UK workers leaving their positions for greater job satisfaction

A recent survey by Cygnet jobs has found that 57% of adults have moved companies for greater job satisfaction.

The survey, carried out by one of the UK’s leading healthcare recruitment companies, researched job satisfaction among 1,001 UK adults.

The research also found that 38% of workers have changed their entire career to find more satisfaction and a greater sense of purpose, revealing an underlying discontent in several the UK’s most prevalent industries.

Some of the reasons for making these changes were cited as: wanting a more rewarding job (33%), to enjoy their work more (29%) and because they felt underappreciated (22%). The industries with the lowest level of job satisfaction were found to be utilities (45%), followed by retail (38%) and administrative and support services (32%).

Other industries at risk of losing workers to more satisfying positions include hospitality and leisure, marketing and communications, and education. This survey highlights the urgency for employers to be mindful of their workers needs and ambitions.

The average cost of turnover per employee is £30,614 (Oxford Economics and Unum, 2014), making losing employees a costly business for employers. But employee turnover can have a hugely negative impact on a business beyond the financial costs; reduction in productivity, lower staff morale and adverse company reputation can result from losing an employee to another company or industry.

Smart companies will look for ways to ensure that they reduce their staff turnover and create the highest levels of employee satisfaction among their workers. After all, hiring new staff is much costlier than retaining current workers.

By providing an engaging, rewarding and motivated working environment, businesses can generate loyalty in their workforce and retain their staff. Carrying out meetings with current employees as well as exit interviews with departing employees to determine the reasons for leaving, can provide valuable insights and facilitate more satisfying employment.

Ensuring that long-term employees are happy in their job is imperative, along with making the right hiring decision in the first place. Comprehensive pre-employment screening can help you find the right candidate for your position and your company, the right applicant will provide long term loyalty to the company as well as experience enduring job satisfaction themselves.