Workers head to their office in this file photo taken on Aug. 17, 2021 in Seoul’s finance and investment banking district Yeouido. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 20 (Korea Bizwire) — According to a recent survey conducted by business card management app Remember Remember and Korea Management Association Consulting, 83 percent of 1,000 Korean employees have considered changing jobs or leaving their current company.
The survey, which was carried out in December last year, found that most respondents were from “MZ generation,” a Korean term referring to millennials and Generation Z, with 53 percent in their 20s, 45 percent in their 30s, and 2 percent in their 40s.
The primary reasons cited for wanting to leave their current jobs were a lack of personal career growth (25.1 percent), feeling underpaid (18.7 percent), and not seeing the potential for company growth (13 percent).
Respondents also reported experiencing “mental breakdown” moments at work, with unclear job purpose (31.8 percent), excessive interference from bosses (18.4 percent), and lack of support (17.7 percent) being the most common triggers.
Interestingly, the survey found that being bullied by an authoritative adult in the workplace was not associated with any particular age group.
Those who felt bossed around ranged in age from under 35 to over 55, with 31.7 percent saying they felt this way “when (superiors) had a predetermined answer and didn’t respect my opinion” (31.7 percent).
However, respondents also shared that having a good role model at work can help them through tough times.
When asked to name a moment when a role model was “good,” 47.4 percent said “when they demonstrated excellence in their work” was the top answer, followed by “covering mistakes” (18.7 percent) and “giving clear instructions” (15 percent).
When it comes to what employees would be willing to sacrifice in exchange for job satisfaction, salary (28.7 percent) was the most common response, followed by in-house training support (23.9 percent), proximity to work and housing (14.3 percent), work-life balance (13.3 percent), and career growth (6.6 percent).
This survey sheds light on the challenges that employees in South Korea face and the factors that drive them to consider changing jobs.
Employers may need to pay closer attention to employee needs and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth to retain their talent.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
