Canadians call for career change – here's why your team is quitting

There's a myriad of reasons behind the trend

BY Emily Douglas 19 Jan. 2022

Over half of Canadians are looking to make a full-blown career change this year – that’s according to new data from Indeed. Released earlier this week, Indeed’s market report found that while 46% of Canadian workers are considering switching jobs this year, 52% want to leave their current field for pastures new. So, why are people looking to jump ship? Well, according to the survey, 75% of employees say the pandemic has forced them to re-evaluate their options, 72% said they fear a lack of career progression in their current role, and 73% want great flexibility. However, the number one driver was found to be money – with 85% of workers craving a higher wage.

Other factors for leaving their current roles were found to be;

66% are looking to work in a less stressful industry and 67% seek a less stressful job overall
46% fear their current job will one day be obsolete
53% are unhappy in their current role and industry
66% want to work from home/work remotely
69% are looking for industries that offer a four-day workweek
57% seek careers/industries that accommodate the needs of parents or caregivers

So, where should employers look to hire in the Great Resignation? Well, according to Indeed’s Jodi Kasten, it all comes down to understanding the talent gaps and pushing for a better candidate experience.

“There are a few strategies employers can implement to hire in a tight labour market,” she told HRD. “Before looking to fill roles, companies first can perform a talent gap analysis to better understand the holes that need filling, and then determine what source of talent is best equipped to fill that need. This ensures they are finding out where the demand doesn't match the current supply. They can then determine if they need to engage a full-time worker, part-time worker, or if they can leverage current talent to fill gaps.”

Once an employer determines what roles need filling, strategic ways to recruit talent in a tight labour market include:

Offer higher and more competitive wages. In order to attract top talent, employers need to be competitive and introduce higher wages.
Expand your search. In a tight labour market, employers may need to reevaluate the requirements attached to the jobs they are looking for such as a certain educational level or non-essential skills. Employers can also look to people they may not traditionally hire, or those in other regions, allowing workers to work remotely.
Training existing employees. Investing more to train current employees and/or future hires is an effective way to use existing talent resources and mould the future employees to fit your business needs.

How are you coping in the Great Resignation? Tell us in the comments.