out of the pandemic.

What this all points to is professionals are continually re-evaluating what is important to them and are less willing to compromise on their career choices – the idea of ‘a job for life’ is very much a thing of the past. For professionals who haven’t paused for thought for a while, it’s wise to have a career check-in from time to time to avoid ending up in a job where you’re not progressing, or you are simply unhappy.

For professionals thinking of looking for a new job – now is a good time to move with plenty of opportunity in the market as employers continue to be challenged by skills shortages. On top of this, there’s much more choice in how you might work in those jobs with lots of employers offering hybrid working, flexible hours and even fully remote roles.”

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About the research: The research is based on a survey carried out between August 22nd – September 26th 2022 and received 13,421 responses from professionals and employers across the UK

Contact

Helen Flannery
Senior PR Manager
helen.flannery@hays.com
T: 020 3040 0282
M: 07548 778306

About Hays

Hays plc (the "Group") is the world’s leading specialist in workforce solutions and recruitment, such as RPO and MSP. The Group is the expert at recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people worldwide, being the market leader in the UK, Germany and Australia and one of the market leaders in Continental Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Group operates across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments. As at 30 June 2022, the Group employed c.13,000 staff operating from 253 offices in 32 countries. For the year ended 30 June 2022:

• the Group reported net fees of £1,189.4 million and operating profit of £210.1 million;
• the Group placed around 83,750 candidates into permanent jobs and around 250,000 people into temporary roles;
• 16% of Group net fees were generated in Australia & New Zealand, 26% in Germany, 22% in United Kingdom & Ireland and 36% in Rest of World (RoW);
• the temporary placement business represented 55% of net fees and the permanent placement business represented 45% of net fees;
• Technology is the Group’s largest division, with 26% of net fees, while Accountancy & Finance (14%) and Construction & Property (11%), are the next largest
• Hays operates in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, the UK and the USA