In view of the global COVID-19 pandemic, 44% of employees in South Africa are thinking of shifting to a new job in the next 12-months, as revealed by Kaspersky’s ‘Securing the Future of Work’ report. The two biggest drivers that people stated for this career change are both natural and understandable under the circumstances. These include the aspiration of receiving a higher salary (57%) and maintaining a fair work-life balance (44%).

Kaspersky notes despite uncertainties in the job market, people still have their ambitions. While just over a third of employees would prefer to remain in their current position (39%), many still feel emboldened to reconfigure their workdays to fit better around their personal lives. Amid lockdown and remote working, they have also had more time to reflect on their future careers, upskill or learn something new.

Whichever direction they choose, the biggest motivator for them to try a new job is to achieve a better salary (57%). Creating a better work-life balance is the second most frequent reason, motivating 44% of respondents. The pandemic revealed the joy of spending more time at home with the family, as well as pursuing personal interests and hobbies. Employees may want to keep this opportunity unlocked.

After salary and personal comfort, looking for a role that is worthwhile and more meaningful is the third most important reason given (43%), followed by wanting to reduce stress or working overtime (33%) and pursuing a job for enjoyment (26%). It might be that the events of 2020 allowed employees to rethink their current work and realise the value of their time and what they want to spend it on.

“By rethinking their desires and capabilities, people will create a new working reality. Either changing job or staying in their current roles, they will strive to maintain the benefits of remote work and more comfortable settings. But to achieve this, employees need to apply the appropriate attitude, learn to be flexible, and work smarter. And of course, they need to organise their working environment and take responsibility for its reliability and security. After all, this can even become a competitive advantage in employers’ eyes,” comments Sergey Martsynkyan, head of B2B Product Marketing at Kaspersky.