Although 8 in 10 workers say they find meaning in their current jobs, 1 in 3 also say they’re eyeing the exit, which reveals a paradox in the evolving workplace landscape, according to a Nov. 12 report based on ManpowerGroup’s inaugural Global Talent Barometer.
Across 16 countries, the overall barometer sits at 67%, which is determined by employee scores for well-being (64%), job satisfaction (63%) and confidence (74%).
“The employee-employer relationship is at a crossroads. People expect work to offer them more. More balance. More options. More humanity. More than just a paycheck,” Becky Frankiewicz, chief commercial officer for ManpowerGroup, said in a statement.
“While 80% of workers find meaning in their roles, our data shows that purpose alone isn’t enough to retain talent,” she said. “Employees are voting with their feet, seeking workplaces that deliver on multiple fronts — from mental health support and work-life balance to career development and skills training.”
In a survey of more than 12,000 workers, 35% of all workers — including 47% of young professionals — said they’re considering changing jobs in the next six months. And 41% of remote workers also said they’re thinking about a new job, despite reporting higher well-being and work-life balance scores.
Overall, job security sentiment comes in at 71%, but trust in management for career development lags behind that at 63%, which could indicate a disconnect between leaders and workers, the report found.
Although 87% of workers expressed confidence in their skills, 34% said they see a ceiling at their current workplace and don’t have opportunities to reach their career goals. More than half said they haven’t received skills training during the past six months.
In mid-2024, the vast majority of U.S. employees said they planned to stick with their current employer, according to a WTW survey. Pay, job security, health benefits and flexible work arrangements were named as top drivers of both talent attraction and retention.
Despite the stability, executives continue to overestimate their employees’ trust, and the gap has grown in recent years, according to a PwC survey. Companies may not have the proper structures in place to identify trust expectations or gaps, especially if they only measure employee engagement, the firm reported.
Frontline managers are having a particularly tough time in 2024, with disruptive change hitting them the hardest and putting them at risk for burnout, according to a Gallup survey. Employees who report disruptive change are less engaged and more likely to leave, the Gallup researchers said.