Only four per cent feel 'very insecure' about their jobs
More than half of Australia's workforce are "career cushioning," according to a new report, despite feeling a strong sense of security in their roles.
Findings from Employment Hero's Talent Insights Report found that 66% of Australians are career cushioning or making themselves "more hire-able" should they lose or leave their job.
Younger workers, aged between 18 and 24, are more active in these efforts, according to the report.
"They were nine per cent more likely to be seeking mentorship, 14% more likely to be seeking freelance opportunities, and 33% more likely to be expanding their skill set," the report said.
Future-proofing efforts
According to the report, Australian employees are carrying out the following actions to future proof their careers:
- Expanding professional skill set (23%)
- Open to changing business (21%)
- Looking out for new roles (15%)
- Trying to learn how to use new tech tools (11%)
- Seeking new professional opportunities within the organisation (10%)
- Looking for freelance/contract opportunities to do alongside main employment (10%)
Despite more than half of Australians career-cushioning, however, 34% of the respondents said they are not taking any actions to future proof their career.
Strong sense of job security
The findings on career cushioning also came despite majority of the respondents saying they are "pretty comfortable" about their jobs.
"This sense of security was relatively consistent across industries and business sizes, with those working for larger businesses feeling only slightly more secure than those working for SMEs," the report said.
Only 14% said they don't feel secure in their roles, while only four per cent said they feel "very insecure."
So, what other reasons could make employees leave? According to the report, these are the top reasons why employees are seeking a new role in a different organisation:
- Dislike their job (35%)
- Poor company culture (33%)
- Dislike their boss (32%)
- Lack of career opportunities (27%)
- Lack of management responsibilities (27%)
Competitive salary still urged
With these findings, the report continued to warn that employers from feeling too comfortable.
"It's possible that many employees are transitioning to being in a permanent state of job seeking. The fact that 66% are actively 'career cushioning' makes this a likely prospect," the report said.
The report said employers said they shouldn't delay in offering a more competitive salary if they want to retain staff.
"And be sure to focus on creating a great company culture to improve general turnover within your team," the report said.
