In the last few years, many professionals across the UK have been evaluating their career choices and asking themselves whether they are in the right roles. This has been an accelerating trend since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has prompted many people to think long and hard about what they really want out of their careers.

For some, this has meant leaving their current roles to find a job that aligns better with their long-term priorities; for others, it has prompted a wave of so-called “quiet quitting”, where disengaged workers choose to do only what is absolutely required from them during their contracted hours, declining to put in any more time or effort than necessary.

In order to find out how widespread these sentiments are, Lanes Group recently conducted a survey of 2,080 UK professionals. The aim of this poll was to learn more about how today’s workers really feel about their current roles, whether they feel fulfilled and supported in their work, how common quiet quitting really is, as well as delving into the key factors that help people feel satisfied in their careers.

Take a look at the main findings of our 2023 Job Satisfaction Survey below! Please feel free to use or quote any of our stats and analysis, citing careers.lanesgroup.com if you do so.

Key findings

• The majority of UK workers are largely satisfied with their current roles, with 78% of those polled saying they were either happy or very happy in their current jobs

• Most people also find their jobs to be meaningful or very meaningful (76%), while 55% say it offers a good level of challenge, 82% are satisfied or very satisfied with the level of pay they receive, and 82% are satisfied or very satisfied with their opportunities for skills progression and career development 

• However, 25% of workers say they are extremely stressed in a typical week, while 39% are quite stressed - only 32% have a manageable amount of stress

• 67% of those polled say “quiet quitting” either very much or somewhat described their own attitude to work at the moment, while 69% said the same was true of their colleagues 

• 25% of respondents would be keen to change job in the next 12 months if given the opportunity, while 41% said they potentially would

• The benefits and incentives that matter most when looking for a new job include better opportunities for promotion and career advancement (40%), a more competitive salary (40%) and more home working options (33%)

• The factors that people cited most often for why they left their last job include a lack of flexible hours and home working options (38%), low pay (30%) and dissatisfaction or disinterest in the work (28%)

People are largely happy with their current jobs…

According to the findings of our survey, the vast majority of UK workers are largely satisfied with their current working conditions:

• 35% said they are very happy in their current roles, and a further 44% said they are happy

• 32% find their roles to be very meaningful and 44% find them meaningful

• 55% say their role offers a good level of challenge

• 36% are always able to achieve a good work-life balance in their job, and 52% feel they can sometimes achieve this

• 30% are very satisfied with the level of pay they receive, and 52% are satisfied

• When asked how much their opinions about work matter to those they work with, 33% said very much and 53% said somewhat

• When asked how much they are valued and properly acknowledged for their work, 36% said very much and 48% said somewhat

• When asked whether they are satisfied with their current opportunities for skills progression and career development, 33% said they are very satisfied and 49% are satisfied

…but many are under a lot of stress

Nevertheless, the survey data also showed that many are under a significant amount of stress at work, although they largely feel their employers are supportive of this:

• 25% are extremely stressed in a typical week and 39% are quite stressed, while only 32% have a manageable amount of stress

• 27% say their jobs are too challenging, while 15% say they are not challenging enough, and 3% feel their roles offer no challenge at all

• However, 25% feel their job has a very positive impact on their mental health overall, with 40% citing a positive effect - only 6% said it was negative and 2% said it was very negative

• 40% said their employers have always maintained a welcoming environment to discuss their mental health; a further 41% said this is the case now, as a result of recent efforts to improve

Quiet quitting is a common trend

The survey also showed that quiet quitting is a common trend in their workplace, despite the relatively high levels of satisfaction with the overall work:

• 24% said the term “quiet quitting” very much described their own attitude to work, and 43% said it somewhat did so - only 15% said “not at all”

• Similarly, 24% of respondents said the term “very much” described their colleagues’ attitudes at work, and 45% said it somewhat does so, compared to only 10% who said “not at all”

Most are open to moving to a new role

The majority of our respondents would be open to changing jobs at some point in the next 12 months if the opportunity arose, while many have already done so recently:

• 25% said they would “very much” be keen to move to another role in the next year, and 41% potentially would - only 15% would not be interested in doing so at all

• 45% of those polled have changed jobs in the last 12 months

Concrete benefits are the biggest motivator to change roles

When asked what benefits and incentives matter most to them when looking for a new job, respondents broadly seemed to be more motivated by more concrete benefits - including career progression, salary and flexible working options - than social or cultural benefits.

The benefits were ranked as follows:

• Better opportunities for promotion and career advancement - 40%

• Competitive salary - 40%

• More home working options - 33%

• Improved pension schemes - 32%

• Flexible hours and shift patterns - 27%

• Better work-life balance - 27%

• In-house training and qualification support - 25%

• Healthcare cover for medical expenses - 23%

• Charitable projects and community outreach organised through work - 21%

• A friendly and positive workplace culture - 18%

• Regular organised teambuilding events - 15%

• Childcare support - 14%

• In-house mental health and wellbeing support - 11%

• Regular social events and a culture of socialising outside of work hours - 7%

A lack of flexibility and pay are the main reasons why people leave their roles

Of those who said they have changed jobs in the last year, only 3% said they left simply for a new challenge, or a role they preferred more. The remainder were able to cite at least one reason why they felt motivated to leave their previous job, with the most common choices being as follows:

• A lack of flexible hours and home working options - 38%

• Low pay - 30%

• Dissatisfaction or disinterest in the work - 28%

• Insufficient pension support - 27%

• Poor work-life balance - 26%

• Excessive stress - 25%

• A lack of recognition - 18%

• No health or childcare support - 16%

• Unsupportive management - 16%

• A lack of opportunities to progress - 14%

• An unfriendly or hostile team environment - 12%

• No connection to the company's values - 10%

• A change in personal goals and priorities - 9%

See the full survey findings

To see the full results of our survey, take a look at the complete data below.

