- EY 2022 Work Reimagined Survey shows employees now have greater influence 
over employment terms; 42% of employees say pay increases are needed to address 
staff turnover, while only 18% of employers agree 
- 22% of employers say they want employees to come back to the office five days 
a week; 80% of employees want to work remotely at least two days a week 
- 32% of employers have succeeded in boosting productivity and culture, through 
hybrid work and investing in amenities and workplace technology 


Employees around the world now hold more sway in the global job market, with 
two-fifths (43%) of respondents saying they are likely to quit in the next 12 
months – driven mostly by a desire for higher total pay, better career 
opportunities and flexibility amid rising inflation, a shrinking labor market 
and an increase in jobs offering flexible working – according to the EY 2022 
Work Reimagined Survey. 

The survey – one of the largest of its kind – canvassed the views of more than 
1,500 business leaders and more than 17,000 employees across 22 countries and 
26 industry sectors. It shows that, as many countries emerge from the COVID-19 
pandemic, employees have gained significant influence over their employers and 
that their "wish list" from potential employers is changing.  

Search for increased pay overtakes desire for flexibility
The main motivation for employees seeking new jobs, according to the survey, is 
now a desire for higher pay. With record inflation, in many countries around 
the world, more than a third of those searching for new roles (35%) say that a 
salary increase is their main objective, and 25% say they are looking for 
career growth. Forty-two percent of employees surveyed say that pay increases 
are the key to addressing staff turnover – but only 18% of employers agree.
Flexible working arrangements – which were by far the biggest factors leading 
to employee moves according to last year's survey [ 
https://www.ey.com/en_gl/news/2021/09/businesses-suffering-commitment-issues-on-flexible-working 
] – are now less of a driver given that most are already working for companies 
that offer flexibility in some form. Only 19% are seeking remote-work 
flexibility from a new job, while 17% say that well-being programs would prompt 
them to move. 

Looking at the various age groups across the countries surveyed, Gen Z 
employees and millennials in the US are the most likely to quit their jobs this 
year (53%), while across the sectors, it is those with technology and hardware 
jobs (60%) that are most eager to leave. 
 
Liz Fealy, EY Global People Advisory Services Deputy Leader and Workforce 
Advisory Leader, says: 

"This latest survey shows that employees around the world are feeling empowered 
to leave jobs if their expectations are not met.  As employers have 
increasingly provided flexible work approaches, higher pay is now the biggest 
motivation for changing jobs, particularly given rising inflation and available 
unfilled roles."  

Shifting views on culture and productivity 
Interestingly, the desire amongst employees to seek out new roles persists even 
though they hold relatively upbeat views about company culture. The number of 
employees who believe their organization's culture has improved, has risen from 
48% to 61% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, 
employers' confidence in their own company culture has dropped from 77% to 57%. 
Additionally, while employees believe new ways of working have increased 
productivity, companies' confidence in their own productivity is being eroded 
by increased turnover. 

Growing skills and talent gaps
Fifty-eight percent of employer respondents agree it is important to have a 
strategy in place to match talent and skills to future business needs; and 74% 
say that they are prepared to hire employees from other countries and allow 
them to work from anywhere if their skills are critical or scarce. Slightly 
more than a fifth of employer respondents (21%) believe improving opportunities 
to build skills will help address turnover.

Pressure to return to the office 
Despite the continuing shift towards flexible working models, 22% of employer 
respondents say they want employees to come back to the office five days a 
week. Although reluctance to work remotely among employees has fallen (from 34% 
to 20%) most employees (80%) say they want to work remotely at least two days 
per week. 

Boost to culture and productivity from new ways of working 
The survey reveals that a large population of "optimist" employers (32%) are 
managing to improve both culture and productivity. It shows that they are 
achieving this by ensuring that their leaders have a shared understanding of 
company issues, external practices and strategies (94%). Other factors cited by 
this group of businesses as drivers of their success include hybrid work (90%), 
investing in on-site amenities (39%), enhancing workplace technology (45%) and 
giving employees more empowerment and autonomy (44%). By way of contrast, other 
businesses are continuing to watch and wait, or are only taking selective 
action. 

Roselyn Feinsod, EY Work Reimagined Leader, says: 
"We are seeing a top third of companies successfully navigating these divergent 
positions on pay, career opportunities and flexibility. They have moved from 
'resistance' to 'renaissance' and that's a win-win for their companies and 
their workforce. Organizations have to work to retain their employees, instill 
trust and provide a package that takes into account total pay, career path and 
flexibility to balance market concerns and risks."

About EY
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clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.
Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide 
trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.
Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY 
teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing 
our world today.

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This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY 
organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

About the survey
The EY 2022 Work Reimagined Survey is the latest and largest in a series of 
surveys comparing employer and employee perceptions since 2020. It compares the 
views of thousands of respondents, and the insights are meant to help 
businesses to create a sustainable workforce that helps them drive business 
growth, meet customer needs, and generate long-term value. 

The Survey was conducted January through March 2022 and received responses from 
17,498 employees and 1,575 employers from 22 countries across 26 industries. 
The survey was conducted using a third-party panel and targeted employers with 
a range of 500 to 15,000 employees.

Survey data is segmented by 88 different personal and work-related demographics 
and preferences. Participant responses ranged from 21 years to 65 years plus, 
with responses from senior leaders and individuals at all different functions.
For a one-hour CPE credited results webcast on Tuesday, May 17, please visit 
and register here: Work reimagined: How to prepare for 'renaissance and 
recommitment' | EY - Global [ 
https://www.ey.com/en_gl/webcasts/2022/05/work-reimagined-how-to-prepare-for-renaissance-and-recommitment 
]

Source: EY