A third of us want a new job - do we need one?
A new report has revealed that one in three people want to leave their job in 2016 and find something new. It delved further into why people were so keen to move on, and found that salary only played a tiny part in their disenchantment with their current job.
The study, by the Institute of Leadership Management, found that by far the biggest motivator was that people feel stick in a rut. A quarter of all job hunters wanted to move somewhere with better opportunities to grow - making it the most common reason for wanting to leave. This was followed by 17% who said they wanted to go somewhere they would be more appreciated, and another 17% who said they wanted to change their career entirely.
Money was only a motivator for 15% of people. It was the second least popular option - ahead of the 12% of people who said they wanted a job they would enjoy more.
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Should you leave?
More opportunities, appreciation, money and fun all seem like reasonable reasons to move on. In fact, over the past year, these reasons persuaded a third of employees to hand their notice in before they'd had a chance to line up an alternative.
There are times when the best thing you can do for yourself is get out as quickly as possible. This may apply if you really dislike the people you work with - including your boss. It may be a case of a culture clash between what the company is looking for and how you like to work. You may face a gulf between the work/life balance you need, and the long-hours culture on offer. There may be no culture of recognition and promotion, or you may be concerned for the future of the company. If any of these things ring a bell, it's time to dig out your good interview suit.
However, if your dissatisfaction at work is less fundamental, leaving is not your only option. In many cases, there are opportunities in your current business - you just need to introduce the subject with your line manager - or their manager - or HR.
They may well be delighted to hear you want to take on more responsibilities and prove your worth. They may be appreciative, and - who knows - you may even get more money and more enjoyment into the bargain.
At your current business you have proved your worth in your current role, you have built relationships, and you have shown your potential for growth. It's worth considering whether there's any chance to cash this in instead of moving and having to start the process all over again.
When asked what their employer could offer them in order to persuade them to stay, only 27% of those who had said they were keen to move said they couldn't be persuaded to stay in the right circumstances. It means that for almost three quarters of people dusting off their CV, there is value in starting a conversation with those people in your current workplace with the power to give you what you want.
