Jump Back
The question I asked on a recent LinkedIn poll was:
Are you planning to move jobs externally in 2026?
- 44% said yes
- 39% said no
- 17% said maybe
44% of people in the market are actively considering moving roles externally. That seems quite a high proportion. Another further-reaching piece of data we have from LinkedIn Talent Insights shows that job-seeking behaviour in Ireland stands at 12.5%. That means 12.5% of people on LinkedIn in Ireland are demonstrating job-seeking behaviour: actively reviewing job descriptions, updating their LinkedIn profiles, and so on. A further data point is that 8.9% of the talent pool changed jobs in the past year.
The key point here is the difference between those who are thinking about moving jobs and those who actually move. There’s a big gap between those numbers. Why?
Earned Flexibility
People naturally believe the grass is greener somewhere else, but when they explore the external market, reality often kicks in. Flexible working is a big part of that. Many professionals have earned flexibility in their current role: hybrid arrangements, trusted hours, autonomy, and quickly realise how difficult that is to replicate with a new employer where trust hasn’t yet been built. Ultimately, flexibility is such an important variable for talent that it alone can prevent people from moving jobs. People talk about moving jobs, show light job-seeking behaviour, and remain curious, but ultimately decide they have it pretty good where they are – back to that “better the devil you know…” sentiment!
Barriers to Entry
Procrastination is also at play here. Life gets in the way. There’s never a perfect week to update a CV, never a perfect day to start looking for a new job, and often no clarity about which roles to apply for or what salary expectations to set. These small barriers create a large gap between the idea of moving jobs and the action of doing something to achieve it. That’s exactly what the data reflects: 44% considering a move versus 12.5% actually taking steps.
The Odds are Ever in Your Favour
What’s interesting is what happens once people do take action. If roughly 12.5% of professionals are actively job-seeking, and 8.9% of the overall talent pool changed jobs last year, that implies that once someone commits to the process, there’s roughly a 70%+ chance they will secure a new role. Those are pretty good odds.
Many people simply don’t know how or where to start. There’s one very easy way to do that: identify a talent advisor who recruits specifically within your space and send them an email.
A Note for the More Ambitious Professional
Regardless of how content someone is in their current role, after about two years, ambitious people naturally become more curious about opportunities, both internally and externally. At a more senior level, C-suite or C-1, ambitious people are almost always market-aware. They should know what’s happening in the marketplace, what opportunities exist with competitors or organisations in their supply chain. Relevant senior roles don’t appear every day, so smart executives stay informed about what’s happening externally, even when they’re happy where they are.
Final Thoughts
If you are curious about moving jobs in 2026, find a talent advisor who recruits in your area. Send one email. The rest will be taken care of.
At Barden, our advisory team works with clients on a case-by-case basis to develop controls tailored to their specific processes and needs. If this would be helpful, reach out to me at ed.heffernan@barden.ie