Workers reveal career regrets
YouGov carried out research on behalf of REED, which reveals what matters most to workers over the course of their career
- Over half of workers surveyed (57%) would have chosen a different career if given another chance
- Work-life balance and job satisfaction trump salary as THE most important aspects of working life
- Breakdown across the ages reveals changing priorities when it comes to work and play
Over half of British workers surveyed (57%) would choose a different career path if given the chance again, says new research from recruitment specialist REED.
Time for a change?
The study over 1,600 workers by YouGov, questioned Brits on their attitudes to work, career aspirations and regrets – revealing that 48% of those who would have chosen a different career would choose a job that brings them greater satisfaction, and 44% would pick a role with better long-term prospects for pay and benefits.
15% of workers haven’t ever changed career, but are planning to do so in the future.
Career carousel
But it’s not just those who are thinking of making the leap to a different career that want a boost at work. The poll revealed almost one in four (23%) are unsatisfied at work, with the same number actively looking for a new job.
While just over one in ten workers (11%) have stayed loyal to the same employer, twice as many (22%) have moved workplaces/ employer seven times or more in their career. When asked why they changed employer, better salary (38%), better prospects for promotion (37%) and boredom with their current role (29%) came out as the top three motivators for changing jobs.
What really matters at work?
Despite improved pay and promotion ranking highly, once in a role it’s job satisfaction (25%) and getting that perfect work-life balance (28%) that workers crave. And it’s between the ages of 35 and 44 where this matters most, with nearly one in three workers (31%) ranking work-life balance as the most important aspect of their career.
What matters most across the ages?
18-24 Salary and benefits (38%)
25-34 Job satisfaction (31%)
35-44 Work-life balance (31%)
45-54 Salary and benefits (25%)
55+ Job satisfaction and work-life balance (joint top – 32%)
The research indicates that it’s our early years in work (18 to 24) where salary and benefits remain the priority for workers, as they attempt to get a foot on the ladder. But, once settled in our chosen career, it’s our desire for job satisfaction that comes into play as we enter our late 20s and early 30s (25 – 34).
It’s work-life balance which takes precedence post-35, potentially due to a desire to spend time with our children, but as we enter our late forties and into early fifties (45 – 54) our thoughts turn to salary (25%). Finally, as we enter the last decade of our working lives (55+) it’s all about satisfaction and work-life balance (32%) – making those final years count.
Tom Lovell, managing director at REED, said: “In a candidate-led market such as this, employers need to think hard about how they attract and retain staff. What this research shows is that although salary is very important, now we’re out of the recession it’s no longer just about pay – employers need to consider many other factors, such as flexible working and how they can offer the greatest job satisfaction.
“Our research shows that in the last 12 months, 41% of workers received some form of pay rise, and almost a third (32%) received a bonus. However, with 26% having received no benefits, the fact that almost one in four workers (23%) are unsatisfied in their current role, and a further 23% are actively looking to look for a new role, is hardly surprising. This indicates that employers need to start taking action.”
See the full results from the study here.
