The movement, described as "the great resignation", was discussed during C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment’s Fit To Employ seminar, with TTG Media, on Wednesday (30 March).

It comes as businesses seek to restore staffing levels to pre-pandemic levels and employees look for a change in job following two years of disrupted working conditions.

HR and talent professional Claire Steiner, UK director of the Global Travel and Tourism Partnership, predicted around 40% of staff will move on to new positions by the end of the year.

More: ’We’re in the middle of a huge battle for travel talent’

"Over the past 24 months, people have had time to reflect and changed direction in their lives and as a result, are having a rethink about what they want from their lives," she said.

"I think that’s a large part of it. I think another part of it was how they were treated during the pandemic and during furlough.

"Things are kicking off now and they are seeing how other people have been treated, and it’s making them question if the company they’ve been working for was the right company for them."

‘Pent-up emotion’

C&M director Barbara Kolosinska, meanwhile, said that while there was a range of positions available, there wasn’t enough talent to match the level needed to fill the roles. 

"People spent two years feeling grateful just to have a job during the pandemic, but now they’re starting to realise there are other jobs out there," she said.

"They might have been ready to go before the pandemic, and now they’re desperate to go. There’s a pent-up emotion, that’s what we’re finding."

Travlaw partner Ami Naru said Covid-19 had "accelerated" the impending influx of resignations, with people more reliant on roles that allow for homeworking, improved healthcare plans, and child care provision. 

"People are seeing that there is lot of jobs out there and they’re capitalising on better work opportunities," she told delegates.

"There are a lot of different factors, but the result is the same, there is going to be a lot of movement, and it’s what companies do to retain the talent they’ve got, while attracting new talent." 

During the online session, 80% of attendees reported they have struggled to recruit new staff during the pandemic.