One of the main reasons HSEQ employers are leaving their jobs is because of poor management styles in their workplace, research has revealed.
Other reasons people are unhappy in their safety role are a lack of bonus schemes and progression routes.
The Salary and Insights Survey for 2023 by Shirley Parsons also showed more than half of those surveyed are looking for a new role in the next year.
Shona Paterson, Director of Talent at Shirley Parsons, said: “This year’s report shows 51% of HSEQ professionals are looking for a new role in the next 12 months, with over 21% looking to leave immediately.
“This is a slight drop from 2022, perhaps as a reflection of economic uncertainty, but still highlights the needs for employers to understand their employees’ motivations.
“This is something we are increasingly involved with through our Talent Consultancy, running projects to improve satisfaction and retention amongst HSEQ and sustainability teams.
“The survey showed HSEQ directors are more likely to look outside of HSEQ for their next role.
“I believe this trend will continue as HSEQ begins to open up more opportunities for directors to wider roles but it should trigger consideration of succession planning for this in terms of identifying your future leaders and creating opportunities for your directors internally.”
The survey revealed 68% of respondents think their next role will be with a new employer and only 5% were sure their next role will be with their current employers.
However, the professionals do intend to stay in the industry – two thirds were sure their next role will be within HSEQ and only 1.2% were certain their next role will be outside of HSEQ.
When asked what the most important factors are when considering a new position, management style was top of the list with 59% rating it as very important.
Shona Paterson, Director of Talent at Shirley Parsons
Shona added: “HSEQ & Sustainability professionals want to be treated as individuals and to be managed accordingly.
“Understanding your individual team members is key to creating an effective and productive team. What works for one team member may not work for another. Our MAPP motivation, aspiration and personality profiling tool gives deeper insight to individuals needs to help employers manage and develop talent more effectively.
“It is important to note that the survey showed a drop in satisfaction when professionals have been with the company for a year – the challenge of being in a new role has worn off, they feel competent in the role and start seeking their next challenge.
“It is important to consider an individual’s aspirations to ensure you create internal opportunities for them to achieve this to maintain engagement and retain them.
“The insights show that salary, although important, is rarely a stand-alone driver to change role.”
The survey also showed people in HSEQ are more satisfied in their job now compared to last year. They were asked to rate their job satisfaction level between zero and 10 – the average score was 6.59, an increase on last year’s score of 6.39.
The Safety Conversation with SHP (previously the Safety and Health Podcast) aims to bring you the latest news, insights and legislation updates in the form of interviews, discussions and panel debates from leading figures within the profession.
Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, subscribe and join the conversation today!
