Of the 300 UK HR decision-makers polled, just a third (35%) said they were not currently job hunting, nor have any imminent plans to do so. Notably, those supporting the biggest workforces, of 1,500 employees or more, appear the most likely to be primed to leave, with only a quarter (27%) of HR professionals at large organisations happy to stay in their existing role (for now at least).
For those intending to switch jobs, the most frequently cited reason is to gain new knowledge and skills (33%) – suggesting that many want more development opportunities and career progression than they are being offered.
Earning more money is another big driver, with around a quarter (24%) reportedly feeling underpaid and looking to boost their wages at another employer.
A fifth (20%) are considering a move to find a more rewarding or fulfilling job, while a similar number (19%) want to improve their work/life balance.
And, proving that a strong employee benefits offer is not just a ‘nice to have’ but a real value-add, as many as one in six (16%) HR professionals who are looking to change employers are doing so for a greater choice of benefits and rewards.
Other popular reasons for seeking employment elsewhere include reducing stress and workload (15%), increasing job security (15%), and working less hours (14%). For others, it’s just time to move on to new opportunities (13%).
Poor leadership, which can significantly impact an individual and team’s performance, morale, and engagement, was also a concern for one in eight (13%) of those contemplating quitting their HR job.
Top 10 reasons why HR professionals are looking to move jobs:
- To gain new knowledge and skills: 33% of respondents who are currently job hunting, or planning to in the coming year
- They want a higher salary (they feel underpaid): 24%
- They want a more rewarding / fulfilling job: 20%
- To improve their work-life balance: 19%
- They want a better choice of / more employee benefits: 16%
- They want a less stressful job or more manageable workload: 15%
- They want more job security: 15%
- To reduce their working hours: 14%
- It’s just time to move on: 13%
- Lack of good / effective leadership at their current organisation: 13%
The full results of this survey are available at www.ciphr.com/15-reasons-why-hr-professionals-want-to-leave-their-jobs.
Claire Hawes, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, says: “Most employers are very aware that retention continues to be a challenge, but they may not be expecting to see such high figures of discontent and risk of attrition among their own HR teams.
“Part of HR’s role is to understand what might be driving employee turnover, especially if it’s higher than market average, and work with leadership to help create strategies to reduce it. Because if people feel valued and supported, and invested in, it’s likely they’ll want to stay with your organisation for longer.
“If people in your HR team are feeling overlooked because they don’t have clearly defined training and development routes. Or maybe they don’t feel adequately rewarded for the skills and experience that they bring. Then it’s very likely that other employees in the business are feeling exactly the same way too. And, if you’re not doing what you can to meet their needs and priorities, another organisation will.
“Of course, not every organisation can always offer vertical career progression, especially for smaller HR teams. But employers must prioritise training and upskilling, and give people the time they need to focus on their own development. Structuring teams in a way that enables cross-specialist learning, secondments to other departments, or more involvement in wider business projects can all be valuable in helping HR professionals gain more commercial awareness and a broader understanding of the organisation.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to grow in their role and gain new knowledge and skillsets to help them reach their potential, and improve their HR capability in the longer term. Otherwise, who can blame them for considering going to work for another company that will respect and value their vital role?”
The survey results also revealed that 1 in 10 of those that are looking for other roles are thinking of leaving the HR profession and switching to a different career entirely.
Ciphr commissioned OnePoll to conduct an independent survey of 300 UK HR decision makers in July 2025. The full results are available at www.ciphr.com/15-reasons-why-hr-professionals-want-to-leave-their-jobs.
Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams, helping to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Based in Reading, Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.
For more information, please visit www.ciphr.com.
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Emma-Louise Jones, digital PR manager at Ciphr
e: ejones@ciphr.com
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e: cboddice@ciphr.com
Website: www.ciphr.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ciphr
Notes:
Ciphr commissioned OnePoll to conduct an independent survey of 300 UK HR decision makers between 22-28 July 2025. Respondents were asked: ‘If you are actively job hunting or planning to switch jobs in the next year, what are your main reasons for wanting to leave your current job / employer?' Respondents were directed to select ‘N/A – I’m not actively job hunting, nor planning to start job hunting in the next year’ if the question did not apply to them, otherwise they could select all options that did apply to them.
Survey data:
- Share of respondents who selected N/A – I’m not actively job hunting, nor planning to start job hunting in the next year: 35% (or 104 HR professionals)
- Share of respondents who selected one or more reason to explain why they are actively job hunting or planning to switch jobs in the next year: 65% (or 196 HR professionals)
Results for the 65% of survey respondents who selected one or more reason for wanting to leave their current HR job / employer:
https://www.ciphr.com/infographics/15-reasons-why-hr-professionals-want-to-leave-their-jobs Survey sample: Over half (55%) of respondents are employed at SMEs in the UK with less than 250 employees (of those, 8% work at organisations with less than 50 employees). Two-fifths (45%) are at large organisations with over 250 employees (of those, 10% work at enterprises with 1,500+ employees).
Ciphr is the go-to HR and payroll software and solutions partner for medium and large organisations in the UK. Its integrated HR, payroll, benefits, learning and recruitment software, services and content provide invaluable insights to HR teams, helping to inform their people strategy and grow and develop their organisations. Ciphr is on a mission to amplify the voice and value of HR through intelligent people data solutions that help HR be heard – in the boardroom and across the business.
The Ciphr Group is a privately held company backed by ECI Partners and headquartered in Reading. Over 230 employees work across the group, which includes
Ciphr and
Avantus.
Ciphr spokespeople are available to provide expert media comment on a broad range of topics, including HR strategy, people management, employee experience and wellbeing, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), payroll, pay, benefits and rewards, learning and development, the future of work, tech trends, business and leadership, marketing, and more.
