68.4% of surveyed Indian professionals plan a job hunt in 2027

By Grace Kim

In India, 68.4% of 9,951 professionals surveyed by foundit said they intend to actively search for a new job in 2027, while 51.6% want a salary increase of at least 31% before switching organisations.

The foundit Career Reset Survey 2027 measures intentions, not completed moves. The published summary gives no field dates, weighting details, margin of error or revisions, so the figures are a snapshot of stated plans rather than a forecast of actual hiring or quits.

It also provides no job-count, unemployment, sector or occupation breakdown. That means it cannot show where hiring is rising or falling; it measures what respondents want.

How many Indian professionals plan to move?

Foundit reported three responses to the question of what professionals plan to do in 2027:

• 68.4% intend to actively search for new jobs.
• 18.1% plan to stay with their current organisations but remain open to outside opportunities.
• 3.7% intend to stay and grow within their existing organisations.

The gap between active searchers and those committed to internal growth is 64.7 percentage points. Employers therefore face both visible job-seekers and another group that could become active if an offer improves their prospects.

In short, most respondents plan to look elsewhere, but few have ruled out staying and growing internally.

Is pay the main reason to leave?

Career prospects, rather than pay alone, lead the stated motivations:

• 40.3% cited better career prospects as their primary motivation.
• 29.7% cited higher salaries.
• 20.3% cited better work-life balance and flexibility.

That puts career prospects 10.6 percentage points above higher pay. For an individual, the survey raises the bar for switching: the next role must offer a stronger career path as well as competitive compensation, not just one of them.

The practical message is clear: a higher paycheck helps, but advancement does more of the work in deciding whether to move.

What salary increase makes a move worthwhile?

The compensation expectations are high:

• 31.2% require a 31% to 50% increase for a job change to be worthwhile.
• 20.4% want an increase of more than 50%.
• Together, 51.6% expect at least a 31% rise before moving to another organisation.
• 94.1% feel confident they can find a good job if needed.

More than one in two respondents thus set a floor above 30%, while more than nine in ten expect to find suitable work. The survey does not disclose current salaries or the occupational mix, so it cannot show whether those expectations are attainable in every field.

Money still has a high bar: candidates are pairing career growth with a substantial rise before they will switch.

How are AI and flexibility shaping the search?

AI and work location now sit alongside pay and promotion:

• 82.1% see AI as a career opportunity.
• 67% are actively upgrading their skills for changing workplace requirements.
• Nearly 56% prefer hybrid work.
• 23.7% prefer fully remote jobs.
• 20.3% prefer working entirely from an office.

For an individual, this gives AI skills and preferred working arrangements more weight when comparing offers. It also raises the practical stakes for employers, which need to offer both development and flexibility to compete for talent.

Yet the search process frustrates respondents:

• 52.7% identify receiving no response after applying as their biggest recruitment frustration.
• 19.1% cite lengthy hiring processes.

The contrast is sharp: more than nine in ten feel confident about finding a good job, yet over half name silence after an application as their top recruitment frustration. The optimism concerns job availability, not process quality.

The search looks hopeful overall but frustrating in practice, especially for applicants who hear nothing back.

What should employers do before workers move?

Foundit frames 2027 as a retention challenge. Competitive salaries may attract candidates, but meaningful career progression, flexibility and opportunities to develop skills may determine whether employees stay.

For workers, the survey makes the trade-off concrete: 51.6% want at least a 31% rise, 40.3% prioritise better career prospects, and 67% are building AI skills. A candidate is likely to have the strongest position where compensation, visible advancement and skill development overlap, rather than where an employer offers only one.

If these intentions become actual searches, employers will need faster responses, credible career paths, competitive pay and flexible work to retain workers in 2027.