Mobility in the past was largely affected due to the economic crisis. There has been limited movement due to a lack a better opportunities in the market. But now there is readiness to change jobs, especially after the recession. One could attribute it to the normal human tendency to trying to make up for the perception of loss and that is why one sees increase in attrition and wage inflation after ever downturn.
The mental mobility status of employees is definitely on the rise. Job markets have opened as the economy is looking up. However employees want to take a measured and informed decision before they change their job. Essentially people are looking at stability as a major factor when they choose their next employer.
Salary is not the only reason why employees look for a change. Apart from compensation, employees also look at the commitment which the future employer has towards their development. Are the employers treating employees fairly? Will this employer protect them even if there is a downturn in the future? Does the new employer have an Employee Value Proposition, which consists of career development, inclusive leadership style and fair treatment? These are some of the key reasons that provoke employees to make a decision w.r.t a job change.
Salary is a historic factor but not necessarily the major factor in today’s. It is a combination of factors that have to be looked at- demographics associates who have less than three years of experience look for a better salary pack age as a reason to change the job while associates who have experience between three to eight years are the ones most likely to look for better growth opportunities. A critical need for them would be to seek team leadership and engagement roles, clients’ relationship and engagement roles or to be technical architects/ subject matter experts etc.
In such a case, how can employers direct their efforts to align their workforce and raise engagement levels among employees? Engagement of the employees is of paramount importance irrespective of the market conditions. The engagement should be both at the professional and personal level. On the professional level the associates should feel respected, get to know how he is able to make a difference see learning opportunities and have clarity on the career path. On the personal level, associates need to be able to connect with the areas they are passionate about besides work such as fine arts, sports, social activities etc. When both these aspects of mind and heart are facilitated by the organization, one will have highly engaged associates.