Nearly 40% employees in India could switch jobs this year - a figure higher than most countries in South Asia, and the global average, reveals new research by experience management company Qualtrics.

Despite respondents in India reporting some of the highest levels of engagement (85%) and wellbeing (89%) at work globally, just 62% plan to stay with their current employer for the next 12 months. 

At a time when Tier-II and Tier-III cities are emerging as talent hubs, and high levels of hiring sentiment, the Qualtrics findings, taken from the Qualtrics 2022 Employee Experience Trends report, highlight the critical need for employers to prioritise improving the employee experience in order to attract and retain talent in India’s competitive job market.

“For employers looking to increase intent to stay among their employees in hybrid or remote environments, ensuring individuals are aligned with the strategic goals of the organisation is key. Prioritising employee wellbeing, creating a culture of belonging, and ensuring employees feel like their career goals can be met are also important drivers of intent to stay in India,” says the study.

Successfully adopting permanent hybrid work policies in India will also be critical to attracting and retaining talent in 2022, with 60% of respondents saying they would look for a new job if forced back to the office full-time - almost double the global average (35%).

The most popular hybrid arrangement for employees is three days remote / two in the office, followed closely by four days remote / one in the office.   

To support the shift to hybrid work in India and better enable employees, employers must focus on improving the technology experience for employees. Findings reveal just over half (54%) said the technology provided meets their expectations.

Investing in improving technology in the hybrid workplace will pay off in many ways. Beyond helping drive retention, the Qualtrics research shows employees who are satisfied with the technology available are almost three times more likely to be engaged at work.

“To effectively compete in the race for talent and successfully navigate challenges caused by the shift to hybrid, businesses across India must continue to adopt new mindsets, and define and iterate their ways of working. As seen in the Qualtrics research, addressing the challenges faced are not as simple as setting new work schedules or boosting engagement. People are making career decisions based on multiple factors, meaning the ability to quickly and easily identify and respond to the issues having the biggest impact is a significant advantage,” says Lauren Huntington, Employee Experience Solutions Strategist for Qualtrics in India.

The Qualtrics research reinforces the importance of regularly listening, understanding, and acting on employee feedback to create an advantage in India’s competitive and evolving job market. By better and more frequently understanding the complete employee experience delivered - from the technology used through to the drivers of retention - organisations can quickly and confidently design new and improved offerings aligned to changing employee needs and expectations.

The study was carried out between August and December 2021, and includes 1,024 respondents 18 years of age or older employed full-time across a range of industries in India.