Good news, HR managers: 52% of employed adults are content in their roles

HR managers and employee retention specialists can, perhaps, breathe a bit easier thanks to the results of a new CareerBuilder survey. More than half of employed adults are content in their roles and are not engaged in a job search right now. And just 23% percent of Gen Z’ers, 24% of Millennials, and 14% of Gen X’ers are actively looking for a job. But what’s behind these numbers?

Camaraderie counts

Of the employed adult respondents, 56% say that work schedule attracts them most in their current role – and this is especially important to women (61%) compared to men (51%). And almost half of the workers surveyed say that colleagues (48%) are an appealing factor in their satisfaction. This is particularly true of Gen Z with 58% indicating they are attracted to their job because of colleagues and work friends.

What else is keeping employees satisfied?

Also of significance in impacting one’s contentedness on the job are fair pay (46%) and work-life balance (43%). Men (52%) are more likely than women (39%) to be drawn to their job because they are being paid fairly. Additionally, 34% indicated they appreciate their health benefits.

Other perks that matter most

Workers are thinking beyond the typical menu of employer benefits for perks that seem to indicate a further preference for flexibility and work-life balance. Things workers want include:

•          30% are seeking a four-day work week

•          28% hope to have their birthday off

•          24% seek mental health and wellness benefits

•          21% prefer to work remotely full-time

•          16% would like paid sabbatical leave

•          13% would be interested in pet insurance

•          10% look for fertility or new baby benefits

Workers are thinking beyond their bottom lines

People aren’t necessarily staying put because of salary increases or other financial offerings. Perks supersede financial offerings for employees, including a signing bonus (28%), student loan repayment (20%), childcare or daycare stipend (19%), and tuition reimbursement (15%).  

Employees are playing the long game

On average, the data shows that a quarter of employed adults have been at their company for three to five years with about one in 10 employees (9%) who have been working at their current company for less than a year, 22% at their company for one to two years, and 20% for six to 10 years.

More exclusive CareerBuilder survey results include:

Show employees the money: Salary increases best PTO in 2022

The majority of Americans are seeking new work now