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A PwC survey of the global workforce has found more workers expect to quit their current company in 2024 compared to the ‘Great Resignation’ in 2022.
According to the 2024 “Hopes and Fears” survey, which polled over 56,000 workers across the globe, 28% said they were “very or extremely likely” to move from their current company.
This compares to 26% in 2023 and 19% in 2022, when the Great Resignation was first coined.
The rising rate of itchy feet among the workforce could be explained by exhaustion from heavier workloads and frustration with ongoing change. 45% of workers surveyed said their workloads have risen and the pace of workplace change has accelerated in the past 12 months.
62% said they experienced more change in the last year compared to the twelve months previous.
Generative AI: Career-elevating but employees need more training
Meanwhile, it appears that workers are attempting to upskill and develop their careers, including by embracing generative AI and other new workplace technology.
82% of employees who said they use generative AI each day said they expect it to increase their efficiency over the next year.
However, only 12% of respondents said they use generative AI each day, and 37% said they never use it, indicating more training may be required from companies to prepare their workforce.
This echoes CareerBuilder’s 2024 AI in Hiring Survey, which finds that 86% of hiring managers and recruiters believe more training and education is needed to make sure AI is an effective tool within the business.
Hiring Managers: State of Hiring and Retention
Workers want skills development opportunities
PwC’s survey indicates those embracing AI may experience career growth, with 76% of respondents saying it will create opportunities for them to learn new skills.
More broadly, employees who were considering switching employers in the next twelve months were nearly twice as likely to value the opportunity to learn new skills compared to those not looking to switch, suggesting that career development opportunities may have a powerful sway on a company’s performance on the job market.
“Taken together, these stats show how critical it is for companies to create ample opportunities for all employees to develop skills on the job and to ensure that leaders are providing guidance and mentoring about what kinds of skills employees need to build,” PwC recommends.
“It’s also important to create a culture of learning, where creating time for learning on the job is part of the organisation’s DNA.”
Beyond skills development, employers may also need to help workers develop their capability to cope with and manage change.
In the past 12 months, 45% of respondents say they have had to learn new tools or technologies, 41% say their team structure has changed, and 40% say their daily responsibilities have changed.
