Employers across Canada should expect staff churn as business success in 2017 was not matched with permanent hiring or pay raises, according to data from the eighth annual Hays Canada Salary Guide. Survey results found employers appear to instead have an increasing appetite for hiring temporary and contract help while offering existing teams only slight salary increases.

The survey found temporary staffing levels were double the rate employers anticipated in 2017 and 26% said they plan to boost their reliance on contingent workers again next year. Additionally, more than half of respondents, 52%, said raises for staff will be less than 3% even though they're aware of increasing competition from companies that pay more.

The survey also found 90% of employees would consider leaving their current role for one that met their expectations — a sentiment Hays believes may trigger considerable employee departures in 2018.

“The dark days of the downturn are a fading memory for most of Canada’s employers, but our research shows they’re staring down the barrel of extreme retention challenges,” Hays Canada President Rowan O’Grady said. “When the economy and job markets are strong, employee tolerance for not getting what they expect drops considerably.”

“Frankly, employees have already told us they are ready to be lured away,” O’Grady said. “All the warning signs are there and those who refuse to acknowledge this reality are taking their biggest risk in at least five years.”

The 2018 Hays Canada Salary Guide survey was conducted this fall.