In contrast to Western markets, where companies are struggling with rising attrition, in the Czech Republic, workers prefer job assurance. Except of light wave of fluctuation in spring, people are thinking about changing jobs but not realizing them. Employers try to prevent the attrition of their employees through regular satisfaction surveys, which show that the human approach, understanding, and appreciation are the most important for employees. Companies try to respond to these needs not only by offering benefits but also by an overall approach.
According to a survey by McKinsey & Company, more than 15 million American employees have left their jobs since April this year. Nearly two-thirds of American companies expect, that the number of workers, who want to change their jobs, will further grow in the next months, which is confirmed by the employees themselves – 40 % in the survey said that they will probably leave their work in the next three to six months, for another 18 % employees it is almost certain.
In the Czech Republic, there is a lower desire to change jobs. This is confirmed by declining attritions in some industries and also by the findings of the Grafton Recruitment survey. According to this survey, people are rather thinking about change, but physically it is realized only by a small number. Probably the least desire for change is in the IT sector, where only 10 % of employees would accept an interesting offer. Workers who are more likely to look for a new job are from sales and marketing (22 %) or business services (30 %), but most are from manufacturing, where a quarter of employees are looking for work and another 37 % would accept a good offer if it came.
„In the Czech Republic, the turnover in the otherwise quite low attrition occurred this spring after the end of lockdown when employees from sectors affected by restrictions began to gradually return to their original jobs. We noticed this especially in the sector of customer services, where a lot of workers from hotels and tourism took refuge during the lockdown,” says Jonathan Appleton, director of the ABSL, an association of customer and business service providers. His words are also confirmed by Jan Nedělník, CEO of Comdata, which is one of the largest providers of customer services in the Czech Republic:
„Many people from other industries who lost their jobs due to Covid-19 came to customer service during the lockdown. Subsequently, they returned to their original job and the attrition increased slightly, however, it was more likely a temporary attrition. Attrition is now stabilizing again, in fact its year on year rate is lower than before the outbreak of the pandemic.”
Overall, in the business services sector, the attrition rate remains at a pre-covid 13 percent. However, some companies can boast a much lower figure, especially in the IT sector it is for example about 5 %.
Strengthening relationships with employees is key
In addition to financial rewards, one of the most common reasons for leaving a job is the personal need for change. In a McKinsey & Company survey, employees also mentioned the lack of appreciation by their employers and superiors and the lack of a sense of belonging.
„Increasing salaries or expanding the offer of bonuses are only temporary solutions. Employers who really want to prevent their people from leaving have to focus on strengthening relationships with employees and listening to their needs,” says Jonathan Appleton.
This is confirmed by a survey by the personnel agency Grafton Recruitment, in which 95 % of respondents expressed an interest in working for an employer who cares about them and who meets their needs. Employee satisfaction surveys and feedback from those who leave their jobs are therefore becoming an increasingly important tool in reducing attrition.
„All employees who leave our company have the opportunity to talk to the relevant HR experts about the reasons that led them to do this. They most often mention the desire to work in another sector. We try to respond to their needs and support, for example, internal transfers to another position, where we are able to offer promising career opportunities that can re-motivate the employee,” says Iveta Chválová, Director of SAP Services. Mutual dialogue and employee involvement are also supported by other companies.
„According to our surveys, we know that our employees most often leave because of a desire to change something. When we notice that one of the colleagues is not satisfied, their direct superior in cooperation with an HR consultant always try to find out the reasons for his dissatisfaction and also his needs and find a solution that benefits everyone,” says Pavlína Janíková, Vice President for HR and marketing at Ness Czech, and adds, that in their case, the pandemic had a significant effect on attritions, and people are still more cautious in their decisions and when considering changes.
Flexibility at work is increasingly important
Today, another important trend which resonates in employee satisfaction surveys is the possibility of working from home. People have become accustomed to this model during the pandemic and do not want to give it up now. This is also confirmed by a survey by Ernst & Young – according to this survey 9 out of 10 office employees are interested in the possibility of working from home. On average, they would like to work remotely two or three days a week. More than half of the employees from around the world would consider leaving work if they were not given some form of flexibility after the pandemic. A similar finding was made by a survey by the ABSL association, which showed that 4 out of 5 employees want to work more than half a working time from home in the future, which is 64 percentage points more than before the outbreak of the pandemic.
„We try to offer our employees what they usually lack from other employers, and that’s why they’re leaving. Flexibility in where and when employees can do their job is increasingly important to them. That’s why employers in our sector try to listen to them as much as they can,” adds Jonathan Appleton.
About ABSL
ABSL (Association of Business Service Leaders in the Czech Republic) is an organization of companies operating in the segment of shared business services, which represents a strong source of employment in the Czech Republic. ABSL was established in 2013 with the aim of supporting companies in the field of business services, sharing best practices and helping to develop the activities of its members and other entities operating in this segment. At the same time, ABSL provides support to foreign investors who want to set up their business service centers in the Czech Republic. At present, there are more than 330 centers in the Czech Republic employing 130,000 people. More information can be found at www.absl.cz.
