‘Workers want to be fairly compensated and able to live their lives outside of work’
Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of Canadian workers are planning to leave their jobs, according to a new survey, with young workers showing by far the highest flight risk.
Among Gen Z employees, that figure nearly doubles to 42 per cent.
Why are they leaving their jobs? Compensation deemed too low was the most common reason, at 48 per cent, followed by a desire for better work-life balance (40 per cent) and a lack of growth opportunities (34 per cent), according to Randstad’s survey of 3,500 Canadians.
"This year's data reminds us that the foundation of the employer-employee relationship hasn't fundamentally changed: workers want to be fairly compensated and able to live their lives outside of work," says Marie-Eve Robitaille, division president of professional talent solutions at Randstad Canada. "What has changed is how quickly they act when they feel those needs aren't being met."
The data also points to a generational split in what drives attrition: digital talent is more likely to leave over stalled career growth, while older workers are more likely to cite pay as their reason for moving on.
What are workers looking for?
When choosing an employer, compensation and work-life balance are rated equally important, each cited by 66 per cent of respondents, according to Randstad.
But the weight workers place on salary shifts sharply with age, climbing from 54 per cent among Gen Z to 77 per cent among Baby Boomers. Women place greater importance on compensation than men, at 69 per cent versus 62 per cent.
Roughly eight in 10 workers say flexibility, time off, and health and wellness benefits are important to them — though 63 per cent rate their current employer positively on work-life balance, suggesting many employers are meeting that expectation even as compensation gaps drive turnover.
Human contact still matters
Even as more companies automate parts of their hiring process, Randstad's findings suggest human connection remains a differentiator: 68 per cent of candidates say in-person contact is important when exploring a job opportunity.
Personal referrals also punched above their weight — used by only 29 per cent of candidates but resulting in 27 per cent of job placements.
On Facebook, 62 per cent of candidates who used the platform say they landed a job that way, compared with only 53 per cent who used it as an active search tool.
More than half (57 per cent) of HR professionals plan to look for a new job in the next six months, the highest share of any sector tracked in a previous survey.
