Almost half of the UK workforce will look for a new job in 2016

One in five employees is already looking for a new job

Zlata Rodionova
Monday 04 January 2016 14:45 GMT
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The IoD says the vast majority of businesses support TTIP
The IoD says the vast majority of businesses support TTIP

Nearly half of UK workers or 15.3 million people will look for a new job in 2016 due to bad management and how poorly valued they are, according to a new report.

One in five employees is already job searching, according to a survey of 2,000 people by Investors People.

Poor management is the main reason for unhappiness among staff, cited by 43 per cent of employees, followed by not feeling valued enough (39 per cent) and unsatisfactory pay (38 per cent).

The tech industry is the most at-risk sector, with 58 per cent of employees thinking about changing jobs, followed by health and social care with 57 per cent.

According to Paul Devoy, Head of Investor People, many employers are taking the risk of losing valuable skilled staff as the economy improves and bad leadership continues to be an issue.

“Improved salaries over recent months mean that pay is less of a gripe for UK workers. But longstanding issues around poor management and how valued people feel in their work continue to make UK workers miserable. We know that bad leadership alone costs the UK £39 billion a year,” he said.

Mr Devoy advised employers to address these factors in order to retain their workforce.

Simple changes can make all the difference according to the “Job Exodus Trends 2016” report.

When asked what one thing their employer could do to increase their happiness in their current role, 13 per cent of workers just wanted to be thanked more often. Some 9 per cent would prefer more flexible hours and 6 per cent would like more clarity on their career progression options.

“Small things can make a big difference. Feeling valued, understanding their role in the organisation and how they can grow with an organisation are all big concerns for UK workers.

“Saying thank you, involving employees in decisions and giving them responsibility over their work are basic ways to make staff happier, and more likely to stay,” Paul Devoy said.

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