Why more women are choosing to change jobs – right now

Why are 1 in 3 women planning to change jobs this year? A hiring boom coupled with companies offering more benefits and expanding their recruitment efforts means there are more job opportunities today than ever – especially for women.

Whether you need a reprieve from pandemic stress or have been dreaming of switching fields entirely, now’s your chance to make a change. Here’s why:

More jobs mean more opportunities

Thanks to the Great Resignation and the Great Retirement you have an even greater chance of landing a new job than before the COVID-19 pandemic. A record-high 11 million job openings were reported in December 2021, with hiring not expected to slow down anytime soon. That means there are potentially hundreds of opportunities that fit your expertise and expectations.

With remote work being the new normal these opportunities aren’t limited to location either. A Gallup poll reports that 1 in 4 American employees now are working fully remote while major companies like Google, Instacart, and Pinterest are prioritizing remote hiring. Take the time to update your LinkedIn profile, start searching for opportunities at any location and you’ll find multiple possibilities for a new position.

Companies are getting creative with benefits

Gone are the days when the only job benefits businesses offered are basic health insurance and a few days off. With job turnover rates increasing dramatically over the past two years, more than half of US companies have broadened their benefits packages to attract and retain great talent. Many of these directly benefit women workers.

Improved or new fertility benefits, increased caregiver days, and access to childcare assistance are just some of the expanded offerings that companies have introduced in the past six months. If you’ve experienced difficulties juggling family-care needs with work since the pandemic, why not find a job with a company that will help you?

There are better chances for advancement

Think only entry-level workers are changing their jobs? The group with the largest amount of quits is actually at the manager/director level, with close to half of resignations belonging to this category. This means that a big proportion of job openings are beyond entry- and mid-level positions, giving you the potential to move up in your career.

And women are taking advantage. Representation of women at the manager level has increased 4% compared to pre-pandemic levels, finally crossing the 40% line for the first time in history.  If you’ve been looking to advance in your career and transition into management, now’s the perfect time. Look at managerial openings, learn how to sell your soft skills, and the opportunities will come.

Businesses are emphasizing skills over education

Want to change job fields but don’t want to go back to school? Good news: Nowadays companies are prioritizing skills over education making it easier to change careers. Monster’s Future of Work Report found that a massive 70% of employers are willing to hire and train someone with transferable skills, even if their main education wasn’t in line with the job position.

If you need an entirely new skill set to land a job in your dream field don’t count yourself out just yet. We’ve seen a boom in online learning services offering training for in-demand skills, with many including official certifications. One such e-learning platform is our Adecco Aspire Academy where you can choose from hundreds of skills training courses – all for free.

Find less stressful work

While the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone, it’s been even harder on women. 1 in 3 women have reported experiencing worker burnout in 2021- compared to just 26% of men. Major companies are addressing the problem of burnout in the workplace by offering increased accessibility to mental health services, greater flexibility in working hours, and even a four-day workweek. If you’ve been experiencing stress at work changing jobs can be just what you need.

­­­­­­­­Are you ready to take advantage of these opportunities and change your job? Adecco is here to assist you at every step of the job search process. Search our current openings and download our Job Seeker’s Guide for all the information you need to know when looking for a new position.