Marketforce’s The Crib Report, Employer Branding within the Resource and Construction Industries national survey, due to be released next week, discovered 64% of workers would change jobs.

The Crib Report also highlighted that more than half the 600 blue and white-collar employees Marketforce spoke to said remuneration was one of their key motivators.

“In order to mitigate the risk of getting caught in a price war, employers need to focus on establishing the right package of factors which would make them stand out from other competitors,” Marketforce strategy director Nicole Walton said.

Walton said the survey results raised significant implications for companies that were already battling to fill positions in light of Australia’s growing labour shortage.

Employers must embrace the shift in the way they engage their workforce, Walton said, or risk falling behind in a battle to win and retain employees.

“The game winning advantage for employers lies in looking at the way things like company reputation, conditions and benefits factor in to the equation,” she said.

“We believe we will begin to see a significant shift in the recruiting and engagement strategies of the major players in these industries, as the tangible value of employer branding becomes better understood and appreciated over the coming months and years.”

The Crib Report also looked at working hours and conditions.

Last month, recruitment specialist Ambit Engineering found that as the demand for skilled workers rose, companies fattened pay packets to keep staff.