The Reason Behind Why People Change Jobs

A recent survey conducted by FlexJobs, a career service specializing in remote, hybrid, and flexible jobs, sheds some light on what drives employees to consider a change in position or even career.

The poll, conducted over two weeks in February 2025, was answered online by 2,293 respondents. While some of its findings may not resonate with RTs who deliver hands-on care, many of the other issues identified by the participants would.

The survey questions explored a variety of work-related issues, ranging from factors contributing to a decision to seek employment elsewhere to what workers view as “red flag phrases” in job postings.

Reasons for Quitting

A key takeaway from the survey is that 69% of respondents changed or considered changing jobs in the past year. Fifteen percent reported quitting their job in the past six months, and 18% were considering quitting.

The top factors related to a decision to quit included a toxic company culture, feeling disrespected or undervalued at work, poor work-life balance, and low or unfair pay. Participants also noted having a bad boss, a stressful job, a lack of advancement opportunities, misaligned company values and personal values, inflexible work hours, disagreeable coworkers, and limited or unfair vacation time.

The authors also inquired about company loyalty and identified the top factors that promote loyalty among workers as remote work options, higher pay, and flexible schedules. Recognition and appreciation for employees, routine cost-of-living adjustments, mentorship and development opportunities, a strong company culture, and stipends for health and wellness were also important to many.

Leaving with Challenges

What kind of challenges are workers facing when they do decide to leave?

The survey found that high competition for jobs and a lack of remote work options were the top factors. Still, participants also cited ageism and discrimination, lack of transparency in the hiring process, lack of work-life balance, the rise of AI and automation, the emphasis on degrees over skills and experience, lack of job security, and difficulty negotiating salary and benefits as areas of concern.

Key fears about the future of the work environment included reduced opportunities for remote work, concerns about AI-driven job displacement, and erosion of worker rights.

When it came to “red flag phrases” in job ads that give workers pause, the survey found “rock star,” “wearing many hats,” “hustle,” “we’re a family,” and “fast-paced environment” had a negative impact.

Many areas of commonality

Although the FlexJobs survey was geared to the workforce in general and its findings on remote work — a key factor for many in this poll — would not apply to most RTs, nearly all the other issues identified by the participants could easily be cited by therapists answering a similar survey.

As such, they should be on every hiring manager’s radar.