Are Britons’ professional priorities changing? Randstad research shows 29% of people have quit a job because it didn’t fit in with their personal life

• 34% of people would rather be unemployed than unhappy in a job

• Randstad launches video series telling inspiring stories of individuals that have made a life changing career move.

• Randstad is offering individuals access to development sessions through its outplacement and career transition service, Randstad Risesmart

According to new research from UK recruitment specialist Randstad, Britons are now prioritising wellbeing over work. The Randstad workmonitor report surveyed 35,000 employees across 34 markets and found that 34% of people would rather be unemployed than unhappy in a job, 48% would quit a job if it was preventing them from enjoying their life and 63% of people believe that their personal life is more important than their work life

In light of these findings, the research also showed that 29% of people also stated they have quit a job that didn’t fit in with their personal life. To help those looking to transition to a new role Randstad is offering Britons the chance to find a job through its new career coaching initiative, Randstad RiseSmart.

The Randstad RiseSmart programme is made up of two-three real career coaching sessions per person, delivered by professional coaches. Those participating will gain full access to Randstad RiseSmart's career development platform. These sessions offer participants the chance to discuss anything from how to change role, change career or make improvements to their skillset in current roles.

To shine a light on those who’ve made a career change that has transformed their life for the better, Randstad has launched a video series entitled ‘Bring it on’. The series spotlights four individuals, in roles ranging from ensuring the UK’s cyber security to delivering training programmes for prisoners, centred around rugby.

Shaun: “Being bullied at work left me suicidal

• Construction worker Shaun was stuck in an unfulfilling role, in which he suffered workplace bullying, which left him suicidal. He would often come home crying
• This comes as construction industry suicide rates are on the rise, with those in the sector three times more likely to take their own lives than in other sectors
• - Shaun has since made a positive career change which has helped turn his life around. He’s now working in a job in which he’s been able to make a meaningful contribution, including recladding the Grenfell Tower following the 2017 disaster

Video here | Download video here

Tom: From the Army to preparing prisoners for careers

• After ten years in the Army within the Parachute Regiment, Tom felt lost and left behind
• Looking to forge a new path, but with no direction in mind, he left the Army to study Sports at university

In 2021 Tom landed his dream job with the Saracens Foundation as a project officer running the Get Onside project

• The project supports prisoners, preparing them for life outside of their cells, with career training programmes along with rugby sessions

Video here | Download video here

Purvi: Breaking glass ceilings as a woman in Cyber Security

• Now a senior leader in Cyber Security for the UK Government, Purvi always dreamed of being involved in aerospace. In her native India, this was a hard dream to follow
• After moving to the UK and studying engineering at university Purvi joined the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as an engineering graduate
• During her time there she worked on fighter jets and nuclear weapons
• Purvi loved working there however she was motivated to explore new opportunities in the Civil Service
• Moving away from the MoD, Purvi took up a role in Cyber Security for the Home Office. She is now a senior leader in Cyber Security for the UK Government
• Alongside her main role she is also championing other women to join Cyber Security, bringing D&I into the sector

Video here | Download video here

Indiana: “If I can be in the same room as you, then I am also equal to you”

• As a young, Black woman, Indiana has always gained strength from her unwavering belief that “If I can be in the same room as you, then I am also equal to you”
• Working in the male-dominated Finance industry in her early 20s, as an Office Manager at an FX firm she often found herself the only woman of colour in the room
• She decided to make a change when Covid hit, giving her the opportunity to reassess her life choices
• She always wanted to work in the technology sector but found it hard to make the move; just 19% of the tech workforce are women and only 22% of students can name a famous female working in technology
• Indiana invested time during the pandemic in strengthening her skills to make herself more suited to the tech industry
• Indiana landed her dream job and is now Business Development manager for a publicly funded Business to Government (B2G) company working with procurement and disbursements

Video here | Download video here

“ENDS”

Press Contacts:

randstaddigital@instinctif.com

Sebastian Holland, Instinctif Partners, 07879 086 840 / Sebastian.holland@instinctif.com

Methodology

Our HR solutions trends survey of 35,000 employees across 34 markets is one of the largest studies of its kind in the world.

In the UK, the Randstad workmonitor survey was conducted among 2,000 employed individuals across all industries.

This report provides a deep dive into the views and opinions of the UK workforce, across the five value propositions:

fitting work around people’s lives

aligning values

strengthening attraction strategies

offering job flexibility

accelerating professional development

About Randstad

Randstad is the global leader in the HR services industry. We support people and organisations in realising their true potential by combining the power of today’s technology with our passion for people. We call it Human Forward. In 2020, we helped nearly two million candidates find a meaningful job with more than 236,000 clients. Furthermore, we trained close to 350,000 people. Randstad is active in 38 markets around the world and has a top-three position in almost half of these. In 2020, Randstad had on average 34,680 corporate employees and generated revenue of € 20.7 billion. Randstad was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Diemen, the Netherlands. Randstad N.V. is listed on the NYSE Euronext (symbol: RAND.AS).

For more information, see www.randstad.co.uk