Grass looks greener to one third of Australian workers

Grass looks greener to one third of Australian workers Grass looks greener to one third of Australian workersPosted October 13, 2011, by Josie Chun One third of Australian workers are planning to change jobs, according to a recent Hay Group survey. This finding comes as further confirmation of employee dissatisfaction after a Drake International report from February 2010 found that as much as fifty per cent of Australian workers are thinking about changing their jobs. During the economic downturn employees gritted their teeth and bore the brunt of more arduous conditions, thankful to have jobs at all. But the backlash has begun and the natives are getting restless. With more jobs opening up, workers are starting to think of getting to a better place in their careers especially if the companies they work for havent done enough to take care of them during the tough times. More jobs available Around 28 000 new jobs a month have been created during the first five months of this year and the unemployment rate has remained steady at 5.2 per cent. Office jobs have done particularly well, with job advertisements rising by more than 80 per cent over the past year. Human resources jobs have also risen by about 80 per cent. The growth in job ads for accounting, engineering and mining has temporarily stalled, and the sales and marketing sector withstood a 2.8 per cent decrease in June. The mining and engineering industries have almost certainly suffered as a result of the super mining tax controversy (except in Queensland, where the sector rose by 10 per cent in June). Some believe that the impending election is creating caution about hiring amongst employers, who want to see how workplace policy will be affected before taking on more staff. The importance of employee engagement Replacing staff is expensive. Hay Group estimates that it costs from 50 to 150 per cent of an employees salary to replace them so its worth trying to motivate workers to stay on. Because o f the threat of losing valuable staff members, increasing employee engagement has become a top priority amongst CEOs and human resources directors. According to the Hay Group report, those workplaces that motivate employees to go the extra mile and effectively deal with employee frustrations experience improved revenue growth, lower turnover and better employee performance. William Werhane, managing director from Hay Group Insight, emphasises the importance of employee engagement. The workplace landscape has changed workers who, last year, were grateful to hold on to employment are sticking their heads above the parapet and gauging what the recovery means for their career prospects. This could spell particularly bad news for those companies who have failed to take necessary steps to implement effective enablement and engagement programs during the tough times. Looking back to the last downturn in 2001/02, Hay Group studies then saw that companies that kept a focus on employee en gagement came out of the recession with better levels of motivation and vertrauenswrdigty, and a greater ability to attract and retain top talent, and this recession is no different, says Werhane. Highly engaged and enabled workers undoubtedly create dramatically better business outputs, more loyal customers, and better financial performance during good times and bad. An enabling workplace can also actively deal with employee concerns rather than allowing them to continue unnoticed, which could subsequently result in demotivated and frustrated staff who may start to feel the grass is greener elsewhere. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchesaustralian job opportunitieshighest paying jobs in australiaskills you need for the futureonline freelance writing jobs australiamill ennials in the workforce statistics CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineJosie ChunRelated ArticlesBrowse moreCareer progressionPay/SalaryHow to make a 1000000 dollarsEver wondered whether your university degree or postgraduate study was worth the money? Marni looks at whether further study offers a good return on investment.EnvironmentalReal EstateSustainability and the property industryWith sustainability becoming the buzzword of our times, professionals from architects to property managers are championing the cause of environmental responsibility.18th Biennale of Sydney unveiledWith today marking the official unveiling of the 18th Biennale of Sydney, theres never been a better time to tap into your inner artist.