Australia, August 28: Australia workers are disgruntled and gearing up to change jobs as soon as the economy improves.
These are the findings of a survey of 280 job-seekers by recruitment firm Aequalis Consulting this month.
Director Simon Boulton said the number of people seeking work through Aequalis was unchanged but now it was people “in jobs seeking jobs”.
“Six months ago employees were too cautious to move,” he said.
The survey found 45 per cent of job seekers now lacked trust in senior management, 62 per cent were experiencing lower morale and only 22 per cent said they were not planning to move jobs at the first signs of economic recovery.
Mr Boulton said the behavioural changes, following downsizing by many employers, were a major concern.
An Aequalis survey earlier this year found 72 per cent of employers planned to take advantage of the job market and replace underperforming staff.
“Many employers have taken advantage of the economic conditions but at what cost?” Mr Boulton asked.
“Human capital is key to a business’s ability to grow yet it’s clear a significant number of existing staff are not happy.”
He said businesses were at risk of losing their core people because top performers were the first to seek work elsewhere.
Many employees might be looking to move in January, traditionally a time of change.
“Often these quick shifts lead to a ‘herd mentality’ and the delicate balance of job seekers and vacancies may well begin to swing the other way,” Mr Boulton said.
However, a survey by the global recruitment consultancy, Robert Half, has found 77 per cent of professional workers expect a salary increase once the market recovers.
New South Wales professionals were the most optimistic, with 84 per cent expecting a pay rise, followed by Queenslanders on 76 per cent. Victorians were the least optimist, with 69 per cent expecting more money.
HR professionals were the most modest in their expectations, with 62 per cent expecting a rise of 1-5 per cent, while those in sales and marketing were the most positive, with 57 per cent expecting a 6-20 per cent rise.
—Agencies