A recent survey by NIJobfinder.co.uk of 760 adults from Northern Ireland’s workforce has found several interesting insights into the local workforce. The study, which looked at factors including how happy the local workforce is and what motivates the NI workforce found that 62% will consider looking for a new job in 2017, while 84% looked for a new job in 2016.
Is Northern Ireland’s workforce a happy one?
With survey respondents rating their general workplace happiness at 5.8 out of 10, and 41% scoring their workplace happiness at five or less, local employers have some way to go to ensuring their workers are happy in their jobs. A happy workforce means a more productive workforce, so it’s important that employers look for ways to make their staff happier, but where should they start?
The survey found that the five biggest things that would make workers happier in their jobs are:
1. Better pay
2. More training
3. Better communication
4. Better holidays
5. Teambuilding days
While better pay and holidays are not something that all employers will be able to offer, training opportunities, communication and teambuilding days should not prove as challenging.
What motivates Northern Ireland’s workforce?
The survey found that pay is not the number one factor when it comes to motivation of the local workforce. While this may surprise many, reward is not always a driver of motivation within the workforce, and this survey found that the NI workforce are more motivated by pride in work, more responsibility and being challenged in their role.
What would make Northern Ireland’s workforce move jobs?
A lack of opportunities in an existing role is clearly the number one reason for NI workers looking to move jobs, with 60% of respondents stating they would consider changing jobs if there was a lack of opportunities to progress within their existing role.
Pay was second, with 37% saying they would consider moving if they had not received a pay rise in 2 years, while 31% stated they would consider moving if they had been overlooked for promotion. It’s clear from these results that Northern Ireland’s workforce is an ambitious one, with desires to progress their career. 52% of those surveyed also claimed that they had never been promoted.
Can you do a better job than your boss?
According to the survey by NIJobfinder.co.uk, 44% of the local workforce feel they can do a better job than their boss while 24% claim they would consider moving jobs if they fell out with their manager. Do you feel you can do a better job than your boss? We’d love to hear from you to find out more.
Do you feel under pressure in your job?
The working environment can bring pressure in many ways, from working to deadlines to dealing with change, and pressure can often lead to stress. While some workplace stress is normal, excessive pressure and stress in your job can impact your productivity and performance, and generally have an adverse effect on your overall wellbeing.
The survey found that a staggering 70% of Northern Ireland’s workforce feel under pressure every week in their job, while 87% feel under pressure at least once a month. If you’re struggling to cope with the pressures and stress of your job, try talking to your boss or a colleague, or visit https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/workplace-stress for more advice. The survey also found that 13% of the local workforce faked a sick day in 2016.
Colin Maxwell, Business Manager for NIJobfinder.co.uk had this to say on the survey findings.
“Our growing audience and traffic figures would substantiate these high job seeker numbers for 2016. Our users and visits to the website continue to increase month on month, but we also have a very engaged job seeker, with application rates also growing. We work with over 850 clients and have over 3600 jobs live at any one time, covering all sectors and professions, so we envisage a very busy year ahead in 2017.”
“If your workforce can’t see any long-term progression opportunities in their current role, they could very well be among the 62% of workers who will consider looking around for alternatives in 2017. It’s therefore vitally important that employers provide an environment that encourages development within their workforce, allowing you to begin developing your staff from within.”