A large majority of North American workers say they feel trapped in their current jobs. Right Management, which specializes in talent and career management solutions, conducted a survey of almost 400 employees throughout the U.S. and Canada and found that job satisfaction is exceedingly low and many don’t feel that they can easily change jobs.
Eighty-four percent of those surveyed said they feel trapped in their current positions and want to find new jobs. Participants were asked to rate if they agree or disagree with the statement: “Sometimes I feel trapped in my current job and want to find a new position elsewhere.” Sixty-three percent said they strongly agree, 21 percent said they somewhat agree, 6 percent said they somewhat disagree and 10 percent said they strongly disagree.
“We view job satisfaction and wanting to get another job a workplace indicator of sorts, particularly around engagement of employees,” said Ron Sims, the talent management practice leader at Right Management. “We poll employees regularly in order to assess a variety of attitudes and trends. What we learned this time is consistent with the past few years, and it’s disheartening that the mood in the workplace is still sullen.”
According to Sims, this unhappiness among employees can lead to issues like poor performance, low engagement, low productivity, and issues with recruitment and retention. “So it would be a mistake for management to do nothing, or to conclude their workers have no choice but to stay where they are,” he said.
Employers can counteract their dissatisfied employees by providing the opportunity to grow through training and continuous learning programs. Companies should encourage career development and help employees reach their professional goals. This stops workers from feeling trapped and gets them taking charge of their own careers.
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