Almost one in four UK employees are actively job hunting or planning to change employers this year, according to a 2026 survey of 2,000 UK workers. For businesses, the message from employer of record specialist Agility EOR is to resist the reflex to make a panic hire when a resignation letter lands.

Agility EOR has reviewed research into why employees leave, how employers respond to resignations and the challenges businesses face when recruiting. Its conclusion is direct: the instinct to act quickly does not always solve the underlying problem, and a rushed replacement can create new costs of its own.

Why employees really move on

While salary is a key factor for employees considering a move, research also points to feeling undervalued, a lack of progression and concerns around workload and work-life balance. For employers, that means a counteroffer built only around pay may not address the reason someone wanted to leave in the first place.

The numbers make the stakes clear. With close to a quarter of the workforce weighing a change of employer this year, the way a business handles one resignation can shape whether it keeps or loses more people further down the line.

Agility EOR points out that the two questions employers ask first, what it costs to keep someone and how quickly a replacement can be found, rarely match what the business actually needs at that moment.

Counteroffers can delay the same problem

"When someone resigns, the immediate reaction is often to ask how much it will cost to keep them, followed by how quickly they can be replaced," said Scott Winter, Chief HR Officer and Co-Founder of Agility EOR. "But neither question gets to what the business actually needs now."

"If you don’t understand why someone wanted to leave, you risk paying to delay the same problem. And if you immediately recruit for the same role, you could end up putting someone new into a position that no longer fits the direction of the business."

Rethink the role, not just the vacancy

Rather than immediately advertising the same role and racing to fill it, a resignation can be an opportunity to step back and consider whether the position, its responsibilities and the skills required still fit the business as it stands today.

That review can extend to where the next hire comes from. If the skills required are difficult to find locally, there is little reason to assume the right person has to be local either, the review found.

Looking overseas for skills and growth

The argument is growing more relevant as businesses look beyond their home market. Research published in 2026 found that 52% of organisations are planning international expansion within the next 18 months, while 51% report widening skills gaps in their workforce.

"Looking internationally can give businesses access to skills that may be difficult to find locally," said Scott. "A resignation can be the point at which a business stops looking for a like-for-like replacement and starts thinking about what it actually needs next."

For businesses facing a resignation, the guidance is simple: before rushing to replace someone, take the opportunity to consider whether the role, the skills and even the location of the next hire still make sense.