Great resignation is here to stay

The Great Resignation will be here to stay as one in five workers say they are likely to switch to a new employer in the next 12 months, said PwC recently when releasing results of a survey 52,195 workers in 44 countries and territories. 

• Survey highlights
  35% are planning to ask their employer for more money in the next 12 months. 
• Pressure on pay is highest in the tech sector where 44% of workers surveyed plan to ask for a raise and is lowest in the public sector (25%).
• While an increase in pay is a main motivator for making a job change (71%), wanting a fulfilling job (69%) and wanting to truly be themselves at work (66%) round out the top 3 things workers are looking for. 
• Nearly half (47%) prioritised being able to choose where they work.
• Workers who are likely to look for a new employer in the next 12 months are less likely to feel satisfied with their current employer. 
• Compared to those who have no intention of changing jobs, they are 14 percentage points less likely to find their job fulfilling; 11 percentage points less likely to feel they can truly be their self at work; and 9 percentage points less likely to feel fairly rewarded financially.

Skill gap
Great resignation aside, the survey found that one of the most important drivers of polarisation is skills - with large differences between workers who have highly valued skills and those who do not. 

The data shows that those with in-demand skills (29% of the sample feel they have skills that are in short supply in their country) are more likely to feel satisfied with their job (70% v 52%), feel listened to by their managers (63% v 38%) and have money left over after they pay their bills (56% v 44%).

To close the skills gap, workers say companies are investing in the current workforce through upskilling and increasing wages, according to survey results. 

By contrast, workers are less likely to report a focus on automating, outsourcing, and recruiting, PwC added .

Other key findings 

• 45% of respondents said their job could not be done remotely
• Of those who say their job can be done remotely:
• 63% say they prefer some mix of in-person and remote working - the same proportion who said they expect their employer to offer that mix for at least the next 12 months
• 26% of employees would prefer full-time remote work, but only 18% say their employers are likely to adopt that model.
• Another 18% say that their employers are likely to require full-time in-person work, which just 11% of employees prefer.