Nearly 65% of Canadians want to leave their current employer

Thinking about leaving your job? It appears that a growing number of Canadians are too.

According to the latest ADP Canada Sentiment Survey, two-thirds (65%) of working Canadians want to leave their current employer.

“This new research is a wake-up call for employers who are at risk of losing key talent,” said Jo Ann Miele, Senior Director, Talent & Organizational Development at ADP Canada, in a release.

“Employers can use a number of levers to improve employee retention, but knowing which ones to pull requires meaningful, ongoing dialogue with their employees.”

The survey indicates that there are three main groups of ‘workplace flight risks.’ These include:

• The Uninspireds: A large cohort made up of one-third of the workforce (33%) who don’t feel loyalty to their current employer.
• The Casual Daters: This group is made up of 16% of the workforce who are casually interested in new job opportunities. Casual Daters always have the job search on their minds and keep tabs for new opportunities on job boards and networking platforms like LinkedIn.
• The Dissed: This group is made up of 16% of the workforce who are actively looking for a new job. They are described as ‘dissatisfied, disengaged, disaffected,’ workers who are ready to jump ship.

Image: ADP Canada Sentiment Survey

The study indicates that while increased pay is the leading motivation for people to look for a new job, personal wellness is another major factor.

Nearly 56% of survey respondents say they are looking for a workplace with less stress, fewer hours, and a better work-life balance.

While many think it’s the younger millennials looking for better job opportunities, it turns out that a similar number of middle-aged workers searching for the same thing.

Four out of 10 employees (39%) ages 18-34 said they might leave their jobs would do so for a better position, and an almost equal segment of those ages 35-44 (32%) agreed.

“While Millennials may have a reputation for job-hopping for better opportunities, employers should note that mid-career workers are almost as likely to jump for the same reason,” said Miele.

In terms of gender, 36% of men willing to leave their job, say they are looking for a better position. However, less than 23% of women said they would do the same.