Which of the following best describes your employment status?

Answer Choices	Responses
Full-time employment	74.31%	1588
Part-time employment	17.08%	365
Self-employed	5.94%	127
Not currently working	2.67%	57

What sector do you work in?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Armed Forces	3.82%	78
Arts & Heritage	3.62%	74
Business Support Services	4.60%	94
Charities & Social Enterprise	5.04%	103
Construction, Manufacturing & Design	12.38%	253
Education	10.18%	208
Engineering & Utilities	6.70%	137
Environment	4.35%	89
Finance, Accountancy & Investment	7.05%	144
Government, Policy & Politics	5.63%	115
Health & Social Care	6.31%	129
Housing & Property	3.13%	64
Legal	3.62%	74
Leisure, Hospitality & Travel	4.01%	82
Marketing, Media & PR	5.14%	105
Recruitment & HR	4.55%	93
Retail & FMCG	3.33%	68
Science & Technology	2.64%	54
Transportation & Logistics	2.25%	46
Wealth & Investment	0.88%	18
Other	0.78%	16

How happy are you in your current role?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Very happy	34.59%	707
Happy	43.54%	890
Neither happy nor unhappy	16.78%	343
Unhappy	4.70%	96
Very unhappy	0.39%	8

How meaningful do you find your work?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Very meaningful	32.29%	660
Meaningful	43.69%	893
No strong opinion either way	18.84%	385
Not very meaningful	4.35%	89
Not at all meaningful	0.83%	17

How challenging do you find your work?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Too challenging	27.05%	553
A good level of challenge	54.79%	1120
Not challenging enough	15.07%	308
No challenge at all	3.08%	63

 

In a typical week, how stressed do you feel at work?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Extremely stressed	25.20%	515
Quite stressed	38.94%	796
A manageable amount of stress	32.24%	659
No stress at all	3.62%	74

 

Are you able to achieve a good work-life balance in your job?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Always	35.86%	733
Sometimes	51.52%	1053
Rarely	10.32%	211
Never	2.30%	47

 

Are you satisfied with the level of pay you receive for your work?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Very satisfied	29.75%	608
Satisfied	51.86%	1060
Unsatisfied	15.17%	310
Very unsatisfied	3.23%	66

What effect do you feel your job has on your mental health?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Very positive	24.71%	505
Positive	40.36%	825
Neither positive nor negative	26.47%	541
Negative	6.16%	126
Very negative	2.30%	47

 

Do you have access to a welcoming environment to discuss your mental health, and get support when it is needed?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Yes, always	40.36%	825
Yes, thanks to recent improvements	41.19%	842
No, but things are improving	14.77%	302
Not at all	3.67%	75

How much do your opinions about work matter to the people you work with?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Very much	32.73%	669
Somewhat	52.98%	1083
Not enough	11.20%	229
Not at all	3.08%	63

Do you feel that you are valued and properly acknowledged for your work?

 

Answer Choices	Responses
Very much so	36.25%	741
Somewhat	47.75%	976
Not enough	13.01%	266
Not at all	2.98%	61

Are you satisfied with the opportunities for skills progression and career development available to you?

Answer Choices	Responses
Very satisfied	32.78%	670
Satisfied	49.02%	1002
Unsatisfied	15.36%	314
Very unsatisfied	2.84%	58

How well do you think the term "quiet quitting" describes your current attitude to your work?

Answer Choices	Responses
Very much	24.05%	491
Somewhat	42.85%	875
Not really	17.73%	362
Not at all	15.38%	314

How well do you think the term "quiet quitting" describes the attitudes the majority of your colleagues have to their jobs?

Answer Choices	Responses
Very much	24.24%	495
Somewhat	45.15%	922
Not really	21.06%	430
Not at all	9.55%	195

Would you be keen to change job in the next 12 months if given the opportunity?

Answer Choices	Responses
Very much	25.25%	514
Potentially	41.31%	841
Not really	18.22%	371
Not at all	15.23%	310

Which of the following benefits and incentives would matter most to you when looking for a new job?

Answer Choices	Responses
Competitive salary	39.83%	811
Improved pension schemes	32.37%	659
More home working options	33.20%	676
Flexible hours and shift patterns	27.11%	552
Better work-life balance	26.72%	544
Healthcare cover for medical expenses	23.28%	474
In-house mental health and wellbeing support	10.71%	218
Childcare support	13.75%	280
In-house training and qualification support	24.85%	506
Better opportunities for promotion and career advancement	40.37%	822
Charitable projects and community outreach organised through work	21.32%	434
Regular organised teambuilding events	15.32%	312
A friendly and positive workplace culture	18.37%	374
Regular social events and a culture of socialising outside of work hours	7.07%	144

Have you changed jobs in the last 12 months?

Answer Choices	Responses
Yes	44.69%	905
No	55.31%	1120

 

 

How many of the following factors affected your decision to change jobs?

Answer Choices	Responses
Low pay	30.05%	275
Insufficient pension support	27.32%	250
A lack of flexible hours and home working options	37.81%	346
Poor work-life balance	25.79%	236
Dissatisfaction or disinterest in the work	27.54%	252
Excessive stress	24.59%	225
A lack of recognition	18.14%	166
No health or childcare support	15.74%	144
Unsupportive management	15.63%	143
A lack of opportunities to progress	13.66%	125
No connection to the company's values	9.84%	90
An unfriendly or hostile team environment	12.24%	112
A change in personal goals and priorities	8.63%	79
None of the above - I left for a new challenge or a role I preferred more	2.84%	26
Other	0.22%	2

---