Companies using tools such as staff rostering systems to keep their most valuable staff happy could be concerned by research suggesting that employee turnover is on the rise.
A survey by recruitment firm Robert Half UK found that half (49 per cent) of HR directors have seen an increase in resignations, which suggests greater worker confidence in the job market.
One in seven (14 per cent) respondents said voluntary turnover had gone up significantly, while over a third (35 per cent) said it had risen somewhat.
The trend was found to be most acute in London and the south-east, where nearly six out of ten (58 per cent) HR directors said they had seen more staff leaving of their own accord.
People currently working in the public sector are most likely to tender their resignation, according to the research, with half (50 per cent) of HR leaders in this field experiencing an increase in departures compared to three years ago.
The survey of over 200 staffing managers also looked at the reasons for staff leaving, with lack of remuneration or recognition topping the list after being cited by 40 per cent of respondents.
Public sector employers (61 per cent) and small businesses (46 per cent) were found to be the worst affected by this problem.
Concern over company performance and fear of redundancies was listed as the second biggest reason for higher employee turnover, identified by 29 per cent of HR directors, followed by poor work-life balance (28 per cent) and boredom with the role or company (27 per cent).
Phil Sheridan, UK managing director of Robert Half, said: "Employees are clearly no longer waiting for their own employment conditions to improve – with some businesses still enforcing pay freezes – and instead are looking to improve on salary, working conditions and work-life balance within alternative companies."
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of people working in the UK increased by 177,000 to 29.95 million from July to September.
