Of the 163 HR professionals asked, one in five (22%) said they are considering leaving their organisation this year, with 10% actively job hunting and very likely to move, and 12% with the intention to seek a new role.
A third (34%) said they were happy to stay put for the next 12 months at least, and the remaining 44% were open to opportunities, though unlikely to move.
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The HR professionals surveyed were working mainly in administrative or middle-management positions.
A lack of job growth was cited as the reason most (42%) wanted to move jobs, followed by seeking a better work/life balance (for 39%) and more money (31%).
Ciphr chief people officer Claire Williams said it is not uncommon for HR professionals to feel their development is overlooked.
“They often spend so much time focusing on the rest of the business that their needs aren’t always prioritised and can go unmet,” she said.
“There may also be an assumption that, because they work in HR, they would naturally action their own development needs and apply best practice to themselves.”
Though it can be challenging to offer development opportunities, especially in smaller teams Williams said, the research is a reminder of the cost of not doing so.
She added: “If an employer is not doing what they can, where possible, to meet their workers' current needs and priorities it’s likely that another organisation will.
“Employers and HR leaders should consider structuring their teams in a way that enables cross-specialist learning and upskilling, or involvement in wider business projects to build commercial awareness and a broader understanding of the organisation as a whole.
“This will both enrich the job as well as improving their HR capability in the longer term.”
Other reasons for wanting a new job included a lack of good/effective leadership at their current employer (25%); seeking a more rewarding job (19%) or more job security (19%); wanting to gain new knowledge and skills (19%); feeling undervalued (19%) and a lack of authority to enact change within in HR (19%).
Some were also looking to leave HR altogether, as 17% said they wanted to switch careers.
Ciphr’s survey was conducted between 30 March and 12 April 2023 based on a sample of 163 people working in HR in the UK.
