EY survey reveals people’s changing attitudes post-pandemic...

......with half the workforce contemplating quitting their current job

EY Malta carried out a survey among Malta's workforce to find out how the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors have affected their views on work. The results demonstrate that the rapid shift to digital and remote work has meant that people are now after far more flexibility with where they work, how they work and when they work.

The survey was carried out between August and early September among 600 respondents and shows that the time people have spent working from home has made it difficult to simply slide back into the daily commute in jam-packed Maltese roads.  

As a backdrop to the local survey just carried out, The EY Global 2022 Work Reimagined Survey reveals insights from more than 17,000 employees and 1,575 employers across 22 countries and 26 industries. In the global survey, 43% of employees said they are likely to leave their current employer in the next year, a significant rise from 2021, when only 7% of employees said they'd be unlikely to stay.

Comparatively, in Malta, 52% are thinking about leaving their current job with a quarter saying they are unlikely or unsure of staying. Again, almost half, 46% of respondents in Malta are not satisfied with their current salary package and working conditions, while 60% are likely to quit if their preferences for when and where they work are not met by their employer.

The top reasons to quit their current workplace and change an employer include, finding a better salary package, finding greater work-life balance and improving their growth and career progression.

Flexibility is becoming more crucial to employees, especially among the younger Millennial and Gen-Z respondents, with 41% preferring flexible start and finish times and 33% opting for the option of a compressed four-day working week.   

Remote work and hybrid environments have become expected for 81% of Millennials and Gen-Z respondents preferring a hybrid workplace and 12% preferring a fully remote one.

What's the way forward?

The shift that has taken place over the last few years means that people are once again willing to change job in pursuit of something that suits their needs.

This means that besides increasing skills shortages in Malta, employers will also be faced with growing challenges to retain their current staff. Adapting to new modes of work and providing flexibility will be essential for businesses to maintain the quality of their services.

An attractive workplace must take into consideration the rising cost of living, market value and work flexibility to guarantee smooth operations without the limitations of scarce labour. Only through reimagining our idea of work can we truly move forward to build the better working world of tomorrow.

This survey, skills and the economy will be discussed during EY-Parthenon's Malta Future Realised Conference to be held on 18 October at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

For more information and to register visit ey.com/en_mt/events/malta-future-realised-2022.

Ediana Guillaumier is EY Malta's People Advisory Services Lead