Many workers will be on the move in the coming months, according to new research from global staffing firm Robert Half. The “Job Optimism” survey of more than 500 professionals tracks employee sentiment on current and future career prospects and reveals key implications for employers.

The majority of workers surveyed feel confident about their current skill set (80 percent) and job security (79 per cent). But that doesn’t guarantee they’ll stay put: Twenty-one per cent said they plan to look for a new role in the next several months. The top reasons are because they are experiencing low morale and burn out (35 per cent) and want more opportunities to grow and develop their skills (23 per cent).

Additional findings:

  • Thirty-three per cent of both Gen Z and Millennial professionals plan to pursue a new job with 40 per cent of Gen Zers indicating the main reason is because they want a salary boost versus the 31 per cent of Millennials who are experiencing low morale.   
  • Among the five Canadian cities in the survey, workers in Calgary (25 per cent), Toronto (24 percent) and Vancouver (23 per cent) are most likely to look for a new role.

Twenty-seven per cent of professionals said they had a shift in perspective due to the pandemic and prefer to work for an organization that better aligns with their personal values. In addition, 75 per cent of employees would leave a company whose values don’t align with their own. The corporate programs most important to workers are employee well-being (72 per cent) and recognition (53 per cent).

When considering a career change, many professionals will overlook traditional office jobs: 36 per cent reported wanting a fully remote role and one-quarter (25 per cent) said they’re interested in full-time contracting.