Anticipating when to move jobs can be a difficult decision, especially amongst headlines of a cost-of-living crisis and noise in the media about the current UK economy.
However, there are over 1.2million unfilled jobs in the UK, more than double what we were seeing ten years ago, and the ten years before that. Employers across the majority of industries including infrastructure, construction, finance, HR, marketing and tech, are struggling with skills shortages and can’t attract the amount of talent they need to grow.
If you’re on the fence about moving, or haven’t even considered it – here’s why you should:
1. There’s lot’s of choice and less competition!
Currently, it’s a candidate driven market – meaning you have the power! There’s almost half a million more jobs available in the market than there was pre Covid, meaning you can be selective with who you want to work for. On top of this, there’s much more choice in how you might work in those jobs with lots of employers offering hybrid working, flexible hours and even fully remote roles.
You’re also going to face much less competition for jobs. That’s not saying you will breeze through an interview process but the fact that there’s currently high employment, a growing number of people choosing not to work and low unemployment means employers have a smaller pool of applicants to pick from.
2. You’re more likely to get a pay rise
As employers struggle to fill roles many are responding by offering above average pay increases to attract candidates. It’s not uncommon to hear of above 10% pay rises when moving from job to job and you’ll find in some industries employers are offering signing on bonuses or additional benefits and incentives to secure talent. If you’re not receiving the pay rise you want from your employer, it’s definitely a good time to start looking elsewhere.
3. You are already ‘quiet quitting’
You might have heard of the new phenomenon of ‘quiet quitting’ where staff are doing the bare minimum that their role requires or disengaging with their work entirely. However, if you are feeling like this within your job – there’s often no coming back from it and it’s actually a clear signal you might need to move on. Instead, take the time to look at what opportunities are out there, and this could help re-ignite the passion for your career and set you on the path to find a role that’s much more suited.
In fact, now is the perfect time for career self-reflection if you’ve just returned to work after a fun weekend and have that all too familiar return to work dread. Here’s a couple of questions to use if you haven’t paused to think about what you want out of your job recently:
- Am I feeling fulfilled in my current role?
- Is my pay reflective of my responsibilities?
- Am I learning and growing?
- Are there any opportunities to progress my career in my current company?
- Is my work life balance where I want it to be?
- Would I prefer a role or employer that better aligns to my values?
Once you’ve had that chance for self-reflection and if you are ready to start looking for a new start – jump in and take a look at the opportunities we currently have on or speak to one of our friendly consultants today to discuss your next step.
