New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS): Nearly 40 per cent of workers could switch jobs this year in India, a report said on Wednesday.

According to experience management firm Qualtrics, despite respondents in India reporting some of the highest levels of engagement (85 per cent) and wellbeing (89 per cent) at work globally, just 62 per cent plan to stay with their current employer for the next 12 months.

"As seen in the Qualtrics research, addressing the challenges faced are not as simple as setting new work schedules or boosting engagement," Lauren Huntington, Employee Experience Solutions Strategist for Qualtrics in India, said in a statement.

"People are making career decisions based on multiple factors, meaning the ability to quickly and easily identify and respond to the issues having the biggest impact with tools like Qualtrics is a significant advantage," Huntington added.

At a time when tier-II and tier-III cities are emerging as talent hubs, and high levels of hiring sentiment, the findings highlight the critical need for employers to prioritise improving the employee experience to attract and retain talent in India's competitive job market.

For employers looking to increase intent to stay among their employees in hybrid or remote environments, ensuring individuals are aligned with the strategic goals of the organisation is key.

Prioritising employee wellbeing, creating a culture of belonging, and ensuring employees feel like their career goals can be met are also important drivers of intent to stay in India, the survey, which included 1,024 respondents, said.

Successfully adopting permanent hybrid work policies in India will also be critical to attracting and retaining talent in 2022, with 60 per cent of respondents saying they would look for a new job if forced back to the office full-time -- almost double the global average (35 per cent).

The most popular hybrid arrangement for employees is three days remote and two in the office, followed closely by four days remote and one day in the office.