Especially if your workers are younger, they may be looking for new jobs or even new fields in the coming year. What will you do to keep them?
Even if you’ve crafted, honed, and nurtured a strong staff that is running like a well-oiled machine, there’s no time to rest on your laurels. According to a new American Staffing Association (ASA) survey, nearly half (48%) of U.S. workers are likely to look for a new job in the next year; and 38% say they’re considering switching to a new industry or field altogether.
Among other findings from this study:
- Generation Z (72%) and millennial (61%) workers are most likely to be seeking new jobs.
- 46% of Gen X workers and just 16% of baby boomers plan on job hunting.
- Workers across age groups worry that they’ll never find the perfect job for them. Only 27% suggested this isn’t at all a concern.
- Over a third (39%) of employees in the healthcare sector are worried that they’ll never find their dream job, compared to 51% of office/clerical workers and 47% of professional/management employees.
- Seven in 10 students (69%) worry about finding the right job for them.
“The U.S. is immersed in the tightest labor market in modern history with millions of unfilled openings across geographies and industries,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and CEO. “It’s a job seeker’s market—a reality lost on many people who sadly lack optimism about their prospects of finding a perfect position.”
It is worth looking at how you can keep the good employees you have, as another survey suggests that people don’t really like looking for a new job. In fact, 84% of job hunters say that they’ve had a negative experience in their search; and over half (52%) say they’ve had more than one bad experience. Since job hunting is no fun for most employees, you may be able to entice some to stay. Look at revising, refreshing, or adding hot benefits such as student loan repayment assistance, financial wellness resources, caregiver support, and child care.
If you find yourself hiring, consider these six steps to be more competitive in attracting and keeping good workers:
- Create a realistic and appealing brand.
- Avoid pitfalls of a poor candidate experience.
- Balance human interactions and technology to engage candidates on a personalized level.
- Skill-train employees to prepare for the future.
- Capture diverse perspectives to create an inclusive workplace.
- Manage automation and artificial intelligence risks to create new opportunities for workers.
