IF you’ve started to dread Monday mornings and are starting to use your lunchbreak to surf for other jobs, you’re not alone. More than one in four UK workers say they would not reapply for their current jobs, according to a new survey.

Despite the credit crunch biting and the nervous economic outlook, it seems many of us are longing for a change and a further 19 per cent are undecided.

Global recruitment consultancy Hudson, which conducted the research, says employers must work harder to retain large parts of their workforce in uncertain times.

A significant proportion of UK workers remain unhappy with their jobs, the survey found, with many saying that, if the issue was forced, they would prefer to look for a more rewarding job or a better company culture elsewhere.

Andy Rogerson, chief executive of Hudson UK, said: “In a tougher economic climate, productivity comes into sharper focus and a productive workforce only comes from a motivated one.”

Hudson conducted the study among 1,000 British professional employees in a bid to find out if and how regular performance assessment could boost morale and retention.

Despite the majority (66 per cent) of respondents saying such a formal process would make them more stressed, a considerable number (42 per cent) believe that lazier colleagues would be found out and more than one in four admit it would make them work harder.

The bulk of those quizzed agreed that starting a new job gave them a kick and considerably raised their motivation.

Rogerson says a formal reapplication process is a step too far for the UK business environment but believes a closer scrutiny of employees, their performance and their role within the company could benefit both employers and lacklustre workers.

But he added: “There is much to be said for encouraging a more performance-driven culture to boost morale and results. “Both employer and employee can benefit from rigorous, regular assessment and clear performance criteria.

“Hanging on to underperforming or demoralised employees in a bid to keep the headcount up is a sure-fire way to demotivate good employees and reduce overall productivity.”

He advised: “Ensuring the right cultural fit between your employees and your business, rewarding good performance and putting in place thorough processes of assessment is the best way to ensure you keep your good employees and attract new ones.”

Advice for employers:

  • Ensure that regular assessment is framed by tangible outcomes and actions for both employee and employer.
  • Give employees clear parameters regarding expectations.
  • Challenge underperformers to meet strict performance criteria.
  • Provide the right training to match the development needs of all employees.
  • Test employee sentiment via regular staff surveys.
  • Ensure line managers engage regularly with employees to gauge satisfaction levels, so that any problem areas can be acted upon.