6.5m Brits looking to leave job next year as employers are urged not to treat pay rises as ‘silver bullet’

A fifth of people are looking to leave their job in the next 12 months, with pay and quality of employment the key drivers.

In a post-pandemic environment, it is estimated that 6.5m are looking to move on in search for higher wages, better benefits and work-life balance.

A survey of 6,000 people in the CIPD Good Work Index outlined that a fifth are likely to quit in the next 12 months.

Seven different indicators were used including pay and benefits, as well as contracts, quality of the job and relationships at work.

At least six of these factors influenced workers’ desire to move on and seek better opportunities, with 35 per cent of those looking to quit doing so for better pay, and 27 per cent to improve job satisfaction.

Just under a quarter of possible quitters want to better their work-life balance while 23 per cent simply want different work.

Only 40 per cent of those earning up to £20,000 say their job offered good development opportunities, while a quarter say it gave them career advancement.

CIPD urged employers not to treat pay increases as a ‘silver bullet’ to keep staff, but instead improve overall job quality.

“While pay is the main motivator for job moves, there are many reasons why people leave roles, and numerous barriers preventing people from being able to leave”, said Melanie Green, research adviser for the CIPD.
 
“By taking a holistic look at the dimensions of good work, and bolstering people management practices, managers and employers can make a real difference to people’s working lives.”