The advertising industry has been hit by an exodus of staff, with more than two-fifths (42%) of workers quitting the profession altogether since 2015, second only to the number of people who have left the military.
So says a new study by Totaljobs, which also reveals that over 2 million UK workers are planning on changing jobs before Christmas; 6% are already on their notice period, while a further 26% are actively job hunting as workers plan their next career move.
Totaljobs has analysed more than 4.2 million job changes from 2015 onwards, and surveyed nearly 4,500 jobseekers from the Totaljobs database alongside 2,000 UK workers via Opinium, to provide an overview of career change trends.
The research shows not only an increase in people starting new jobs in the months ahead, but an expected rise in industry-hopping, with 75% of jobseekers from the Totaljobs database reporting they are more likely to consider working in a different industry following Covid-19.
For those who have already switched industry during the past year, less than one in five (18%) plan to move back to their previous sector.
Overall, the study shows 52% of job moves involve switching to a different industry altogether, while 48% remain.
Some sectors report higher retention rates than others, with Totaljobs’ career changes analysis revealing people in HR are more likely to stay within the sector when securing a new job (64%), followed by design (62%) and IT (62%).
Looking at the total number of job moves within each industry, the military (47%) saw the highest proportion of people leaving the profession, followed by advertising (42%), and public sector, farming and agriculture, and charity (all 41%).
Loyalty to one employer also varies significantly between industries, with public sector and policing staff staying with the same organisation for an average of 8.9 years, followed by arts and entertainment (8.8 years on average).
At the other end of the scale, marketing and PR employers see staff stay with the company for the shortest amount of time, although at 5.5 and 5.6 years respectively these are not exactly short-term options.
Looking ahead, the study reveals that a quarter of workers (25%) plan to change jobs in the next two years, with an estimated 3.5 million planning on changing industry. When looking at specific industries, 49% of those working in construction are actively looking for jobs or are on their notice period, along with 41% of those in administration and 38% in IT.
When considering the motivations for future career moves, the majority (57%) of jobseekers cited work-life balance as the key reason, above a higher salary (52%) and learning new skills (38%). The impact of the pandemic on work priorities can also be seen in that over three quarters of people (76%) say work-life balance is now more important to them.
Candidate research showed a third (34%) of people who started work in a different industry during the Covid-era cited were driven to switch out of necessity – reflecting the impact of the pandemic on business operations, consumer demand levels, and employment opportunities across the UK.
For others, the desire to do something different (24%) was the main motivator, followed by better work-life balance (24%), not enjoying their role (21%), as well as to earn a higher salary, learning new skills, or due to a lack of available roles in their previous industry (all 19%).
Totaljobs chief executive Jon Wilson said: “For many people, the career ladder isn’t so linear anymore; career shifts and job changes are commonplace. With Covid-19 changing our day-to-day working lives, people are increasingly searching for a work-life balance, flexibility or simply for a job they can get more satisfaction out of, and they’ll look to other industries to find it.
“With a record number of job vacancies this summer, many industries who had to hit pause on their hiring in the height of the pandemic are now experiencing labour shortages, and these are likely to continue in the coming months. Businesses with an urgent hiring need should make sure they’re getting the basics right when attracting talent. Job adverts that include essential pieces of information like a clear job title, location, salary and ways of working are more likely to win applications.
“Equally, employers must be clear about what their business is bringing to the table beyond the remit of a role, whether that’s remote working, wellbeing programmes or training initiatives. Consider how you can attract the three quarters of people considering a career change, and pitch the unique benefits of your industry – especially if you can offer candidates something their previous sector couldn’t.”
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