Aflac Study Sheds Light on How Employers Can Retain Top Talent

Despite the uncertainty in the current employment situation, many American workers who identify themselves as top performers are thinking about changing jobs. In line with research showing the recent uptick of voluntary quits in the workplace, the 2012 Aflac WorkForces Report revealed nearly half of U.S. workers (49 percent) are at least somewhat likely to look for a job this year. More troubling for employers, a majority of those who say they are extremely or very likely to leave their jobs describe themselves as the kind of workers companies need to retain to remain competitive in a tight economy.

The findings are from a national study analyzing forces impacting the trends, attitudes, and use of employee benefits. The 2012 Aflac WorkForces Report is an online survey of nearly 1,900 benefits decision-makers and more than 6,100 U.S. workers, conducted in January and February 2012 by Research Now and released by Aflac, the No. 1 provider of supplemental and guaranteed-renewable insurance in the United States.

The Aflac study found that those employees who are extremely or very likely to look for a new job in 2012 say the following qualities describe them fairly or extremely well:

• hard worker – 90 percent

• high achiever at work – 79 percent

• highly educated – 73 percent

• ambitious; someone who strives to get ahead – 64 percent.  

Why are workers leaving? Thirty-five percent of workers who don’t believe their company has a reputation as a great place to work say they are extremely likely to leave in the next 12 months. And one-third of workers who don’t believe retaining employees is an important priority for their employer say they are likely to leave.

Also, workers who said they are stressed out are nearly twice as likely (43 percent vs. 25 percent) to leave their job compared to workers who are not stressed. Another 28 percent of employees who are extremely likely to leave their job in the next 12 months say they don’t have peace of mind.

What Can Employers Do?

“It’s been an employer-driven market for a number of years and businesses watching their bottom lines may not have taken care of employees as well as they did before the recession. However, demonstrating they care and showing appreciation in ways that are meaningful to their employees are the most important actions company leaders can take to prevent their best workers from walking out the door.

Here are some best practices for maintaining a satisfied workforce:

• Assess your workforce often to hear what’s on their minds and what’s important to them.

• Regularly recognize employees’ efforts.

• Create programs and tailor benefits to address your employees’ current needs.

To see the 2012 study results and learn more about how employers can help their employees protect themselves and their families against the unknown, visit AflacWorkForcesReport.com.