Canada Employed

New Survey: Employee Turnover On The Rise

• One-Third of Job Seekers Have Been with Current Employer Less than 3 Years

• Stoller: "Employee Loyalty Must be Earned"

In a tight labour market with a growing number of job vacancies, workers are taking advantage of the growing opportunities to change jobs, which has led to an increase in employee turnover. A new survey released today by Express Employment Professionals found that one-third of job seekers have been in their current jobs for less than three years.

Express fielded two surveys on job tenure. One asked business leaders about the average employee tenure at their companies, and the second asked job seekers about their tenures at their current employers.

Full results are below. Key findings include:

• 22% of business leaders said the average tenure at their companies was less than 3 years, 19% said 3-5 years, 24% said 5-10 years, 18% said 10-15 years, and 17% said more than 15 years.
• 33% of job seekers said they had been with their current companies for less than 3 years, 18% said 3-5 years, 24% said 5-10 years, 8% said 10-15 years, and 18% said more than 15 years.

Across Canada, Express franchise owners report an increase in employee turnover, especially with relatively recent hires who actively explore and accept better opportunities at other companies. 

"There is definitely more employee turnover happening now than in the past," said Niven Lee, an Express franchise owner in Delta, British Columbia. "This trend of employees working less time at an employer will continue as the labour market will get even tighter as baby boomers retire and there will be even more employers chasing after employees."  

In Sarnia, Ontario, Express franchise owner Bruce Hein is seeing the same trend.

"Employees are certainly staying with employers for less time than they used to," Hein said. "The last statistic I saw was that the average person will change jobs 11 times in their career, but I bet that is even higher now. If the economy continues to stay strong, I believe this trend will continue, if not increase." 

Lee says there are many reasons for increased turnover that stem from both the demand and supply of labour.

"When it comes to the supply side, cost of living is increasing, so employees are looking for higher pay. The tight labour market has resulted in fierce competition among employers, making it easier for employees to find and secure a new and better job," Lee said. "Also, in our area, immigrants working their way to better jobs until they find a job in their field can cause turnover as well. On the demand side, companies are working leaner and work environments are more stressful now as the employer's job expectations are higher, which can cause high employee turnover."

"Employees will jump ship pretty fast for more money, more time off, a better culture, or if they feel underappreciated at their current employer," Hein said. "And with the current hot job market, employees have options. I see people who resign or are terminated from companies and they are starting a new job just a few weeks later." 

So, what can companies do to retain their employees?

"Companies should continue to review their compensation on a regular basis to ensure it is competitive, prioritize company culture and most importantly, make sure their people feel valued," Hein advised. "A gesture of appreciation and a sincere thank you can go a long way."

"Invest in your employees and provide internal career growth by offering continual training and development opportunities," Lee said. "Create a warm and friendly environment, treat employees genuinely and like family, so they look forward to coming to work every day."  

"Employee loyalty must be earned," said Bill Stoller, CEO of Express. "The data shows that even a company's newest employees are keeping an eye on the market. It's never been easier to move from one job to another, so employers have to invest in employee retention. They can't depend on inertia."

The survey of 237 employees was conducted In March 2019 through the Express Job Journey site, a blog for job seekers or those new to the workforce. The survey of 230 business leaders and decision makers was also conducted the same month through the Express Refresh Leadership blog.

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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 7.7 million people to work worldwide.

About Express Employment Professionals

Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $3.56 billion in sales and employed a record 566,000 people in 2018. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com.