81% of Irish workers want to change jobs

81% of Irish employees are looking to change jobs within the next two years, according to a new salary survey by Hays, Ireland’s leading recruitment specialist.

The Hays Salary and Recruiting Trends Guide 2016 found less than half (47%) of all employees were satisfied with their salaries, but almost two-thirds (62%) expect to receive a pay rise in the next 12 months.

The report, which surveyed 1,300 employers and employees, suggests Irish businesses are increasingly optimistic about the future. 79% of organisations expect increased business activity in 2016 and 86% plan to recruit in the coming 12 months. This positive outlook is particularly apparent across sectors such as IT, construction, life sciences, financial services and insurance.

Despite this market buoyancy, salary increases remain relatively modest as a whole, with some notable exceptions in IT, construction and finance.

In construction and property, the most significant salary increases of 5-10% year on year are taking place among site engineers, project managers, quantity surveyors, building services engineers and architects.

Demand for senior accountancy and finance professionals has increased in recent months and is now close to pre-recession levels. In 2015, the majority of senior appointments at €65,000 and above took place within multinational corporations. However, this is beginning to change with indigenous plcs and SMEs now offering increasingly competitive remuneration at this level.

Overall, over one third (35%) of employers said salaries have increased by 2.5% or more in the last 12 months, with 65% stating that salaries have increased by less than 2.5%, remained the same or even decreased.

Both employers and employees cited career progression as the most important factor in attracting and retaining talented staff. 97% of employees surveyed felt they have the necessary skills to fulfil their current role and 59% believe there is scope for career progression within their current place of work.

Richard Eardley, Managing Director of Hays Ireland, said: “As economic conditions continue to improve, recruitment is firmly back on the agenda for the vast majority of organisations in Ireland. Irish employees are becoming increasingly confident about their future prospects and are taking the opportunity to look for new roles. "