Majority of Canadian Workers Thinking About Switching Jobs: Survey and "the Great Resignation"
Summary
The survey, which was commissioned by Allstate Canada and conducted by Leger, found that 55% of workers had seriously thought about looking for a new job in the past six months. “What the survey results show is that attracting and retaining qualified and talented employees is one of the biggest challenges organizations face nowadays,” stated Ryan Michel, President and CEO at Allstate Canada. Even if key employees have not handed in their resignation, the fact that some (or perhaps many) of them are thinking about it — and possibly several times a day — could lead to disengagement and “presenteeism.” Indeed, although affected workers may not be consciously trying to express their unhappiness, sabotage others, or cut corners, they could be (and some experts say they invariably will be) subconsciously influenced by an underlying desire to head elsewhere. As highlighted earlier, the Allstate Canada survey revealed what many employees are looking for in an organization, and from executive leadership: • The ability to work from home In addition to the above, a separate survey conducted in 2021 by software company Citrix found that employees want to work for an organization that prioritizes outcomes over output, and supports diversity in the workplace (and measures this with honest and accessible metrics). “The last year has forever changed the way employees view and approach work, but one thing holds true: businesses that want to attract and retain the talent they need to move forward must understand the top priorities of their future workforce,” stated Tim Minahan, Executive VP of Business at Citrix.