Tech staff Career Zoo launch
From left: Career Zoo co-director, Jackie Slattery; Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, TD; and Career Zoo co-director, Brian Ó hOisín. Image: Career Zoo

Survey finds 80pc of tech employees plan to change jobs in next 12 months

28 Sep 2016

If a new survey is anything to go by, the turnover rate for tech staff in Ireland is going to be substantial.

A survey has found that 80pc of the tech industry are looking to change job over the next year.

With the launch of the second Career Zoo of 2016 this morning (28 September) came a survey that suggests it will be a busy few months for those working in human resources.

Based on a relatively small survey of 200 tech professionals, 80pc had admitted that they are planning to change their job over the course of the next 12 months, while 85pc plan to change their job every five years, regardless of conditions.

What was also made clear by the survey was that many don’t think financially when moving to a new job, with it being considered the least important factor – from a list of 12 potential factors – to consider.

The most attractive to those surveyed however, included factors that would greatly influence their wellbeing at home (such as family-friendly policies), opportunities to travel and an enjoyable workplace.

“Because of their in-demand skills and experience levels, tech professionals place less value on pay-scales than other workplace factors,” said Jackie Slattery, co-director of Career Zoo.

“Essentially, they know they can attract a decent salary. As a result, what they consider important when assessing a potential new employer are factors like family-friendly policies, travel opportunities, an enjoyable work environment, generous levels of annual leave, and flexible work options, such as remote working and flexible hours.”

Brexit and Ireland’s tax rate potential hazards

She continued: “In this highly mobile and globalised industry, where workers relish travel opportunities and are happy to relocate for a job that suits their needs, the challenge for employers is to respond to the demand for family-friendly, flexible work options and non-pay-related perks, to ensure they can attract the very best talent.”

However, two potential spanners in the works for future job projects arise from governmental policies, both at home and abroad.

According to those surveyed, 43pc believe Brexit will have repercussions for their career, while almost 30pc believe the European Commission’s recent ruling on Apple’s tax affairs in Ireland will also impact on their careers.

The Career Zoo event takes place on 15 October, with approximately 50 employers in attendance, including those in financial services and biopharma companies, in addition to tech-industry leaders.

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Colm Gorey
By Colm Gorey

Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic. He joined in January 2014 and covered AI, IoT, science and anything that will get us to Mars quicker. When not trying to get his hands on the latest gaming release, he can be found lost in a sea of Wikipedia articles on obscure historic battles and countries that don't exist any more, or watching classic Simpsons episodes far too many times to count.

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