Earlier this week, Robert Walters, an international specialty recruitment firm, released the results of a poll they recently conducted, which they claim shows that a majority of white collar workers in Canada are actively pursuing new jobs.
In a statement issued to The Alberta Worker, Robert Walters claimed that of the 2,500 Canadian white-collar workers they surveyed, 68% of respondents reported that they had taken what the company calls “career cushioning” measures.
Robert Walters defines “career cushioning” as the process of proactively exploring career prospects to mitigate any harm that may arise if something happens to their current job.
The firm believes that career cushioning has increased recently in connection with Canada’s current economic slowdown.
According to the poll results, the most common reason these white collar workers are seeking out career cushioning was low job satisfaction. Nearly half (48%) of the respondent said they weren’t completely satisfied with their job.
This was followed by more than 1 in 4 (28%) who were worried about job security and about 1 in 6 (16%) who said that internal changes at their employer were leading to their precarity.
Fewer than 1 in 10 (8%) of the respondents cited the current economic climate for their desire to seek better employment.
“Professionals are acutely aware of the difficulties organizations are facing due to challenging economic conditions, but interestingly it seems the way these companies are dealing with these challenges is what is affecting employees most,” said Martin Fox, the managing director at Robert Walters’ Canadian office.
“Consequently, nearly half of professionals are engaging in “career cushioning” as a proactive response to low job satisfaction, activelyseeking roles that offer increased levels of fulfillment.”
The survey also found that over two-thirds of respondents (68%) realized while exploring the job market and reassessing their own skillset that they were being underpaid in their current roles. In fact, less than 1 in 4 of respondents were satisfied with how their being compensated by their present employers.
Here the 7 most common tactics these workers are using in their career cushioning efforts:
| Applying for jobs | 67% |
| Monitoring job market | 54% |
| CV prep | 24% |
| Networking more | 20% |
| Upskilling and training | 17% |
| Adopting a side hustle | 10% |
| Working with a career coach | 9% |
According to Georgia Peglar, a senior marketing executive at Robert Walters Canada, poll respondents hold corporate positions across Canada in the areas of finance and operations; legal; risk and compliance; human resources; and technology.
Peglar also clarified that respondents represent a range of seniorities, including entry level, senior, managerial, and director level.
