(Tempting to post this at the other place, to cheer Steve and Edi up)Restless workers reach for riches
PAUL BIBBY WORKPLACE
May 11, 2010
THE number of Australians eyeing a new job has risen dramatically as workers flee the tough conditions imposed on them during the economic downturn for greener pastures brought by the recovery.
A survey of 4500 employees across a range of industries found that as the economy picked up around the beginning of the year, a flood of workers began seeking a new job or started thinking seriously about doing so.
One in six workers formally applied for a new position in the six months to February - a 64 per cent increase on the preceding six months when Australia was still in the grip of the crisis.
The proportion of workers who said they were actively looking to change jobs more than doubled to 38 per cent, and 58 per cent said they were considering their options.
Grant Sexton, chief executive of Leadership Management Australia, which commissioned the research, said this was partly due to resentment over the fact that while company profits have improved, in many cases the tough measures imposed during the crisis remained in place.
''Companies used to bring out the razor during major economic downturns, but this time it was overtime, nine-day fortnights and pay rise freezes,'' Mr Sexton said.
''Employers realised that they needed staff on board for when the economy came back up. The problem is that the economy is recovering but managers are focusing on restoring their profits rather than rewarding their employees. Employees not only deserve to share in the fruits of the recovery, with interest rates on the rise again as the economy heats up, they actually need to.''
The survey found that while 87 per cent of workers wanted to stay with their employer, more than a third believed a lack of opportunity made this impossible.
This is bad news for employers who may be forced to replace a sizeable portion of their workforce - an expensive exercise when the costs of recruitment, training and general disruption are taken into account.
Associate Professor John Shields, from the School of Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney, said the results could also herald another ''talent war''.
''In 2006 and 2007 you had a situation where there was so much staff turnover that employers had to offer higher and higher salaries to recruit and then retain the best employees,'' he said.
''Taken at face value, these figures suggest that organisational commitment is again declining. People are saying 'I don't love this organisation, I'm going to look for something new'.''
Andrea Acton, 23, said she had deliberately delayed her plan to change jobs and move to Sydney until she saw clear signs of an improvement in the economy.
''The industry I worked in was quite significantly affected. I knew I wasn't going to be given a pay rise for a while and I wasn't sure about the security of the role,'' said Ms Acton, who left her job in Brisbane to become the marketing manager at Launch Recruitment. ''Seeing the economy pick up - that there were more jobs being advertised, it gave me the confidence to come down here. It was definitely the right decision. It's a broader role, and there are definitely more opportunities.''
http://www.smh.com.au/national/restless ... -uoqr.html
Fair shares or I'm off...
Fair shares or I'm off...
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”