Survey reveals 73% of workers want to work somewhere else

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Over 70% of employees wish they were working somewhere else, with becoming self-employed the third most popular new employment option, according to a new list of the country’s top places to work.

The survey, by Insync and retailer RedBalloon, reveals tech giants including Google, Apple, Microsoft and eBay have topped the list due to the amount of freedom they give employees, and smaller businesses are being urged to follow suit.

“Most people are thinking they want to work somewhere else, so employers should be aware of what these companies are doing,” Insync chief executive James Garriock says.

Garriock points out that while self-employed work came in third for Australians’ “dream job”, only 12% of people who want to start their own business are actually self-employed. And only 35% of self-employed people actually believe they are working for their dream employer.

“I guess what this shows is that when you become self-employed and start a business, it’s extremely hard work and it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be. The number-one reason for people wanting to be self-employed is work-life balance, but you go from working five days to seven.”

“The issue here is that self-employed people need to truly love what they are doing, because you don’t mind doing it if you work seven days a week. It truly is a lot of hard work.”

The survey of over 2,900 workers places Google in the top spot, with Virgin coming in second. Apple took fourth place, followed by Qantas, The Walt Disney Company, OMD, Sydney Water, Getaway and Coca-Cola.

Other dream employers include Microsoft, Vodafone, the Commonwealth Bank and Lonely Planet.

Garriock says the survey shows the factors pushing these employers to the top of the list include brand reputation, cited by 41% of respondents, followed by culture, cited by 39%, along with a good work-life balance, cited by 28%. Pay packets actually came in last, with only 27% of respondents citing higher remuneration as a key driver.

Other reasons include products and services, the opportunities for innovation, social interaction – and 11% actually said working for a particular chief executive would make them move to a dream job.

But Garriock says with so many employees actually thinking about moving elsewhere, businesses need to really start considering whether they are doing all they can to keep their workers from switching to a new company.

“Employers do certainly need to be aware that their employees are thinking of working someplace else,” he says. “But it’s not necessarily a one-fix-suits-all solution. Different people want different things.”

Garriock says while businesses should emulate the top employers by offering certain benefits such as good work-life balance, flexibility and perks unique to the company, he also says these initiatives need to be tailored to individual employees.

“Very few people move for money, they move for things like career advancement. And every company needs to understand how each employee works, and what they can offer them to get them to stay.”

“For instance, Generation Y is extremely keen to have development opportunities and career opportunities. That is what will keep them with you. On the other hand, Baby Boomers are looking for a work-life balance, and less career advancement. Understand that and work with it.”

Garriock says recognition for work is also more important than a pay packet, saying workers won’t feel pressured to move on if your business has ways of recognising and rewarding hard work. About 52% of respondents said they would leave their company if they did not receive any recognition.

Like other similar lists, the Insync/RedBalloon survey puts tech giants among the top 20, including Google, Apple, Microsoft and eBay. The survey points out these companies often have unusual work-life balance perks, with Google even allowing employees to use 20% of their time for their own personal projects.

Apple was on the list for its reputation as a solid company pushing the envelope in innovation and technology, and eBay is known for its “fun” work culture, but Garriock also says many of the entries surprised him.

Companies such as the Walt Disney Corporation, Getaway and even the Commonwealth Bank were complete surprises. Even the United Nations comes in at 15^th.

“They’re offering a coherent package of messages to the market. So firstly, you get this idea that the company is creating a solid product, and people resonate with that, especially in the case of companies like Walt Disney,” says Garriock.

“But then that has to line up with employee experience. So if you go to work somewhere, and it doesn’t line up with what you’ve seen elsewhere, word of that is going to spread. These companies have their own advertising message and employee experiences lined up well.”

Garriock points to chief executives such as Richard Branson, who boosts applications at the company simply by advertising what it’s like to work there.

Garriock says 80% of dream employers encourage a “fun” working environment. This can come in the form of perks, with Lonely Planet offering an emphasis on employee’s personal interests, and Google offering its 20% time.

Smaller businesses, he says, should pay attention to the reasons respondents gave for classing a workplace as a “nightmare”. Poor culture was given as the main reason, well ahead of the “nature of the work”.

Other reasons included too many bureaucratic regulations, a lack of recognition and even a negative environmental impact. Garriock says if businesses avoid these, and instead focus on creating a fun environment while making sure workers are doing their best, employees will stop considering their options for moving on.

“I believe that a lot of this lands on the leader. Too many leaders are tolerating bad behaviour from their employees, and then that permeates the company and completely destroys your culture.”

“The survey shows leaders need to create culture in the workplaces, and to do that they need to crack down on bad behaviour, and then reward good behaviour with employee freedoms. The best workplaces are doing this.”