Majority of Workers Forced Back to the Office Are Looking to Change Jobs

Just because your employees have returned to the office doesn’t mean they are happy about it. A new survey from ResumeBuilder.com shows that among workers who have returned to the office, 18% are currently looking for a new job.

The survey also says that 36% plan to start job searching this year. Workers are seeking out new jobs for several reasons, with 70% saying they want a higher salary. Additionally, 56% say they want better benefits, 50% say they want more growth opportunities, 43% say they want to work fewer days in the office, 32% say they want a better company culture, and 27% say they want different responsibilities.

“It’s abundantly clear that employees are looking for a greater degree of autonomy in determining how and where they work from,” says Stacie Haller, Chief Career Advisor at ResumeBuilder. “Companies that prioritize aligning their practices with the preferences of their workforce are the ones successfully retaining talent. Those that do not are witnessing a surge in turnover rates.”

Survey results also show how many days workers prefer to go into the office. Seven percent say they prefer to be in the office less than once per week but not fully remotely. Additionally, 14% say once per week, 17% say twice per week, 20% say three days per week, 11% say four days per week, and 15% say they would prefer to be in the office full-time. Furthermore, 17% of respondents say they would prefer to work fully remotely. The top reasons for this include better work-life balance, less commute time, saving money, and higher productivity.

Of workers surveyed who are currently required to go in at least once a week, for 8%, the requirement is once a week. Additionally, for 33%, it’s two to three days a week, for 24% it’s three to four days a week, and for 35% it’s five days a week.

For most workers, there is a mismatch between how many days they want to work in the office and how many days they are currently required to.