Now that work is getting back to normal, a lot of people are realizing they don’t like what normal was. Several surveys indicate a large share of professionals are looking to move on to a new job post-pandemic.
Arlington, Virginia-based Eagle Hill Consulting released results of a recent survey of about 1,000 professionals, which found 27% plan to leave their current employer as the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. Another 29% expect to leave their current job within the next year, according to the survey.
Workload and juggling personal and professional life were the top reasons cited for leaving jobs.
Post-pandemic job jumping may be even more common in Washington, D.C.
A new survey by staffing firm Robert Half found 38% of D.C. professionals plan to look for a new job as the pandemic fades. A top reason cited was wanting a position that allows them to continue working remotely post-pandemic — 47% said so. But another top reason cited was preferring to work for an organization that better aligns with their personal values.
“People had the time on their hands to be at home and to really understand what their core values are,” said Trey Barnette, regional Vice President at Robert Half. “And also looking at family. Because now they have spent more time around their kids or their family, now they are making more of a communal decision and something that is going to be geared for their entire family.”
The Eagle Hill Consulting survey found another reason employees cited for planning to leave their current employers was lack of communication and feedback from their managers.
LinkedIn research found employees at companies that score low on the question, “I can get the support I need from my manager,” were 45% more likely to apply for new jobs.
Robert Half says employers don’t always do a good job of listening to their employees’ needs.
“Every employer that we advise, we say, ‘Hey, make sure you are sending out regular surveys. See what the people want. See how their job satisfaction is going.’ Now that we’re coming out of the pandemic, people are wanting to know exactly where they are going to go within their careers,” Barnette said.
LinkedIn says job browsing is more common when workers are stressed and overloaded. High stress levels and unmanageable workloads are significantly correlated with the share of employees who’ve recently viewed a job post, it said.
With job openings at record highs and employers across all industries reporting mounting problems in finding the talent they need to fill their openings, those professionals who’ve decided it is time to move on likely won’t have a challenge in finding a new position.
