The Great British Job Hop: Half of UK Workers are on the Hunt for Something New

Half of all UK employees (49%) are on the hunt for a new job following the start of the pandemic, according to a recent poll.

The survey of 1,000 UK office workers, conducted by UK-based online printer instantprint, highlights current job satisfaction levels of those employed within the UK, as well as examining what employers could do in a bid to retain their restless workforce.

Despite roughly half of the nation’s employees claim to be job hunting, just 1 in 5 of the those surveyed had actually changed jobs since March 2020.

The staggering difference between the rate of those looking for a job vs those changing jobs could be down to a lack of job opportunities with many industries only just starting to re-open during spring and summer this year.

Not only has the pandemic fast-tracked working from home – a trend that was already on the up – but a large portion of the nation has also been faced with the prospect of furlough, pay freezes and even job losses due to the effects of Coronavirus.

In fact, instantprint’s survey found that more than a third (37%) of respondents had been furloughed at some point since the scheme was introduced last March, with the majority (35%) furloughed between 1-6 months. Nearly 15% had been furloughed for upwards of six months.

When asked to describe how being placed on the furlough scheme has made them feel, a resounding 61% felt anxious about being furloughed, with a further 33% saying they had been left feeling frustrated.

It’s not all doom and gloom, however, with others reporting that the experience had actually made them feel relaxed (39%) and happy (33%).

Ensuring employees are still engaged and feel valued was found to be the best way to keep those on the furlough scheme happy for the duration of their time away from work, as a third of workers (33%) shared they were less than impressed by their employer’s efforts to keep in touch during furlough.

Just a fifth (21%) of those surveyed felt that their employer did enough to keep them engaged from home.

UK workers said that simple gestures such as a scheduled call from their manager to check in whilst on the government scheme (13%), involving them in virtual team events (13%), offering them virtual training opportunities (13%), and ensuring they received one hundred per cent of their wage (13%) were key to keeping them engaged.

When the time comes for all employees to return to work, the survey showed that 71% of participants are keen to work from home part time, with 35% of that majority wanting to work remotely on a permanent basis.

Team Experience Operations Manager at instantprint, Angela, shared her top 5 employee retention tips for small business owners.

Reassure Your Staff

Employees who feel insecure are the ones most likely to bolt when the opportunity arises. Make sure staff know that they are safe and valued in your company by sending out positive messages about the future and praise the hard work they’re currently putting in.

Let Their Voice Be Heard

The best way to deal with any concerns is to first get them out in the open. Give your employees an avenue to voice their feedback through surveys or Q&A sessions, and actually put changes into action following this feedback. As a manager, fluid communication is key. Ensure you are available and have ad hoc meetings when necessary, but also reach out to those who haven’t reached out to you. They may be the ones who need your support the most! I also tend to start regular meetings with 10 minutes of chat to catch up and have since learnt how to build garden furniture and play the harp (although not very well!).

Send Regular Updates

Even if your team is currently furloughed, you can keep them in the loop with what’s going on by sending them regular updates. This is really easy to do – you could send a weekly email or phone them up for a chat!

Reward Them as Best You Can

You might not be able to give your team a big bonus this year, but there are other ways to reward staff that aren’t financial. Offering virtual training or sending out a thank you card can help show how important your employees are to you.

Have Some Fun!

One thing we’ve been enjoying at instantprint whilst the majority of the team is working from home is having virtual events and competitions. From Christmas jumper competitions to lunchtime activities over a video call, everyone’s been involved and had the chance to catch up.