According to a recent survey from CareerBuilder, more than one in five employees (21 percent) are pledging to leave their current employers in 2016, a 5 percent increase since last year (16 percent). Among younger workers, the numbers are starker. Three in 10 employees ages 18 to 34 (30 percent) expect to have a new job by the end of 2016, compared to 23 percent last year.
To keep their resolution to find a new job, 34 percent of employees are regularly searching for job opportunities, even though they’re currently employed—a four point increase since last year. The national survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from November 4 to December 1, 2015, and included a representative sample of 3,252 workers across industries.
“Just because a person is satisfied with their job doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t looking for new work,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. “Because of this, it’s critical to keep up with your employees’ needs and continue to challenge them with meaningful work.”
New Year’s Resolutions at Work
Aside from finding a new job, the top New Year’s resolutions that workers say they’re making this year are:
- Save more of my pay: 38 percent (vs. 42 percent last year).
- Be less stressed: 28 percent (vs. 34 percent last year).
- Get a raise or promotion: 26 percent (vs. 26 percent last year).
- Eat healthier at work: 19 percent (vs. 25 percent last year).
- Learn something new (training/courses): 17 percent (vs. 22 percent last year).
Looking back, workers had the same top five resolutions for 2015, and while not all of their goals were met, here’s what was accomplished:
- Eat healthier at work: 13 percent.
- Be less stressed: 12 percent.
- Save more of my pay: 11 percent.
- Learn something new (training/courses): 9 percent.
- Perform better on the job: 8 percent.
What Workers Are Looking For
When asked what factors rank as more important than salary when considering a position, employees said:
- Job stability: 65 percent.
- Affordable benefits: 59 percent.
- Location: 56 percent.
- Good boss: 51 percent.
- Good work culture: 46 percent.
When asked if they could choose extra perks to make their workplace more satisfying, the most popular choices workers pointed to include:
- Half-day Fridays: 38 percent.
- On-site fitness center: 23 percent.
- Daily catered lunches: 22 percent.
- Massages: 18 percent.
- Being able to wear jeans: 16 percent.
Tips for Job Hunting in the New Year
Use social media strategically. The amount of content and connections thrown at you every day on social media can become overwhelming if you’re not careful. To not waste your time, know where your industry’s recruiters and hiring managers spend their time. Also, be sure to follow the profiles or pages of companies you want to work for to stay up to date on job openings and announcements.
Don't be a copycat. Remember that even though a certain interview tactic or style was successful for one candidate doesn't mean it is the best strategy for you. Take into consideration your personal experiences, preferences and career goals and use them to position yourself as a unique candidate.
Network with your peers. Beyond merely widening the circle of people you know, strong networks foster deeper learning and broaden your exposure across a range of issues. Your connections have the power either to open or close doors and your relationships with them will have a direct impact.
Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 3,252 employees ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between November 4 and December 1, 2015. Percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions. With a pure probability sample of 3,252, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.72 percentage points.
Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.
