Canada Employed

New Poll: Higher Pay, Better Advancement Opportunities Top Reasons Employees Leave Jobs

Employees Holding All the Cards in Job Market

Express Experts Weigh in on Retention Strategies

Chris Vandenbosch, an Express Employment Professionals franchise owner in Ottawa, Ontario, sees a growing trend of employees leaving their companies for ones that offer more pay.

"The tight labour market means employees are becoming pickier when choosing whether to stay at their current job or leave to a new employer," Vandenbosch said.

Martin Labossiere, an Express franchise owner in Winnipeg, Manitoba, reports seeing the same trend.

"The companies that acquire the best talent are those that provide opportunities for advancement in both wage and in position," he said.

In a recent survey of businesses fielded by Express, pay was a top reason cited for employees leaving a job.

Respondents were asked, "What causes employees to leave a job?" More than one response was permitted. "Lack of advancement/opportunity" was the top reason at 33 per cent, followed by "not a good cultural fit" at 28 per cent. Twenty-seven (27) per cent cited low pay as their reason for leaving, while 20 per cent said it was because of an unlikeable boss/management." 

Vandenbosch reports that companies are proactively giving pay increases to existing employees to retain them, as well as offering higher pay to new employees. He also notes that employers are finding other ways to retain and attract employees. 

"Employers are providing different perks in an effort to retain their staff," he said. "For example, companies are offering more flexible work hours, more vacation pay, and waiving waiting periods to qualify for health and dental benefits." 

Labossiere points out that companies need to get used to making more of an effort to retain and attract employees, as the trend of employees willing to switch jobs is not going away.  

"The younger generations of employees are quite comfortable with fluidity in their career and are very willing to move from one employer to another," he said. 

He recommends that, in addition to improving compensation, employers should not underestimate the importance of their reputation and the culture at work. 

"Companies must be proactive in creating environments that engage employees if they want to retain talent," he said.

"A growing, thriving economy is undoubtedly good news for the country, but it does mean employers have to work harder to retain talent," said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express. "If you're a business that's seeing workers walk out the door, it's critical to identify the reasons why quickly. You can beat the competition-or you can let the competition beat you. You're only as strong as your workforce, and if you're not offering your best, you can't expect to keep the best talent."

The survey of 804 businesses, which are current and former clients of Express Employment Professionals, was conducted in August 2018 to gauge respondents' expectations for the fourth quarter of 2018. 

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If you would like to arrange for an interview to discuss this topic, please contact Ana Curic at (613) 858-2622 or email ana@mapleleafstrategies.com.

About Bill Stoller

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has more than 800 franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Since its inception, Express has put more than 6 million people to work worldwide.

About Express Employment Professionals

Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.4 billion in sales and employed a record 540,000 people in 2017. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com.