More Canadians looking for new jobs

The lure of better pay and more opportunities is spurring more Canadians to start thinking about changing jobs, according to a new poll.

Ipsos Reid's Build a Better Workplace survey found 27 per cent of workers said they are likely to seek a new job during the next six months. Among employees who work for organizations where there has been a wage freeze, this figure jumped to 34 per cent. That's up from 22 per cent looking for a new employer at this time last year.

Managers were even more likely than rank-and-file employees to indicate they plan to be out there looking, with 31 per cent of bosses contemplating jumping ship. Sales people and information technology professionals are also more likely to consider a job change than the average.

When asked if they would stay with their current employer if they were offered a comparable role with higher pay elsewhere, only 22 per cent said they would stay put and 31 per cent said they would jump at the opportunity. Nearly half, 46 per cent, said it would depend on the size of the pay increase.

Asked about their main job-related concerns, 29 per cent of respondents cited compensation, followed by a decline in work-life balance, cited by 26 per cent. Managers were even more likely to identify work-life balance issues, with 31 per cent saying they're under more time pressure.

"Amid cutbacks, layoffs and the search for greater efficiencies, employees are feeling that they are being asked to work far too hard for the compensation they are getting," said Greg Leach, senior vice-president at Ipsos Reid and author of the study.

"Organizations caught in a tight race for survival can ill-afford wide-spread desertions, especially if the people who are lured away are their best performers," Mr. Leach said. "While the sudden departure of any single group would derail any organization, it appears that the greatest threat may be the potential loss of managerial talent. This could lead to a domino effect that could bring the organization to its knees."

The survey got mixed messages about employee's enthusiasm for the future. While 22 per cent of respondents said their optimism about their prospects within the organization is decreasing, but 7 per cent said their optimism is increasing. And while 20 per cent said their motivation to help their employer succeed is decreasing, 15 per cent said they have experienced an increased motivation to help the organization succeed.