Most Employees Plan to Pursue New Job Opportunities in 2014

Employers advised to connect engagement to performance to retain top talent

A vast majority of North American employees plan to pursue new job opportunities in 2014, according to a poll by Right Management. Eighty-three percent of the nearly 900 workers who participated in the online poll say they intend to actively seek a new position in the New Year.

“Engagement, loyalty and job satisfaction should be top concerns for employers who want to keep their best talent,” said Scott Ahlstrand, Right Management’s global practice leader for employee engagement. “High employee dissatisfaction has a ripple effect that can hurt the bottom line, disrupt productivity, and damage morale. Successful companies cultivate and retain top talent by building loyalty through engagement that connects employees’ work contributions to concrete business outcomes.”

According to the poll, only 5% of employees intend to stay in their current position, while 9% indicate they may look for new opportunities in 2014 and are networking. The latest findings are consistent with results from the last four years.

“These numbers should signal a wake-up call for top management, when four out of five employees say they intend to look for employment elsewhere. Solutions to keeping the best talent on board all point to effective engagement that drives performance, satisfaction, and loyalty. Employers must act now to engage top talent and prevent them from leaving for the competition,” said Ahlstrand.