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Among the youngest workers, the number is even
higher: Of those age 16–24, approximately four in
10 overall are looking to leave (with numbers for
individual countries jumping to as high as 47% in
Germany, 48% in Ireland and 52% in Italy). Yet this
nascent talent, so important to the long-term vitality
of organizations’ workforces, is also the most
positive and consistently shows a higher level of
commitment – an unfortunate paradox for employers
seeking to build a strong pipeline for the future.
Perhaps even more insidious, one-fifth of employees
in each country are indifferent about whether to stay
with their employer or go – a disaffected group that
shows the lowest levels of motivation and engagement
overall and has the potential to stall productivity
and breed even greater apathy within the ranks.
With continued economic uncertainty in the
region and an evolving employment deal
that workers view as a series of takeaways
(including more recent recession-based cuts
in pay, benefits, and training and development
opportunities), their shared sense of apathy
comes as no surprise. Perhaps less obvious, but
equally serious, are the significant business
consequences employers face due to the ongoing
erosion in employee sentiment.
16
What’s Working™ Around the World
Throughout Europe, loyalty to employers is
eroding and worker apathy is widespread. In all
seven European markets that participated in
Mercer’s global
What’s Working™
survey (with
responses from a total of more than 13,000
workers), the number of employees who lack
commitment has increased, with about one-third
overall saying they are seriously considering
leaving their organization at the present time.
Europe regional summary
Percentage of employees seriously considering
leaving their organization
0%
20%
40%
60%
0
20
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
UK
Netherlands
Spain
30% 33% 35%
40%
28% 30%
36%
Source: Mercer’s
What’s Working™
survey