by HRHQ Editorial Team
Leading global professional services firm AON, recently published findings from its 2025 Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study that reveal two in three (67 percent) employees in Ireland are either currently changing employers or considering new employment in the next 12 months.
The global study of more than 9,000 employees across 17 industries and 23 geographies, including Ireland, identifies the workforce initiatives that are most valuable to professionals in a highly competitive market for talent.
The 67 percent of Irish employees considering changing role in the next 12 months is significantly above the global average (60 percent). Nearly one in five (18 percent) of Irish employees report they feel undervalued in their current position.
In response, employers can reevaluate their employee benefits package to make sure that employees feel valued and can do their best work. Findings from the study show that providing better pay and meaningful benefits is the top factor for attracting and retaining high calibre talent.
According to Aon’s study, the top five valued benefits for Ireland are:
- Paid time off
- Retirement savings
- Medical coverage
- Work-life balance
- Remote and flexible work
As a multi-generational workforce takes shape across many businesses, firms will need to meet expectations across different demographics in the workplace. Results show that Generation Y (1981-1996) rank paid time off as the most valuable benefit, while Generation X (1965-1980) rate retirement savings as the top benefit. Personalised benefits programmes can help to address these differing expectations. Results also show that 66 percent of employees would be willing to compromise on existing benefits for a better choice of benefits.
Financial security and retirement
Findings from the study show that future financial security is a growing focus among Irish employees. More than half of employees (52 percent) believe that employers should contribute to occupational pensions. With a landmark pension auto enrolment scheme due to be introduced in September this year, many employers are facing important decisions on managing these changes.
A more equitable workplace
Results reveal that 54 percent of employees believe their compensation is fair compared to similar roles in the industry. With the introduction of the EU’s pay transparency directive quickly coming into view, a dedicated programme of change will be required for many companies to ensure pay equity across their workforce. One in five (20 percent) employees believe there is still a gender pay gap in their organisation, according to the study.
Preparing for the future of work
Against a backdrop of accelerated business and workforce change, managing the development of new and emerging workforce skills is crucial to future success. Findings from the study show that 27 percent of employees are not confident that their employer is investing sufficiently in their skills development and training to prepare them for the future. As the impact of AI in the workplace accelerates, nearly one in three workers (30 percent) are engaged in developing new skills to support and enhance their role. Twenty percent of employees are unsure of the impact of AI on their jobs, indicating a growing need for greater communication and engagement around the use of automation and AI in the workplace.
The Ireland-focussed edition of Aon’s 2025 Human Capital Employee Sentiment Study is available here.
