Seventy percent of UK employees would consider leaving their current job, with nearly a quarter (24 percent) actively looking for new opportunities and nearly half (46 percent) passively looking. This figure is much higher than the 60 percent of European employees who said they were open to leaving their current job. The ADP Research Institute® (ADPRI), today reveals.

UK employees are also less likely to consider themselves as devoted to their place of work, with 48 percent saying they are loyal, compared to the 58 percent European average.

These findings are the result of a new study by the ADP Research Institute who surveyed over 8,500 employees and employers across 13 countries, in companies with more than 50 employees for their report, The Evolution of Work 2017.

UK workers feel undervalued

The report highlights possible reasons for UK employees’ openness to considering new opportunities, such as a lack of value and purpose in the workplace. For example, nearly two thirds (62 percent) of UK workers say they do not feel valued at work, compared to 44 percent of German employees, while just over half (54 percent) say they do not feel purposeful. What’s more, over six in ten UK workers (62 percent) believe there is no such thing as job security today.

Worryingly, though, 56 percent of employers believe their workforces feel valued and 61 percent think they feel purposeful. This reveals disconnect between what employers think and what is actually going through the minds of their employees.  

With the UK on track to have the highest employment rate in the western world, surging most recently to a record of 75.3 percent, it’s no surprise that the UK workforce is most open to new work in Europe. As the labour market tightens and competition for top talent becomes more heated, employers must address this “me” vs “we” disconnect head-on.

Jeff Phipps, Managing Director at ADP UK said; “The results of this report, whilst alarming, are a positive indication of a buoyant job market. However, it does mean that employers have to work twice as hard to ensure they are retaining the best talent. Organisations must look internally to make sure they are doing everything within their power to make their workforce feel valued and purposeful, and in turn more likely to stay.”

“Of course pay and work hours play an important role in retaining employees, but meeting employee expectations is key,” said Ahu Yildirmaz, co-head of the ADP Research Institute.  “Employees say they are more likely to stay with a company if their experiences are aligned with the expectations agreed to when hired – and if they understand how their role helps to achieve business goals. But when a position shifts away from that understanding, employees are already thinking of leaving.”