Nearly half of engineering professionals are unhappy in their current role

As the year draws to a close, a recent study from CV-Library, the UK independent job site, has found that nearly half (44.8%) of engineering professionals are unhappy in their current roles.

What’s more, 94% of these workers said that they’re looking for a new job as a result.



The survey of 1,200 professionals sought to explore job satisfaction amongst UK workers, and found that nearly two thirds of those working in the engineering sector (62.5%) have had a job that made them miserable at some point in their career.

And with over two out of every five (44.8%) admitting that they’re unhappy in their current role, engineering made it to the list of the top 10 industries most affected by low job satisfaction:

Marketing – 57.1%
Legal – 54.5%
Hospitality – 53.3%
Accounting – 50%
IT – 50%
Recruitment – 46.2%
Engineering – 44.8%
Charity – 43.8%
Agriculture – 42.9%
Retail – 42.1%

Respondents were also asked to share the feelings they had because of a job that making them miserable. The top emotions they experienced were anger (44.7%), boredom (41.2%) judgement (35.3%) and fatigue (32.9%).

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, comments: “It’s concerning to learn that so many engineering professionals are unhappy in their current roles. While the prospect of a wave of candidates all looking for a new job is great if you’re recruiting, it’s less positive if you’re losing members of your workforce as a result.

“We spend too much time at work to not enjoy what we do, and with the skills gap already affecting the sector, it’s vital that your staff are feeling happy and productive. Otherwise you could find that your employees are looking elsewhere for a more fulfilling opportunity.”

Furthermore, professionals in the sector that said they are unhappy in their jobs stated that the top reason behind this was the unfulfilling work that they’re currently doing (30.8%).

After this, over a quarter (28.2%) said they were let down by the lack of development opportunities available to them and 20.5% don’t like the company they work for.

Biggins concludes: “It’s clear that engineering professionals place importance on job satisfaction and career progression. Make sure you’re offering regular opportunities for training and that promotions are given where staff deserve them. It’s also important that you create a happy and friendly environment for your staff. This will help to ensure you have a dedicated and long-standing workforce.”

If you’re concerned about your workforce, CV-Library offers some top tips for attracting and retaining talented employees:

1. Keep the lines of communication open

When facing problems at work, the first port of call for any employee should be their manager. Operate an open door policy so that your staff know that they can approach you if they’re experiencing any problems or negative feelings. This way you can nip it in the bud before things go too far.

2. Shake things up

Progression is important and employees don’t want to become stuck in the same daily routine. Be sure to offer plenty of opportunities for training and allow your workers to take on new responsibilities. This can stop their workload from becoming monotonous, which can quickly cause feelings of dissatisfaction amongst employees.

3. Create a great company culture

Company culture is extremely important. Your workplace needs to have a friendly and open environment, and ultimately, be a place where staff enjoy coming to work. This will help to attract new recruits, but also retain talented members of the team for longer.

4. Strengthen your employer brand

When recruiting, be sure to offer the best possible packages you can. Also consider your website and any tools you’re using to recruit. How do they portray your business? You want to establish yourself as a great place to work after-all. You can shout about this on your site, your social media channels and through any job adverts you post.