Almost one in three workers surveyed in a Workday report expects to look for another job within a year, Fortune reports. Limited prospects for growth and a weak explanation of company direction are among the concerns. A person may stay on the payroll because the market is unfavourable while no longer seeing a future with the business.
Why the absence of resignations can mislead
Fortune cites a Workday report in which almost a third of surveyed employees say they are likely to seek an external role over the next twelve months. The article also relays findings about shorter tenure at some employers. These numbers should not be read as a forecast of actual departures: intending to search, undertaking a search and leaving are different events. For leaders, the important gap is between what the personnel report shows today and how people judge their future. In a difficult labour market, employees may remain simply because suitable openings are scarce. Workday says workers in this position are less likely to recommend their employer to others. Stable headcount therefore does not by itself demonstrate trust or energy. If a CEO concludes that low attrition proves loyalty, the warning may arrive too late, when outside opportunities improve. Exit interviews and resignation rates describe decisions people have already made; a healthier dashboard also asks whether they can imagine their next step inside the company.
Career prospects and strategy are connected
Workday’s Phil Willburn identifies two forces behind the desire to leave: employees cannot see meaningful career development and they do not understand where the company is going. These are not separate HR and strategy issues. A person can choose which skills to build and which new responsibility to accept only if the growth priorities of the business are clear. Fortune notes that clarity about corporate strategy is an important factor in the employee experience, yet the relevant Workday measure has not improved since 2021. Economic uncertainty and anxiety about AI add pressure: employees see work changing but do not always hear a concrete plan from management. A motivational message is not an adequate substitute. A stronger conversation connects the company’s priorities to changing roles, the capabilities that will matter and opportunities genuinely available within the business. Without this connection, even positive language about development feels detached from decisions people see every day.
The signals a CEO should assemble
Begin with mobility rather than a single engagement score. How many important roles go to internal candidates? How long does it take to make a move? Can employees understand promotion criteria, and do managers let strong colleagues join neighbouring teams? Then test strategic clarity: can someone explain the company’s three or four priorities for the year, how their team contributes and which choices have already changed because of those priorities? Finally examine trust in managers and the CEO, a quality no turnover percentage can reveal on its own. Workday describes its own personalised support for skill choices and learning; that is one company’s practice, not a universal prescription. Another business might need a transparent internal competition, a rotation programme or more explicit development plans. The management inference is that retention becomes resilient when employees can see a future inside the company, not merely when the outside market makes departure inconvenient. The time to test that proposition is before candidates regain leverage.
Key takeaways
- Workday reports that almost one in three respondents may look for an external job within twelve months.
- Its representative points to limited career development and uncertainty about company strategy as major concerns.
- Employees who stay because of market uncertainty are less inclined to recommend their employer.
- Surveyed intentions are not actual resignations; the result does not mean a third of employees will leave.
What this means for CEOs
CEOs should look at turnover alongside internal mobility, trust and clarity of strategy. Retention is stronger when an employee understands a credible next step inside the company.