What workers want: Shifting employee priorities

Two years ago, workers sought a hybrid work arrangement, sacrificing financial stability for fewer restrictions and more freedom in work location. Now, a new study has revealed evolving desires.

Global economic uncertainty and cost-of-living pressures have continued to plague workers, determining how and what they want to spend their time and energy fighting for in the workplace.

A new study by people2people Recruitment, revealed that nearly half (45 per cent) of respondents said that a pay rise would make them more secure, a stark difference from the 8 per cent who pitted this security to flexibility.

This data formed a part of its 2025 Employment and Salary Report, for which it surveyed 1,150 employers, 2,300 jobseekers, and 10,000 employees to identify emerging workplace trends.

What determines security

The report also found that 24 per cent of respondents reported “side income opportunities” and 22 per cent pointed to job stability as factors that would make them most secure.

The head of HR solutions at people2people, Suhini Wijayasinghe (pictured), said Australians are craving security after years of workplace transformation, with many clinging on to their jobs because they are worried that the “grass isn’t greener elsewhere”.

Wijayasinghe noted that the “Great Resignation”, was once driven by young workers; now, these same people are driving what she called the “Great Hesitation”.

“Job hopping has turned into job hugging, as workers focus on stability and protecting their financial wellbeing,” she added.

Findings on wellbeing

According to its findings, the report found that worker burnout has remained unchanged, with 68 per cent of Australians reporting they were “more stressed and burnt out than at the start of the year”, unchanged from 2024. The data also revealed that one in two Australians skipped holidays this year because they were unable to afford them.

Workers have continued their desire for hybrid work. The findings revealed that two in five Australian workers said they still did not want to work in the office full-time in 2026, with an alarming 30 per cent of respondents who said that they would quit if forced to return to office full-time. Twenty-nine per cent of respondents preferred a two- to three-day-per-week work schedule in the office, while only 19 per cent said that they would be happy with four to five days in the office.

Flexibility and balance is a non-negotiable for many employees, with many willing to negotiate with their current employers or find it elsewhere, Wijayasinghe said.

Reality reset

Over the past two years, fewer workers felt that they should be paid more if they were required to work full-time in the office – down from 62 per cent in 2023 to 50 per cent by the end of 2025. Despite this drop, sentiments varied across generations, with 65 per cent of Millennials and Gen Z seeking extra pay for full-time office work, compared to 53 per cent of Gen X and 35 per cent of Baby Boomers.

This decrease reflects a “cooling job market”, said Wijayasinghe. She noted that the job market is not as favourable for jobseekers as it was two years ago, as the power has shifted.

“Next year will be about consolidation … We’ll see employees stay put, negotiate smaller pay rises, and push for sustainable workloads. Employers who respond with empathy and flexibility, rather than perks and slogans, will come out on top,” she said.