PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 13, 2023
Turnover in the Higher Ed Workforce Is Higher Than Ever – New Research Sheds Light on Why
Employee retention remains a challenge for the nation’s colleges and universities, as voluntary turnover in the higher education workforce continues to trend upward. New research from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) sheds light on which employees are leaving, why they are leaving, and what higher ed leaders can do to keep them.
In the 2023 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey, CUPA-HR surveyed more than 4,780 higher ed employees from higher ed institutions across the country about their likelihood of seeking other employment in the near future and their reasons for doing so.
Findings
More than half (56 percent) of survey respondents said they are at least somewhat likely to look for other jobs in the next 12 months. One-third indicated they are likely or very likely to do so.
Younger employees, men, and people of color are more likely to leave their current job. Employees under the age of 45 are significantly more likely to look for other employment than employees 45 and older, and men and employees of color are significantly more likely to look for other employment opportunities.
Employees aren’t necessarily looking to leave higher ed altogether. Although the survey found that six in 10 employees are looking for employment outside of higher ed, seven in 10 are looking for opportunities in another higher ed institution, and more than four in 10 are looking for other opportunities within their own institution.
There continues to be a gap between the remote/hybrid work arrangements that employees want and what higher ed provides. Although two-thirds of employees state that most of their duties could be performed remotely and two-thirds would prefer hybrid or remote work arrangements, two-thirds of employees are working completely or mostly on-site.
Half of employees report they are working more than full-time hours. Supervisors are bearing the brunt of additional hours worked and are more likely to work weekends, have duties that require additional time, absorb other staff’s responsibilities, and experience an increase in expectations and demands from their own supervisors.
Higher ed employees are not receiving retention incentives. Only 59 percent of employees said they receive regular verbal recognition for doing good work, and only 53 percent said they received a pay increase in the past year. Other incentives, such as promotions and bonuses, are even less common.
Job satisfaction/well-being is the strongest predictor of retention. Although employees are most likely to say they’re looking for other opportunities to receive a pay increase, data show that receiving recognition for one’s contributions, being valued by others at work, and having a sense of belonging are far more important than fair pay in predicting whether employees will look for other job opportunities.
“The talent retention problem in higher education is not abating,” says Jackie Bichsel, CUPA-HR’s director of research. “College and university leadership would be well served to make investment in a retention strategy both an immediate and ongoing priority. The Employee Retention Survey report provides the data and recommendations that will help leaders prioritize and strategize the targets of their talent retention efforts.”
Adds CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley, “College and university leaders must do a much better job of positioning their organizations as employers of choice in what will continue to be a highly competitive job market. Employees expect meaningful work, competitive pay, reasonable working hours, greater schedule flexibility and benefits structured to meet the needs of today’s employees. As noted in this report, leaders throughout an institution must meaningfully focus on all of these challenges and opportunities every single day.”
Read the 2023 Higher Education Employee Retention Survey report and explore the interactive graphics.
About CUPA-HR
CUPA-HR is the recognized authority on compensation surveys for higher education, with its workforce surveys designed by higher ed HR professionals for higher ed HR professionals and other campus leaders. CUPA-HR has been collecting data on the higher ed workforce for more than 50 years, and we maintain one of the largest workforce databases in existence. CUPA-HR also publishes numerous research publications and interactive graphics highlighting trends and issues around higher ed workforce planning, pay equity, representation of women and racial/ethnic minorities and more. Learn more about CUPA-HR research.
CUPA-HR is higher ed HR. We serve higher education by providing the knowledge, resources, advocacy and connections to achieve organizational and workforce excellence. Serving more than 33,000 HR professionals and other campus leaders at nearly 2,000 member institutions and organizations around the country and abroad, the association offers learning and professional development programs, higher education salary and benefits data, extensive online resources and just-in-time regulatory and legislative information.
Contact Information
Missy Kline
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