Kelly report shows the big reasons propelling Aussies to quit their jobs

The big reasons Australian workers grow to hate their jobs and look for alternatives have been uncovered in a massive survey.

For Cass Spies, the chief executive of Aussie ice-cream and frozen yoghurt manufacturer Twisted Healthy Treats, keeping workers happy comes down to two core tenets: effective communication and bringing everyone along on “the journey” of business.

Ms Spies oversees some 60 employees at her factory in Ingleburn in southwestern Sydney and her on-the-ground sense of workplace “do’s-and-don’ts” matches a new report from publicly listed talents solutions company Kelly that warns Aussie workers are grumbling about what they see as poor management leadership skills and a lack of career progression and upskilling opportunities.

“It’s always important to maintain open communication with teams, right down to my pack team who are putting products in boxes,” Ms Spies told NewsWire.

“Make sure you are communicating, make sure people feel appreciated and make sure people understand they are an important cog in the wheel.”

Manufacturing is often a grind in Australia, where input costs can sometimes outstrip costs in other countries.

But Ms Spies said taking workers along for the “journey” of a business, including through giving them opportunities to grow in a business, could inspire loyalty and job satisfaction.

Twisted Healthy Treats chief executive Cass Spies says open and effective communication is crucial to maintaining a healthy workplace culture. Picture: Supplied

“Foster that feeling of being proud we’re actually doing something, we’re out there making a difference, we’re making incredible products using 100 per cent Australian dairy,” she said.

“It’s not always money that drives people. People like job satisfaction as well … pay is also important part but being in a happy work environment where people are given opportunities to grow and feel appreciated by the management team is a really important part of creating any kind of business and culture.”

The Kelly report shows an alarming 49 per cent of Australian businesses are struggling to find and retain staff and Australian workers are more likely than their international counterparts to complain about leadership.

Some 29 per cent of Australian workers are most likely to say their organisations exhibit poor leadership skills compared with a global average of 19 per cent, the report states.

Kelly APAC vice-president and managing director Pete Hamilton warns Australian employers will need to ensure skills development and career progression opportunities to maintain worker loyalty. Picture: Supplied

The report surveyed 5500 businesses and staff across 13 countries, with executives in Australia revealing the top three reasons employees leave are because of a lack of career progression, lack of flexibility and lack of skills development.

Some 32 per cent of workers said their top frustration was a lack of skills development, while 32 per cent cited a lack of career progression.

“These findings are eye opening,” Kelly APAC vice-president and managing director Pete Hamilton said.

“Australian businesses need to develop long-term workforce strategies that focus on career development, meaningful employee engagement and thoughtful implementation of AI tools that combine the best of human talent and technology.”

A third of Australian executives also believe return-to-office policies have had a negative impact on workplace culture – 32 per cent v 18 per cent globally – and now plan to offer greater flexibility to employees.

A new Kelly survey of 5500 businesses worldwide shows Australians are more likely to be critical of their workplace leadership than international counterparts. Picture: NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Kelly surveyed 1500 senior executives, including C-suite leaders, board members, department heads, directors and managers, as well as 4000 workers at all levels for their results.

The surveyed businesses were drawn from sectors of the economy from consumer retail and energy to financial services and technology.

Some 35 per cent of respondents were from organisations with 10,000 plus employees, 35 per cent were from organisations with 5000 to 10,000 employees and 30 per cent were from organisations with 1000 to 5000 employees.

Reflecting on Australia’s workplace culture more broadly, Ms Spies praised the country’s “forward-thinking” protections such as guaranteed leave entitlements but warned legislated worker protections needed to be balanced by productivity gains.

“Take people on the journey,” she said.

“It’s a hard gig manufacturing in this country.”