Poaching pandemic: 38% have been approached for a new job more than five times in the last year

Private vs public

When it comes to comparing the amount of times government and software professionals have been approached for a new role over the past 12 months, there are some stark differences.

71% of government professionals have not been approached at all for a new job role, compared to those in software roles in the IT industry (45%). Eight percent of these software professionals had been approached between ten and 20 times. The demand for technical skills has increased significantly in recent years, with the pandemic further exacerbating this need.

Working policies

The survey also asked whether having to be in the office either full- or part-time would influence the way respondents view an organisation, with a fifth (20%) of employees saying it would negatively impact whether they were to stay or join an organisation. 38% of organisations also don’t have a work from home policy in place, with employees still in the dark about whether they will be working from the office, home, or both.

Breaking down the results showed that men, software professionals, and 18-34 year olds are more likely to want to be in the office than women, government professionals and those over 35.

2022 outlook

When asked about what they want most when working at an organisation, opportunities to progress their career (38%) and a great company culture (33%) came out on top. A great office was a much lower priority for respondents (16%), showing that physical workspaces are not a focus for employees and prospective candidates and businesses looking to attract top talent should direct their focus elsewhere.

Respondents were also asked whether they are optimistic about their career progression in 2022. The survey found that over a fifth (21%) are looking to pursue their career elsewhere in 2022, with 18–34-year-olds more likely to look elsewhere (25%) compared to 35s+ (18%).

Neil Purcell, CEO and Founder of Talent Works, commented: “Businesses should be concerned with the mixed responses on working policies, especially with job openings at an all time high and poaching numbers only likely to grow. Understanding your candidates and your employees will ensure that the right people fit within your organisation and employee turnover and churn is reduced.”

2021-09-03