A majority of employers in Australia, 70%, are more concerned about their employees leaving this year than they were in 2022, according to a survey by Robert Half International Inc.

The concerns were more pronounced at medium-sized companies, 77%, than at large firms, 75%, and small businesses, 57%.

Looking at the data by state, employers in New South Wales were most worried, with 79% more worried that their staff will leave this year than last. That compares with 73% of employers in Victoria, 64% in Western Australia and 63% in Queensland.

Despite the concerns, many employers said they can’t always meet the needs of their employees.

The survey’s findings included:

• 43% of employers say that employees have expressed concern about their workload and burnout; however, their business has no plans to hire more staff to cope with these issues.
• 31% of employers say their employees have expressed concern about their colleagues and managers; however, they are unable to change the team’s setup.
• 30% of employers say they can’t compete with other companies’ salaries, benefits and perks.
• 25% of employers say they don’t have the desired career progression and/or professional development programs in place.
• 25% of employers say they can’t compete with more attractive brands/brand names.
• 21% say they aren’t able to offer flexible work arrangements or remote work.
• 20% say they don't have elaborate recognition programs.

Still, employers are taking some steps to retain staff, including increasing compensation, 62%; accelerating promotions for high-performers, 56%; and allowing employees to work remotely or semi-remotely, 71%.

The survey included 300 hiring managers from companies across Australia, including 100 CFOs and 100 CIOs.