That’s the word from HR consultant Right Management, which posed the following question to 904 workers across the country:

“Do you plan to pursue new job opportunities as the economy improves in 2010?”

The responses:

• 60% — Yes, I intend to leave
• 21% — Maybe; I’m networking
• 6% — Not likely, but I’ve updated my resume, and
• 13% — No, I intend to stay

Douglas Matthews, Right Management’s COO, said the poll was evidence that “while employers may have taken the necessary steps to remain viable, it appears many employees have felt neglected in the process. The result is a disengaged and disgruntled workforce.”

What will it take to keep these folks around? Career advancement opportunities, work/life balance programs (think flex scheduling) and “working for an innovative company culture,” according to Matthews.

Are your workers “disengaged and disgruntled”? Are you doing anything extra to boost morale — and retention — these days? Let us know in the comments section below.

A changing economy and changing attitudes about work have resulted in some new reasons rising to the top of the list of why employees leave – giving you clues about how you’ll want to frame your appeal to job-hunters.

HR consultant Right Management asked 1,308 people why they left their jobs in the last year. Here’s how they answered (numbers add up to more than 100% because some people said they left for more than one reason):

• Downsizing or restructuring (54%);
• Sought new challenges or opportunities (30%);
• Ineffective leadership (25%);
• Poor relationship with manager (22%);
• To improve work/life balance (21%);
• Contributions to the company were not valued (21%);
• Better compensation and benefits (18%). 

At one time, having a bad boss seemed to always show up as the No. 1 reason, but these days, people are more likely to leave because of a layoff. (Still, though, the bad-boss reasons –  “ineffective leadership” and “poor relationship with manager” – are near the top.)

What the numbers show
The numbers seem to indicate that if you’re recruiting, plan to see more and more people who’ve been caught in a downsizing shuffle. And plan to appeal to them by emphasizing the stability and growth opportunities your organization features. Job-hunters’ antennae will be picking up on that, especially in this economy.

Apart from that, you’ll want to go with many of the same strategies you’ve probably been using:

• having candidates meet with potential supervisors to test the chemistry
• talking about — but not promising — avenues for advancement, and
• describing the highlights of your benefits package, over and above just salary concerns.