Pay and work-life balance top the list, but Gen Z is the group employers should watch closely
Nearly one in four Canadian workers planned to change jobs when surveyed, and among Gen Z that share climbed to 42 percent, according to Randstad Canada's 2026 Employer Brand Research.
The intention figure, at 23 percent, points to a workforce that employers will need to watch closely heading into the hiring season.
Compensation was the leading reason workers gave for considering a move, cited by 48 percent, the research found.
A desire for better work-life balance followed at 40 percent, and a lack of growth opportunities at 34 percent.
Departure triggers varied by profile: digital talent was more likely to leave over limited professional growth, Randstad Canada reported, while older workers more often pointed to salary.
Workers are acting faster when their needs go unmet, even though the basics of the employer-employee relationship remain intact, said Marie-Eve Robitaille, division president of professional talent solutions at Randstad Canada.
She said employees still want fair pay and a life outside work, but now "act... quickly when they feel those needs aren't being met."
When choosing an employer, workers ranked compensation and work-life balance equally at the top, each named by 66 percent, as per the research.
The weight placed on salary shifted with age, rising from 54 percent among Gen Z to 77 percent among baby boomers.
Women placed a higher premium on pay than men, at 69 percent against 62 percent.
Benefits that support daily life also registered strongly.
Around 82 percent of workers said flexibility, time off, and health and wellness benefits mattered to them.
Even with those expectations, 63 percent already rated their current employer positively on work-life balance.
Human contact still weighed on candidates even as recruitment grows more automated.
Sixty-eight percent considered in-person contact important when exploring an opportunity, the research noted.
Personal referrals stood out for conversion: while 29 percent of candidates used them, 27 percent landed a role through them.
Randstad Canada reported a similar pattern on Facebook, where 62 percent of candidates found a job while 53 percent actively searched there.
