SAUSALITO -- Nearly half of employees in a recent survey want to find a new job this year, and at one-third have getting a raise at the top of their goals for 2014.
The fourth-quarter Employment Confidence Survey commissioned by Sausalito-based Glassdoor (glassdoor.com) had 2,039 full- and part-time adult workers older than age 18 feel about issues affecting their careers and the outlook for the future.
"Employees are beginning to feel more sure-footed in the economy and the job market, and in turn, are hopeful and more confident about their chances of seeing their compensation rise," according to Glassdoor career and workplace expert Rusty Rueff. "They are also feeling less fearful and are looking forward to going on vacation. If economic and business news continue to show signs of further stability, we will undoubtedly begin to see greater employment confidence, which will catalyze into more movement within the employment pool."
Glassdoor, a firm that is changing the way people find jobs and how companies recruit top talent, sponsors this survey to monitor four key indicators of employee confidence: Job security, company outlook, salary expectations and re-hire probability.
The survey, conducted online by Harris Interactive from Dec. 6--10, also evaluated employee job search plans and career resolutions for 2014.New Year’s resolutions
The top five resolutions of respondents were:Get a pay raise, 32 percentLook for a new job, 22 percentDevelop leadership skills, 20 percentUse earned vacation time, 20 percentAttend work-related training, 19 percentJob-change timing
Among those considering a possible job change:56 percent of men ages 18--34 are more likely to look for a new job within 12 months.41 percent of women in this age range said likewise.48 percent of all respondents will look for a new job in less than a year.Job-hunting plans decrease with age: 32 percent of ages 35--44, 23 percent of ages 45-54, 21 percent of ages 55--64 and 16 percent of age 65-plus.17 percent plan to look in the first quarter.7 percent would seek new work in one to two years.6 percent anticipate a job search in three or more years.Business outlook optimism
Employee optimism around their companies' business outlook has steadied over the past few years.48 percent of employees, including the self-employed, expect their firm’s outlook to stay the same in the next six months.42 percent expect the outlook to improve.10 percent expect it to get worse.Expectations of a raise
With regard to pay raise expectations:42 percent expect a raise in the next 12 months.Of these, 49 percent of Northeast workers expect it, while 36 percent of West Coast workers do.Layoff concerns
Employees are more concerned about the possibility of being laid off:15 percent of those surveyed expect to be let go, the same proportion as in the third quarter.27 percent are concerned about others being laid off in the next three months, up 3 percentage points since the prior quarter.On vacation
When it comes to taking vacation time, 20 percent plan to take or use all vacation days they have earned. That' up 7 percent from the prior year.Performance improvement
17 percent want to set clear goals in 2014.21 percent of men say this.13 percent of women do.Peer networking13 percent want to network more with peers this year.19 percent of those with incomes of $75,000--$100,000 report this to be a priority.Back to school10 percent want to get more education.15 percent of them are women.7 percent are men.Fire the boss
Only 3 percent of employees admit they want their bosses to be fired, up 1 percentage point from a year before.Changes in the organization
41 percent said employers made changes in staffing, organizational structure, compensation and benefits. That's up 7 percentage points over the year.46 percent experienced cutbacks or reduced compensation, down 10 percentage points from the third quarter and 1 percentage point from a year before.20 percent reported they saw reductions in health and/or dental benefits. That was relatively unchanged during the year.18 percent were part of job restructuring or the creation of redundancies. That's the highest such response since the third quarter of 2011.15 percent were awarded new stock or compensation, down 7 percentage points over the year.
Glassdoor, founded in 2007, uses its JobScope search technology to offer members the ability to browse the latest job listings and preview what it is really like to work at selected companies. It also enables members to access proprietary user-generated content including company-specific salary reports, ratings and reviews, CEO approval ratings, interview questions and reviews, along with office photos. Members can also use Glassdoor’s Inside Connections to leverage their Facebook network at selected companies.
