The job-hopping trend is also reflected in the finding that nearly one third (32%) of those questioned have had two jobs in the past five years, whilst 12% have had three.

The research also found that the top tell-tale signs of colleagues who are job hunting include increased use of mobile phones, sudden illness, booking holidays at short notice, having urgent appointments and a lax approach to working hours.

Ruth Spellman, Chief Executive of Investors in People commented: “It’s clear that the days of collecting a gold watch for loyal service are long gone - today’s employees demand more from their employers. For employers, continuing to motivate people at work is an ongoing issue. It is vital that they act now to tackle the underlying causes of why people want to move on.

“Employers need to keep the interest high and the challenge fresh.  Improving communication and recognising employee contribution makes a real difference to employee motivation and, ultimately, an organisation’s bottom-line. 

“Recruitment is a costly and time-consuming business and what’s more, high turnover can be unsettling for both staff and customers. This makes it even more important for employers to take the necessary steps to build commitment with their staff to motivate them and incentivise them to stay, before it is too late.”

The research also revealed that more than half of organisations (54%) don’t have a succession plan in place should a member of staff leave – a necessary system to ensure that an organisation is well placed to cope with change and avoid being derailed by staff departures.

Other key findings of the research include:

· The key reasons for people leaving their jobs are:

Better pay / benefits elsewhere (39%)

New challenge (33%)

Opportunities for career progression / promotion (28%)

Lack of recognition for current contribution (20%) and lack of development opportunities in current role (20%)

· The most popular excuse used by people going for job interviews is booking time off work or taking holiday (20%). But the vast majority of people say they’ve never had to make an excuse when going for job interviews.

YouGov interviewed a nationally representative quota sample of over 1,600 working adults throughout UK & Ireland in September 2005.  Those who are self-employed and work on their own were excluded.  The full sample has been weighted to the known profile of the GB and Northern Ireland population.

1. Investors in People UK was established in 1993 to provide national ownership of the Investors in People Standard and is responsible for its promotion and branding, quality assurance and development.

2. The Investors in People Standard provides a framework for improving business performance and competitiveness through good practice in human resource development.

3. The Investors in People Standard is promoted and developed by Investors in People UK - a public body whose main stakeholder is the Department for Education and Skills.

4. The Investors in People Standard is delivered by a partner network:

            In England, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Business Links.

            In Scotland, Scottish Enterprise (SE) or Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).

            In Wales, the National Council for Education and Training for Wales and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, jointly known as Education Learning Wales (ELWa).

            In Northern Ireland, the Department for Employment and Learning.