One in four students set to quit this year
One in four trainee accountants are set to quit their current jobs in the next 12 months, new research has revealed.
According to the survey, students believe the ‘tightrope act’ of balancing work and study places them under high pressure, with nearly half saying they are not given sufficient time to study by their bosses.
The survey will make worrying reading for firms as they try to retain their best trainees in an increasingly competitive job market – one third of trainees said they were just waiting for their final exams before jumping ship.
Other findings of the survey show nine out of ten students feel their relationships with friends and family had suffered due to their studies, and that one third belive their employers had broken promises made during interviews.
The survey also reveals high levels of stress, with more than one in ten experiencing stress at least once a day. The prime causes include heavy workloads, poor communication and a lack of appreciation. Nine per cent reported they had been bullied at work.
Paul Worbey, managing consultant at recruiters TMP Worldwide, who carried out the survey with PASS magazine, said: ‘Although the majority of accountancy trainees are satisfied with their current job, a significant minority is not happy.
‘If these trainees choose to leave their employers because of this dissatisfaction, these businesses will not only lose the financial investment they have made in them, but also reduce their competitive advantage.’
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