Tripod has been surveying employees of Estonian and international organizations for almost 30 years and has always investigated their intention to change jobs, i.e. to leave their current employer. In 2023, we saw the highest rate of intention to leave in the history of Tripod’s surveys, which was 35%. In contrast, when we summarized the results of last year, we noticed that the rate of considering leaving had dropped significantly – to 28.7% – which is why we decided to take a closer look at the reasons for this phenomenon.
Public sector stability has decreased
The biggest change in the last year has been in the public sector, where the rate of considering leaving has fallen by almost 6%. The main reasons for considering a job change in the public sector have remained the same as in 2023 and are primarily related to salary and workload. Uncertainty also does not motivate people to leave their current employer: it may not be easy to find a new job with better conditions. Many public sector employees would prefer to continue in the public sector, but the usual stability of this sector has decreased in light of recent workforce and funding cuts.
Private sector employees are looking for new job challenges
In the private sector, it is a bit more difficult to make generalizations and the variability of reasons is also greater. First, it is worth noting that the rate of considering leaving has fallen less compared to the public sector, by an average of just 2%.
For blue collar workers, the reasons are similar to those for public sector specialists – salary and workload. Although in the private sector as a whole, job changes are considered more, this rate is lowest among blue collar workers. A large proportion of blue collar workers have more than five years of experience, preferring job stability to new opportunities.
In contrast, the willingness of private sector specialists and managers to look around the job market is much greater. In last year’s data, it was not uncommon to see the rate of considering leaving in these occupational groups in the range of 40–50%. There are several reasons for this high figure. Heavy workload, a large number of incoming job offers and a growing desire for development opportunities – all influence to a greater or lesser extent the consideration of new challenges at the individual level. However, the strongest incentive to consider a job change was the lack of development opportunities in the current organization..
Forecast for 2025
With the volatility of the public sector, it is quite likely that we will see more employees moving from the public sector to the private sector. Due to the cuts, it is difficult for public sector organizations to meet the salary expectations of employees, which in turn leads to a preference for the private sector when searching for a new job. One of the biggest challenges for private sector organizations is identifying the job needs of their people and finding suitable solutions. Organizations that can offer employees development opportunities motivate employees to continue with the same employer – the rate of consideringleaving remains much lower than in other companies. In addition to personal development, it should not be forgotten that employees are also willing to leave the organization due to a more attractive motivation and salary package.
We understand that it is not always easy for organizations to map the attitudes of their employees, which is why we encourage you to contact us so that we can help your organization as an impartial and experienced partner!
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