Three-quarters of digital workers are looking to change jobs within two to three years, according to Global Talent Survey of 208,000 workers
Our latest report in the Global Talent Survey series, ‘Decoding the digital talent challenge’, examines how to attract and retain the digital talent needed to transform your business in an overheated recruitment market.
What is the Global Talent Survey?
The Global Talent Survey (GTS) is a piece of research usually undertaken every four years by Totaljobs, as a founding member of The Network (an alliance of market leading job boards in over 130 countries) and with Boston Consulting Group (one of the world’s leading management consultancies).
The last GTS was published in 2018, but with 2020 and 2021 bringing a swathe of changes to the way we live and work, we once again gathered global insights to understand more about the movements and job preferences of digital talent in the wake of Covid-19, as businesses across all sectors race to digitalise.
Based on a survey of over 208,000 workers worldwide (consisting of 9,850 respondents working in digital fields like information technology, automation, analytics and digitalisation) the landmark series is the largest workforce trend study in the world.
You can explore other findings from our Global Talent Series here.
Key findings from the ‘Decoding the digital talent challenge’ report
Digital workers are eager to change jobs
After a tumultuous two years, many workers are revaluating what they want from a job and an employer – and choosing to change jobs.
Digital workers are at the forefront of this trend.
Two-fifths of professionals working within information technology, automation, analytics and digitalisation are actively job hunting, with three-quarters (73%) planning to change roles in the near future.
What’s driving this change?
The majority of digital workers are looking to move in order to better their career progression (63%) or take on a new challenge (45%).
However, many are considering switching jobs out of dissatisfaction with their current employer. 36% claim they’re exploring their options because they feel undervalued, 29% say that the work-life balance with their current employer is no longer up to scratch, and a quarter want to find a company that better aligns with their values and beliefs.
These push and pull factors point to wider shifts we’re seeing in what employees want and expect from a workplace post-Covid.
Plus, with a record amount of job vacancies in the market, candidates are even more confident in their employability – and that their job search will lead to a role that ticks all the boxes.
Digital workers desire greater flexibility in where – and when – they work
Many digital professionals enjoyed flexible work arrangements during the pandemic and wish to hold onto to these new-found freedoms.
Almost all of those surveyed (95%) said they wanted to work remotely at least once a week going forward, with the vast majority wanting to work from home two or three days a week.
This desire for flexibility extends to working hours too.
Two-fifths (46%) of digital talent want a combination of fixed and flexible hours, while over a quarter (29%) want complete control over their working hours.
Digital workers are more willing to work remotely for an international company
When looking for a job, digital workers are far more likely than most to explore global opportunities.
Over two-thirds (68%) would work for a company with no physical presence in their country, versus 57% of non-digital workers.
The US is still perceived as the most desirable country for remote employment by digital talent, followed by the UK, Australia, and Germany and Canada tied in fourth place.
Most attractive countries for digital talent seeking remote employment
- US (18%)
- UK (13%)
- Australia (12%)
- Canada (11%)
- Germany (11%)
Despite fluctuating travel restrictions, over half (55%) of digital workers are open to relocating abroad for work too.
Canada is the country of choice for the majority of those digital professionals looking to physically relocate, but the US, Australia, Germany also hold strong appeal – with the UK maintaining it’s position as the fifth most popular country for transnational moves.
Interestingly, many nations within the Asia-Pacific have emerged as go-to destinations for international assignments, with Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and Japan all growing in popularity since 2018.
However, when purely looking at a city level, London takes the prize for the most attractive city in the world in the eyes of digital workers – matching the sentiment of the wider workforce.
Most attractive cities for digital talent looking to relocate
- London (12%)
- Singapore (10%)
- Amsterdam (9%)
- Berlin (9%)
- Tokyo (8%)
What digital workers are looking for in a job and an employer
Some job preferences have held consistent for digital workers, even throughout the pandemic.
Work-life balance, for example, remains the number one priority of digital professionals when considering an employer – a factor unchanged since our last survey in 2018.
This matches the values of the wider workforce, with three-quarters (76%) of people claiming work-life balance is more important in their career decision making than it was before Covid-19.
Relationships, on the other hand, have shot up in importance for digital workers.
A ‘good relationship with colleagues’ ranked as the second most important job attribute for digital professionals, and a ‘good relationship with superiors’ entered the top five for the first time at number four.
Financial compensation and stability also crept up in importance for digital workers, perhaps due to the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
The full report further explores how digital talent want to learn in more depth, as well as their growing interest in societal and environmental issues.
Pierre Antebi comments on findings from the Global Talent Survey
Developing a comprehensive strategy for digital talent is a must for all employers. Enhancing recruitment and retention are an important part of this, ranging from adapting corporate models to offer good balance and flexibility, to expanding options for remote international work, and reflecting social, and environmental values in their employee proposition. Creating an ecosystem of contractors, gig workers, and agencies is an additional valuable tool for sourcing talent in this highly competitive market.
Pierre AntebiManaging Director at The Network (A global alliance including Totaljobs Group).
Find more insights in ‘Decoding the digital talent challenge’
Delve into the findings in more detail by downloading the Decoding the digital talent challenge’ report, part of our 2021 Global Talent Survey series.
Or explore the other reports in the Global Talent Survey series:
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