A study conducted by CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job board, has discovered that nearly half (45.3%) of Brits don’t feel comfortable asking their existing employer for a pay rise. What’s more, almost a third (31.7%) claimed that they wouldn’t feel comfortable negotiating pay with a new employer.
The survey of 1,200 British professionals reveals that almost two-thirds (61.3%) of Brits haven’t received a pay rise in the last 12-18 months. Of those who did, four in ten (38.6%) received an increase of up to 2%. Below, CV-Library reveals the top ten sectors where Brits are least likely to negotiate on salary:
- Social care (59.5%)
- Hospitality (58.3%)
- Catering (54.1%)
- Retail (50.2%)
- Manufacturing (48.8%)
- Education (43.8%)
- Automotive (42.9%)
- Property (42.1%)
- Engineering (38.5%)
- Distribution (37.8%)
Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “While this may be music to cost-conscious employers’ ears, we can’t ignore the fact that pay is a huge influencing factor in people’s decisions to join a company and stay with them. With Brexit causing many Brits to defer any plans they might have had to change up their careers, employers need to consider how a competitive salary will help them to attract home-grown talent.
“Indeed, these top sectors where professionals are least likely to negotiate on pay with an employer are also some of those most likely to be affected by Brexit. For businesses to engage and retain the best candidates, they need to not only offer a fair salary, but also put in place annual pay reviews to ensure that wages rise in line with inflation and performance.”
Of the 49.6% of Brits who have negotiated on a job offer, the majority (79.5%) claimed to have negotiated on salary. Other popular aspects which Brits negotiated on included working hours (46.9%) and flexible working (29.1%).
Biggins concludes: “Whilst salary is undeniably a big pull-factor, there’s increasing pressure on businesses to offer more than just this. Our survey gives a good indication of what candidates are after in the current job market. However, part of being a top employer is listening to employees and showing that you understand their needs. If you can nail this, then you’ll be on the right path to filling your job roles.”
About CV-Library
CV-Library is one of the UK’s largest online job sites and attracts over 4.3 million unique job seekers every month. Founded by Lee Biggins in 2000, CV-Library is the UK’s leading independent online job board with a database of over 13 million CVs.
