European employers are failing to meet the expectations of their employees and risk losing talent as a result, according to the ADP Research Institute®.  “The Evolution of Work 2.0” report surveyed over 8,500 employees and employers across 13 countries and found significant gaps in organisations delivering on the promises that attracted workers in the first place. According to the research, over half (57%) of employees in Europe say the expectations they had joining their company have not been met. With 60% of employees open to new career opportunities and with nearly half (47%) of European employees saying they have walked away from a job that did not meet their expectations, employers need to be doing more to retain their best talent.

The things that attracted an employee are mostly the same things that made them stay, most notably the work itself and work hours. While employees and employers are fairly aligned in what attracts talent, there appears to be a significant disconnect when it comes to what makes workers stay, with employers overestimating the influence of career development. The report also reveals that a large number of European employees feel their employers do well at the procedures during the early stages of a career journey; with employees saying their company is good at recruiting (41%), onboarding (44%) and training (46%).

However, a just over a third of European employees give their companies high marks on career development planning (35%) and employee performance (38%). Commenting on these findings, Annabel Jones at ADP said: “Employers need to change their focus and meet a broader set of needs for employees’ personal growth. At present, employers are doing a great job in delivering elements of talent management associated with the earlier part of the employment journey.

But in order to retain talent, they need to remember what attracted an employee in the first place and ensure they deliver on the promises they offered. The results show that failure to do so could see that talent walk out the door.”