Most North American employees feel trapped in their current position and want a new job, which deals a serious blow to productivity, according to a new survey by Right Management, the talent and career management entity within ManpowerGroup.
A staggering 84% of the 400 Canadian and American employees polled admit that they sometimes feel stuck in their job and want to find a new position elsewhere.
These bleak figures are consistent with numbers from previous years, says Timothy P. Mooney, talent management practice leader for Canada with Right Management.
When worker dissatisfaction is so pervasive, management’s job becomes much more difficult, and the company suffers, he says.
“Workers are distracted, and this harms performance, engagement, productivity, and even recruitment and retention,” Mooney explains. “So it would be a mistake for management to do nothing or to conclude that their workers have no choice but to stay where they are.”
One thing employers can do is to encourage their staff to take charge of their own development by learning new capabilities, according to Mooney.
Even if employees feel that they are in a cul-de-sac, they can still grow, he explains. “When they see that the employer will invest in learning and training and that they can progress in their present job, it may lessen their sense of being stuck,” Mooney adds.
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