More than half of people quit their jobs because they are unhappy at work – not because they want more money - according to a new survey by Sheffield’s leading recruitment consultants.
Benchmark Recruit found that rather than quitting over low pay, the majority of people hand in their notice because they don’t have faith in their boss, feel unappreciated and are disengaged in their work.
Benchmark surveyed over 3,000 employees and found over 22 per cent left their last job due to lack of faith in the leadership team.
Nineteen per cent quit because they felt “unappreciated” while another 19 per cent left because they felt “disengaged and unmotivated”
Lack of financial rewards was the fourth reason at just under 13 per cent.
Louisa Harrison-Walker, director at Sheffield-based Benchmark, said: “The reasons people state for leaving their last job did cause a few raised eyebrows in our office, we expected salary or financial recompense to rank higher.
“Some bosses assume that to keep staff motivated and happy you need to give them a pay rise but the survey shows this is not a priority for most employees.
“People simply want to feel valued, appreciated and motivated far more than having a bigger pay packet.
“Here at Benchmark will believe keeping staff is just as important as recruiting them. Employee retention is often overlooked by firms, but we believe it is integral in helping to create lasting and loyal employees.
“We offer a number of services to help companies communicate better with staff including tools to help motive, appraise and support staff.”
The survey also found 19 per cent of people describe their job as a “dead end”. Only 25 per cent of people think they have a “perfect” job. It’s a stepping stone for 38 per cent and a “stop gap” for 16 per cent of employees.
When it comes to finding a dream job, 19 per cent of job-hunters are hopeful it will happen in less than six months. Another 29 per cent reckon it could take up to 18 months – but nine per cent think it will “never happen”.