Survey Release: Workers' True Voices Survey 2026 #1 – The Real Reason Employees Quit: Top Factor is 'Satisfaction with Evaluation,' Based on Survey of 500 Full-Time Employees

Selection and Variation Co., Ltd., a consulting firm specializing in organizational and HR strategy (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Nishi-ku, Osaka; Nishi-ku, Nagoya; President & CEO: Yoshimasa Hirayasu; URL: https://sele-vari.co.jp/) has released the results of its 'Survey on Resignation Consideration and Awareness of Personnel Evaluation' conducted among 500 full-time employees nationwide.

Background

"What is the real reason behind your recent employee resignations?"

Following the implementation of work-style reforms, issues related to working hours have been partially resolved. As a result, employee dissatisfaction is shifting from 'time' to 'evaluation and performance.' For companies that have completed overtime reduction initiatives, the next critical issue may be 'how effort is evaluated and rewarded.' With this awareness, Selection and Variation launched the 'Workers' True Voices Survey' series. The first survey focuses on reasons for considering resignation and attitudes toward personnel evaluation, based on responses from 500 full-time employees across Japan.

[Detailed Report & Graphs]

https://sele-vari.co.jp/insight/survey-workers-voice-2026-01/

Overview

42.4% of respondents had considered leaving their job within the past year. The most common reason was 'lack of satisfaction with evaluation' (38.7%), significantly surpassing 'dissatisfaction with salary levels' (31.6%) and 'long working hours' (14.2%), which was once the standard reason for resignation.

Interestingly, a notable correlation was observed between the duration of evaluation feedback meetings and turnover intention. Among employees who did not receive any feedback meeting, 48.6% had considered quitting. In contrast, only 17.8% of those who had feedback sessions lasting 30 minutes or more considered leaving—a difference of approximately 2.7 times. This suggests that the process of 'receiving explanations' may be more influential in shaping turnover intention than the evaluation outcome itself.

Survey Overview

Survey Name: Survey on Resignation Consideration and Awareness of Personnel Evaluation

Conducted by: Selection and Variation Co., Ltd.

Method: Online survey

Survey Period: May 2026

Target: 500 full-time employees aged 20–59, working at companies with 50 or more employees, across Japan

[Detailed Report & Graphs]

https://sele-vari.co.jp/insight/survey-workers-voice-2026-01/

Supervisor

Yoshimasa Hirayasu

President & CEO, Selection and Variation Co., Ltd. With over 30 years of experience as an HR consultant, he has supported personnel system reforms for more than 400 companies. Author of numerous books, including 'Definitive Guide: Creating Performance Reviews in 7 Days' (Asukashinsha) and 'People Who Get Promoted Don’t Worry About Performance Reviews' (Nikkei Publishing).

About Selection and Variation Co., Ltd.

A human resources consulting firm with deep expertise in 'organization and HR.' We support transformative initiatives for strategic realization and performance improvement across diverse industries and company sizes—from Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime-listed corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises with dozens of employees.

We promote change in areas such as HR strategy formulation, HR system design and implementation, organizational culture improvement, and executive education.

Early Adoption of 'Job-Type Employment' Systems

President Hirayasu was among the first in the 1990s, during the rise of performance-based HR systems, to implement job-type employment systems at major electronics manufacturers. Since then, he has supported over 200 organizational transformations by challenging traditional practices such as mass hiring of new graduates, seniority-based promotions, automatic salary increases, and lifetime employment—questioning whether these truly enable corporate growth and what HR can do to drive business expansion and profitability.

Today, we support management transformation to turn challenges arising from the pandemic and changing lifestyles into opportunities for growth.

Examples of Clients Supported Since FY2020

Pharmaceutical industry (TSE Prime-listed)

IT platform provider (TSE Prime-listed)

Specialty trading company (TSE Prime-listed)

System development company (TSE Prime-listed)

Audit firm-affiliated consulting firm

Telecommunications and construction company (TSE Prime-listed)

Other non-listed companies (manufacturing, services, etc.)

[Company Overview]

Mission: Making corporate and individual growth a norm

Company Name: Selection and Variation Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Honmachi Grand Building 7F, 1-2-17 Nishihonmachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0005, Japan

Business: Organizational and HR consulting

Established: March 2006 as a limited company (incorporated in June 2011)

Company Website: https://sele-vari.co.jp/